Homecoming

September 10

Today was awful. Jennifer was asked to go to Homecoming. I am happy for my best friend, but I know this is another way Abigal will be around her. Abigal’s boyfriend Chad is good friends with Jason, who asked Jennifer. They will go as a group, and I will be stuck at home all night because my best friend sucks.

Sept 13

My mom asked what I was wearing to Homecoming. I told her I was not going. She told me, "But you and Jennifer had so much fun freshman year, why wouldn’t you go again?" I yelled because Abigal and Jennifer are double dating Chad and Jason. My mom then stupidly said, "Well, you could always go with them like a group."

I was so upset that I ran to my room and cried. I hate Abigal, and I am so mad at Jennifer. She is the worst friend. She asked me to go to the mall with her yesterday, and I asked if Abigal was going. She said yes, so I said I had to babysit my dumb brother. 

Sept 14

It is still a few days until homecoming, and I hate thinking about it. EVERYONE is talking about it, and I just can’t stand it. Jennifer and Abigal talk non stop about their dresses, how they will do their hair and where they are going to dinner beforehand. They are just so stupidly obsessed with a dumb dance.

Sept 15

Today Abigal and Jennifer were at my locker and Abigal asked me, Georgia, have you picked out an outfit? Jennifer answered quickly oh Georgia is not going this year, she thinks it is dumb, right? Before I could answer, they started walking away from my locker

As they walked away, Chris Jenkins, who had the locker next to me, said, Oh I was going to ask if you wanted to go with me, but it sounded like you would not be interested. I told him I would go with him, that Jennifer didn’t know what she was talking about. So I guess I am going to stupid homecoming.

Sept 16

Today at lunch Jennifer and Abigal found out I was going to the dance, Abigal did a squeal like she was happy for me, but she is just so fake, I really do hate her. Jennifer did not seem super excited but said we should all go together. I told her maybe I would have to see what Chris had planned. 

Later in Bio class, she pulled me aside and said she was happy I was going but that the plans Abigal and her had made with their dates didn’t work with a third couple. I told her that was fine; I know Abigal put her up to it to say that. I miss my best friend, but maybe after this dumb dance, we will return to the way it was before.

Sept 17

My mom was so excited to buy me a homecoming dress that we went to four stores. We finally decided on a forest green one, which the salesperson said brought out my dark hair and fair skin. I did feel pretty, and I just wished my best friend had gone with me. After shopping, we went to the coffee shop downtown, and my mom said that sometimes friends drift apart as they get older. She told me about her best friend from high school, whom she had never seen since they graduated. I told her Jennifer and I were different. We are soul sisters, and she just needs to get out from under Abigal’s spell.

Sept 22 

I did something terrible. I know I should not have done it, but I miss Jennifer and hanging out with her. I know Abigal doesn’t like me and tries to exclude me, and I am mad.

 I was in the library, wanting to research a paper. Carly Totten had used the computer before me and left her messenger program open. I saw she had previous chats with Abigal a few days ago. I was just going to be mean at first, but then it hit me: this was my opportunity to break up Jennifer and Abigal. 

The words came quickly, 

“Hey, Abigal, I just wanted to let you know that I heard Jennifer E. talking to her friend Georgia. You know, the weird one with the dark hair? She was telling her that on the night of homecoming, she wanted to spend time with Chad, and she was just going with Jason because she and Chad had been secretly texting each other for weeks. I just thought you should know.”

I know it was mean, but I know Abigal, and she is going to be so pissed, and she will never talk to Jennifer again, and finally, we can be best friends again.

Sept 23

I just got home from the dance. Chris looked cute, and I had fun. Abigal and Jennifer did not. We arrived late because Chris’s mom wanted to take so many pictures, and dinner was long. By the time I got there, Jennifer was in the hallway crying. I told Chris to go in and asked her what was wrong. She said Abigal is being so mean to me. She didn’t show up to Anthony’s restaurant for our dinner or say two words to me all night. I asked Jason what was happening, and he said, let me talk to Chad. Then he comes back and says have fun tonight; I am leaving. And he just left like that. I just don’t know what is going on? 

I stood there, trying not to smile. My plan worked better than I thought. I asked her if she wanted to sit with Chris and me. She said no, she was leaving. As she was going, I said call me later.

Sept 24

Jennifer came over today! At first, I was really happy it was going to be like before, but then she told me she had a confession to make. She had been secretly hooking up with Chad, and Abigal must have found out somehow, which is why she wouldn't talk to her at the dance.

She said Chad was angry because, in his mind, it did not mean anything and that Jennifer was the one who must have told Abigal to try and break them up. As she told me with tears in her eyes, I tried to keep the bile in my throat down. Was she really hooking up with Chad? I could not believe it. She then started crying hard, barely getting the words out when she told me. I think I love him, and he wants nothing to do with me. I was going to pull him aside at the dance and tell him I was pregnant. I sat there shocked! I asked who knew and if she was keeping the baby. She said she didn't know what to do. All she did was cry. She said she needed to talk to Chad, and then she left, saying she would talk to me later.

Sept 25

Jennifer was not at school today, so I texted her, but she did not respond. I wonder if she told her parents about the baby and if they are dealing with that. I really want to talk to her and be there for my best friend.

Sept 26

There is an official missing person report for Jennifer. I talked with the Sheriff’’s office as I was the last person to see her. The deputy asked me if Jennifer was depressed or suicidal. I said no, and then he showed me a piece of paper with the fake Carly note I had written. Did she tell you she was fooling around with this boy like it says in the note? I answered yes. He then said we know Carly did not write this note, so we are assuming Jennifer did as a confession to her friend Abigal.

I couldn’t tell the truth that I wrote it and that I was making it up when I wrote it, but it was actually true. I would have sounded crazy, and you don’t want to act unhinged with the police, especially when you are the last person to see someone who is missing.

Abigal was in the lobby when I left, and I wondered what they asked her. She did not look at me as I walked away. I am worried about my friend and hope she is ok.

Sept 30 

Today was awful. I attended my best friend’s funeral. 

On Tuesday of last week, they arrested Abigal and Chad for Jennifer and her unborn baby’s murder. They found her on Rt. 4, five miles from Chad’s house. She had been shot. Chad confessed to pulling the trigger but blamed it on Abigal. She had told him he needed to handle the “Jennifer” problem if he loved her. So he did. 

This is all my fault, and I feel very guilty. Would this have happened if I had not written the fake message from Carly? Did I cause this chain of events? And did I even know anything about the person I called my best friend? I need to destroy these last month's pages of my diary. My culpability can never be discovered.