The month of Sleeping (January) at age 9

Week 1

I can't for the life of me remember last year's resolutions. I do, however, remember saying I won't remember. So, I can't remember, I predicted that! Yes! I got it right! Shows how well I know myself!

My resolutions for this year (which I will no doubt forget again) are... Well, I would like to practice my sword-fighting more. I've let it slip a little and I practice nowhere near as much as I did when I first came here.

Mind you, it was new and exciting then.

Week 2

Violet's a lot nicer in general when she's not with Harry. I think it helps a lot we're in different rooms now too, her with Sharon and me with Sophia, because that way we aren't together all the time, just for patrols and partnered training.

I'm really, really hoping she doesn't tell Harry everything she knows. She knows I know Hanso, she knows about the book, she knows where my hide-out in the woods at the back of the field is. If Harry finds me there, if he messes that hiding place up like he did to Summer's grave, I honestly do not know what I'd do. I'd either hit him or cry. Or hit him then cry, or hit him while crying perhaps. It would involve at least one of the two, I just don't know which. Part of me hopes I'd do the first, just to experience it and get my revenge on all he's done, but part of me hopes I'd do the second as crying won't get me in serious trouble with the guard- hitting him may well do.

Week 3

Let's just say that today I found out that I've got at least one friend in the guard, and I'm fairly sure she won't betray me.

Harry had pushed me over in the mud on the field at break. I'd got mud plastered over my face, all up my arms and my shirt, up my trousers. It was pretty much everywhere.

I'd sat up cross-legged on the floor, but couldn't stand or crawl away as Harry and his friends had created a wall around me, separating me from the outside world.

Harry was talking to them about what do to with me. His plans involved kicking me, punching me and just generally beating me up. They knew my sword was in my room, so they knew I was pretty much defenceless.

Because looking at them talking about what ways to torture me was not very relaxing or comforting (in fact, quite the opposite), I decided to look at the sky. That way I could only see part of their heads, which are just so very tall, and lots of clouds.

So when I saw a book flying through the air, I was a little confused.

Said book whacked Harry on the back of the head. It was a pretty good throw as well, because his whole head jolted forward with the impact.

He bent over and picked it up, looking around for who'd done it.

"Pick on someone in your own age group!" I heard Sophia shout at him. "Better still, don't pick on anyone at all."

"You're going to regret that!" Harry warned, his voice filled with a tone that I've learnt is not good.

His friends and him forgot about me, and made their way to Sophia. She looked at me, her eyes filled with dread, but kept her head high after that, not letting Harry know he was scaring her. I admire her courage.

I grabbed the book and stood up. I knew what I had to do to repay the favour. I threw it at Harry's head.

"That's it!" He shouted. "I've had it!" Then he glared at me. "Don't think this is over, girl." He warned before leaving, his friends following after. Violet shot me an apologetic glance before hurrying after them.

I picked up Sophia's book and rushed over to her.

"Thanks," I said.

"Thanks too." She said back. We both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

As I handed back the book to her, I recognised the cover; it was Darkest Nights!

"I've read this!" I told her.

"I haven't actually," She said. "I bought it on my patrol. Sharon said books are a waste of time and I shouldn't have bought it, but I did anyway."

"It's a very good book." I said.

"I was actually looking for you," Sophia said. "On the way back, I started reading the book. I'm very good at walking whilst reading. Anyway, this blue ixi said it was a good book, and to say 'Hi to Brynn'. He said you'd understand, because I'm really confused."

"Hanso," I whispered under my breath, just straightening it out in my mind.

"Hanso?" Sophia repeated. "Wait, isn't he that thief who keeps escaping?"

"He's not that bad." I told her.

"Okay, Brynn." She said, obviously wanting to change the subject. I was all for that. "Anyway, lucky I found you when I did!"

"Very lucky!" I agreed.

We carried on talking until the end of break. Also, Sophia doesn't insist on pillow fights and midnight snacks late at night like Violet would do sometimes. It's quite nice to actually be able to sleep all night with no interruptions.

Week 4

Sophia's already finished the book! I told her that it was a crazily short amount of time, to which she replied

"I'm a crazily quick reader." And I couldn't argue to that. It's common knowledge throughout the guard that she's a quick reader. I just didn't think it was that quick!