Jerry Smith

“I shoved through the overcrowded and noisy halls, trying to get to my classroom in time so that I would not receive detention. The acute edge of a locker jabbed into my ribs as I tried to avoid a teacher who was still waiting for my essay. But bad luck leered at me every corner I turned. 

“Mr. Smith,” a harsh voice called me out, “Mr. Smith, where is your essay. It is a week overdue.”

A group of people jeered at me as I tried to dodge a half eaten sandwich. 

“Uh, I have it, I just need to get it from my locker,” I lied.

The tall figure seemed dissatisfied but he let me go, disappointment clear in his dark gaze as he watched me fight my way to my History class. 

The class was eerily silent as I waited at my tattered and worn desk. I wouldn’t call it mine. It was temporary. Our school had this rule, if the teacher was not there within 15 minutes into the class, we were permitted to leave to hang out outside. 

The awkward air and painfully bright lights pierced the mood of waiting. Now would be a good time to finish that essay. Pulling out a brand new composition notebook, I clicked a pen and started writing. But my words did not form an essay on “The Structure of Life” as I had been instructed. It formed a diary entry. 

Dear Diary, 

I am procrastinating. Did you know that procrastinators procrastinate because they have so many things to do that their brains can not focus on just one thing? I have this essay I am supposed to turn in. 

Sincerely, 

Jerry

As soon as I signed my name in cursive, I immediately regretted my entry. I felt like such a girl, to be writing in a diary, let alone writing in cursive. I watched protectively as the ink sank into the lined papers.

Dear Jerry,

I know how you feel. I have felt that for all my life. I always think that i have so much to do and I can not decide how or when to do it. It’s alright. Just start with a flow map or if you are feeling extra daring, the introductory paragraph.

Dear Diary,

Thank you for your advice, I really needed it. Right now we are heading outside because Mr. Freeman did not show up to teach us. I am kind of disappointed because we were supposed to learn about the Great Schism or something like that. But I would never admit it to anyone because people would call me a nerd. 

Sincerely,

Jerry

Dear Jerry,

Yes, the Great Schism is very interesting. Don’t worry about being called a nerd, 

information is always useful. Tell me about yourself?

Dear Diary, 

My name is Jerry Smith. I am in eighth grade. My favourite color is dark green but when I told this to my younger sister she said that green was too sickly and murky. My younger sister is ten years old and she is obsessed with penguins. I absolutely love spending time drifting into the wonders of a book but I don’t think I should read a lot, people would think I am too introverted. I want to dye my hair but people would think I was depressed. There are so many things I want to tell you.

Sincerely, 

Jerry

Dear Jerry,

I love the color green, it reminds me of nature and the outdoors. Reading is my favourite thing to do also. You can dye your hair, don’t care what others may think of you. 

Dear Diary,

I love playing on the playground. I don’t know why there isn’t any play structure in middle school. I hate sports and exercise but I can not say that to anyone. I want to join the theatre club but I would be the only boy there and I don’t want to take that risk. I want to take art but my parents will not allow me to drop Spanish. I love watching cliche romantic comedies but I pretend to like horror and action films. I probably should really be starting on my essay-

Sincerely,

Jerry

Dear Jerry,

Playgrounds are cool, middle school is not. Theatre club sounds like fun, take a shot (Cue the Hamilton Music), and although Spanish is useful, if art is your truest passion, you should join. What is your favourite cliche romantic comedy? 

Dear Diary,

I love the movie “Flipped”, I think it is exciting and also funny. You should watch it. There is always the classic, “The Princess Bride”, but I think that if I were to truly choose it would be “Flipped”.

I like listening to Broadway productions. I like the extra tinge of dramaticness and reality in the songs. My mother took me to see an off broadway production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and I made the mistake of singing a tune on the bus. 

I like reading “The Phantom Tollbooth”, I think it has a new approach on figures of speech and I am blown away by the creativity.

Sincerely,

Your friend Jerry

I knew that my diary was one hundred percent reliable and would respond to me no matter what. I knew that my diary would not judge my opinions and what I like. I knew that my diary would always agree with me.

But I was not aware that my diary was me.”

“Mr. Jerry Smith you have been subjected to twelve months in a mental asylum for claiming that your 99 cents composition notebook wrote back to you and told you to attempt to murder the principal of your school. Expert psychologists and detective’s have confirmed that you were indeed writing back to yourself and listening to your own young and stupid advice.” 

The law faced the psychotic and schizophrenic maniac like a concrete dam. People would whisper and make fun of his younger sister for years. Jerry Smith’s younger sister. The one who’s older brother imagined he was talking to a diary when he really was writing back to himself. 

And Jerry Smith would endure the worst. He was the one who had truly been so crazed that he would write to himself. He was the one who attempted to stab sweet and caring Principal Sanders to the death claiming his diary told him to. 

But he was his diary.