Why must teachers always ask for the same old report? There is the true report that can't ever see the light of day and the cliched string of "and then's" that was actually turned in.

This is my first attempt at a story and I'm still not positive I actually want to post it but figured what do I have to lose. Being in Australia I had the report being done in late January / early February when we used to get these tasks most years like our American counterparts get in September.

How I spent my Summer Holidays
By Darkbeholder

Do teachers even know how boringly repetitive and clichéd the first project of the new year is? Start of a new grade and it’s the same old story in English class. “How did you spend your summer holidays? I thought to myself as I sat before my computer trying to do my English homework.

Now everyone knows that unless the teacher really has no life at all outside of the classroom the only reason they want something so repetitive is to have an early insight into the works a student is likely to produce over the year. They know in advance they will receive a long string of “and then’s” dotted with the odd event that stands out.

My thoughts drifted back over his summer holidays and I sighed wistfully at those glorious 2 weeks when I was home alone and didn’t have to hide in the darkness the dead of the night provided nor cry myself to sleep to hide the pain. Force of habit made me stick to my usual sleeping patterns but I didn’t have to wait for the house to fall asleep before I could browse my favourite sites and imagine myself as the characters in many of the great stories that existed and I was able to sleep easy knowing I could sleep without anyone barging into my room in the morning and seeing what I wore to bed. It was the only time I could wear what I wanted to bed as I was far too scared of being discovered.

I like to think that I am normal because I mean what is normal but I know that as far as society cares my hidden side is shunned and the facade I must wear at all times is my only protection. My collection is tiny because nothing physical is hidden in this house. Mum finds everything no matter how small. The computer is my salvation as Mum can barely turn the thing on much less decrypt secured files.

The 2 weeks when Mum took my younger brother and sister away to the beach and left me home alone was the best part of my holiday but none of it can be committed to paper for this report. I was the real me for 2 weeks unbound and free. I wonder what would happen if I detailed my 2 weeks in the report and what would happen when we had to stand in front of the class and read it aloud. It’s hard to imagine that the bullying at school would get worse but the words would probably have more bite if they knew the truth. The fat computer geek is one thing but the fat computer geek who likes to dress in girl’s clothes is quite another and fat jokes lost their bite years ago. They would never see it as the poor girl stuck in an all boy’s school living in torment until finishing school and never seeing the people there ever again.

I keep getting sidetracked from this boring task. Time to pull out the time honoured homework standby. If you don’t know the answer or can’t share the real truth then make something up that looks right.

“How I spent My Summer Vacation by Nick”

“The freedom of summer is a wonderful thing. No early mornings for 8 weeks! Christmas and loads of new movies are out and the weather is perfect for the beach. Most days I slept in late and then spent time on my computer. I went to the beach when the weather was fine and if it was raining the movies or just played computer games”

Looking over the pathetic attempt I sighed and wondered how to flesh it out without revealing the true summer I had. It may tick all the boxes but it lacked details. Most likely I should say I got badly burnt at the beach so I didn’t go back. That would be believable and fit the view everyone at school had of me anyway. Better would probably be to write a long and laboured account of how I bested a new raid dungeon in World of Warcraft with my guild. That would meet the word minimum, reinforce everyone’s view of me and put the class to sleep, how could it go wrong?

Writing the truth would be good but life in the shadows is hard and some secrets must go with you to the grave. No one else could possibly understand because unlike the people in stories this is real life and there are no happy endings.