Based God Bless Us, Every One!

A lot of people have misconceptions about catholic school. I mean, yes we learn about Jesus and yes some of our teachers used to be nuns but there are layers to this, man. The catholic school social scene is like Gossip Girl for people just as rich but much less fancy. There are 6 big schools, which are sometimes referred to as "The Double Trinity." (Although if you actually called it that you would not be cool) I go to one of the main schools and as someone who is part of that scene let me tell you, it's fucking weird. It's like this whole sub-culture that the general public doesn't know about. We meet at football games, fancy ass parties, tus in people's backyards, kickbacks, and birthday parties that are supposed to be PG but those 2 kids always bring R rated stuff (everyone was secretly hoping they would though). There's somewhat of a hierarchy and the best way to explain it is this.

1. The Famous Kids: Not actually famous but everyone knows their name even if they haven't met them. They know what school they go to, who they've hooked up with, and where they're going to be during the weekend.

2. The Popular Kids: Not quite as big as the Famous Kids, but pretty well known. You'd go if you were invited to their party and you probably know what school they go to. You could casually hang out with these kids (if you're on the same tier) or tu with them.

3. The Bad Kids: Okay so I almost put these after the Chill kids because the Bad kids don't really give a shit about social status or anything mostly. They're usually the ones bringing the party to the party (if you catch my drift). Most of them are a little more "indie" then the rest. Like Tumblr, cyber-goth, art people.

4. The Chill Kids: These kids know a fair amount of people. They show up to parties (sometimes) and maybe dance but usually don't take part in any illicit activities.

5. The Randos: Basically just the background characters at school. Maybe you'd see them at a dance or something and say hi but you don't know them and they don't know you. 

Thats a rough sketch of what kids are like here. 

*I don't if this is specific to where I live but every boy in the top 2 tiers wears those short sleeve button up hawaiian shirts, nike socks, and fucking khakis wherever they go. 

Happy Birthday!

Dear Birthday Girl/Boy,

Today is your birthday!! Birthdays are weird because when you think about growing up and growing older you imagine yourself getting taller, skin clearing, and becoming more beautiful automatically. But you don't. You just live your life until one day you take a good look at yourself in the mirror and realize that maybe your legs are little longer, you have freckles on your nose, your cheeks are a little more rosy, your waist and hips are filling out, and you're an actual person now. Before you were just someone's kid, a student, a sibling, and you had no worries because you knew your course for the next 10 years. But now you make choices, and the choices you make have consequences more than just sitting in the corner facing the wall and now you meet people and they know you as you. As the person that you presented to them, that was carefully shaped by experiences and the people you knew but now with a little dash of independence. With an extra kick of things you figured out for yourself. Other people still affect your character but now you have to let them. You have to be open to learning from them and considering their ideas and opinions without disregarding your own. And that is so so important, because you should always be open to hearing what others have to say. It teaches you how to use your moral compass, because anyone can say something with confidence and it's easy to believe in what they're saying, but really you just believe in the way they said it. Really think about the things you hear and say, and when you figure it out, be passionate and say what you mean with conviction. But make sure what you're saying will make the world better. Think about it like this, what would the world be like if everyone followed this advice? Don't just say "it would be better." Think about it in regards to the happiness and well-being of humanity and don't be afraid to change your mind.

Love,
Clara

I was born on March 19, 1999 (yes, that's tomorrow!), in California. Growing up in CA was probably weirder than I remember it being. The only things I can pinpoint about it now would be most of my friends in elementary school's parents being actors or something relating to show business, so most of my playdates consisted of pools, HD viewings of the Little Mermaid, big corridors, and getting lost in backyards. I always saw California as being a caricature of a city, with all the old buildings from the forties backlit by pink and purple sherbet swirls. My whole city is painted, too. Grocery stores have watermelons, tomatoes, and loaves of bread all painted across the side and the Virgin Mary's image chalked into sidewalks and spray painted on walls, stuck to windows, printed on t-shirts. Which conveniently transitions me to school. I've gone to Catholic School my entire life, including pre-school, which is kind of funny because A. I am not Catholic and B. most of the people I know from school aren't Catholic either. I just started high school (all girls) this year, and first semester was pretty much a clusterfuck of me getting a terrible reputation with the male teachers, which I'll talk about sometime in the future.