Age 17 years is a confusing time. I am neither a child nor an adult. I feel constrained by what I perceive as very strict parents and my social life is non-existent. I have left the fee-paying High School against my parents wishes, with three GCE O levels which has given me a decent job in the one of the newspaper publishing companies on the Island. The job is exciting because I am working with the Editor as a proof-reader but am becoming restless and I have applied for a job in the Civil Service as a typist in the Ministry of development. I have received a letter inviting me to an interview which I attended and hope to hear from them soon. Meanwhile I will continue proof reading. Good news I have been successful, and I am starting in my new role as a typist next week. My parents seem incredibly pleased, but I am sure that they wished I had stayed at school and retook some of my subjects. There is more to life than GCE subjects. I need to buy some "posh" outfits to wear for my new job because from observation the Civil Servants who are employed at Government Headquarters struts around well dressed with a supercilious look on their faces. A bomb has gone off in my brains because I have decided to accept a date from a person whom my parents if they knew about would totally disapprove. I am having to be devious and plan our clandestine affair. I am planning to meet him in the city after work for a malt in one of the restaurants where I hope that no one recognises me. So, the relationship has been short lived because I spotted him with another girl, and they were both holding hands. My heart is broken because I had already planned my "wedding" in my head. On reflection the liaison would probably have ended in tears. Cannot wait to move from childhood to an adult on my next birthday when I can have some freedom!