Rawr!

Hey Yinz,

So, yesterday I went to Cougar Camp. Yes, I know how that sounds... but it's not a camp to learn how to score younger men. It's my highschool camp! Our mascot is a cougar. No, I don't mean Missy G... but the animal. It wasn't really an orientation. Different people go at different days and times according to their last names, so I was with Samantha Patrick at the time we went, which was 12:15pm. Then, it turns out they break you into even smaller groups, and we got separated. But a little before it started, we talked talked to *Maria (*Name changed!).
So, while talking to "Maria", I bent down, which is one of my tics. It kind of looks like I'm ducking. That, or as many people say, I'm "dropping it like it's hot". I kind of like that phrase better. Maria just gave me one of those huge smiles and said, "What was that?!"
I am so used to this, but it's still annoying. I'm always really nice about it though, and shake it off.
Alright Maria, it's not like I just popped my eyes out, then put them back in. I just squatted.
"Oh, I have Tourettes," I replied, unphased.
"Oh my gosh! You could so use that to your advantage!" she exclaimed.
Oh dear Lord in Heaven.
But Maria just continued, "You could really use that to your advantage! You could totally go around slapping people like 'Oh, sorry, Tourettes!' and never get in trouble!"
Now, why in Hell would I do that?
And she continued some more, "Like, you should so do that! You couldn't get in any trouble 'cause like you have Tourettes!"
She was even displaying the movements, showing me how I should slap people, and she was laughing, but she was the only one. Sam and I really didn't think it was funny.
So I responded, "Oh, well that's not really what Tourettes is."
"But still, you could totally use that to your advantage!" Maria grinned.
I know she didn't mean it in a negative way, like "Carl" or "Jack" had, but I was still unhappy with what she said.
When Maria went to talk to someone else, Sam and I just looked at eachother.
Sam told me, "Whoa. I would never say that to someone. I can't believe she just said that!"
I replied, "Welcome to my life. Everytime I go to a new school, this is what happens. People don't understand, and I get made fun of for it."
I understand that Maria was just clueless about it, but she should have recognized I was feeling uncomfortable, and stopped. My Tourettes is no excuse for slapping people in the hallways, because the tics don't just come automatically and happen all of a sudden. I would be a pretty messy eater if that was true... But, you get this feeling, and if you don't do the tic, the feeling gets worse. I can't really explain the feeling, but if you don't have TS, be glad. I know that a lot of people out there have worse problems, and I totally acknowledge that. I'm just saying TS is very unpleasant.
But if you really want to feel that feeling, overdose on dopamine. Badooomp Schhh!!
Yeah, that was a drum noise at the end...
And I am aware the joke is corny, because I'm pretty sure no person in their right mind wants Tourettes.
Dopamine is produced in the basil ganglia, which is in the middle of your brain, and overproduction of this chemical is one of the causes of Tourette Syndrome.
Oh yeah, that's right. Rising ninth grader knows her science! That's why I got placed in Honors.(;
Anyways, I shook it off and went throughout the day, only to find that apparently a lot of my teachers are terrible. In the former students' opinions, pretty much all of my teachers the upperclassmen either had no idea who they were, or the majority choice: they didn't like the teachers. At all.
Except for one. But, I have to wait until second semester to get her...
So, exciting stuff, touring some of the school, watching a cool video, and playing team building games like Huggy Bears. GREAT.
I had an okay time there, and I slept over at my friend Megan's house afterwards.

High School... Ready or not, here I come.

Now, to go watch some Syfy!(:

Thank you for reading.

Emma<3