The Trailing Edge

     Eighth grade was probably my worst school year ever. For some reason, the following fall, all the "bad actors" had either moved away or dropped out, leaving me in peace. I don't know if a ninth-grader can drop out, unless of course, they had been left back enough times to be 16 or older in the ninth grade. That seems plausible.  But I did go through some miseries in 8th grade. Hormones were probably a factor. Kids that age are restless and dreamy. They want to move forward, while society often makes them hold back. There's a sexual element that plenty of people discount. Many boys that year "put the moves on me," and teachers were protective of me. But when the girls started in, that was more of a gray area. Teachers often just tutted and shook their heads with a smile. Oh, those girls and their drama... I had an acquaintance that year named Debbie McKane. She was in Special Ed. I don't remember how we got to be friends, or how we parted ways. I don