Dork Diaries: Brianna's First Year

A Deal with the Devil

This evening, as I sat on the ground, facing the television, I contemplated on the day. I wasn't meant to be sitting here; I was meant to be going out with Ally and Cat, but not only did my mom refuse to let me go, Ally's parents had grounded her for what happened in Mrs Heart's class today, meaning she wasn't allowed out at all (apart from school) for another week or so.

It sometimes felt as if mom is always refusing me. She refused to allow me to go swimming with Nikki, Chloe and Zoey. She refused to allow me to go to a Princess Sugarplum play with Kaylee and her friends. (Don't judge! I may not have Miss Penelope anymore, but I still have my love for Princess Sugarplum!) She refused me, in short, just about any opportunity to socialise without the family.

It had made me furious. There was something foreboding in my eyes, as I stared into the blank tv screen, especially now that I was so angry: a dangerous gleam, a stubbornness that promised cruelty if my way was not met.

"It doesn't matter." I said to myself. "I will start going out with Ally and Cat even when mom refuses to allow me to go."

"Have you been sitting here long?" asked Nikki as she stepped into the room. "I was trying to finish my English Essay and got distracted by the sound of the T.V getting constantly turned off and on. I'm starving though... Ready for dinner?"

I gave her a smile. "I'm famished as well. How's the essay coming along?"

"You know English is my weak point, Brianna," said Nikki flatly.

"I could look over it if you like," I offered. "I finished with my english essay ages ago. I had Miss Dyson take a look, and she seemed pretty impressed. I could definitely help you out. Tonight, if you're free..."

"Why don't you just tell me what you want." yawned Nikki.

"You do want something, don't you?" she asked when I looked at her offendedly. "You're never this nice unless you want something. So just ask. Leave your good girl hypocrisy for Miss Dyson or your other teachers. We're sister's Bri. You can just be honest with me. I thought you knew that."

I did know that. When I am with Nikki, there is never any use in pretending to be someone else. With her, I didn't have to pretend to be charming like I tried to be with my teachers or to be indifferent like she did with her friends. It was liberating, and it was the only reason that I didn't pull away from the sistership we had, even though that entailed having to deal with writing Nikki's English essays for her. We really had changed since she was my age, though we wouldn't dare to admit it to one-another.

"It has to do with Cat and Ally actually," I admitted. "They have detention again tomorrow afternoon."

"I can't just keep getting you all out whenever you or your friends get detention," said Nikki with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It was the same with Chloe and Zoey. I think they only ever got detention without me once. You need to learn that you can't try and get yourself into trouble just to be with them. Bri, you have a relatively perfect school record, and - unlike me - it will help you to get into that private high school you've dreamed about for so long."

"But they're my best friends," I insisted. "And best friends do everything together, no matter what-"

"Perhaps that's the problem," added Nikki with a shake of her head. "You have this warped belief that to be someone's best friend, you have to be inseparable. Please, Bri, just try and to keep yourself out of trouble!"

"Would that be such a bad thing, though?" I asked with a small smile. "I remember you getting detention quite a few times when you were my age." Nikki eyed me warily, and I continued. "You're Head Girl of your High School, Nikki, and you've had your fair share of detentions since starting there. Don't try telling me that I can't succeed by getting one tiny detention! If I can't be there, at least try and get them out of the detention! As Head Girl of the adjacent High School, you have quite a lot of influence throughout the faculty of the middle school, you know."

"Maybe so, but it won't make it right. They did wrong, and they need to own up to their mistakes and accept the detention."

"But they feel awful about it," I said pleadingly. Nikki gave me a disbelieving look, so I continued, "This time they really do. I can tell. I can't believe you're being this heartless."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "You're starting to sound like Chloe now. Pathos is her strong suite, Bri."

"Do me this one favor then," I added finally. "I'll owe you. Anything you want. I'll help you out with more English... I'll help find a solution for that god-awful bed head of yours. Anything. Just ask."

Nikki ignored the diss to her hair. Her hair was always flatter on the side she slept on until close to eleven in the morning when it would bounce back to become as equally frizzy and bushy as was the rest of her head. Her mind was obviously somewhere else when she asked slyly, "Anything?"

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. There was something in the tone of her voice that forewarned me. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you and Kaylee to get along," she said with finality. "I want my two best sisters to be able to see and interact with each other without arguing every single time..."

I stammered. I knew that mine and Kaylee's frequent fights annoyed her. To be honest, the notion Nikki presented me with had already crossed her mind more than once this year alone. Yet I reluctantly agreed. Anything to get Ally and Cat out of trouble...

The events of that evening plagued my mind all night and all of the next morning. I was in a daze as I got ready for school - it was a miracle that I even got to school unharmed!

Once my books were safely stowed in my locker, I went to the cafeteria and looked for my friends. I finally locked eyes with Cat and suddenly became very nervous. Cat looked very distressed, and looking around at the other students, they did not look much better. I picked up my pace and quickly plopped down between Matt and Cat.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a breathy voice.

"It's Ally," Cat said. I noticed her hands were shaking. "She never showed up on the bus, so we thought we would just see her here. But she's not here, no one can find her. No one has seen her since she got home yesterday."