The Hidden Diary of Ophelia Ridley

11

18 June 1988

Dear Diary,

I'm so excited, I can barely stand to write this instead of jumping up and down!

Edith, Gregg, Kevin, Sonya and I played at Susan's party. It was really good and really grown up.

The party started at 9 o clock so I snuck out of the cabin. When we got there Susan was in a shiny black dress that squeezed her so tight, I thought something was bound to pop out. Gregg and Kevin couldn't keep their eyes off of her- in fact none of the men at the party could and when she saw that i noticed she winked at me, so I don't think she minds.

Susan gave us all beer and showed us to the backyard where she had erected a small stage near a gazebo. We set up our instruments and equipment and Susan introduced us.

"What's your groups name?" She asked Edith, covering the mic.

"Uh." Edith blinked. We didnt have a name, we mostly just played for fun.

"Alright guys!" Susan said into the mic, her smile dazzling. "We have some new entertainment for the night. Be nice and welcome "The Unknown"!

Feeling obligated by Susan's introduction, I'm sure, a smattering of applause went round as we started to play the theme song to The Breakfast Club.

Edith fumbled with a few chords on her guitar and my voice wavered at first due to nerves. Susan had said it was a small gathering but there were at least 50 people here and more were showing up by the minute.

A few songs in, we really started to groove and people were bobbing their heads along, groping their dance partners and jumping up and down. It felt nice.

I glimpsed Susan a few times throughout our set, glimmering around different men who all seemed to be a wee older than her.

I looked around at the ornate backyard decorations and thought back to the pristine kitchen we had walked through. For the first time, I wondered how Susan had come to afford such nice accommodations and have so many friends. Surely, her share of the ice cream shop wouldn't grant her all this AND funds to travel. Whatever she was doing, she was doing it well and I wanted to know how she had done it, all of it, at 24 years old.

We played well into the night, an unspoken agreement between all of us that we wouldn't stop playing unless Susan told us to. A quarter past midnight, when many of our fans had either retreated into dark corners for privacy or had passed out drunk, Susan emerged unsteady on her feet, pulling her dress down.

We were just finishing a Hansen song when Susan clapped wildly and tottered on stage.

"Awesome, awesome, awesome! Great set you guys!" She giggled. "Let's get some food, come on!"

Susan led us to a ravaged snack table where we scarfed down pretzels and cheese before she took a wad of cash out of her bra.

"You guys definitely need to come back and do this again. I'm having another party Sarurday." She unfolded the wad of cash and handed each of us a 100 pound note.

"Holy shite" Sonya mumbled.

"Definitely" Kevin and Gregg mumbled in agreement.

I took the money in my hands and almost cried. It was too good go be true. My way out, finally.

Gregg and Kevin had to go home, claiming their dad would kill them if they were out any longer and Sonya went with them, kissing her money.

"Will you take the mic and my guitar with you?" Edith asked "We're going to stay a wee bit longer."

I hadn't known that was the plan but I was fine with it. I was really

Sorry, diary. Mum's heard me awake, writing and she's yelled at me to go to sleep. How she hears me scribbling in you and not sneaking out my window is beyond me.

I'll finish the story tomorrow.

-Ophelia ♡