Sam Singleton
English 4
09/19/11

Journal #1 – "Free write for thirty minutes."

Well here's my first homework assignment of the year for English. No offense, but this entire class is a huge joke. I actually somewhat enjoy English, and look what I get stuck with…freaking journal entries. How cliché. I don't even know where to begin with this…

I moved my stuff in here with my dad ten days ago, and classes started exactly one week ago. The weekend that followed directly after Labor Day, after everyone was unpacked and settled in, was filled completely with physical fitness. I guess the guys in charge assume that we all sat on our asses during summer break and that we need to get whipped back into shape. And damn, they were right. My summer pretty much consisted of me sitting in my friend's basement getting high with my stoner, non-military friends that I went to middle school with. A week before returning here, my dad suddenly remembered to start forcing me to hit the gym and work out. I ran instead, though – I'd much rather run laps than go to the gym. My dad didn't really give a shit as long as I returned home with sweat on my shirt. He'd be damned if I spent my entire summer smoking weed…even though that's exactly what I did excluding that final week of working out.

That's why I'm here, actually. I got caught with marijuana in my system and a few dubs in my possession one night by town officials. I was in a park with my friends, who were also baked, when the police found and approached us. Long story short, my dad was pissed at being woken up at three in the morning by cops ringing the doorbell. I was stoned off my ass. It was only my second time getting high, ever. I remember laughing nonstop while my dad dragged me inside and thanked the officers for letting me off with a warning. The worst part was that those pricks took away the rest of the weed. That's what Warner gets for shoving his bad into my hands and fleeing. But yeah, my dad then decided that I was unfit to attend Burket's public high school with my friends, and instead enrolled me here. Of course, I didn't give in without a fight, kicking and screaming the whole way here. But now looking back, I have no regrets.

I'm a senior now, and it feels great to be on top. It took a hell of a lot to adjust to this kind of school system. Some parts were good, though. Everyone here pays a shit ton of money, and one of the perks of that is that each student gets his own laptop on the first day of freshmen year for the completion of classwork and homework. They are also for personal use, but some sites are blocked. There are only two printers in the whole school, though – one in the library and one in the study hall. Granted, the population here isn't huge, so sharing printers is hardly something to complain about.

My cousin Gus goes here as well. He's also a senior. Actually, it was his dad's idea to send me here instead of just a regular Catholic school after the weed incident. My dad walked into my room a few days later informing me that Uncle Kevin suggested William McKinley Military Academy in Wisconsin, the same school that he was sending Cousin Augustus to. The drive is a little over seven hours when you factor in traffic and rest stops. But hey, at least I'm not the one stuck behind the wheel. And that's just one way. I have my license, but I barely ever use it. Even during summer I seldom get car time. It would be pointless to buy a car now since I'm going away to college soon. I really wanna get into West Point, but even if I don't I just plan on enrolling right into the military. This school sure did its job with brainwashing me, because after three years here I know that I want to fight overseas sometime after graduation. I may have not wanted to come here at first, but like I said, now as I senior I'm very content.

I'm just rambling at this point. Anyway, Gus. He's a great guy. He's been my roommate since we were freshmen and we've gotten closer since then. We mostly hang out with his best friend Adam, and my best friend Josh. I met Josh in freshmen English. Our guidance counselor based a lot of our first year classes on why were at the school. I was straight up with her, telling her about the weed incident. She was kind of judgmental though, putting me in almost all lower-level classes because of my backstory. Josh refused to tell me his reason for being at McKinley, but apparently his story was bad enough to land him a spot in "dumb English" with me. It was ironic…for two freshmen in the so-called stupid class, Josh and I both had a knack for English – I like writing and he likes literature. All of the people in charge here are just as judgmental as the guidance counselor, assuming that just because I smoked pot, I was a "bad kid", a delinquent who needed straightening out.

Speaking of needing to be straightened out, I also have a secret. Well, it's actually not a secret anymore. Not since last week. I'm gay.

Yeah, I bet you didn't see that one coming. Gus was the only person I told, and that discussion happened sophomore year. I had my eye on this guy Glenn, who I'd had occasional classes with here and there a few times. The good part was that I knew he was gay. Everyone did. He came out right away during freshmen orientation. There were a lot of cons to this, though. For one, I was completely in the closet. Not to mention, the military is not known to be pro-gay at all. And the biggest issue of all? My group of friends completely despises his group of friends. Gus apparently has some serious dirt on Glenn's cousin, Carlos, and Josh has pretty much made it his life mission to pick on Glenn. Josh isn't really homophobic, but he definitely does use Glenn's sexuality as ammo against him. I feel like I'm sometimes in the dark in my group of friends. It's just that everyone else hates Glenn's group, and I'm the only one in my own group wondering why.

Well that's a wrap for now. This thing is due in like two hours and I have to get ready for breakfast and morning inspection. This is the first day with everyone back on campus since everything that went down last week. It's gonna be weird, but anyway, I stayed up all night procrastinating on writing this and I have to shower.