Diary of a Tween
By Janie, 8th grade
*******************************************
~~************************************~~
~~~~******************************~~~~
~~~~~~************************~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diary of a Tween
Janie Herbener
Dear Diary,
I am miserable. My brother is officially a spoiled brat, and my parents literally think I’m invisible. I mean literally. Today at dinner everyone got everything on their plate and was eating until I noticed that there was no place set for me. When I started to comment on this, my Mom criticized me for complaining and suggested I get my own plate for once. Of course, my brother already had everything he needed, but I wasn’t stupid enough to point that out. Then by the time I got back to the table, all the food was eaten. I got mad about this, and my Dad said, ‘You should have taken less time if you wanted dinner. I’m sorry, but your brother was hungry.’ It was unbelievable. My stomach is rumbling, so I think I’ll go downstairs and rob the fridge of the carrots I bought while doing the shopping last week and hid where my mother never goes- the laundry room. She seems to think she’s teaching me responsibility by letting me run the household. All she does is control the desserts and the takeout meals. By the way, can I say hello? You are the first diary I have ever had. I bought you at Wal-Mart yesterday. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of
Patiently waiting to be freed like in Cinderella,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
I wonder if Cinderella is actually fake. I mean, I know the story is, but if I love someone, could even they save me from the eternal weight on my shoulders that is my parents? I don’t think so. But maybe when I’m older I will understand better. My brother’s birthday is in a month, so I better start saving my money. He isn’t the type to accept a homemade card and a gift card to Toys R Us™. He wants a video game. He doesn’t even have the system yet, but I know better than to ask my parents to buy that for him, ‘Be kind to your brother for once! It’s not every day your boy turns 6!’, or to ask for a raise in my allowance, ‘Don’t be so greedy!’, so I am going to have to raise the money myself unless I want to be a punching bag for my brother all year, and a favorite to punish for “picking fights at school“ for my parents.
Still waiting patiently,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
My parents are buying him a motorized scooter, except on 4 wheels. And he’s going to be allowed to ride it in the house! He’s also getting a little elevator, like a jumbo dumb waiter, so that he doesn’t have to climb the stairs and carry his bike, like a normal person. In exactly 24 days he will have his video games and his motor scooter.
Getting impatient,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
Haven’t written in a while. Been working to earn money. Going to throw it all away as far as I’m concerned. Don’t have much interest in video games. Good thing too, I doubt that he’ll let me play them, even if I do buy them. Got almost enough now. Gotta go, shift at 6:30. Stupid fast food restaurant, grease all over my favorite shirt. I hope he worships his games, for the effort I put in.
Hating all siblings,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
I quit my job at King McArby’s. I couldn’t get my homework done, so I started doing bad in school and got grounded for two C’s in a row. Now I’m doing yard work for other people to raise money. My brother is a very lucky boy. In eight days he will begin his birthday that lasts a week. 6 birthday parties. One for just mom dad me and him, one for him and his friends, 2 for grandparents, 3 for aunts and uncles. Plus I have to be at all of them, and have a present for all of them. With my family party I’m giving the gaming system, and the rest get games and remotes. My report card will be coming out soon, and so I have to work extra hard on extra credit.
Too tired to hate anyone,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(bla bla bla)
Dear Diary,
I wish I could run away from my home. It is terrible here. I am grounded for my A-, and because I didn’t have a present for my brother because the electrical store ran out before I got there. I got it the day after, and so I got one day taken off my sentence. Only one day! I’m going to brainstorm ways to get out of this place. I will get out.
Hating my life,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
I’ve started thinking- why don’t I run away? My parents might miss me doing the chores, but it would be a good lesson for my brother to do something for a change. I could sneak food when I do the shopping, and I can easily sneak out in the middle of the night, cause my family are deep sleepers. This is a brilliant plan, I know it is. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should go to sleep.
Mine truly, (hahaha)
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
Okay. I’ve got my…
· Backpack
· Rope
· 8 pairs of socks
· 10 pairs of underwear
· 5 shirts
· 4 jeans
· Jacket
· Flashlight
· Supply of batteries
· Sleeping bag
· Savings
· Carrots
· Soap
· Blanket
· Resume
· Cookies
· Plenty of bread
· Peanut butter
· Jelly
· Girl scout knife
Wow. I’m all packed and it looks nothing like the bandana on a pole I envisioned. All I have to do is figure out where to go. I’ll throw this in the closet and leave tomorrow night.
Looking freedom in the face,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
(Gabby)
Dear Diary,
I did it. I am officially on my own. Literally, because it is about 3 in the morning and nobody in their right mind is awake yet. That is to say, me. Actually, I am sitting in my front yard. Wonderful moment of freedom. I just realized… My mom comes to kiss me good night sometimes. So maybe she’s not completely lost. And my dad still cares if I call him father instead of daddy. And I just realized that I love them, even if sometimes they don’t realize I saved up enough money but couldn’t buy him a birthday present, or that they accidentally make me do work when they try to teach me responsibility. So I think I’ll go upstairs and put away this stuff. After all, I don’t want to be late for breakfast.
******************************************************************************
*************************************************
***************
******
*
Dear Diary,
It has officially been one year since I almost ran away, and I haven’t been exactly grateful that I didn’t. My old diary lasted me till yesterday, and so this is a new one. I didn’t have to buy it this time. My mom did. Can you believe it? I know I can’t. There must be a reason, because I didn’t even ask for a new one. She just handed it to me one day when I got home. I voiced my reasons for running away last year, and so far my mom has coked exactly 2 meals, one being Mac & cheese, the other fried chicken. All she does is heat it up, but at least I don’t have to. And my dad does the laundry. My brother even has to set the table now. It’s amazing! It is officially a week till Halloween. I have no idea what I’m going to be. I wish my mom would take me shopping, but I know that she’s too busy with nothing to take me.
