klee. 7.

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When I was a kid I watched a fireworks show for the first time and almost peed my pants. Not because I was scared, but because I was so excited that my brain forgot how to perform basic subconscious functions. I said almost, though! That rumour going around school that I peed my pants in detention is all lies!

And I would know, I've been in detention almost every day this week! I got caught climbing up onto the roof of the school hall with a bunch of  cascades in my bag. The first week of detention was for climbing on school property, but the rest of the term was for carrying contraband onto school property. I got grounded so bad but then Mom and Dad went off travelling again and I let Alby forget about it - hehe!

I think the worst thing I've been grounded for is putting fireworks in the whole neighbourhoods' mail boxes and letting them go off one after another. It was hilarious, until a couple of Keepers followed the trail of sparking, smoking boxes all the way back to our house. The only house on the street who's mail wasn't burned to a crisp, whoops!

Anyway, I got in trouble, but because I was only 10 at the time they just made me do community service - which for a girl of 5 feet no inches and twigs for arms meant hammering nails into the log cabins they were building for the Highland Games for 6 weeks after school and on weekends. But but but it wasn't all bad because we were out forest way where all the creepy crawlies are and I made a new friend - my LIZARD!

His name is Dodo. I named him after my brother Albedo. I was 10, okay? Hammering nails into wood for hours on end didn't make for a great imagination at the time. I've come up with lots of different names for lizards since, but Dodo's stuck now. Solitary detention in the principal's office does make for a good imagination!

School sucks, even without all the detention. Sue me for trying to bring some excitement to a rudimental schedule! There all the teachers call me Miss Clementine - or worse, Clover - and it makes all the other kids laugh in a mean way! They tried to put me in peer support with an older girl called Jean, and she's cool and all, but man she takes the fun out of things! Like how once I tried to ditch class and head down to the lake to spearfish, but she walked right into me and dragged me back to class. But she also got me signed up to the Juniors Exy team that she coaches and sneaks snacks into my backpack sometimes, so she can be cool! Sometimes! Okay, most of the time. Alby says she's just looking out for me and that it's for my own good, but.... but! Sigh....

Oh! Did I tell you about my RABBIT? I caught him using a trap Mom taught me how to make, a humane one of course! I'm a vegetarian! Anyway, he's called Coco - so I have Dodo and Coco. They're brothers! Adopted siblings, like Alby and I. He doesn't do much, just sits in his cage twitching his nose or eating lettuce (he doesn't eat meat either!) or hopping around my bedroom. But he's soooooo cute! Dad said white rabbits were lucky, so call me Miss Good Fortune!

Way better than what they call me at school: a scolding, tired Miss Clementine, ugh! Those teachers are the woRST! Luckily they just put me in detention and then Jean takes me for 'one on one mentorship time' which is just us being very quiet in the library - which sounds nice and all, but I haaaaaate sitting still and being quiet. It's like I'm programmed to be the exact opposite. But Jean tells me it's good to practice patience, especially for Exy. And if Jean says so, well, it's gotta be true right?

Awh shoot, Mr. Coco's gotten into my wardrobe again. Coco! No! Don't chew through my dynami-

BOOM!