Hidden Mysteries

An Awkward Introduction

August 27th

I'm not sure how to start this off, I've never done anything like this before. I think the closest thing was when we had to write down what we did during the day when I was in like, third grade maybe. I was never the type of girl to write in the little pink too-sparkly-for-their-own-good cheap diaries with the flimsy locks and teeny-tiny keys that they'd sell at the art supply store, either. I mean, I've gotten some over the years from extended family and family friends as gifts, but I never really used them aside for scratch paper or to draw in.

Really, I'm doing this because of Candle, OJ and Paintbrush's mom (they both babysat for me when I was in elementary and preschool). She came over last night to pick up Paintbrush after they were watching me for the night. She came up to me and said something about my inner flame being dimmed by the fog of negative thoughts clouding my mind.

(I had no idea what she was talking about whatsoever. She was a yoga teacher and believed in chakras and third eyes and stuff. I never really got any of what she was saying (and neither did Paintbrush and OJ, from what I could tell), but Candle was never snobby about it so I just accepted it as part of her personality.)

She suggested that I start to keep note of my thoughts down on paper in order to clear my head and gave me this journal from her purse. I tried to give it back, but Candle insisted; she was going to return it to the store anyways since she had apparently bought the wrong one by mistake.

So. Here I am. Writing in this journal.

I should probably start by introducing myself, I guess. I know it's me writing in here and nobody will be poking around reading this, but it feels...right? I dunno how to explain it.

My name is Suitcase Slams. I'm turning thirteen this October, and I'm going to be in seventh grade in a few days. There's not that much else to say about me other than that, really. I mean, I get honor roll every year, but I'm not the top of the class. And I don't have very many friends. I'm kind of a pushover, in all honesty.

I have a fairly big family, too. I'm gonna write about them here too for the same reason I introduced myself. Just feels wrong if I don't.

There's my dad, Baseball. He's always been super overprotective of me my whole life, almost in a mama bear sort of way. He's kind of the closest thing I have to a mom, really. My mom died giving birth to me, so all I really know about her comes from the pictures in Baseball's office and the stories he tells me about her. He gets sad about her sometimes, but he's a really good parent. He's busy with work a bunch, but he always tries to make time for me.

Then we have Nickel, Baseball's partner. I don't consider him my other dad, really. I mean, he's helped Baseball with raising me and all, but me and Nickel don't really connect in the way me and Baseball do. Really I just see him more as an uncle or something. He's always been kinda pushy and stuff with grades and extracurriculars, which I kinda understand as him just wanting what's best for me, but I just wish he wasn't so intense about it. (Well, I wouldn't say he's intense about my grades and all, I just dunno how else to word it.)

Finally, there's my older twin siblings, Knife and Microphone (we usually call her Mic for short). They're both around their 20s, but Knife still lives with us to help out around the house while Baseball and Nickel are at work. Mic moved out a couple years ago, and she's studying at one of the local colleges. I've always been pretty close with them; Knife has always had a hand in helping to raise me, and Mic was always willing to join me in pretend tea parties or playing dress up or whatever I wanted to play. They've always supported me, no matter what, and I'm happy about it.

So yeah. That's everyone. Everyone in my family, that is.

I'm not sure what else to write about, so I'll leave it off here. It's almost time for dinner, anyways. I'll write more in here later, when I know what to write about.

Bye, I guess.