Wednesday 24 March 2002, 4:12 pm -- On the bus
Well, nothing much happened today so I figured I should probably write down who all my team members are. Will save me embarrassing myself like I did this morning by yelling out "Hey Agnes!" in Pastoral Care to Angus Jeavons.

Hope he's forgiven me for it, considering the popular kids -- namely evil Claudia Beufort and her 'posse' of Slut!Barbie look-alikes -- thought I was trying to make a dig at him and now walk around calling him "Acne Agnes".

I mean, honestly! It's not the poor guy's fault that he's been ridden with a blemishing skin disorder and has no social life. I tell you, it is not his fault! A guy can like Star Wars if he wants!

Live long and prosper…hehehe!

Okay…back to my list of team members…

MEMBERS OF THE OPEN DEBATING TEAM

ANGUS JEAVONS:
Grade: 9
Speaker: First and Second
Notes: His name is ANGUS. NOT AGNES. Likes Star Wars. Plays double bass. And tucks his jumper into his pants ON PURPOSE -- must stop pulling him up on it. He's really nice in a Sweet Geek kinda way. Not the type of person you'd take to a concert. Unless the Sydney Philharmonic was playing. BUT, he's probably the closest you'd ever get to a walking encyclopaedia. Must be EXTRA NICE to him considering I'm responsible for the whole "Acne Agnes" thing…

DIMITRI RADCLIFFE:
Grade: 11
Speaker: Second and Third
Notes: What can I say? Lizzie's EVIL brother. EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!!! Must try to spike his Pepsi one meeting. He is waaaay too serious for is own good. Though I'm still cacking up about the Overachievers Anonymous thing.

DONALD MCDONALD (I know!):
Grade: 12 -- just think! He only has one year left before he must face job interviews with a name resembling that of a fast-food icon with abnormally large feet. Oh, cruel world!
Speaker: Second
Notes: I've heard of this before. This scientist, Norman Kross, was planning on naming his daughter Bigfatloser in the hopes that she will channel her inevitable emotional anguish into creating inventions and scientific theories, and, in turn, take over the world for him. Seriously, trust a guy to come up with that! And um…about Donnie himself… He's into the whole "creating stuff" thing (maybe Kross was right!) but he's far too witty to get picked on. This girl was trying to hit on him, but she was a real snob and did the whole:
"Do you think it's vain that I'm always looking in the mirror?" thing
(Apparently the guy is supposed to say, "No, how else do you stay beautiful?" or something like that.)
But he just smiles at her and goes…
"No, Mel. It's just a vivid imagination."

RHYSENN SURIYARVRMAN:
Grade: 10
Speaker: First
Notes: Has a bit of an accent, so must listen really hard to what she says as so not to embarrass self. Was born on the corner of Straight and Narrow. Don't even bother trying to joke with her. Likes to mourn over the "Poor, self-less cattle" before gobbling up seven pieces of Meat Lover's pizza. A bit…eccentric.

SOPHIE HERSHAN::
Grade:: 9
Speaker:: Third
Notes:: The best! The coolest! Well, no, not really…but close enough to it!

Tuesday March 24 2002, 7:18 pm -- Home at last!
Now I remember why I was getting annoyed with debating last year. I just spent the past THREE hours locked in the staff room brain storming ideas for next week's debate. We've only just made the team, and they expect us to debate already? I can't even remember my team-mate's names half the time.

But at least this is the only Tuesday arvo meeting we're gonna have, and we're not having one tomorrow so…score!

But here's a big news flash. Guess who the other third speaker is? Huh? C'mon, three guesses.

Dimitri.

Dimitri bloody Radcliffe.

My best friend's older BROTHER.

I forgot he was a good debater. A damn good debater. A damn good debater who I have to work with for the rest of the year.

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

You know, frankly I have no idea why I'm so bothered about it. But I am. So:

ARGH!!!!!!

But it was so funny though. We had to introduce ourselves to each other and Rhoda (or whatever her name is) was being a snob and saying "Yes, I came first in the national Maths competition" and listing all her credentials when Dimitri rolls his eyes to me and goes:

"Excuse me. But last time I checked, Ruthie…Rhoda…whatever, this was a debating meeting, not Over Achievers Anonymous."

So then Rhoda pulls the whole "Just because you haven't achieved anything" gag only to have it thrown back in her face.

What a classic!

'Cause Dimitri's the type of guy who wouldn't be able to fit all his achievements in one page. He came first in the National English Competition for the grade 11's, is in the state team for water polo, plays the cello, sings…

I guess that's one thing he's got going for him. He doesn't do the whole "Oh! Look at me ! I won the bursary to this school! I'm a genius!" thing. Which would just be really annoying and give me even more reason to freak about him being in my team. My being in his team…Us being in a team together…Okay, this is just giving me a headache.

Topic: That pharmacies are more concerned about their profit than our health.

Duh! It's a commercial industry. People SELL stuff. A pharmacist isn't gonna go up to a customer and say: "You know what? This Aspirin is so darn good I'm gonna give it away for free!"

What do they expect? Bush week?

Luckily we're affirmative.

Kinda…

As long as I don't have to be third. Being third affirmative is EVIL!!! Because you've gotta rebut, but then that just leaves you open for the third negative to rebut all your points and make you look stupid…

Now I'm worried

On the other hand…

LIZZIE IS GOING OUT WITH SEB HASKELL! THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER!

He walked up to her in the middle of homeroom and was all nervous and everything. Then he looked at her and said:

"Er…hey Lizzie! Um…woulduliktogooutwivme?"

Was soooo adorable!

Monday 23 March 2002, 10:34 am - Morning Tea
I made the debating team! YES!!!!

Better yet. I made Open! OPEN!!! As in the best team!
Not out of the grade, or out of the lower school. Open! The BEST team in the SCHOOL!

WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

*Victory dance*

I kicked arse in the rebuttal session. Ladida ladida! Even Jennifer was amazed.

Must not be so down on self. At the end one always manages to scrape through in one piece.

Thank god.

Or in the words of Lizzie:
"I would like to thank all the little people I stepped on to get this far."

I can't believe it! Whooo!

Well, okay…I kinda knew I was gonna make it. But still! OPEN? I can't believe that. It's like a dream come true, the OPEN team. With grade 12's even. Which would mean I'm better than some grade 12's…Cool!

I got in! I got in!

I'm in the open team! I'm in the open team! Yay for me!

Ahem…

Monday 23 March 2002, 4:28 pm - Just got home
I got into the open team! I got into the open team!!!

Okay. I am so totally calm about this.

I got in!

I GOT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!