This diary belongs to: Lydia Morris

Date: 5 March 2009

Hi!

My name is Lydia, but you already saw that on the front page. I’m in grade 4 (9 years old) and I won this diary today since I got all the best score on the spelling test. I only just beat my best friend Millie. Her name is Amelia, but that’s what we call her. She likes it too.

I should probably tell you a little bit about me.

I have 4 best friends. Millie, Hannah, George and Bella. Millie lives next door to me, so we play in the front yard on weekends and after school. Hannah, George and Bella live further away, but Millie and me I go over to there their houses for birthday parties and playtime.

Here’s what my friends look like:

Millie: a bit taller than me, blonde curly hair, big smile

Hannah: skinny, about my hieght height, brown hair with a black headband

George: red hair that’s long for a boy (around his neck), freckles all over his face, blue eyes

Bella: the shortest, straight black hair, darker skin than me, the fastest runner in the whole grade (even faster than the boys)

My mum and dad both have straight brown hair like me, but my little sister Lucy has curly bits, which I wish I had. Mum says Lucy’s hair is so pretty ALL THE TIME and there’s no way to change mine. Mum won’t let me near her hair curling things.

Since this is a diary, I should tell you my biggest secrets, so here goes…

I have a crush on Jacob de la Cruz. He’s very cute. He has brown curly hair that sits on the top of his head and he’s funny and nice and smart and has the desk next to mine in class so I get to sneak looks at him when he’s working and his nose crinkles up when he’s thinking hard and that’s all for now, my hand hurts.

Bye!

Date: 27 April 2011

Hi again!

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last wrote in here. I told myself I’d write in it every day, but then I forgot. I got distracted by homework and my friends and tv. But now I have bad news to report, which is why I’ve opened up this diary again. I wonder how long it’ll take me to fill it if I only write as often as I have been…

Anyway, the bad news. Are you ready? I don’t think you are. You won’t be.

Jacob de la Cruz has a girlfriend. Teagan Walsh. She’s pretty, sure, but she’s not very smart (like I am) and her hair’s curly (not like mine is). Maybe I have to raid Mum’s hair tools cupboard. I would right now but she’s in there getting ready for going out to dinner. It’s Mum and Dad’s 10 year anniversary, so we’re all going out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. I suggested McDonalds, but they just laughed. So anniversaries are fancier than birthdays?

Anyway, since Jacob is going out with Teagan (since two days ago), I’m going out with Kaleb. He’s nothing like Jacob, which is great, but I’m hoping it’ll make him jealous and dump Teagan and then I’ll dump Kaleb and then we’ll be going out and everything will be great.

Me and Kaleb are going to the movies on Saturday (like a real date), because I heard Jacob asking Teagan to (and she said yes). They’re going to see Rio, since it came out last week, so I asked Kaleb if he’d like to go, and he said sure. Rio’s all about this blue parrot in Brazil that can’t fly, and I’m sure it’ll be great, but I’m really going so I can see Jacob’s face when he sees I’m there, and who I’m with.

Since my life doesn’t revolve solely around boys, or a boy, here’s a good thing that’s happened recently, to balance out with the bad.

I got school captain! I’ve been talking at assemblies and having meetings with Mr O’Gorman, our principal, along with our other school captains. Millie, George, Bella and Hannah came over and we had cake to celebrate. It was Mum’s idea. Jacob got the sports captain with Bella, which makes sense. They are the two fastest in the school, but Bella’s in Marigold with Hannah, and Jacob’s in Clover with me. Our school’s houses are all named after plants. Marigold (red), Clover (green), Periwinkle (blue).

I know I said before about how I’m going out with Kade to make Jacob jealous, but I’m really pretty much over Jacob anyway. I’ve spent months working on being school captain, and making sure my grades are good so I’m ready for high school next year. I don’t know which high school I’m going to. Mum’s tossing up between Ferny High (which is where Hannah and George are going), Everton Park High (where none of my friends are going), and Prince of Peace (where Millie’s going). With my luck, she’ll probably pick EP, but I really want to go to PoP, and not just because it looks like ‘pop’. Millie’s going! And I hear they’re a great school. Jacob’s going to Wavell, the best sporting school on this side of the river. Makes sense. Not that I care.

Mum’s calling us down to the car now, so I gotta go.

See ya!

Date: 12 August 2013

I’ve been minding my own business, hanging out with Amelia (which is what she goes by now – she thinks Millie sounds too primary school), and with Amelia’s friends, who are slowly becoming my friends too. Delilah (who we call Deli), Asher and Melody sit with us at the table beneath one of the pines in the yard. They share the same electives as Amelia, and I have English with Mel and Asher. It’s been great.

