NEW ROMANTICS

''Sophie Magdalene Jones, if you don't come down this minute you're walking to school.'' I yell as I hurriedly make my way downstairs and into the kitchen to prepare breakfast-if you can count putting cereal and milk in a bowl as preparing. I always use that threat on her but I've never actualized it before. Maybe if I leave without her one day, she'd understand the importance of waking up when I tell her to and being on time.

The appointed day has finally come, the day I resume the second half of my final year at Adelaide. After that, I can kiss high school goodbye and say hello to the next phase of my life.

My alarm woke me up by six, I forgot to get my school bag ready the previous night so I had to do that and it cut into the time I'd normally use for my shower and grooming. Now it's seven and we're going to be late if Sophie doesn't come down in the next minute because school resumes by eight for both of us.