Not Crazy, Just Different By Darby Holliwether

September 14

9:04 AM

Last night I dreamed that I turned into a turtle. It was high frightening, if you asked me, even though I like turtles. Anyway, I was in the Great Hall, and all of a sudden I started running around and trying to get someone to transfigure me back into Darby Holliwether but nobody understood.

Apparently I woke up screaming. Great, no everybody thinks I'm insane. Oh well, nothing new I suppose.

10:57 AM

One and a half rolls of parchment on FLOBBERWORMS? What is there to say about FLOBBERWORMS?! Do you think anyone would care if I wrote 'They are boring and disgusting' enough times to fill ONE AND A HALF rolls of parchment? Sheesh, this is just not right, okay?

Mmm. Found a Jolly Rancher in the pocket of my robes.yeah buddy!

12:03 PM

Ugh, I hate chili with a burning passion. Cornbread cakes are okay though. They are BEYOND okay by me. Mmm, corny goodness. And I can just eat the crackers that come with the chili. That Jolly can really hold me over for the rest of classes.

2:36 PM

Did something incredibly stupid just now! I think I am going to cry. Not! Hahaha haha.

Percy comes up to me in the library because Professor Sprout heard about the disastrous flobberworm report and gave us study hall. And he goes "I cannot help but think you don't like Penelope much, Darby."

NO CRAP, SHERLOCK.

No wonder people call Percy brilliant. Although he did tell me once that it really hurts because if he does anything wrong his parents get furious, even though Fred and George do stuff wrong all the time. They just expect him to do stuff right, I guess. Well, moving right along.

I sat there in a dull stupid state.

"What-what do you mean? I think she's great!" I lied through gritted teeth, trying not to meet his eyes. He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with *those eyes* and I pasted on a huge, megawatt (and fake, of course) grin.

"Come on, we both know that you really don't like her!" he said gently. "Now, tonight I told her you might go on a walk with her around the castle tonight.

"Fine. If it makes you happy, Perce," I said with a regretful sigh. If it makes him happy, I guess.

I have the feeling I will regret this though.

I'm socializing with the girlfriend of the guy I love/like very much! Is it just me or is this shockingly awkward?!

KILL ME NOW!

5:39 PM

Scared! So I'm going to wear my luck y boots tonight. Break them in for the dance. Excellent idea, right? I'm such a genius. Muah hahahaha. That way, they'll be nice and walked in and not as, well, slippery on the bottom. Of course, they might as well be fallen down in too. By the end of tonight, they most likely will be. As are most of my shoes.

You know what? I just can't help but fall down in all my shoes. Maybe I could go bare foot. But I have a lot of nice shoes. And of course, I might get my feet stepped on.

Boots, definitely boots.

7:45 PM

It was HORRENDOUS! It's not so much that Penelope was a heinous, evil psychopath or anything like that. It was the exact opposite! She was so nice it was SICKENING! I couldn't stand it, almost! But I did. I have EXCELLENT self control, and didn't say 'bite me' once! Hahahaha. Wicked.

So anyway, I met her on the stairs, and the first thing she did was proceed to screech 'Oh my gosh; it's so nice to meet you, finally! I've heard SO much about you!" And then she proceeded to HUG ME!

So then we began walking, and she was all "I'm really happy you said you'd come and meet me, I really don't know too many of Percy's friends."

So I go "Oh, well, yeah." Brilliant response, if I do say so myself. *rolls eyes* And then I began thinking of ways to run away, but obviously, the terror just HAD to continue, right? Because that's the way it goes.

At least I got to see somebody I knew. Thanks a lot to whomever put him out there. Weird of me, yes.

Derrick was sitting in a big armchair out in the hallway, and waved at me enthusiastically. I waved back.

"That's my date," I informed her after we had walked away.

"Oh, that's great," she said.

"Yeah. It sure is." I ran a hand over the top of my head. There was an awkward pause.

"So, Percy tells me that you have an iguana," she said. My brain froze in my head.

"Uh yeah. What all has he told you about me anyway?" I think I am going to vomit at this very minute.

"Well, that you live with your mom and dad that you call by their first name." She sighed. "That's pretty cool. I wish my parents would do that."

"It's overrated," I grumbled.

"You love Jolly Ranchers, the colors green and yellow, and burning stuff." I blushed. "And you hate people who are all over each other (not to say I'm not guilty of that, as you may have seen) and the color pink, and of course, babysitting."

"Uh, yeah," I said awkwardly.

"And that you kicked Oliver Wood in the-."

"That was a mistake," I said abruptly. Soon, we were back to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. "Well, I had a good time."

"Me too!" she said happily. I whispered the password and crawled through the portrait hole. Percy was waiting for me.

"So! What do you think?!"

"She's nice. Good catch," I said, walking right past him, and now I'm up here writing in my journal now. Ugh, it's going to take me awhile to get over that little encounter with the unknown. Grrr. I think I'm going to eat some Jolly Ranchers.

7:59 PM

I wonder if Percy noticed I was a little short tempered? Oh well. I was just emotionally scarred for life. Gag me with a fork. Ouchies.

8:23 PM

That's it! I am going to bed!

9:27 PM

Okay, I lied. I cannot sleep. Go to sleep, Darby. Okay.