I just got busted for....

[Platypus]

If it was to take to a party or something, it's not too bad, but if you were planning on drinking it whilst at school, there's probably a problem.

When I was in year 11 one of the year 12s sometimes had a beer when he was out the back smoking with us. He was 18 (legal age), but still, it wasn't a good image.

[Platypus]

My mother and grandparents are upset, naturally.  My dad doesn't know yet, although when he does find out it's unlikely he has much of a reaction.

I think that's the whole problem -- that your dad is disengaged, and you're looking for his attention.

Can somebody speak to him and tell him what he needs to do?

Look, I'm fine with my father being "disengaged."  That's not a problem.

Right there is screaming that it is a problem. I don't know whether to be concerned about your father seemingly not caring or you not wanting anything to do with your father. I know if I had done something showing such a lack of judgement that you did I damn sure wouldn't be logged on to an internet forum and I wouldn't have access to the outside world for a LONG time.

Oh, I still see him now and then.  We go to ball games together and lunch on Saturdays and so on.  But my relationship with him more like an uncle than it is a father-son relationship.  Honestly, that doesn't bother me.

And I don't see how internet access has anything to do with anything.

Some people aren't close to their fathers, and that's fine; I'm not going to judge that relationship, it's not my place to do so anyway. It's not like my dad and I hug every time he comes home from work, either.

That said, do you have any males in your life besides your dad, whatever their age, that don't drink at parties and stuff?

Often the best friend you can have is the most boring friend you have, and it's important to have that voice there. If every other bloke in your life who is important to you, excluding your father, so basically, if all your friends are into partying, drinking, etc.; it might be a good idea to broaden your circle of friends. Don't drop your friends unless they are real idiots, that wouldn't make the situation any better and would just make you feel a bit isolated, but try and hear different voices, if you know what i mean.

[Platypus]

I agree with Richius. This is a stupid teenage act, and I hope it doesn't affect him in 10 years after university when he's applying for a job.

[Platypus]

The school district extended the suspension for five more days.

Consider yourself lucky, couldve been much worse.

I think a ten-day suspension is too long, honestly, especially considering I have no prior record.

Perhaps, but again, it still couldve ended with your expulsion. Like Fezzy's area, schools tend to be awfully strict around here, and I mean REALLY strict when it comes to what they call a 'Level 5' offense, including alcohol on the premises.

Yeah, but from what both of you have said, you probably go to schools without black people.  They can't afford to expel someone around here for alcohol possession when they get 15+ people with marijuana/something stronger every year.

True, though people in my school would disagree .  There is a HUGE problem with drugs in my school, though.

Again, my school mirrors Fezzy's. We only have 3 African-Americans, but we have a big big big drug problem. We had a record low 6 people caught this year.

Every school has a "bigbigbig" drug "problem."

The question is if drugs are dealt on-campus or not. We didn't have that problem at my school, but of course people used pot, and a few people used some harder stuff. Nox was popular amongst the arty group for about a year. That said, with over 350 students in a year level, there is always going to be drug use.