Brand new pocket folders, unsullied by penciled doodles and those “I’ve been shoved in a backpack too many times” wrinkles. A plastic box full of factory-sharpened colored pencils — they’ve not suffered cranking through a classroom pencil sharpener yet, they’re perfect. Maybe a few fancy-schmancy mechanical pencils, with glitter or unicorns or Batman or monster trucks whatever else you find particulary riveting. Big, fat, perfectly-shaped erasers, itching to hide your mistakes.  A harsh, new backpack, the plastic still accustomed to Walmart’s flourescent lights. It’ll start to move a bit more fluidly in a few weeks, but for now it’ll retain just about any shape you want it to retain. Socks without sweat stains and sneakers that you can’t flex your toes in.

This is all very nice and all. But the best part’s not here, yet.

New notebooks. Brand new spiral-bound notebooks. And brand new pens, all full of ink.

I can’t think of anything more satisfactory than this.  Don’t tell me I need to get out more. I will always love that sensation.

Faintly trembling hands opening the cover of that perfect notebook — none of the pages are crumply, the cover’s not wrinkled, you haven’t doodled something stupid on the back, it’s just perfect. And you pop the top off the pen, and you press it on the clean, white paper… And you usually don’t have anything to say, so you write your name or scribble a heart or something. And then it’s over, that notebook’s pretty average now, but good grief, that was fun.

FRIEND: I LOVE THE BRAND NEW NOTEBOOK/BRAND NEW PEN FEELING.
ME: ISN’T IT THE BEST?!
FRIEND: i just got a new notebook and pens last niiiiight!
ME: have you indulged, yet? or are you waiting for a bad day?
FRIEND: waiting…
ME: good plan. you’ve gotta be ready. you’ve got to really want it.
FRIEND: i know.
FRIEND: it makes me pace.
FRIEND: lol
ME: i bet your heart is fluttering right now. you’re thinking about those innocent, unspoiled pages. your hands, they’re practically twitching, right? you are just dying to press that brand new pen into the soft yet firm paper for the first time.
FRIEND: GOD YESSSS!

I am not alone on this. Haha.