It was a quiet, rainy afternoon.
Yakko was hanging out with Max Goof at his house, Wakko was still asleep in his bunk, and Dot, well, she was sitting on the couch flicking through random channels on the T.V.
Boredom settled in her mind as it seemed there was nothing that was good enough to watch at the moment. She let out a yawn as she listened to the sound of rain lashing against the outer walls of the water tower.
Sheesh, if I keep at it I'm gonna end up passing out soon. She thought.
The couch did feel rather soft and inviting, almost as if it were telling her to just lay down and close her eyes.
After a few more moments of flicking through random channels she finally reached her limit and gave up. She turned the T.V. and flung the remote behind her, not caring if it broke. It was a good thing that Yakko wasn't there to witness that, he would've gotten onto her about it. It wasn't like she could just just summon another one from her hammerspace. Oh wait, she could. But alas her older brother liked to keep their things somewhat organized and not broken.
Pfft, where's the fun in that? She thought, rolling her eyes.
Dot let out a loud sigh before then closing her eyes and allowing herself to fall sideways on the couch. The comfort and softness that she was afforded earlier no longer greeted her as she landed on something awfully hard. It felt like a book.
She swiftly got up and flung the blanket aside, wondering if maybe she had accidentally left her copy of Carrie lying around.
Or Wakko borrowed it without asking me. Seriously, I'm not gonna bite his head off if he wants to borrow my books…just ask me first.
But instead of seeing that book under where the blanket was, her gaze instead locks onto a sky blue diary. Her brow raised up, curious as to who this belonged to. It certainly wasn't hers. Hers was pastel pink with a lock on it to keep either of her brothers from reading it. But mostly to keep Yakko out.
A devious grin creeps across her face as the idea to take a peek inside forms in her mind. She picked up the diary and opened it up to the first page. It said: 'This belongs to _' but there was no name written in the blank. Curiosity took hold of her and so she turned to the next page which had the first entry.
04/10/1997
Scratchy gave me this diary so I could write my feelings down 'n stuff. I don't have much to say today so I'll write tomorrow.
Dot read over the words, wondering who it could be. It seemed like Yakko was the likeliest candidate, mostly because she didn't see Wakko as being this good of a writer.
No offense Wak, but you don't really strike me as the 'writing type'. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at that thought.
She shrugged it off before then flipping to the next page.
04/11/1997
Dear Diary,
Today was fun. We went to the arcade. Dot and I played Mortal Kombat, sad to say but she beat me; she always plays Liu Kang, says he's cute. I like playing as Sonya Blade, she's so cool and beautiful but really cool! I tried to get Yakko to play Mortal Kombat with me but he doesn't really like it but that's okay! I watched him play Dragon's Lair for a while — don't see how he does it — it's so hard to play!
Dot blinked, surprised that the diary belonged to Wakko. Suddenly the guilt she felt from a moment ago came back a bit stronger this time. Looks like she had completely misjudged him. She tries to shake off the guilt by continuing reading.
After that we went back home 'cause it started storming. I don't really like storms, they scare me. I told Scratchy that but I don't think I told Yakko or Dot actually Diary can you keep a secret? There's a lot of things I haven't told them; things I've only told Scratchy 'cause he's a P-sychiatric and he helps me 'n stuff.
Dot paused again, uncertainty began to swirl in her mind. Should she really keep reading? These were Wakko's own private thoughts being written here! But alas her curiosity just wouldn't go away, and so she soldiered on.
Oh, sorry I'm getting off-track here…we went back home and we just sat on the couch and watched all our favorite movies 'cause there was nothin' else to do. Dot picked first, chose Lethal Weapon 2, no wonder, she really loves Mel Gibson! I guess I can see why she likes him, he's good looking. Oops I shouldn't write that, she might get jealous!. He's cool.
She couldn't surpress a glare at the page. I'm the only one who can crush on Mel in this household!
Then we watched Batman Returns 'cause Yakko really likes Michelle Pfeiffer. He kept replaying the scene of her whipping the heads off of mannequins, he said he wished he were one of them…I didn't get it but Dot told him off for it…I asked Yakko what he meant but he said he'd tell me when I get older…ha, funny…
But finally we watched The Incredible Mr. Limpet starring my favorite actor: Don Knotts! I love that movie even if it's a little weird; that's what I like about it!
Guess that's all I really have to say today Diary, I'll thank Scratchy for giving you to me.
Dot slowly relaxed, slumping against the back of the couch and lazily flipped to the next page.
04/18/1997
Dear Diary,
I had a nightmare last night that Yakko and Dot told me that they both secretly hated me and that they would lock me in the water tower and they did! I was so scared and I woke up feeling bad; they don't know but sometimes I think they really do hate me. Scratchy says that's just my depression making me feel that way.
Dot shot up straight as an arrow, letting out an audible gasp as she read the last line. Wha- there's no way that my happy-go-lucky brother is depressed…right?
That's another thing that Yakko and Dot don't know, I have depression. Dunno why I felt so sad a lot of the time til Scratchy explained. I try not to be sad, try to make myself happy. Don't wanna worry them. I'd love them even if they hated me, is that bad? I write a lot but I don't talk a lot, is that also bad? Maybe it is.
Have to go now, we have to film for the show.
