There is a reason for every established global best practice. There is a reason for the class segregated bathrooms, just like double entry accounting, combined arms approach, and civil registration system. Oftentimes, the underlying reasons of those practices are not easy to spot or understand due to the modern sensibilities and technologies. But there is always a reason for those practices to be both global and the best.
Just like the other examples, there is a reason for the separation of primary and secondary education. Not so surprisingly, 12 is a delicate age, just before the puberty hit like a truck. In less than a year, more than 90% of the girls and more than 50% of the boys in this classroom is going to hit puberty. Signs of secondary characteristics were already there for everyone to see. Sadly, at a time when personal internet connection was not a thing, and the quality of sexual education was medicare at best, even most teachers were oblivious to problems these kids are going to face, like personnel hygiene.
The moment I enter the classroom the smell hit me like a truck, the armpit and stale blood. Most parents don't use deodorants and perfumes on their children due to allergic concerns. Between that and puberty, it would take some time for these children to learn about their personal hygiene in sub-tropical humid climate. Even I didn't have deodorant and perfumes at home at this point of time, something I suddenly become conscious of.
The problem however, was not only the absence of deodorant and perfume but also the presence of them. I remember playing basketball each and every recess and even during lunch breaks when I first made it into the high school basketball team in my freshman year. No amount of deodorant or perfume would fix something like that. In fact it would even make it worse. So here I was in a classroom with two dozen or so children on the edge of puberty, some didn't even take a morning shower, and run, skate or ride a bicycle to school. Thus the smell...
Slowly, I walk towards my new seat, the dream seat of any boy of my age if I was not the nerd I was in my first time around. It was right next to my past-future crush, Desiree Johnson, who sits on the protagonist seat, and in between three of the most beautiful, kind, and mature girls of the entire grade. I sit with a curt greeting then put my bag under the desk and realized that Middle East didn't have lockers. In fact, none of my scholls have lockers, something I didn't realize and thought the norm in my first time around. It was obviously not the norm. 'One more mystery to solve.'
I put an empty notebook on the desk and start checking the other kids in the classroom. I was most likely in an unofficial elite classroom for students who didn't change classrooms between the lectures. The first proof of it was sitting two seats left of me, Edina 'fucking' Steel, the only daughter of the senior vice-principal of the Middle East High School. An entitled brat with princess syndrome... Okay, maybe it was a litte too harsh. In truth, there was nothing wrong with the girl except for being a little spoiled. Alas, she was simply invulnerable, thus the hidden object of hate for more than half of the school as a result of her father's iron rule. The man literally cut the hairs and clothes of students whole violate school dress code during ceremonies, except for his daughter. Another reason of my 'Classroom of the Elite' theory was sitting two seats in front of me, Naila Godspeed, the future junior volleyball star of the regional team. Sitting in my previous seat was the Frank Brown, chiodren chess prodigy, my future best friend, and the only son of the principal of the oldest school of the city, Trevor Scott High School. The entire classroom consisted of either children with great talent and potential or children of teachers and influential people. Most of them was fitting in both categories. Not that, I realized in the first time around.
Funny... Here I was, sitting at the last row of probably the most previlaged classrooms in the entire city as one of the shortest students in the classroom with my coke-bottle glasses. Irony of fate, or my mother's networking skills... Something that should be investigated.
'I bet she does the nails of principal's wife or something.'
I removed my glasses to check one of the earlier theories about my eyesight while continue to observe the students in the classroom. 'I really wore these glasses at least one more year than needed, didn't I?' I sighed internally. Still, it was a miracle for the thing to survive the fight yesterday, coke-bottles for you.
While I was checking the classroom, a faint breeze brought the natural jasmine scent of Desiree to me. It was still 30 °C (86 °F) outside and the sudden breeze was godsent just like the fresh smell. My eyes wandered towards her, then to the window. Suddenly I saw the building on the other side of the train station which made me remember something I didn't realize untill now. During some time next semester my mother was going to go under a serious medical operation and would spent approximately two months at hospital. The same hospital I just saw...
The Federal Government Hospital was one of the oldest hospitals in the city. It was old and dilapidated, but it had some of the most experienced medical staff and it was what my mother's insurance covered. However, the most important thing is, it was where one of my mother's childhood friends work as a labor and delivery nurse. Naturally, it was also the hospital me and my sister were born.
