Harry

November 1st, 2023

dawsonaction: hey whats up

hpfpringle: hey

nothing u?

dawsonaction: wanted to know how dianas doing

shes not answering me

hpfpringle: shes ok...

Voice: "I think she's upset about last night. She must've been too angry to realize what she was saying. When we told her, she said she was bluffing."

dawsonaction: ohh no

now what? R they going to make her come bk to school?

hpfpringle: Idk yet

Howells is being really harsh about it tho

dawsonaction: Voice: "Why don't they just send her to a different school? They could, like, put her in a different district near us. That way, no one there knows about Amy."

hpfpringle: Bc she said she wanted to b w u and her other freinds

friends*

dawsonaction: ohh

cant she say she changed her mind?

hpfpringle: its really complicated rn

~~~

November 5th, 2023

hpfpringle: happy sunday!

dawsonaction: Haha thx

Any word on diana btw? Shes still not talking

hpfpringle: Nothing yet, shes still in online school

But I talked to her and she says she might go bc Howells wont b leaving until nxt week

And she cant take her anymore

Tbh none of us like her

dawsonaction: nah that witch is just mean

girl dont know how to do her job, getting payed too much

hpfpringle: agree

but idk if diana should go bk to school

im worryed

dawsonaction: well all b their for her

~~~

Tommy

November 8th, 2023

TommyFieldsBaby: tommyyy i didnt see u at school todayyy

what happened?

tomarthurfield: sry I got sick

TommyFieldsBaby: ur sick?

tomarthurfield: Yea a cold

TommyFieldsBaby: why didnt u tell me?

that foster freak gave it to u right

tomarthurfield: uh no? I just got sick

and i was too tired to text

TommyFieldsBaby: ok whatever

so is diana coming bk to school or what? bc i dont want her here

tomarthurfield: idk shirley i cant do anything about it

TommyFieldsBaby: Voice: "You're gonna have to say something about it. It's stupid. She's probably gonna start cutting herself again because no one wants her here. Everything's been better without her around. My life has changed, like, so much since she came."

tomarthurfield: shirley it doesnt matter what i say. she desides what she desides

and since when is this about u?

TommyFieldsBaby: why r u so mean to me??

ive been so suportive and conserned about ur mental health and ur treating me like this??

i need to take care of my own mental health too!

tomarthurfield: Im sorry im sorry

Ill let u know what they say ok?

~~~

November 10th, 2023

TommyFieldsBaby: hi tommy bear

tomarthurfield: Hi shirlbear

TommyFieldsBaby: U feeling better?

tomarthurfield: Yea im coming bk on Monday

And... diana is too

she desided to go

TommyFieldsBaby: WHAT

%#@& NO! SHE WILL LITERALLY RUIN MY LIFE!

tomarthurfield: she got tired of ms howels watching her and she wont leave if diana doesnt go to school

shell still come but she wont b watcging her all the time and shell stop after

watching*

diana wants to b w her friends

TommyFieldsBaby: @!#^ $!&@ $%#@&!

tomarthurfield: Shirley pls

TommyFieldsBaby: @$%#!#^ do something!!!!

Voice: "If you love me, then 'freaking' do something! I can't believe you're just letting her come back after everything that happened! She was gone! She was out of our lives!"

tomarthurfield: Voice: "'Our lives'? She lives in my house, Shirley. Look, if she's happier around her friends at school, then that's what we have to do. We're doing the best we can, okay?"

TommyFieldsBaby: forget it

i knew u didnt actually love me

all u care about r ur stupid football games and ur $%#&!^ cheerleaders

tomarthurfield: that's not true and u know that

its hard for everyone ok?

