This ain't a diary, this is a - mirror?

Chapter 28: What's a story without plot...?

"How did it go -" Elena halted in her tracks as she saw Samantha's expression. "Oh..."

Elena paused for a moment. "They didn't answer, did they? I swear, if I ever get my paws on them, I'll...!"

"It's fine." Samantha sighed deeply. "I mean, even if they did answer, what good would it do?"

"I... I don't know what's going on, but... Samantha, don't give up hope! I... I'm sure they'll come eventually! Something has to happen!" Cheryl joined in, patting Samantha's back reassuringly. "Maybe it just takes time... but once it does happen, you can show her!"

"Your power has to mean something deeper," Elena added. "I can practically promise you that it isn't just summoning words on a page."

"Thanks, guys..." Samantha sighed again. "I... I just need some time alone."

"Alright." Elena said immediately. "Here, give me your wallet and I'll buy lunch for you and bring it up to our dorm... what do you want?"

Cheryl quickly scavenged through her bag and pulled out a small packet of cookies. "Here, these might cheer you up." She offered, pressing them into Samantha's paw.

Samantha looked between her two friends and felt a small smile force its way past the haze of despair that had fallen upon her. "Thanks, guys... you're really better than I deserve, huh?"

"Don't say that!" Elena exclaimed. "We're friends, and that's what matters." Cheryl added. "If one of us needs help, the others will come... and that's a promise."

Samantha took the cookies and slowly handed Elena her wallet. "Thanks... you didn't have to do this."

"Nonsense!" Elena barked. "It's basically our responsibility to do this... now, right after this class, you can go straight to our dorm, sit down and wait. Just relax and have some time to yourself. Don't even worry about anything. We'll handle everything!"

———

Samantha sat alone in her dorm eating spaghetti and staring at her diary. She put another forkful of it into her mouth and chewed slowly.

She finally gathered the courage and opened her diary. She flipped through the pages of writing she had made, from day one to... the next blank page. To her surprise, there was a single line of neatly written text.

{{ I'm sorry. }}

Samantha stared at it, trying to comprehend the emotions welling up within her. Shock. Anger. Relief, even.

She picked up her dark blue pen and scribbled down, in capital letters: {{ Why weren't you here? }}

Samantha paused for a moment, then added, {{ One time I needed your help... why? Why am I the one stuck with... you when everybody gets these amazing powers? }}

She sat, quietly, not really expecting a response. Dark blue ink started to curl and spread across the page to form letters.

{{ What's a story without plot? }}

Samantha scribbled out a response. Her pen pressed down a little too hard and broke the surface of the paper, but she kept on writing.

{{ You think my life is a story for you to 'control'? I'm... a person, just like you are... at least, what I thought you were. }}

Samantha paused, breathing heavily. Words started to appear once again.

{{ To learn, one must make mistakes. Having an easy and comfortable life... you'll never be able to grow. Samantha, please - I just want to help you. }}

Samantha paused. Finally, she wrote: {{ I... I've had to live through this my entire life. I thought that coming to this school would change it. I've spent my life hearing "your power isn't real" and "stop lying"... and the one chance I could've shown someone who could've actually made a difference... you don't respond. }}

Silence. Finally, a paragraph. {{ Do you want an easy and comfortable life? A life where you will never have to work... and never be able to grow? }}

Samantha gazed at the paragraph, reading and rereading over and over again. Finally, she sighed - and wrote a single word.

{{ No. }}

Samantha pushed her book away and closed it without looking to see if they'd responded. She sighed and continued to eat her spaghetti.

———

"English with Mr - achoo - Carter," Elena joked. "So, I'm glad you're feeling better. Did you give them a good beating?"

"A beating?" Samantha considered it. "Not... really. But I don't really want to... talk about what they said."

"You don't have to talk about it!" Elena exclaimed. "Don't feel like you have to tell me everything. I'm just glad you're doing okay."

"Thanks." Samantha took a deep breath. "So, English. Uh, what did we do last lesson again? Was there homework?"

"Nope. And, uh, last lesson, we..." Elena flipped through her English book. "We read over Scene 1, I think."

"Right. Of course." Samantha inhaled deeply again. "Right. Academic stuff. No need to think about other stuff." She forced a smile. "I'm ready for English for once..."

---

"I'm not ready for English," Samantha groaned inwardly as she stared at the short, online quiz on the first scene of Macbeth. "What... technique is that? I don't even know." She shrugged and randomly selected an option. "It's a one out of four chance. Whatever, it's not an actual test anyways..."

She went through the quiz, randomly selecting answers that she thought was correct. "Four out of ten. Not bad for guessing nearly everything." She said aloud, earning a few squints and glances her way. She forced a scowl onto her snout and gave them all her best death glare - which, to be fair, wasn't actually that good.

Most of the students thankfully looked away, though. Samantha was about to thoughtlessly reach for her diary, like how she normally would when she would finish work early, then stopped. She withdrew her paw and decided to occupy herself with staring at the clock instead of thinking about... them.

Mr Carter's loud sneeze broke the silence. He sniffled and wiped his nose with a tissue. "A-ah, sorry class." He sneezed again. "Just a case of the sniffles... Now, that online quiz should've... freshened your memory up. Now, on to Scene 2... Please open the book I gave you all last lesson, with the play on it... And read through Scene 2 by yourself. Five minutes."

Mr Carter coughed into a tissue and sat down heavily. Samantha sighed. flipped her copy of the play open to Scene 2, and began reading.