MAY 16TH

Dad just gave this journal to me. Well, Pepper gave it to me, Dad's off in Vegas for the next few days. He's won an award because of course he has. Pepper is dad's assistant. I think her family were hippies because who names their kid Pepper (no offence Pep). She's brilliant. Dad wrote a little note on the inside of you:

'Dear Bo, shine on you crazy diamond. Mom kept a diary for years, think she like a place to vent. Being ten is really hard these days, so know you have an outlet for frustration from people like me. Peace and Love, Dad.

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Bo Stark. Its actually Maria Bhodi Stark but dad calls me 'Bo' because 'I just look like one."

Mom actually did call. I asked if she wanted to see me but she said something about a photoshoot. I think she's more freaked out by the idea she would have to speak with either Pepper or Dad if she came into the house. She and Dad loved each other for however enough time it was to 'make' me as Mom so lovely puts it. I used to live with her, as I recall. Dad paid her alimony even though she wasn't married and whenever she got an assignment I'd go with her. Most of the time I spent with whatever nanny I had that time (they seemed to come and go a lot) there were some happy memories, I try and describe them to Jarvis whenever I get the chance, write them down. That's the thing about getting older, childhood stuff starts fading away. Ugh growing up sucks.

Obie got me a new computer, it's touch screen. I didn't tell him how Dad's developed like hologram type computers. Apparently Dad is super smart and can like freaking design and makes stuff in a number of hours. He's like Prince in that way. Note I have met Prince a few times. He's taller than me (one day I shall be over five feet I just know it) and he also taught me how to play Purple Rain on the computer. I like the piano because it reminds me of a computer keyboard. Is that weird? Mom used to say that was weird. Then again Mom never finished high school so what does she know?

MAY 17TH

Rhody called, he and dad are coming home later tonight. He wished me a happy birthday and promised to get me something really cool when they get back. Dad's going off to the Middle East to meet with potential buyers for something. Mom asked me if I ever feel neglected by his schedule. I don't really. He's like most other Malibu dads, really busy running companies. But he at least tries.

He's tries and help pick me up and drop me off at least a few times a week. He likes to drive me to school in a sports car. Show off to the moms. Sometimes he's dated a few.

That's always been awkward.

Besides unlike with Mom, I have my own family out here. There's:

Obie- He was granddad's business partner and he helped out Dad after my grandparents died in that car wreck. He's sort of cool, I can tell he doesn't like kids but I guess I wore off on him.

Happy- He's dad's and mine bodyguard. He likes British TV. that's fun. Its encouraged me to read because they actually deal with real issues like death and acceptance and shit like that. Instead of "Kristi and Stacy compete for who will be Babysitter of the month! Karen learns that sharing is caring but complains about for the entire book!"

Like ugh.

Jarvis- Jarvis the computer system at the house. It's like an A.I but not as invasive. Dad created him instead of having to deal with hiring another butler after the death of the real Jarvis. I apparently learned how to use him when I was a baby. Dad said he thinks I would intentionally annoy him on purpose because one moment he would be using Jarvis to have a presentation to potential buyers and then the next moment Teletubbies would be blasting instead.

Rhody- He's my godfather. He's in the air force so I don't get to see him as often as I want but when he shows up He and Dad have like the best time together. Rhody is apparently going to teach me how to drive and shoot stuff when I'm older.

Pepper- Pepper is dad's assistant but she's super cool. She helps me out with girl stuff and boys. I sort of wish she and dad would get married that way I can finally call her Mom.

Dad- Dad's like my best friend really. He's cooler than a lot of dads are normally. He likes to know what I'm doing in school. His way of bonding is help restore classic cars and blast 'classic rock.' Like last year, when Justin Bieber got famous and I had my fifteen seconds where I was into him, Dad blasted ACDC from downstairs whenever I blasted Justin Bieber. Pepper actively avoided coming into the house when possible.

Pepper's been helping me with homework tonight. Well by helping me I mean she's been on her laptop all evening watching the stock market while I finished all my stuff just before seven and played with different formulas dad's been working with for the rest of the evening.

Pepper says Dad was late to accept his award but according to Rhody he was "with two lovely ladies and winning at Craps."

Pepper muttered something about "Yep, someone's catching crabs tonight."

I think that was a sex comment but I can't be sure.