I have a homeroom friend, too. Her name is Helena and she moved here from Russia when she was ten, so she still has a bit of an accent. We don’t have any classes together, but we’re locker neighbours so we always talk before the first bell rings.

Now, for the bad news. Jacob’s back. I heard from Deli (who has a class with him) that Wavell kicked him out, but I’m pretty sure his parents just decided to move. That’s what it looks like, according to Jacob’s Instagram. Not that I stalk it. That would be weird.

I have a class with Jacob, too, which is only a little bit terrible. The worst of it is that I have to sit next to him, which is just plain awkward. He’s sitting there trying to be friendly and stuff, but I know his long game, and I’m not having a second wave of crush on him, thank you very much.

But my God has he gotten hot since I’ve last seen him. His baby fat has disappeared and he has a jawline, like, a jawline. Somehow his eyes got bluer and his hair has grown a bit and hangs around his face in dark curls I’d want to touch, you know, if I cared. And the football he was playing at Wavell has given him an… athletic build, shall we say. I accidentally saw him changing shirts at his locker and he definitely has abs and those back muscles and oh God, I think I have a crush on him again. This is the worst. See, I told you. The worst.

Actually, it gets worse than that. The class I’m in with him is science, and we all need bench partners for the experiments and… he’s mine. As in my partner. My lab partner. Not any other kind of partner. Oh God, could you imagine us… together? That would be the worst. He doesn’t even like me, I can tell. Why would he be being nice to me if he liked me? Wouldn’t he chuck some pick-up lines and winks in there? To let me know?

But kissing him might be nice, though. Nah, I’m sure he’s not that great. You can’t have muscles, brains and great kissing skills. That’s just not fair.

Date: October 14 2015

Exam block is coming up and I don’t think I’ve ever been more stressed about an exam in my life. Sure, I’ve been studying. A bit. Not much. Some. But I have an exam for every subject. I mean, who has an exam for religion? Surely that’s an assignment subject. Nope. I know all the pillars of Islam, the full name of the Dalai Lama and everything about the Eightfold Path. Whether I actually reach enlightenment is beyond me. the only way I’ll be enlightened is if I get through these exams alive. Passing would be nice, too.

I must say, my studies took a pretty sharp turn once I got to grade 10. Everything got harder. I was writing the same essays as usual and completing the homework and all that, but I got C’s and B’s instead of B’s and A’s. Asher told me that at least it’s not D’s, like her, and I agreed, but still. I don’t want to bomb out because everything is getting too hard. I have to prove that I can do things, and do them well. Well enough to get a B, or even an A. Let’s be real, I would be fine with a B-, or even a C+, but I really don’t want that. Ugh, why does high school have to be so hard?

And now, for the elephant in the room, in the science lab to be specific. Jacob has a girlfriend, again. And you’ll never guess who. I mean, she told me all about how he asked her out in homeroom last week. That’s right. Helena fricken Alistratova. And I thought I could trust her.

Not that I’m too worried, of course. Jacob can do what he wants (and who he wants, if he’s so inclined), and I can’t control him. Not that I’d want to. He still insists on being my lab partner, which annoys Helena a bit, because he comes down to my locker sometimes to organise when we can meet up to discuss the experiments, or just a ‘See you in class!’ after talking to Helena for a bit. The most annoying thing about it is that I lost my homeroom chatting buddy. Now all I have is texting Amelia (who is still listed as Millie in my phone), Asher, Deli and Mel in the group chat, but only if Mr Vincent isn’t paying attention. I’ve had some close calls a couple of times, but I keep my skirt pocket unzipped for that very reason. He can’t prove I was texting if my phone isn’t in my hands. Speed is key.

It’s not the first time Helena has had a boyfriend while I’ve known her, not by a long stretch. A couple of months ago it was Ryan, last year it was Bennet and Maddie (not at the same time, obviously). She can do whatever she wants, but the fact that it’s Jacob now gets on my nerves. I shouldn’t care. I got over him ages ago. But still.

That’s my break time over. I’ve got to get back to studying.

Date: November 21 2015

They broke up!

Not that I should care, but it’s nice to not have to hear about him in class every day.

Notes

-         English essay due Friday

-         Maths assignment due Monday

-         Start bio report!!! Due next week!! Text Jacob about meeting up???

Date: 23 March 2017

Surprisingly, there isn’t any bad news to report this time. It’s kind of good. Kind of good? What am I talking about? It’s freaking amazing. First off, I’m school captain again, which is freaking amazing to start with. It’s basically a popularity contest with all the kids in your year voting, but the teacher’s votes are a bit more weighted, I think.

