18th day, 3rd month, standard year 24936
Today I did something I am not proud of.
It was Dilan. He was bored or something. And he's furious because Vulna isn't hanging around with him so much. So when I was walking through the corridor he jumped out at me.
"Hello."
"Hello," I answered nervously.
"So, how's things? How are you?"
"Fine..."
"Killed anyone lately?"
"No."
"My Master....you know, he always thought your Master Karshan was a seriously bad seed."
"Well, maybe I don't care about what your Master thinks. And can't you live me alone?"
"You and your little girlfriend seem to like poking your nose into other people's business, I've noticed," he said. "So I don't see why I can't."
"What have I poked my nose into?"
"Try Savus," he hissed. "If you hadn't gotten him into trouble with the Council, he wouldn't have wanted to die."
Anxiety shot through me. "But....Dilan, it wasn't like that...he died to save..."
He cut me off. "Oh yeah? He was sick of it. Sick of everything. And he was my friend, you know..."
"Dilan, leave me alone. I don't want to argue."
"My Master thinks..."
"Your Master, your Master, your Master. Is your brain so small you can't think for yourself?"
He glared, and I thought he was about to go away, but he didn't.
"I think you killed Savus," he muttered. "And other people are going to be hurt...die...because of you. My Master says that...and I believe it. He's said a lot. You shouldn't be one of us. You're dangerous. You're going to bring an end to us..."
I lashed out. The next thing I knew he was on the floor. I'd backhanded him and knocked him along the ground. A terrible feeling rose up in me...and then he got up slowly. He pushed me against the wall and stared at me horribly.
"Clouded, your future is." he hissed in a horrible mock Yoda voice. Then he let go of me and left.
*****
I can't sleep.
*****
20th day, 3rd month, standard year 24936
I didn't see Dilan all of yesterday. I told Tahl what happened, and she suggested I tell my Master, and I did. He thought for a long while, said "That boy is a little..." and stopped there. Pity. I'd have liked to hear the end of that.
*****
I went to lunch. Me, Tahl, Binn, Clee and Nela were sitting together, and suddenly Dilan approahced us.
""Dilan," Tahl snapped in his general direction "Go away and grow a brain before you come anyway near us."
He made a very rude gesture at her, reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a book.
This book.
"Missing something?" he asked me brightly.
"Give that back!" I yelled, and got up, ready to smack him again, or anything....but he jumped onto one of the tables and held it up. A green-skinned Twi'lek girl....I can't remember her name, but I do know she happens to quite admire Dilan...grabbed me and stopped me jumping up on the table too.
"Let's see what's in here..." Dilan muttered, and started leafing through the pages. "Dear Diary," he said in a high-pitched voice. "I think that Tahl Wildstar is a stupid, pathetic, ugly little..."
"STOP IT, DILAN!" I yelled. Tahl jumped up on the table, fury on her face, but Dilan shoved her off. She fell into someone else, and they both fell to the floor. There were angry yells from all around. Other people jumped up to try and get the journal off him, but he held it out of their reach. I struggled to get free. When Tahl got up again, more than ready to beat him into a pulp, he raised a hand and flew up into the air. He landed on top of a shelf, and sat there.
"COME DOWN, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE...." Tahl screamed. I heard a voice behind me. "Hey, let him go. I'll hold him back, you go take Wildstar." The girl nodded and let me go. The person holding me down now was Vulna.
"Vulna, let go!" I said, but he shot me a look, and didn't.
Dilan leafed through the pages. "Ah..." he said brightly. "This is interesting...."
At that minute, my Master burst in, followed by Binn, Clee, Nela, Vione and Mapru.
"The Darkside will follow you like a shadow!" Dilan read from the journal in his loudest voice. A few people fell silent. Master raised a hand and levitated Dilan down from the shelf, despite his struggling and protests. Then he plucked the journal from his hands, and handed it back to me.
"I believe you have an appointment with the Council, Dilan Prece," he said smoothly. "Now."
Dilan glared at me and left, with Vione following him and Mapru's hand on his shoulder. Silence fell. The Twi'lek girl let go of Tahl. Vulna let go of me.
"Would you kindly stop staring?" my Master snapped.
The talking slowly...very slowly...started up again. People still shot curious stares at us as we hurried out. We....me, Tahl, Vulna, Binn, Clee, Nela and my Master...stopped in the corridor and all started talking and yelling at once.
"Stop," my Master commanded. "Tell me exactly what Dilan did...one at a time, please."
But I rounded on Vulna. "Why didn't you let me go?"
"Because...ur..." He examined the ground. "I thought if I let you go you'd run straight at Dilan and he'd hit you or something..."
I gave him a look of disbelief and Tahl glared at him. "You're the most pathetic person I've ever known, do you know that? You just go after the people in power...you're a follower, and I reckon that makes you an even bigger idiot than he is..."
Vulna looked at my Master imporingly.
"Go back to Amiri, Vulna," he said. Vulna turned and left.
The rest of us explained. Then Master sent us off to our respective classes...but before I left I grabbed Tahl and said "You know I didn't really write those things about you...right?"
"Of course," she said in surprise. Then she left. And I thought about Dilan and what would happen to him now and felt extremely worried.
I still am.
*****