In my high school, all the science classrooms are on the same block with a massive hallway connecting all of them which hold equipment, emergency supplies, etc. Only the teachers are allowed down it except for emergencies, so it is known to students as the Forbidden Hall.

One day my class is doing a lab. My teacher is notorious for being absent-minded and missing out on the stuff going around his classroom. This is junior year, and since I am a crazy tomboy and I don’t have a boyfriend, I have become the target of ridicule and bullying, especially during labs, since our teacher is extra distracted by helping students and doesn’t notice the bullies. One of the bullies thinks it’ll be a great prank to throw a heavy history textbook at my head as a “prank.” Of course, the teacher doesn’t notice.

But my lab partner does, and he’s sick of these “pranks.” Before the bully can retrieve his history book, my lab partner picks it up and carries it to the Forbidden Hall. He looks left, looks right, then slides the history book all the way down the hall with surprising strength; it slides to a halt about five classrooms away. He then quietly goes back to our lab as if nothing ever happened.

The bully sneers at my lab partner and goes to retrieve his book, but our teacher, who noticed nothing of this exchange, is suddenly acutely aware of someone trying to enter the Forbidden Hall.

“[Student], you know you’re not allowed in there.”

“But–”

“No buts. Finish your lab.”

The student tries several more times during lab, but never gets past the teacher. When the bell rings, I leave for my next class with a grin on my face. I have no idea if the bully got his book back, but one glare from my friend stopped him ever throwing books at my head again.

(I am currently attending school to get my certification for nail technology. We are practicing our application of acrylics and trying to perfect our liquid-to-powder ratio, as well as how to apply the mixed liquid and powder onto the nail with the brush. The liquid and powder mixture is referred to as a “bead” since it resembles one when you drag the soaked brush tip through the powder. It’s not nearly as easy to create this “bead” as salon technicians make it look, so some of us are still struggling with it, including me. I soak the brush and glide the tip of it across the surface of the powder and somehow manage to get one of the best looking beads I have created.)

Me: “All right! I think I got a good one this time!”

(Just as I go to apply this bead to the practice hand nail, the bead falls off the tip of the brush and onto the paper towel underneath the practice hand.)

Me: “Ugh! Stupid butthole bead!”

Fellow Student: *pauses, snorts, and laughs* “Oh, my God!”

(Only then did I realize what I had just said!)

(My freshman class is reading “The Odyssey.” I have long been a fan of Greek mythology, so whenever the teacher asks, “Does anyone know what [something] refers to?” I am often the first person to raise my hand and answer.)

Teacher: “Does anyone know what the Labyrinth was?”

Me: *raises hand*

Teacher: “[My Name], how about we give the other students a chance to answer?”

Me: *drops hand*

Teacher: “Well? Does anyone know what the Labyrinth refers to?”

(There is an awkward minute of silence as no one else raises their hand.)

Me: *tentatively raises hand*

Teacher: *sighs heavily and puts his face in his hands* “Go ahead, [My Name].”

(I have Asperger’s Syndrome. I often feel like I don’t “fit in” because relating to people is challenging for me. However, I’ve started learning British Sign Language, and I love it. It is literal, logical, and has grey areas. Deaf people are very direct, too. I also have a photographic memory, which I haven’t found to be much use… until now. I learn new signs extremely fast. Even my deaf teacher struggles to keep pace. In class, we are learning about countries. This roleplay happens in front of the class, in BSL.)

Classmate #1: “Where are you going on holiday?”

Me: “New Scotland.”

Classmate #1: “What?”

Me: *slowly in BSL and English* “New Scotland, Canada: Nova Scotia.”

Classmate #1: *confused*

Teacher: “If you want to say two countries, you need to say, ‘and.’ Scotland A-N-D Canada.”

Classmate #2: *in English and BSL* “He didn’t say Scotland; I think he means New England and Canada.”

(I am extremely confused. The signs for England and Scotland are very different and unmistakable. I have no idea where she got “New England” from. As for my teacher, he didn’t have a clear view, and missed the sign “new.” He thinks I mean Scotland and Canada. I can’t get it across in BSL, so I resort to English.)

Me: “No, I signed literally, ‘New Scotland.’ That means Nova Scotia in Canada, which is Latin for ‘New Scotland.’ In most languages, including BSL, Nova Scotia is translated literally. I saw it last week from an interpreter on TV.”

Teacher: “Oh. Nothing wrong with the sign, but maybe we’ll keep it at the right level for the exam?”

(I continue to learn BSL extremely fast. One day I hope to qualify as an interpreter.)

(Someone I went to school with comes into my shop.)

Customer: “What size is this?” *holds up cup*

Me: “Large.”

Customer: “How can you know? You barely looked at it.”

Me: “It has, ‘large,’ written on it.”

Customer: “Well, you don’t have to be so f****** rude!” *leaves shouting that I’m stupid because I got a C in English while he got an A*