Dork Diaries: Next Generation

What Do You Suggest?

I walk to my locker to switch out my books for my next class. I see a familiar brunette rummaging through the locker two ways down from mine.

Oh, God. Could it be? Is Mom's curse of the never changing lockers not a myth? Is that really who I think it is?

To answer my own questions (and possibly yours) yes, yes, and yes. It is the one and only Vanessa Bridge. Her locker isn't right next to mine, but it's still very close. And even though she is popular, people are gathered around me, not her. And just to exceed my expectations, this crowd of kids are worse than the paparazzi. No one is worse than the paparazzi!

"Look, guys," I announce, "I'll call my security guards on you." They all slowly scurry away.

"How do you not love that type of attention? Any girl would love to be you, you know that? And you just brush off the opportunity," says Vanessa after all of the people leave.

"Listen to me, Vanessa." I clench my jaw to keep from yelling at her. "I'm famous. I can use it to my advantage at anytime I want. I can blow you out of the water, but I have a soul. I don't want attention, not this kind of attention. I want to be a legend, not an idol." I didn't grab everything, but I just said something meaningful. I'm not just going ruin some very powerful words by struggling to find some papers for an education I don't really need.

If Vanessa is dumbfounded, she doesn't show it. Maybe she's gotten used to my unpredictable antics, but then again, they wouldn't be that unpredictable if that's really the case.

I wait for this period to be over, and do the same for the next. I plan to leave during lunch, and I'm taking Rick with me.

*~*~*~*

"So you're just gonna ditch... Just like that?"

"Yep, just like that. It's really just that easy, and no one has to know," I tell Rick.

"Everyone is going to know, you dingus. If you haven't noticed, you're very popular. When someone notices their little star is gone, and believe me, they will, they're going to start assuming something. Then words will spread like a wildfire, and guess what? Apparently, you murdered Morgan Freeman. Do you really need something like that getting on Instagram?"

I scoff. "How is Morgan Freeman supposed to be dead if someone sees him alive? Calm down, Rick, I know what I'm doing."

He holds his head down, in thought, I'm guessing.

"What's the big deal? If you really care about what homework you have to do, you do know there's a website, right? It's the twenty-first century, Rick. They have homework assignments online now."

"I'm not worried about that." His voice gets lower. "I just don't want rumors to get around. Then you'll end up just like your mom. And she's a very admirable person, but she had it bad in high school."

And as true as that is, I can't help but get angry. "What the hell do you know about my mom!? Don't you dare think of using her in this situation! All I want to do is get away for one day. One day! And I'd think my friend was my ride or die, but I guess not."

He rolls his eyes. I see him do it too, which gives me all the more right to walk out alone. Yet, he runs after me. And just to make my day much worse than what it already is, I bump into Taylor, neither of us looking where we were going.

He catches a glimpse of my face, which doesn't look too pleased with anything right now. "Are you okay?" Rick just so happens to stop his running when he reaches me and Taylor. "What did you do?"