Chapter 69 - Delinquent Diaries (13)

Ahoy matey!

Today I have someone with an interesting nickname. Meet Germaphobe - a German cleanliness freak with a side of OCD 1 . This classmate is simply hilarious. I know he has some sort of medical condition or personality issues but observing him is just too entertaining for me.

Germaphobe is the only delinquent I know who has everything in place and a routine. Even before Casper's interference, Germaphobe was one of a kind. He isn't very much of a delinquent, he just simply finds it easier to coexist with the bunch of misfits as compared to a regular classroom. From what I've heard, the teachers kept on confiscating his hand sanitizers and that drove Germaphobe crazy. I actually don't blame him at all.

The German boy was fairly pleasant looking. He had blond hair and blue eyes combo working for him with fair skin but it's a shame that most of the time nobody can see the lower half of his face. Germaphobe can be seen wearing a face mask half the time he is in the class. If you thought that was being paranoid, you should see what he packed to school. Some kids pack books, some pack games and other pack food but Germaphobe packs sterilizer, hand sanitizers, wet wipes and alcohol swabs. He often wears gloves as well and keeps the spares in his locker.

I find it hilarious to see Germaphobe constantly nitpicking on the cleanliness of one of the worst classrooms in the school. He wipes and dusts and sweeps the class before anybody comes to class and does it at least three times throughout the day. It satisfies him greatly to see a clean room in general but when he can't manage that, the boys leave him in his 'clean corner' and it's an unspoken rule that no man shall intrude upon the territory of the Germaphobe. Nobody wants to be roped into cleaning duties after all.

Generally, some of the better-natured boys wouldn't mind helping out with cleaning duties. Boys like Kesha FB and Octopus Head were boys you thought would even volunteer to help out with cleaning. However, I've learnt it the hard way. I once offered Germaphobe to help with the cleaning because it seemed like too much work for one person to do. However, Germaphobe takes cleaning to a whole new level. From the ceiling fans to the whiteboard and the corner of the room, there were no surfaces left undusted, unwiped and untouched. He was merciless even when it came to a girl on crutches. Germaphobe would yell and scold for any sloppy work. He even had a rule of not wiping more than three surfaces or more than a square foot using the same surface of the cloth. Each wiping cloth or wet wipe can only be reused four times at most.

I was wiped by the time I was finished. It took Germaphobe only forty-five minutes to do a thorough clean up and I was almost late for my tuition after school! Never again will I offer help to Germaphobe for cleaning. It will never be appreciated.

Other than easily freaking out over details, Germaphobe is also known for losing his cool. Little things that are out of their places like having the wind blow over his preciously arranged tissues can cause a meltdown. Also, eating in Germaphobe's company can be a highly stressful event. One example of why nobody bothers to invite the German boy over for their pizza parties is because he is a killjoy. He needs to first sterilise every cutlery and then dish out the pizza slices in paper plates and not allow anyone to use their hands to eat. I mean, pizza is mostly finger food so I can understand why people can be annoyed with Germaphobe. Yet, we can't exactly blame him. His fear of unhygienic things makes us feel bad when we watch him freak out.

I was curious about how Germaphobe became so particular about hygiene and cleanliness because these are simply things you can't observe. It took a long time for him to admit that he wasn't particularly comfortable around the boys because he thought of them as slobs. When I heard that I couldn't help but agree. Casper wasn't a slob but most of the boys in the class were. They dropped food everywhere and didn't bother to clean. Octopus Head was a very good example of a slob. His uniforms were always a little dirty and his footwear was never clean.

He also revealed something shocking to me but I wasn't a school counsellor so I didn't know how to help him. Germaphobe mentioned that he used to have an older cousin he really loved playing with. However, that cousin would always subject him to unspeakable things and it made Germaphobe very uncomfortable. Ever since then, the feeling of physical contact and intrusion into his personal space would make Germaphobe feel nauseous. Wearing a face mask helped a little and cleaning made the unpleasant feeling go away.

Also, Germaphobe mentioned that his grandmother was in the hospital and he had to keep things very clean for her otherwise her health would worsen. I guess every individual had their own circ.u.mstances and for Germaphobe, cleaning was a coping mechanism. I respect him for what he does but I would never be able to keep my room as clean or as orderly as what Germaphobe could manage.

At the end of the day, as long as Germaphobe wasn't drinking the bleach he uses to clean with, everything was good. Sometimes I wondered if there was a way to help the boy relaxed a little but he looked rather happy cleaning the same table over and over again so I left him alone. If anything, I think he would make a very good maid if he were female. Then again, maybe there are male maids that I just have not heard of. I hope that Germaphobe can find his happiness someday. For now, we have algebra tests to worry about.

One last interesting fact about Germaphobe before I end my observational journal entry. Germaphobe never participates in the brawls the class. he was the one who usually waited till the fight was over before running over with a mop and a wash bucket. He is usually armed with a broom or something so his official battle nickname is "The Cleaner". Rumours are out that he is the person anyone contacts if they had bodies to dispose of but I highly doubt Germaphobe would take too well to dead bodies.

Well then, that was a fun entry to write about. In the next entry, I will be introducing a boy capable of fighting with Prince Charming for her title.

Fair winds and full speed ahead!

Pirate S. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a personality disorder characterized by excessive orderliness, perfectionism, attention to details, and a need for control in relating to others.