June 12th, 1973

Dear Diary,

Okay, so today is Tuesday, and today I decided I needed to stop and cool down. Being mad at Mom isn't going to solve anything. What I need to do is focus at the problem at hand and try to fix it. I actually got a good chance to do that at lunch today. Since neither Candice nor Karri share the same lunch, I normally sit alone and think. I do my best thinking this way, alone.

So anyways, I got to thinking that I am probably right about Mom's whole 'have to hate show people' bit and that that only way I would be able to change her mind is by changing that mind set. However, that is going to me easier said then done, Mom is not an easy one to sway. Ricky used to be able to change her opinions, but lately, even he has seemed to lose his touch. I've decided to do the most obvious and probably the most frightening option there is: talk to Mom one-on-one about the problem.

I've decided to talk to her tomorrow. I was going to talk to her after school today, but then I totally lost my nerve and, instead, went straight to the library. I'm glad I did too because Keith was there again. I sat with him, but he seemed too involved in his studies to notice. I said 'hi' and he gave me a half-wave, not even looking up. I don't think he had any idea who I was, especially since when I looked over his shoulder, I noticed he wasn't working on schoolwork. Lyrics. He was writing lyrics to a new song! I don't really remember what they were exactly, but they were beautiful! Every word was beautiful! Of course, what part of Keith Partridge's writing isn't beautiful?

Well, anyhow, I sort of forgot where I was for a moment and found myself watching him as he wrote. You can't believe how embarrassed I was when he looked up and caught me staring at his paper. He instantly snatched it up and tucked it into one of his schoolbooks. He said my name quickly and in somewhat of a surprised fashion. Then, the conversation went as follows (so you can get the full effect):

K: Donna!
D: (Nervously) Oh… hey, Keith. Studying again I see?"
K: Um… yeah. You? (Begins to relax and shuffle papers on the tabletop)
D: Kind of…
K: What's on your mind?

Yes, he said that? He actually asked me what was on my mind! It's as if he knew! How nice of him to wonder what was wrong.

D: Do you really want to know?
K: Not if you don't want to tell me.
D: Well… (Pretends to think for a moment) I guess I'm actually here to avoid going home.
K: Family problems?
D: Well… my mother and I aren't exactly on the best of terms right now.
K: (Nods)

And then, stupid me, I changed the subject.

D: How about you? Big exam coming up?
K: Not really. Summer quarter just started.
D: I see… Do you like college?

I'll exempt the rest of this because it was basically 'college talk,' not that I really knew what I was talking about or anything, but Keith didn't seem to mind. He looked at me the whole time as I talked and our faces were close enough that I could have easily closed the distance and kissed him. But I would not make that move. However, I wouldn't have cared if he had kissed me right then and there. Sure, we were in a library, but it would still be magical.

Luckily, Keith and I got to talk a full forty-five minutes today before the librarian arrived with her usual disrupting line. Keith then soon departed, telling me he'd see me Saturday, for the concert. I should have told him I was no longer allowed to go, but I didn't. I just sat there, smiling dumbly, and watched him walk away with his books.

Why is it so hard for me to talk to him? Especially when there is so much that I want to say? Next time I see him, I'm going to have to tell him about the concert, until then, I am going to cherish those few minutes in the library. That reminds me: I need to go to the library more often.

Daydreaming,

Donna

June 13th, 1973

Dear Diary,

I think I am about to scream! When I got home from school today, Mom wasn't home for us to talk and then Keith wasn't at the library. Today was a total flop that it's not even worth the words I'm scribbling down here. So I am going to move on to other things not relating to today's uneventful happenings.

For example, I think it's time that I get back to my poem-writing thing. If I am going to write Keith a good love poem I need to constantly work on it. I've decided to try yet another style today and will explain further in the P.S. section of this entry (just to keep my entries uniform).

Another thing is, I think I should maybe, instead of talking to my mother, perhaps write her a letter? This would be a whole lot easier on me and I would also be able to get my full feelings out in the open. I think I will start work on it as soon as I'm done writing this.

Till tomorrow,

Donna

P.S. Today I shall try 'free verse poetry'. This will be hard for me because it is so much more different then the forms I have tried earlier. So let's give it a go.

I often imagine
Times I could spend with you
We could go on a drive
Or listen to records
Or take a boat out on the lake
Or sit and watch the sunset
I would hold your hand
You would look into my eyes
And there we would promise
To love eachother forever

I hate this! It sounds really terrible! I am not even going to try to write this type of poem again! I have absolutely no talent in this area. I think I will return to the Acrostic style and try it again tomorrow. I am so tired and I still have Mom's letter to write. Let's hope something good comes out of this.