Dear Diary: Why?

Day 1

Dear Diary,
It's my sophomore year. How exciting.

I'm not looking forward to the school year @ all. Well, school, yes. The people? No way. Not like they matter to me anyways. I guess that's the perks of being invisible, right?

My school has a really strict social order. You're smart? We're gonna call you a nerd. Don't talk to anyone who's not as smart as you. You play sports? We're gonna call you a jock. Don't hang out with anyone who doesn't play sports. You're really pretty? We're gonna call you popular. Don't talk to anyone who's not. & when you're not popular, athletic, or smart? We're gonna call you invisible. Don't talk to anyone.

& that, Diary, is why I call myself 'invisible'. I'll never be as pretty as LeAnne Mink. I'll never be as smart as my best friend, June Prax. I'll never be as athletic as Cory Decker.

Oh, Diary. You remember Cory, don't you? Quarterback of the football team, straight A student, best-dressed junior you'll ever see. Yeah. That's Cory Decker.

& then there's me. Always reading, always writing a story. A+ student, not athletic, not popular, not pretty. Just me. Terra Reed. Invisible.

Well, Diary. I'll talk to you later. Maybe my first day won't be so bad.
***
My first day wasn't bad @ all. It was everything I expected from my teachers. Syllabus', books, what we'll be taught, what they expect, & assigned seats. Lunch was okay. I see that LeAnne still hates me. Don't believe me, Diary? She tried to knock my food tray all over my like that one high school movie I've seen before.

The worst part of the day was either gym or math. Gym, we're doing a lot of running. It sucks. Math, I love math. I'm not as good as it as the nerds are, but I'm still pretty good with it. My problem with it? Cory's seat is right next to mine. I'm taking you to school tomorrow, Diary. I will not suffer through an awkward semester next to him.

I've had enough for one day. Maybe I'll get some sleep in.

Or maybe the demons will come & haunt me again tonight...
...
I wake up, but not sweaty. Not freaked out, & I didn't wake up because of the demons. Instead, I woke up to a knock on my window.

I look @ the clock. it's 2 in the morning on a Friday.

I shut my door & run over to the only window in my room, which is actually the largest window in the house. I open it & step out onto the balcony outside my room to see a note & a red rose taped to the railing.

ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ. ᴅʀᴇss ɴɪᴄᴇʟʏ.

I immediately run inside with the note & call June. I knew she'd answer because it's 2 in the morning & June can never go to sleep.

The phone stops ringing & a sleepy June comes onto the line. "What?" she groaned.