Pee Holding in Middle School

Middle school, Shae got into one of the top schools in the city. A result of strict discipline from her traditional Asian household: Waking up early everyday to memorize poems, read English words out loud; 8 hours of school everyday, a brief dinner then its hours of home work on Math...Science...Literature....On weekends she has to attend extra curriculum courses at universities to get ahead of the peers.

"Finally I got in, it's over" Shae thought to herself when she received the admission letter from the school. A piece of paper of recognition of countless sleepless nights. Little did she know, the climb and grind for a better education is barely starting.

The middle school is renowned for its high scores during the high school entrance exam. And there is no easy way to cross the bridge to a better high school....than pure hard work. There are 5 periods in the morning, followed by 1 hour lunch break, and another 4 periods in the afternoon. First class starts at 8:45 am. However everyone needs to get to school before 7:25am to hand in homework, and "Morning Reading Session" where topics get switched depending on the day. Shae lives far from school and since there is no school bus. She has to take the public bus which never follows a schedule. Shae had bad insomnia and always needed more sleep than others. But how she needs to get up at 6 everyday and stay awake all day until she can finally sleep at night.

Barely the second week into middle school, the classes are getting longer. The ring doesn't mean the end of period anymore but rather a reminder the next class is in 10 minutes. Teachers drag out classes till the last minute and Shae could barely make it to the bathroom before the next class starts. Being late to class is a major no since Shae still remembers the one time she had to stand in front of class to be laugh at in primary school. Being the shy girl she is, Shae often have to hold in it until next period ends hoping the teacher will finish on time. The constant holding from such a young age also set a twisted tone for her in the upcoming years.