hypocrites, They're such a rare creature.....wait, never mind

In the British education system there at upper 6^th and lower 6^th (year 7 and year 6, AS level and A2 level. Whatever you want to call it) I’m upper 6^th and as usual there’s tension between the upper 6^th and lower 6^th but not the degree you’d usually see. The uppers (not everyone thoough) hate the lowers but the lowers haven’t done anything, generally speaking. I don’t mind the lowers; they’re all round nice people. It’s true that the number of lowers has increased since last year and there is a spacing issue but that’s hardly the lowers fault. So now the superior uppers have decided to cut off any social interaction with the lower, unless it’s when they roll up on their high and mighty horse you tell the lowers to do something. With no real interaction between the years it feels like there’s major segregation between us. Segregation between groups within Northern Ireland? No never, *Roll Internet eyes.*

The 6^th year common room is an area with a lot unease. On most days we each have lunch at different time so interaction is kept to a minimum but when we arrive for lunch right after them that’s when ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. I should point out that it’s mainly the girl overacting in these situations. We get in and there is rubbish on the floor, mostly around the main table and the bin is full to the brim. The girls squeal with complaints about the bin and moan about how the lowers should take the bin out. Now obviously most of them are in class so they can’t do it. In the cupboard spare bin bags are on hand and it is simple task of just replacing it. The bitchy moaners can easily just bring the full bin bag out the back and replace it with another. But what’s that? You just can’t reach it from the high horse? Well you could just get off and actually do something productive instead of giving me a headache. Unfortunately they don’t and the bag is left there like a dormant volcano just waiting for its moment and still they complain. Time goes and I, the silent guardian, get up, lift the bag and take a 30 second walk to the bins. I arrive back. I’m not expecting a hero’s welcome or even just a warm welcome, I was however under the impression that it may get a simple “Thanks Niall.” But there is no reaction, like I was literally a silent guardian. After that point I decided on not stepping up to the plate to help them out ever again. And despite the bin bags removal the banshees still bad mouth. On one of the days where they come in after us for lunch some of the cool/smart uppers hatched a devious plan. “Flip the tables!” they say.

‘Yes, because that will show.’ I said sarcastically on the other side of the room while rolling my eyes, I was having to roll my eyes so much I started getting motion sickness.

On the regular days the end of lunch arrives and everyone hurries away, all but me who isn’t trying to skive from fixing up the place. Rubbish covers the floor AND the table, and these weren’t the lowers litter. I clean it away as a favour to the cleaners and as I left I smell this horrible stench, it fills the room and near chokes me. I lucky cover my mouth with my scarf to stop any more exposure and realise what the odour is. The smell of Hypocrisy.

Now the upper 6^th always have a tendency to accuse the lower 6^th of not working despite the fact that every Friday the Hypocrites would talk about their Thursday night out and I would be the unfortunate soul that has to be within THE SAME ROOM. The study room is the usual stadium for such a heavy “Debate.” Now a good friend of mine in lower 6^th, we’ll call him J, took a leaf out of my book and made me proud. When someone hates you, particularly for no good reason, you should go out of your way to make them hate you for a reason. So J and few pals were having a relaxing time in the study room on a lovely Friday morning, absolutely nothing wrong with that (well in my eyes at least) But no! The uppers couldn’t have J relaxing while they were chatting away, surely not. Now I don’t feel the uppers understand the idea of being subtle or talking behind someone’s back, I’m only joking, they know it well. They don’t complain to him directly they just complain to the open space. As J and his friends left the Hypocrites say he was being loud and this is where J was awesome. Upon leaving he cheered and THEN was loud.

I just don’t get it. Why don’t our years just socialise like we should. Hell I spent lunch in with them in the common room and it was pretty fun. Just hanging out and eating a ton of yoghurt, now that’s a good time. My year always go on about how the lower 6^th ‘don’t work’ and ‘mess around.’ Didn’t we do the same? And that was a rhetorical question. Hell I still don’t work and mess around, I sit around playing Tetris, eating ice-cream, wearing sunglasses, blaring music and as soon the weather gets better my buying a plastic golf kit and every lower and upper are open to join me because I’m living the dream.