Read Asperger Diaries: Jamie's New School for Free Online Page A

the
country names.
    For geography
homework I had to write about oxbow lakes. The teacher didn’t say
how many words he wanted us to write. In the text book the section
on oxbow lakes is six pages long. I'm sure the teacher didn’t want
us to include everything, but I didn't know which parts are most
important. Mum said I should read the section in full, make brief
notes as I went along, and write the essay based on my notes. I
tried, but my notes covered three sides. I scrapped that idea, and
just wrote the essay. I tried not to simply copy from the text
book. I ended up with just over four sides of paper. I wasn’t sure
if I had covered everything. Mum read it, and said she thought it
was good. She said I should hand it in, and see what the teacher
says when he marks it. I don’t feel very confident about it. I
didn’t finish until ten thirty. Mum said I was spending too much
time on my homework. I wouldn’t have finished it if I had spent any
less time. She said Lesley didn't used to spend anywhere near as
long when she was in the first year. Lesley wasn’t in the top set
so she probably got easier homework.
     
    *****
    Angela's
Diary
    Jamie headed
straight to his bedroom again when he came home from school. I
asked him what was wrong. He said he was tired, and needed a rest
before dinner. I asked if he wanted to talk about his day. He said
he didn’t. I asked if he’d made any friends. He said he hadn't, and
to leave him alone. I managed to persuade him to change out of his
uniform, and left him to calm down while I made the dinner.
    Over dinner
Lesley talked non-stop. I’m not sure what she was talking about
because I was so focussed on Jamie. He didn't utter a sound. I kept
reminding him to eat. He shuffled the food around on his plate for
fifteen minutes before asking if he could be excused.
    He shouldn’t
have to spend so long on his homework. He didn’t finish tonight
until ten thirty. He should have been in bed by then. I’ve never
known Lesley to spend more than an hour and a half on her homework.
I’m sure he is trying to do too much. He wrote page after page for
his geography homework. When he had eventually finished, he asked
me to read it. He had included practically everything in the text
book. He hadn’t copied it word for word. He had obviously taken the
time to re-write it in his own words. I’m sure the teacher didn't
intend him to cover it in so much detail.
    I asked Andrew
what he thought about Jamie spending so much time on his homework.
Andrew didn’t think it was a problem.
     
    *****
    Lesley's
Journal
    Alison has
dumped Tony. I knew she would.
    Courtney has
got a new smartphone. It makes mine look like a piece of crap.
She's got dozens of apps on it already. Her mum's paying for it,
and she's paying for Courtney to have a premium account with
Spotify. My phone is seriously past its sell-by date. I tried
telling mum and dad about Courtney's phone, but as usual no one was
listening to me. Dad was off with the steam engine fairies, and mum
only cares about tram boy. She was giving him a hand with his
homework tonight. If he is so clever he shouldn't need any help.
She never helps me with mine.
     
     
    7th September
(Wednesday)
     
    Jamie's
Diary
    When I arrived
at school, I realised I had left my geography homework on the desk
in my bedroom. The teacher had said we had to hand it in this
morning. I didn’t want to get in trouble, so I found Lesley in the
school yard. She wasn’t very pleased because she was with three of
her friends. I said it was important, and that she had to help. She
telephoned mum even though it’s against the rules to use a mobile
phone in school. Mum was annoyed when she arrived. It was her fault
I forgot my homework because she'd hurried me out the house to
catch the bus. At least I managed to hand my homework in on
time.
    I sat next to
the window in biology. On the bench, under the window, there is a
cage with a rat in it. I could hear the rat moving around