So, the other good news is that I’ve got my dress for formal. It’s got a red skirt that poofs out right to the floor and a white top half with lacy sleeves that go to my elbows before belling out like a fancy lady from the 1800s or something. Mum teased me about getting a red tie to match for the boy that’ll take me, but I told her that that’s not going to happen, so it’d be a waste of money. Mum put it back, looking at it solemnly, and we went home. I’m mostly grateful she didn’t buy it.

Jacob doesn’t have a date yet—I got Asher to ask him for me—but I don’t think he’d want to go with me. I’ve been nothing but annoying and the worst in science and bio for the better part of four years. Besides, Asher said he’s got his eye on someone (she asked; that wasn’t unprompted), so I don’t have a chance anyway. He won’t ask me, and there’s no WAY I’m asking him. Not that I’m against girls asking guys to the dance, I’m just chicken.

Date: 18 April 2017

He’s still not asked anyone, and no one’s asked me. The dance is May 12.

I still don’t care though. He’s not even my type. I like smart boys. Ones with swoopy hair and nice arms.

Oh, God. I do like Jacob. Like, like like. Oh, God.

Date: 1 May 2017

Guess who just asked Jacob to the dance? Not Helena. Not Amelia. Nope. That’s right. Me!

So, how did I do it, you ask? Long story.

Not really, actually. It’s quite short.

I’d been trying to find him all day. It was one of the only days on my timetable that I didn’t have bio on. I checked his normal lunch place (the basketball courts) at both breaks, and he wasn’t there. By fifth period, I was getting a bit desperate. I had to ask him. It wasn’t even two weeks out from the dance and I wasn’t going with anyone and (as far as I could tell) no one was going with him either.

By the time the end of the day bell rang, I was a nervous wreck. I ran to my locker, my hands shaking with nerves so much I almost couldn’t open my locker. Once I’d packed my bag and hauled it onto my shoulder, I stood up to kick my locker closed. There was someone standing right next to me that I hadn’t noticed until just then. I jumped when I noticed that it was Jacob.

“Uh, hi,” he said, in a format I’ve never used in my diary before, but we’re going with it. He was kind of husky, like he’d just been running. I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Hi.” I flashed a surprised smile.

“I came to ask you something,” he said, still husky sounding, and pushed his fingers through his hair. I realised I wanted to do that too.

Before Jacob could ask, I decided to rip off the band-aid. In the name of feminism. “Do you want to go to the dance with me?”

“D- yes,” he said, surprised, a smile starting on his face. It was the best smile I’d ever seen. Better than any one of the relieved ones after handing in a bio assignment in just in time. “How’d you know that was my question?”

“I had a hunch,” I said, shrugging my non-bag shoulder and smiling at him unabashedly. He laughed and kissed me. On the cheek. Holy crap it was the greatest moment of my life. Or, at least, my week.

Aaaahhhh! I’m going to the dance with Jacob de la Cruz! Aaaaahhh!

Date: 13 May 2017

The dance was the best night ever. The best. Night. Ever.

For one thing, I was with Jacob, and we went back and bought the matching tie, so all of that was great. Amelia, Ash, Deli and Mel all looked stunning. We got a picture together and we’re going to frame it once they arrive. I did the same with Jacob, but we also had a multitude of pictures taken at home when Jacob came to pick me up. He’d rented this vintage bright blue car that went great with my dress, if I do say so myself.

We danced the whole night through, the whole night, and Helena was there and wasn’t shady or bitchy at all, so Jacob and her must’ve ended on good terms. Jacob and I sat together at dinner with my friends and some of his (we couldn’t all fit at the same table; the football team isn’t exactly small) and had a great time with great people eating great food. But that’s not the best bit.

He kissed me. Like, kissed me, kissed me. When he dropped me back home (the vintage car came back to take us home), he walked me up to the door and held both of my hands in his.

“I had a good time tonight, Jacob, thanks for everything,” I say, his eyes right close to my face.

“Only a good time?” A smile perked up the side of his mouth. That was the best smile I’d ever seen.

“Okay, fine, it was a brilliant, fantastic, amaz-” And that’s when he kissed me. And it was like fireworks, and magic and all the best things in the world, all rolled into one.

“Be my girlfriend?” he asked when he pulled away, a lazy smile still on his face.

“Sure,” I said, kissing him on the cheek before heading inside. “See you at school?”

“See you then,” he said, smiling as I closed the door. His smile was the first thing I saw when I closed my eyes last night.

And that was that! I’m so excited I could scream. Lucy hasn’t stopped asking me about it, even though I swear she was spying on us from the front window.