It turns out that, my mother's first delivery was exceptionally long and bloody. She lost too much blood and even went under a small operation after it. Luckily, her second delivery, of me obviously, was easier and without any complications. Alas as far as I can remember, my mother was always extremely most fragile and often fainted without an obvious reason at most unfortunate moments. Probably, during the period of more than a decade after my delivery, some operational complications have happened, and when finally diagnosed she was immediately taken for another operation.
Between my mother's operation and her following rehabilitation, dot-com bubble and following financial and banking crisis, next few years would have been exceptionally dire for my family financially. It was especially hard for my sister who was going to collage in two years.
While I was contemplating about the future, the bell rang and kids left the classroom for the first recess. I know for a fact that more tan half of these kids left their homes without a proper breakfast, so the first recess was usually The Feeding Frenzy.
Then I was startled by a voice. "Hey what's up? What is your name?"
Sienna Mirror was a chubby firecracker and the best friend of Desiree Johnson. She was the reason I was put between the over familiar girls in this new seating arrangement.
Sienna was the one of the tallest kids in the classroom. She had chestnut hair, lovely chocolate brown eyes and plenty of baby fat. Her flawless skin and brilliant self confidence were not trampled by puberty yet, just her best friend. But unlike Desiree, puberty was going to hit her fast right after the first year of middle school. Late growth sprout, rapid weight gain, and persistent acnes took much toll on her and sadly she was pretty much a shell of this brilliant young girl for the rest of puberty. By the time she went to collage she lost all those weight and a was a gorgeous young women working as a model part time but never forget the cruelty of high school life.
Right now, she was not the clever and vicious woman who was not reluctant to use her sexuality to torment her suitors but a lovely little thing with chubby cheeks.
"Nothing much Sienna. Thanks for asking. My name is Alex." I answered without much thinking. "What about you and Desiree?"
Both girls startled a little with my answer. But Sienna was not someone that would be intimidated with something like this.
"Oh! You know our names?" She took a side glance to Desiree and both of them took their seats. They were probably talking about me not long ago "We're good but how come you know our names?"
Now this was something that should have killed each and every happy-go-lucky novel protagonist before the end of the first chapter, a loose tongue Maybe a Freudian slip? Nevertheless I always was a bad liar but a quick thinker. Thus, I stick to the truth just like everyone else must do if they won't have enough memory space to remember all the lies they told.
"Well you said it yourself yesterday." I looked both of them in the eyes. "Remember the meet and greet?"
"Wait, you remember our names from yesterday?" She asked incredulously. But something in my eyes should have tipped her off thus, changed the question immediately. "Wait, the whole class?"
Although I didn't think it was a big deal, she thought it was. Thus, I tried to diffuse the situation with some not so much modesty. "Well, I have good memory."
The moment I gave that answer I saw something sparkle in the young girl's eyes. It was some kind of competitive streak. Thus the following question was not that much of a surprise.
"Well then Mr. Good Memory, what's her name? She pointerd a third girl who was trying to sit her seat right in front of me with a mischievous smile.
"Elsa Torres" I said raising my hand for a shake without standing up. The stunned girl shook my hand reflexively. "I am Alex. Nice to meet you. "
I didn't wait Elsa to say anything else. Waiting would have definitely resulted to being forced to recite the names of the entire classroom, something beyond me right now, thus I went for the shock and awe.
"That one is Thalia Davis." I pointed the first person enter the classroom, allegedly the future school slut, due letting her high school date inside the middle school cafeteria and simultaneously to her second base in front of the whole school. I still don't understand how the teacher on duty miss that one. The moment she saw four eyes fixed on herself, she became self conscious and went to her seat rapidly.
"The next one is Bethany Abel." I pointed the mousey little cutie who enter the classroom right after Thalia. She was by far the shortest person in the classroom. She went directly to her seat at the first row right next to window with a questioning but confident look despite the eyes on her. 'Simply adorable.'
"Lastly, Olivia Knight." I subtly pointed another girl with curvy chestnut hair and buck teeth, just entered the classroom. The girl was smiling widely but closed her lips and lovered her head immediately as soon as she saw the eyes fixed on her. Just like anyone else with low self esteem at that age would do.
"I think it is more than enough proof." I said finishing this stupid show off, feeling guilty due to making little girls self conscious. 'Wait! Did I just emotionally abused three little girls? Damn, idiot!'
Alas, just as I was reprimanding myself in my head Sienna jabbed me right where it hurts, showing her mind was sharp enough to cut even when the opponent was decades older than herself
"Oh, it is more than enough proof. But how come you only named the girls in the classroom, but no boys?
'Nope, it was definitely not a Freudian slip. I am not touching this one even with a hundred feet stick.'