2002 June 19 (Wednesday)
Dear Diary,
Even though I'm grounded, things haven't been that bad. I've been sitting with the nurse-girl at lunch for the past two days, and so far it has been okay. Her name is Hikari-chan, and she is eleven years old. She and her best friend (his name is Take-something, I think) have known each other since they were eight because their older brothers were in the same class.
It's nice to finally it with someone, but I wish it was someone who talked more. I almost told her about the really cool treehouse I found, but I got worried she would go find it, and then I wouldn't have any place to call my own.
That new boy has been sitting at our lunch table, too, but he talks even less than Hikari-chan does, I don't even know his name! The whole time we sit there, it just feels like I'm the one doing all the talking. It gets boring to listen to yourself.
Maybe I can sneak my GameBoy into school tomorrow! Well, it's not my GameBoy. It technically belongs to my brother, but I guess it still counts. Either way, if I bring it, maybe it will give us all something to talk about.
Momma's being strict because I'm grounded, so I'm not really supposed to be writing in this diary.
Miyako
2002 June 20 (Thursday)
Dear Diary,
The principal heard about my GameBoy because one of those mean girls told on me! The principal came right up to the lunch table and yanked it out of my hand, grabbed my ear, and took me into the office. It was embarrassing; the whole lunchroom was laughing.
To make it worse, they wouldn't let me leave until my parents actually did show up, so I was sitting there until my mom could leave the iMart. (News Flash: it took forever!)
Momma's face got splotchy, which is how you can tell when she was angry. I haven't seen her face that red since I flushed my sister's makeup down the toilet.
Because I've been so "badly behaved" these past few weeks, I can't go to school for the next three school days. I was excited because I thought that meant that I was having a little vacation, but the principal told me that he would send another student in my class to my house with my homework. I have to give this student my homework every morning so that they could turn it in for me.
It's just awful. I'm not even allowed to write in my Diary anymore. (Right now, I'm hiding in the bathroom. Who is going to check that I'm actually pooping?)
It feels like this Diary is my only friend sometimes. My family only remembers me when I get in trouble. Everybody at school makes fun of me and expects me to do bad. It feels like I can only tell you these things because everyone else would just tell me that I'm being dumb.
Anyway, I've been in here for twenty minutes, and I think my sisters are becoming suspichus suhpicious suspicious.
Miyako
2002 June 24 (Monday)
Dear Diary,
Guess who's officially ungrounded? Me! I haven't been back to school yet, though. I go back tomorrow, but I kind of don't want to. Everyone there expects me to do bad, so it becomes difficult to want to do anything good.
Most of my time at home has been spent juggling all my missing classwork and homework assignments with the extra chores I have to do. Normally, getting homework is the worst part of my day, but you'll never guess why that has changed.
Apparently, the new boy I've been talking about lives only a few floors below me! How did I find this out if I'm not allowed to leave the house, you ask? Well, he's the student that the principal sends all of my school work through!
On Thursday afternoon, school left me in such a terrible mood that I completely forgot that I should be expecting a surprise visitor. The first time the doorbell rang, I ignored it. Besides, my face was all puffy and from crying and my mother was closest to the door.
I guess nobody got up to get it because I heard the doorbell chime for a second time. By this point, I was getting angry (my day was already terrible, so this just annoyed me even more). After I wiped my eyes and blew my nose, I got up to answer it.
Looking back, I don't know who I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the boy I sat with at lunch. To be honest, I was embarrassed. It wasn't enough that he saw me be dragged away by my ear, but here I was, in old gray sweatpants and a snot-stained shirt, in front of what is probably the cutest boy I have ever seen.
He looked as embarrassed as I felt, even stuttering his greeting. His voice was soft, something that I'm not used to in my abrasive family. His voice must be magic because after he spoke, my mouth ran dry. His eyes (almost blue?) kept staring at me, and I realized that I hadn't said anything in return.
Eventually, he handed me my assignments and left, but promised to come to pick up my work the next morning before he left for school. (I still haven't gotten his name).
That night, I worked for hours over each problem. While I still don't know a lot about MysteryBoy, his grades must be good because his work is always displayed outside of his classroom door.
My sister was snoring by the time that I finished, but for some reason, I don't want this guy to think that I'm as stupid as everyone else thinks.
I want to be his friend.
Anyway, since I'm wasn't allowed to leave the house during this episode of Being Grounded, my siblings were being extra obnoxious to me. They made sure to leave food on their plates when it was my turn to wash the dishes or put the smelliest socks on the top of the hamper when I had to do laundry.
Mark my words, if I have to wash one more pair of my brother's underwear, I will move into that treehouse I found and never turn back.
Bye-bye!
Miyako