Dear Diary

Chapter 4

Sophia loved her bike. There was no two ways about it. But what she loved to do was go exploring on it. It was the only thing that made her excited about moving. That and also the fact that she tried to delay going home to an empty house as much as possible.

Even though it was only her second day at school, she could already sense a routine forming. 

After school she went to the café where she ordered two new ice-cream flavours. To be honest, she didn't know where she got her love of the cold treat from, but she could eat it anytime of the day and year. Once she made her purchase she sat in the same booth to do homework.

There were no rowdy boys this time and she finished her homework quickly before making her way towards her bike. Next thing she knew, she was on her way to nowhere in particular. It was this exact feeling of not knowing that made her feel alive. There was nothing quite like feeling the cool air hit your body and having no glass and metal to obstruct your view of the world around you. She still wore a helmet but it was just ... different.

Sophia guessed she had been riding for about a half an hour when she finally slowed in speed. A part of her wanted her to continue and never return, but a larger part of her knew the sad truth of knowing that there was nowhere else to go. The buildings had grown more distant, the plots larger, showing she was on the outskirts of the town. She rolled to a stop when she noticed a park on the side of the road. She climbed off her bike and took off her helmet and gloves as she looked at her surroundings.

Due to its distance from the city, the area was quiet, but not abandoned in the least. The grass was freshly cut and ancient oak trees lined the perimeter, giving the place a natural feeling of privacy. A few trees dotted the lawn and a small cobblestone path wound its way around the grounds. A calm lake spread out in the middle and a few ducks quacked happily on its surface.

Even though Sophia had only been there a minute or two, she could already feel the stress leave her shoulders and she let out a content sigh. She made her way to a bench that looked over the lake and setting sun. It was beautiful. And the best part? Not a soul in sight; meaning for once she didn't have to pretend that she was happy.

-

Sophia gave a low sigh as she sat down on the carpeted floor of her room facing the boxes before her. Unpacking was her least favourite job. She set to work with the first box and hung up the clothes in their respective places or folded them neatly in the closet.

It didn't take too long to unpack because, with all their moving around, Sophia never really had a chance to clutter her life with little knickknacks. What she mainly had was her clothes, schoolbooks and a few leisure books.

After she finished her task, she turned to look at the last box with a hint of confusion. She wasn't missing anything so the movers must have accidentally put it in her bedroom instead of the garage.

Sophia sighed and crouched down to lift it, but ended up grunting in surprise when it didn't move. What could possibly be in it? She looked at the tape sealing the box and noticed that it seemed extremely old. Curiosity got the better of her and she grabbed a knife, slicing the tape in order to open it.

"Books?" she asked as she stared at all the book covers and a strong, musty smell wafted over her. How long had this box been closed off for?

Sophia stared at the books confused. Her dad clearly wasn't much of a reader, she knew that much. So, then who's were they? Her Aunt Tess'?

Sophia shrugged and began shifting through the hardcovers. Whoever it was clearly didn't want them anymore because the box has been sealed for years, so she was sure they wouldn't mind her reading one or two. She enjoyed reading and the quiet park she found was where she could see herself going to do just that.

She paused when her fingers brushed against a hardcover A4 book with a pale yellow covering and flowers stemming up from the bottom of the cover. A workbook maybe? Why would that have been kept? She pulled the book out of the box and leaned against the frame of her bed as she opened the cover. Pretty writing in purple ink covered the page. She frowned and started reading.

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To: Our darling daughter

From: Mom and Dad

Recipients thoughts: Mom and Dad thought of giving me this book due to the fact that I'm starting school tomorrow.  They said they wanted me to practice my maths in it, because I honestly suck at it. But it seems such a waste of a book with a nice cover to use it for something like maths. So, I have a different idea for it.

They say the best way to hide something is in plain sight, right? So, I'm going to make this my secret diary. Honestly, who will look at a workbook and think it's someone's diary? It's quite clever if I do say so myself. But I'm not going to do it like the cliché 'Dear Diary' thing. No, I'm going to write it as though it was a biography of my final year of school. 

I don't know why, but I just have a strong feeling that this year's going to be different. Hence why I'm starting a diary. Hopefully it will be interesting...

Anyway, that's it from me today - Elizabeth Fleming

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Sophia's eyes widened when she saw the name that signed the entry. She felt her hands grow heavy and the book thumped to the floor as she stared at the words in shock. No ... Was this really her mother's diary? But how could it still be ...?

Sophia glanced up and happened to see her reflection in her mirror. Her face was as pale as a ghost. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shakily looked back at the open book.

She had always wondered what her mother was like, especially in school. Was she a bratty queen bee or the quiet nerd? Did she have friends or was she more of a loner like her daughter? Who was she?

Sophia took a shaky breath and didn't even realise how much she was trembling until she tried to reach for the book, but her movements froze when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Without a second thought, she grabbed the book and shoved it under the bed just as her father walked into her room.

"I thought you would've finished with your unpacking by now, Sophia," he voiced with an emotionless face as he stared at the box.

"I have, sir," Sophia quickly cleared the tremble in her voice. "But the movers accidentally put this box in my room." 

She gestured to the box and tried to hide the way her hand shook. She hated it that she wasn't allowed to refer to him as 'Dad'. Only ever as 'sir', even in other people's presence.

Within three strides, he was by the box and peering inside it. Sophia saw his posture turn rigid as he took note of the contents. Without a word, he slammed the flaps of the box shut and effortlessly picked it up before walking out the room. Sophia let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when she no longer heard his thudding footsteps.

She didn't know that he was going to be home tonight.

She made sure that the coast was clear before she slid under her bed to retrieve the pale yellow book. She had already showered and eaten and was currently wearing a crop top and shorts as she closed her bedroom door. She sat down on her bed and propped up her pillows before gently opening the book once more.