Your Friend,
Gabby
Dear Diary,
This is suspicious. I write in my diary that I want my mom to take me shopping, and suddenly she takes me! Ah Well. Must be a coincidence. My birthday is tomorrow. I would really like the Harry Potter Series, but… I have to go. Bye!
Sincerely,
Gabby
Dear Piece of Paper,
I just planted a fake journal entry in my diary, saying I want the harry potter series for my birthday tomorrow, which I have never mentioned to anyone. I think Mom’s been reading my diary. We’ll see. If she is, I could have some fun. I will paste this and any other separate journal entries in when this is over and done with. I’ll have to come up with an excuse to leave some blank pages to paste them on. See you tomorrow!
Love,
Gabby
Dear Diary,
Today was my birthday. I got the Harry Potter series! I must have dropped more hints than I thought I did. And, I got a new journal. It’s pretty. I’ll start in it after I fill you up. It was the most glorious day today. I was still hungry at lunch though. And I never get anything sweet! Just fruit and PB & J sandwiches. That’s it! I’ll be a sand witch! You know, for Halloween. I’ll mention it to Mom tomorrow. I’ve decided to test my spelling, so I’m leaving blank pages every other time so I can go back and write comments later to help myself improve.
See Ya!
Gabby
Dear 2nd piece of paper,
Guess what I got for my birthday today? The Harry Potter Series. She is reading my diary! So, I wrote in my diary that I wanted more lunch, and dessert. Let’s hope this works. I made up an excuse for leave every other page blank. It was a lame one, but believable. I also got a new journal for my birthday. One that doesn’t lock. How dumb does she think I am? I am so not making it any easier to read my diary. I’m gonna put the key in a certain position and see if it moves, just to make sure.
How stupid is she,
Gabby
Dear Diary,
Yummy in my tummy lunch today. It was awesome! And, Tattoo totally checked me out. Who knew that pudding could do that? I gave him the pudding anyway. Of course his name really isn’t Tattoo. It’s Tyler, but everyone calls him Tattoo because he has no blank skin. He’s so cute! I hope he asks me out. Halloween is tomorrow night.
I think I’m in Love,
Gabby
Dear 3rd piece of paper,
I have just had a bigger and sweeter lunch, and invented a scary boyfriend to scare my mom out of her wits. I wrote about “Tattoo” in my journal. But I think I’m gonna tell her I know next entry. Maybe the one after that. Halloween is tomorrow night, and I’m gonna make up something bad. Totally freak her out. She deserves the nervousness and anxiety. I hate that she is reading my diary. It makes me feel so open, like my mom doesn’t care about my feelings. She just wants to seem like the perfect mom. Well guess what Mom, if you ever read this, diary reading gives you no good mom points. It gives you negative good mom points, in fact. I feel terrible that my mom doesn’t trust me enough to let me keep a diary private from her. So, I’m gonna freak her out and teach her a lesson.
Witch cackle,
Gabby
Dear Diary,
I’m so excited! Tattoo told me he would pick me up when my parents are gone with my trick-or-treating brother. I have to get ready!
Yay!
Gabby
Dear 4th piece of paper,
I have just told my diary (and my mom) that “Tattoo”, my fake boyfriend, is picking me up once my family is gone. My mom will read this, and try to stop me. This is gonna be funniest.
Get ready for the whopper,
Gabby
Dear Diary,
My mom made me stay home and call her every 5 minutes from the home phone. But I have to point out that it would be only too easy for Tattoo to come here too, which he would have, if he existed. Mom, I know you want the best for me, but really? Reading my diary? There are other ways to become close with your daughter. I’ll make a deal with you. I am to paste all the separate entries I wrote in my diary, and you are to read them. Read my diary one last time. Then stop. And I will know when you read it. I have my ways. Neither of us will mention this. Make it a thing of the past. I’ll start that new journal in 2 days, the one you gave me. Please, Mom? Don’t look for my diary again.
Your daughter,
Gabriella Sydney Horinsya
I am sorry Gabby. I was just trying to be a good mother, as you said I was. But it was terrible to read your diary without your permission. I should know by now that if we can’t trust each other, we can’t have a close relationship. I hope you are reading this, because this is where I completely and utterly agree to your deal. And I have learned my lesson. I will never go looking for your diary again after this, and I won’t mention it any other place or time. Unless you want to talk about my huge mistake, at which time I will apologize as many times as it takes for you to forgive me. No matter what it seems like, I do love you. More than my own life. And I hope you can believe me and begin to trust me again someday. Again, I am more sorry than you can imagine.
I will always love you,
Your Mother
P.S. don’t write anything private for the next few days, and maybe leave this in your drawer. I will be looking for forgiveness. By the way, I thought your Halloween costume was the best. Love You!
Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.
You’re welcome. I am sorry, and I do love you.
I know. I love you, too.
Gabriella looked up from the old journal in her hands, tears streaming down her face. She remembered that year. After that, she and her mom had been so close, they were practically inseparable. “I guess everyone needs that icebreaker”, thought Gabriella. “Just for those precious words that mother and daughter crave to share”. She placed the dusty journal back in the cardboard box in the corner of her mother’s attic. “I love you”.