MAY 18TH

Dad got home late last night. He brought A Hollywood Reporter lady? (Correction via Pepper: Vanity Fair). She's cute and Blonde and wants to be the badass female journalist. Of course, like most reporters that interview Dad, she ended up in bed with him. I did finally get to see dad today, I got up earlier then usual (school starts at eight so I'm up by six thirty or so. Today I was up by five) Dad was down in the garage, blasting music. "Hey Bodi" (this is a reference to a Keanu Reeves movie that dad says I cant see until I'm twenty) he greeted me. Every year on my birthday he tells me about how I was born:

Mom and Dad met at this party that apparently 'Johnnie' (JFK JR according to Happy. He's dead now) threw. Had a few drinks, "kissed on the cab ride home and then didn't even make it back to the hotel I was staying at". Mom and Dad met up a few times afterwords but it was nothing really serious. Then on New Years Day 2000, Dad got a call from Mom, informing him "I was going to be a Dad. Great way to start up a new century."

I asked Dad if he and Mom ever talked about being like a real family. Like you know, living together, having a ceremony where she wore a white dress, having exchanges that don't end with a police officer having to separate her from him like at my eighth birthday party.

"She didn't want that. She didn't want to leave Vegas." is how Dad tells it. We then worked on the car for the rest of the time we had. Dad was telling me how this summer he wants to get it working. "See if you wanna finally learn how to drive." I told him that was crazy, because you know, I'm ten. "You don't want Happy to drive you around the rest of your life, now do you?" he winked.

Pepper came in; to tell him about she got rid of the reporter. Pepper was ready to take me to school but I really wanted to see him off. Dad said it was okay, after learning I had finished my homework yesterday. "I donated three million to the school to improve the computer lab, my little girl can be a hour late." -exact quote from dad.

I got in the car with Dad, while Happy followed us. Dad sped down the highway, encouraging me to scream and wave my hands up "just like that Miley song you like!" as he puts it.

It was, the best! He goes like almost a hundred miles an hour and I didn't scream when he made the sharp turn like I have before.

Dad got on the private jet with Rhody and Rhody gave me a twenty-dollar bill, "just like my Godfather gave me every year on my birthday." Dad laughed, because he gives me like a few hundred dollars every month for my allowance (I don't spend it all at once like some of my classmates. Besides Dad gets me the stuff if I ask politely.)

I'm supposed to be taking notes right now but I've already read the first Harry Potter. Dad read it to me the first night I moved into the Malibu house. I was really upset that I wasn't allowed to see Mom and that I had been taken from her on short notice. Dad got a copy of the 6th book (perks of being Tony Stark apparently: pre-published copies of popular books) and over the course of a week; he read it aloud to me. He did all the voices (he does a fantastic English accent) and he encouraged me to read aloud to practice my reading 'comprehension skills'. It's a fancy way of saying ability to read.

MAY 19th

Dad just called. He just landed. He promises he'll be home "in a few days tops." It's like late afternoon there or something (it's 3am here) He sounded like he had had a few too many to drink. I told him I loved him and he told me to listen to Pepper because "she knows best for both of our sakes." I think when he gets back I'll get him something for his lab. Maybe like a pair of new tools or something. Back to bed, I have school in a few hours. We're going to finally be learning about the planets in science. I really want to know if Aliens exist. Wouldn't that be cool?

2pm- I am not at school. I woke up around six my usual time but something felt different. I came downstairs and I found Pepper crying on the couch. I didn't understand what was going on. Happy pulled me downstairs into the gym to talk to me. He told me Dad's convoy was attacked a few hours earlier. His body hasn't been found so some really bad people might have kidnapped him, but they're not sure. Happy said he could take me to school but he figured it would be better if I stayed home. I asked why Pepper was crying and Happy said it was because he was kidnapped. I asked if they knew which bad people had Dad and Happy said they didn't.

Rhody's been in constant contact with us (Me, Pepper and Happy) Obie's coming over soon. The news just broke about it. I'm going back to bed, because I'm emotionally exhausted. Seconds before it was attack, he took a picture with a solider. The solider threw gang signs. Someone leaked it to the press.

UPDATE- its 7pm. I just had to speak to the press. My dad being missing apparently puts me at a precarious (as Pepper puts it) position: Dad's will (because he's super rich and stuff) list me as the heir to the company. Upon the moment of his death, I inherit Stark industries. Obie will manage it until I come of age, however if needed I could appoint him as like the person in charge until I'm eighteen. Even then, if I didn't want it, I could find someone and turn it over to them but I can't sell it until I'm 21. This sucks. I don't want to manage a company, I just want Dad back! Here's my speech, I wrote myself:

Earlier today, my father's convoy in Afghanistan was attacked, with my father presumably kidnapped by terriosts. I would like to thank everyone who has contacted us in the last few hours offering thoughts and prayers. The US Military assures me that rescuing my father is a priority for them. If everything goes well, my father will be home soon and go on to what he does best: dating supermodels and keeping TMZ in business. Thank you.

