Tales and traumas of a 'Teenage Drama Queen'

I wrote the other day about my summer assignment for English, a speach about work experience. Well, this is what I've come up with. I have to read it out to the class in the first lesson back to school, but I really can't imagine myself reading this aloud! Please read, and tell me what you think... Thanks XD

Work Experience

When, over two years ago we were first asked to consider what sort of placement we would like for our work experience at the end of year ten I immediately put down Army. I didn’t say what sort of army job; officer, gunner or even cleaner. I simply wrote Army.
I didn’t understand what being in the British Army would entail. All I knew was that we had just had army day at school and half our year had been brain washed into thinking that joining the army was the thing to do. I think some of us were partially persuaded by the hot fitness instructor! Anyway, it wasn’t until I attempted to join a local cadet group that I realised joining the army was not really the career I wanted. So, when we arrived back after the summer I opted to change my placement to law. At least this was a field I had consistent interest in.
Over the next year I discovered that I would be ‘working’ for “--------------- Solicitors”, and that they were based in -------. Once I had their address and my Work Experience Pack I set about writing a C.V and accompanying letter of introduction.
We had also been told to ‘phone our placements and introduce ourselves. This I did, with a certain sense of trepidation. The woman who picked up was short and sharp. She corrected my question of “could I please speak to Mrs Pat Harris” saying that her name was “actually Miss Pat Harris”. The entire conversation followed a similar thread, and I felt distinctly out of place.
She told me that contrary to my expectations, I would not be able to participate in the day-to-day activities of the firm. All I would be able to do was watch court cases. This was a huge let-down. I had hoped to get experience in a solicitor’s office; I wasn’t overly interested in the court side of things, since I’d had that experience with Mock Trial. I was not looking forwards to my placement.
On Monday 10th July I arrived in ------- at about 8.30, half an hour early. I killed time by wondering around town for a while, but I was conscious of the need to make a good impression and at about 8.45 I began walking up to the office. The walk was longer than I expected, but even so I still arrived early. The office was closed, the metal blind down and locked.
I hung around for a few minutes in the faint hope that the blind might magically rise and let me in. I even tried a few “open sesames”! It didn’t work. So, I self-consciously sat on the wall outside, deciding that arriving at a locked up office was definitely not the best way to begin a week of work experience!
I was even more embarrassed when a door behind me, which I had previously ignored because it had on it the name of a different company, opened and a man looked out and asked if I was the work experience girl. Mutely, and with bright red cheeks, I nodded and followed him inside the building and through a door into the reception.
In films solicitors offices are always portrayed as sleek and ultra-modern. But this was about the shabbiest office I had ever set foot in. After taking my name the short sharp lady from the phone, or rather the secretary, ushered me into a chair in the corner and turned away to carry on with her work, which seemed to consist of an equal mixture of gossiping with her fellow secretary and being short and sharp to people on the phone. I was left to stare at the wall and literally watch paint peel.
After a while I got bored and so decided to vary the monotony by counting the minutes until something happened. At 9.05 Short Sharp Lady crossed the office and wound up the blind. --------------- was officially open.
Precisely two minutes later (I should know- I was watching the clock!) a young woman entered the office. She looked about 20-ish with mid length brown hair and a smart suit. I thought perhaps she was a member of the staff. I was very surprised when the secretary directed her over towards me and introduced her as “also called Charlotte” and “also on Work Experience this week”.
We both sat there uncomfortably for 40 minutes, staring at different parts of the same flaking wall and listening to the incessant chatter of the two secretaries. Eventually the side door by which I’d entered opened and a refined man in a dark suit came in. He introduced himself as David ----, one of the partners in the firm, and offered to take me into ------- Magistrates court.
On the way he asked me about my interest in law and explained what degrees would be needed to study the subject at university. I discovered that I would first have to take a 3-4 year law degree, in which I would learn the basics of the subject. I would then have to decide whether I wanted to become a barrister, and take a bar degree, or a solicitor in a particular field, either of which would entail a further year of hard labour. After this I would officially be working, but I’d still have to do two years of “articles”. Which I suppose is like paid Work Experience!
That first day was busy; I saw fifteen cases in total, fifteen! Mostly they were about breach of bail and failure to turn up at court. But there were a couple interesting cases, such as that of the man who was arrested for GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm). His crime was battering the owner of an off license with a wine bottle, and then, when the police tried to arrest him, running away and hiding in his garden shed! He was due to be in court to apply for bail, before his hearing, where he would be sentenced. But when the magistrate decided he would not be bailed, and would instead await his hearing in jail, the man got very angry and swore at the magistrate, who had him taken away “in contempt of court”. The man’s friends, who had been watching the proceedings also swore and stormed out.
After the first day the week seemed to spread out in a mind numbingly boring routine. I’d arrive at the office around 9, wait to be let in and then sit around until someone was ready to go to court, where I would stay for the remainder of the day. I saw just a few interesting cases, among hundreds of boring ones.
However, I did laugh when, on Wednesday, two men were brought in to be charged and one pleaded “guilty” and the other “not guilty”. The court was silent in astonishment. The second man looked around him and said, flippantly, “Oh, actually, I’ll have guilty too”!
Overall my week of work experience was not a bad one, at times it was boring, but the hours were good- the latest I finished was 3! Although, this was only because there was nothing I could do once court was over.
On the last day of the placement I arrived at the office with a box of chocolates, to say thank you. I had been intending to present them to one of the solicitors, who had all been very kind. But the only person about was Short Sharp Lady. So I was forced to hand them to her. I only hope that the rest of the staff received one!

xx