I should really stop reading…this is getting really heavy. Dot tried to put the diary back down but found that she didn't have the willpower to. She was already knee deep in mud, metaphorically, might as well keep trudging. So she turned, albeit with some reluctance, to the next page.
04/25/1997
Dear Diary,
I had that nightmare again. I woke up crying, wanting Yakko but Dot came up instead. I asked her where he was, she said that Yakko was with T.P. I thought she would be mad at me for crying but no, she comforted me, helped me fall asleep. I love her, even if we argue and fight (not as much as she and Yakko do).
But, Diary, I ended up telling her my secret fear. She said that she loved me, a lot, and that she and Yakko don't secretly hate me. I want to believe her, really I do! But I keep feeling like she's just lying…
I'm terrible, aren't I?
Truthfully, had she not been reading her brother's deep honesty she would've admired the fact that he could write well, despite what she had thought earlier, but the soul-crushing empathy that she felt for him clouded that. She really should've stopped reading sooner but it was too late, she knew too much, might as well continue what she started.
So she flicked through the pages, skimming over some of the entries. None of them seemed particularly egregious; most of them were about stuff that happened, like who their special friend was that day and such. But she ended up on another entry that stood out to her.
06/05/1995
Dear Diary,
Can you keep a secret? Well, I like girls but I think I like guys too. Is that weird? I told Scratchy about it, he said he didn't think it was weird at all, but other people might think that way. I didn't get it, still don't. Do you think that Yakko and Dot would think I'm weird? I mean weirder than they already think of me. I dunno I think I'll go watch Back to the Future now, keep my mind off of things. Bye.
No, no Wakko, I don't think you're a weirdo at all for liking girls and boys…Yakko wouldn't think you're a weirdo either. Promise.
Dot let out a little sigh before flicking through some more pages, albeit these ones were completely blank. A feeling of relief spreads through as she gets towards the end of the diary.
It was only when she came across the very last page in it that the relief wilted and her heart dropped like a heavy stone in her stomach. The entry was dated as being from yesterday. Uh-oh.
06/19/1995
Dear Diary,
Today was terrible,
Woke up sad, wanted to fall back asleep. I'm happy when I sleep. But we had to film some for the show. Kept messing up my lines, made me feel worse. I don't have very many lines, Yakko and Dot do most of the talking…the director yelled at me. So I lied about needing a potty emergency, went into the bathroom and cried. Nobody checked on me...maybe they do secretly hate me?
Told myself to smile, fake being happy. Scratchy says I put on a fake happy mask to cover how I really feel..I don't think they noticed how sad I was, so that's good. Right? After we filmed, we went back home and I layed in bed. Yakko came over and asked me if I was okay, I lied...I wasn't okay but didn't want him to worry. Eventually he and Dot left to go to the store, leaving me behind. I hugged my pillow and cried a lot. Thought about bad things…but I kept telling myself that they'd miss me. They love me, right? Even if they don't say it much?
Sorry for getting you wet…I just don't know what else to do but cry...I feel so, so sad. Guess I'll sleep. I'm happier when I sleep. Goodnight.
Dot lightly ran her fingertips across the page, noticing the dark spots on it where his tears must've landed. She let out a shaky breath, trying her best not to cry out from the surge of soul-crushing guilt and empathy that she felt for him.
She was just about to close up the diary and put it away when a quiet voice spoke up from behind her.
"Hey Dot, what're you doing?"
Her hackles rose up as she spun around on the couch to see Wakko standing behind it. He was staring at her with tired eyes, she couldn't help but notice the bags underneath them. Had they always been there or was that a recent thing?
Suddenly fear pierced her heart as she realized that he had a full view of the diary clutched in her hands. A billion thoughts raced through her mind, she tried to say something back but the words fizzled almost instantly on her tongue.
It was at that very moment that he glanced down and saw the diary in her hands. Oh no. His gaze flicked back up to hers. Fear gripped her heart as she saw his eyes start to become glassy. Oh no, Wakko please don't cry-please don't cry-please-
But it was too late, tears were already leaking from his eyes, sliding down his cheeks. He took a step back, slowly shaking his head.
"Why?" Was all he could choke out before turning around and running away from her. She jumped up off the couch and chased after him, her heart pounding against her chest as she ran.
"Wait! Wait, stop!" She shouts. Just let me explain…
But alas, Wakko didn't stop. He got to the bathroom, managing to slam and lock it behind him. Dot accidentally smacked right into the strong, oak door, causing her to slide face-first to the floor. Despite the pain tingling across her face, she manages to get up and shake it off.
"Wakko?" She called out.
He didn't respond.
Dot could feel her heart still hammering in her chest. She slowly went up to the door and pressed her ear against it, trying to listen to what was happening beyond it. After a bit she could hear Wakko sniffle and whimper. Her heart nearly shattered into pieces upon hearing him.
She reluctantly pulled herself away.
Wow, you really did it this time. You really upset your own depressed brother.
Dot tried to swallow down the bitterness that rose up in her throat at that thought. She knew what she needed to do now; call Yakko. So she reached behind her back, accessing her hammerspace, and pulled out a piece of paper. Yakko wrote down Max's house phone number on it in case she needed to call him for any reason. She stared down at it for a bit, before clenching it in her fist.
After a moment or two passed, she finally began to make her way towards the kitchen where the house phone was.
I just hope that Yakko won't chew me out for what I did, despite the fact that I deserve it…