~~~

Harry

November 12th, 2023

dawsonaction: hey diana told me shes coming to school tomorrow

hpfpringle: yea

dawsonaction: bruhh why didnt u tell me in class?? (angry emoji)

Also u ok? havent seen u around

hpfpringle: Sorry lol I forgot dont b mad (sad emoji)

and tom and i got sick but were fine now.

dawsonaction: (laughing emoji) jk were cool. and sorry u got sick

did she really want to come bk? She sounds exited but idk if shes faking

hpfpringle: she said she wanted to b w u guys

and ms howells wont b watching her all the time if she goes

shell stop coming soon

dawsonaction: good. diana will b better without that @%&$^ in her life

hpfpringle: our life*

dawsonaction: yea

well try and b w her as much as we can ok?

hpfpringle: thanks mildred

dawsonaction: yw!

hpfpringle: I actually meant to ask

*This message was deleted*

dawsonaction: what?

hpfpringle: nothing sorry

~~~

Diana

November 13th, 2023

Ms. Howells was driving me to school now. She wouldn't be at my school, but the teachers and staff would 'keep an eye' on me.

I couldn't believe it worked. After the last weekend at home with this woman, I was desperate. I was making up the plan as I went on, but once I saw a window, I'd crash right through before anyone could stop me.

Today, I wore a cute sweatshirt and jeans. I'd fixed up my hair, put on nice makeup, and done my best to seem excited and relieved to go back. As confused as Susan and Davis were, they were gullible enough to believe me. Or maybe they just didn't know what else to do.

"Diana, Ms. Howells is here!" Susan called from downstairs.

I excitedly came down the stairs, careful not to exaggerate. Susan smiled, but still seemed unsure as I approached the front door. "You're sure about this, sweetheart?"

"Seriously, Susan, I feel like... being stuck here made everything worse. This'll help," I insisted.

"Okay." She kissed my forehead. "Have fun. And if you ever change your mind, let me know."

I nodded and went outside, where Ms. Howells was waiting. Tommy and Harry had already gone to the bus. I got inside, keeping up my happy façade. "You have everything?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm."

She started driving. I could feel my heart kick up to 100, dread and desperation filling me, but I would only have to endure it for a little while. I'd escape, one way or another.

Upon seeing the familiar building, panic set in. I gripped my seat belt and took deep breaths. Soon it would be over. It was just a little while. My heart pounded in my ears.

"Are you okay?" Ms. Howells asked me.

"I'm fine. Just... really excited."

She eyed me suspiciously, but unlocked the doors. I took off my seat belt and placed my shaky feet on the pavement. My hands clutched my backpack straps and my mouth dried. I grabbed the water bottle from the side pocket and gulped down half.

"I'll be back at 2:00, sharp. Be here on time."

"Okay. Bye." I headed towards the school, fighting against the invisible force pushing against me and begging me to stop.

My schedule was adjusted so I could have my friends in my classes, given that I wanted to be near them so much. Which was partly true, though. I did want to spend time with them. Part of me felt guilty for doing this to them, but my desperation won.

My first class was Geometry... of course it was. But Kate was with me. Thelma was now in my AP Literature class and Blanche was in my U.S. History class instead of Chemistry, where Tony and Alma now were. And thankfully, Ivy wasn't in any of my classes... except P.E. But that was only on Fridays.

There were some subjects I was having a lot of trouble in, so I was also assigned a tutor to work with at lunch three days a week. I was rejoining the clubs I entered before I left, and joining the track team. If I did a whole bunch of extras, it would be more believable that I was happy, and they'd lay off.

I tucked my new schedule in my pocket and entered the Geometry classroom. I kept my gaze down, fully knowing everyone would be gawking at me. The best subject of gossip for the school had returned.

Briefly, I glanced up to see where Kate was. The girl enthusiastically waved and pointed at the desk next to hers. I quickly went over, smiling brightly, and sat down.

"Hey." She squeezed my hand. "How are you f-feeling?"

"Weird. But I'm glad to see you." I smiled again, ignoring the stares from everyone else.

"Just so you kn-know, I'm not that great at Geometry, but I'll help you if you n-need me to. If I can."

"Thanks, Kate." I shuddered at the increasing noise around me, but I stood firm.

The curse had returned. The girl that made everyone miserable by her mere presence was back. The girl that didn't deserve a chance in this world... the girl that didn't deserve her friends.

I felt even more scummy now that I was really thinking about this. They had the courtesy to be my friends, to try and make me happy. I didn't deserve that. I was obviously making them suffer along with me, and for what?

I was so selfish. I should've told them not to put my friends in my classes. It would've spared them some of the ostracization. What was I thinking? I used them. I was such a horrible person.

"How was everyone's weekend?" Ms. Farwell put her books on her desk. Murmurs came up from the class.

After reciting the pledge, the rest of the class continued worksheets they were working on last week. Ms. Farwell came up to me and Kate, lowering her voice to speak to me. "Welcome back, Diana." She took a blank worksheet from under her arm and gave it to me. "Here's today's worksheet. They sent over some of your other school's work, so you won't have too much make-up work. Did you pick up your Booklet?"

"No, I didn't, I forgot."

"Make sure to get it before you go home." She patted my hand.

"Thanks."

Blocking everyone else seemed to work. As long as I paid attention when my teachers and friends spoke to me, I'd be just fine. Cooking class was the easiest. I focused completely on the food and not on my classmates, no matter how much they stared.

Tony joined us for lunch, which was fun. He even brought a friend of his to meet me, named Josh. Josh was nice, a bit awkward, but polite. Instead of eating in the cafeteria, we went to a stairwell. It allowed us to chat freely and helped me focus on them.

They didn't deserve a terrible friend like me. They deserved so much better. Everyone deserved better. I wasn't worth their time and effort.

They'd be free, though. Once I left, there would be a whole weight off their shoulders.