Pepper said I was very mature and Happy said I was brave. Obie just patted me on the back so I guess that's his way of saying he approves. I'm going to go to bed, I don't think I'm going to school for a while.

MAY 20th

Busy, Busy day. NSA, CIA, FBI, every government agency has come to interview us. I've never been hooked up to a lie dectator before, so that was new. I don't know what they would get out of me, Dad doesn't really talk business with me; he just wanted me to be a kid. My Mom was in the news; she's trying to gain custody of me. That Vanity Fair lady was back here. She asked how it was like to be the daughter of a 'weapons manufacture.' I told her that was wrong, my dad was the head of a tech company. Sometimes he worked for the government but usually about computer stuff. I asked Pepper what she meant by that after Vanity Fair left but Pepper told me to ignore it. If dad was a weapons manufacture does that mean he's a bad guy?

MAY 21ST

Last interview from government official today. His name was Phil Coulson. He came during a time that Pepper and Obie were out/asleep (Happy was asleep on the couch) he's a middleman, slightly shorter than dad, somewhat balding. You wouldn't realize how important he is just by looking at home. He chuckled when I asked if he wanted to hook me up to a lie dectator like the rest of the government officials did. "I would know if you were lying." is all he said. Apparently dad's been having some 'issues' is how he put it.

"A lot of people in higher up places think your dad is actually hiding in Dubai, sipping whiskey and surrounded by pretty women of the Julia Roberts kind." - Phil Coulson words, not mine.

Of course I was like "what's Pretty women of the Julia Roberts kind" and he told me I'll get it in a few years. I told him that was crazy of the idea that dad would fake his own kidnapping; he's not that shallow.

Phil asked about my grandfather, Howard Stark. I told him I knew "little to nothing" about him. Dad doesn't really talk about his parents much; they weren't on great terms when he passed. Phil nodded. "I figured you would like this though." is all he said before handing me a picture of my grandpa with CAPTAIN AMERICA! I thought he was just a myth!

Phil apparently is a huge Captain America fan (I mean who isn't) and my Grandpa worked with him during the war! 'I figured you'd would need this in your time of need' is all he said.

"More people are concern with the fact your father left behind a multi-billion dollar company, not a ten year old daughter." -Phil once more.

I asked if he was going to find my Dad, or if he could. He said he wasn't sure if he could, but he could ask. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone of our chat and he said he was grateful but that wasn't necessary. I asked what branch he worked for and it was Strategy Homeland Defense Force? It was long. I should have written it down. He repeated it twice for me but I forgot it like the moment he walked out of the door.

MAY 22nd

I got called into mediation today because of Mom. She wanted me to come and live with her in Paris where she's stationed at the moment. She filed an emergency conjunction or something like that. The Lawyers would have handled it but I said I wanted to go in and face her. She's had more work done; she doesn't have the freckles like she did when I was a kid. Her hair is jet black and really short, which looks weird on her.

According to dad's will, Rhody is my legal guardian in case he is 'unable to take care of me due to injuries or death. Rhody is still in the Middle East; he's leading the search party. I told mom I wasn't leaving Malibu. Not until I know for sure what happen to dad. Obie came the next night and said something like "its time to start thinking about the possibility that your father might be dead." I told him that wasn't a conversation I was ready to have now and he said okay.

I asked Pepper about the details, like would Happy still you know; take care of me as a bodyguard/driver? Happy agreed to it. I told Pepper I still wanted her around. I would hate to lose her. Pepper said she would think about it.

Oh! And Phil called. He said he's sorry he didn't get permission to look for my dad but he'll keep an eye out 'just in case.' I told him thank you for the picture. I have it near my bedroom.

MAY 29TH

Last night, I dreamed that Dad was alive. That he returned and it was a terrible mishap and he's safe and we're going to go to Disneyland and we're going to drive with the top down and we take pictures with Mickey and Goofy.

My dad would have been forty. Pepper offered to take me to Disneyland but I turned her down. Usually on my dad's birthday he likes to sleep in, have mimosas and omlettes and spend as much time in bed as he could. When I was little, I used to crawl on the floor, wait till Dad kicked whatever lady friend he had spending the night out so I could crawl in. last year, we sat in bed, watching old videos of him as a kid.

Happy birthday Dad.