~~~

"What would warm colors do for you? What would come out of that?" My Graphic Design professor paced around the computer lab, scanning for raised hands. "What comes to your mind when you see orange, red, yellow, all of those?" He stopped at a girl, who had her hand raised. "Yes?"

"I'd say, like, a beach or something. Summer vacation vibes," she said.

"Good. That's a hot season, you want to get tanned, go to the beach, that's good." He pointed at a boy.

"I was thinking like a hot chocolate bar in the winter. To attract people that want to get out of the cold," he suggested.

"That's good! Very creative. What else? Who else?"

I had an idea, but I wasn't sure about raising my hand... then again, participation was positive, wasn't it? I raised my hand.

"Diana?"

Everyone turned to look at me. I kept my gaze on the professor, breathing calmly. "I thought about a..." I swallowed. "A fast food restaurant. Like Mick's. With the fries and burgers."

"Yeah, very good. Fast food. You see warm colors in them all the time; red, yellow, orange. Very good, Diana. Anyone else?"

I turned my gaze to my lap, relieved. "Good job," I heard someone whisper.

Startled, I jumped slightly, seeing a girl next to me. "Sorry," she whispered, "didn't mean to scare you."

"You're good." I smiled at her.

"I'm Allison, by the way."

"Diana." I chuckled. "You probably know that, though."

She nodded. "It's good to see you're back."

"Thanks."

"I'm in Book Club, actually. Are you gonna join again?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am. I'm joining a lot of things," I replied. I hated having to join, but the more clubs, the better.

"Nice. You, um... I'm glad you're doing good."

"Thank you." I felt a touch of warmth from her kindness, but also a bit of guilt. All that kindness would go to waste.

If it was true kindness, anyway. Just because she was being nice didn't mean she actually cared. It just meant she was being polite.

Why did people waste their time on me? It wouldn't be worth it in the end. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn't have had any friends. It would only hurt them.

"You okay?" Allison eyed me with concern.

Realizing I was frowning, I perked up. "I'm great."

"You sure?"

I nodded. "Everything is fine."

Thoughts on the chapter? What do you think will happen now?