Behind the Bad Boy

11.

Someone is gently shaking my shoulder.

I moan and pull the blanket over me, my face scrunching up.

"You told me to wake you when I finish reading." Mason says, placing his hand on my back.

Sighing, I stand up. "I hate you." I grumble.

"No you don't. Your diary says you like me." he waggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes and stand up, stretching.

"Let's read, shall we?" he asks.

I lean against the wall and he sits next to me and flips to November fifth.

November 5th, 2006

Dear diary,

Today Cole tripped me at PE and I cut my knee open. Mason laughed. I'm sad. I thought he was my friend. Why do friends hurt me? I don't understand why Cole is so mean to me!

"You do know you completely friendzoned me, right?" Mason asks.

"I was ten." I defend, flipping the page.

November 11th, 2006

Dear diary,

I lost this book and then I found it under my bed. Nothing has happened since Mason laughed at me getting hurt. I'm still sad though.

"Why'd you laugh?" I ask.

"I was mad." He shrugs.

November 12th, 2006

Dear diary,

Mason was so happy at school today! He was nice to me too! He told me he got a puppy!

I flip the page after looking at Mason to make sure he's okay.

February 14th, 2006

Dear diary,

I keep losing my book! Ben found it in the garage today when he was getting his bike. I guess I'm going to start writing again! Mason is a big bully now! Him and Cole keep ganging up on me! They started doing that after Thanksgiving! They're best frends forever now! Alyssa got really mad at them because they pushed me off the swing. She told me that she put worms in their sandwiches and she spit in their apple juice. I'm happy Alyssa hurt them. I think they deserve it.

I vaguely remember that. I do remember that the two of them started ganging up on me.

They were friends. Why do they hate each other so much now?

February 17th, 2006

Dear diary,

I've decided to only write in you when I need to talk to someone. I would tell Mommy but she would tell the teachers. Daddy would tell Mommy, and Ben would tell Mommy or Daddy. Alyssa would blurt it. It's better to talk to you, because you can't talk. Today I was on the tire swing and Alyssa was in the bathroom and Mason and Cole came over and they spun me so hard and the teacher was yelling at them to stop but they wouldn't and I started crying and then I threw up all over them and they stopped they left the swing and I flew off and I broke my ankle!

I remember that. I remember two boys doing that. I didn't realize that was Mason and Cole.

I'm quiet for a very long time.

I can't believe they did that.

February 18th, 2006

Dear diary,

Mason and Cole got referrals and Mommy and Daddy are really mad I didn't tell them that they were being mean to me. I have a pink cast and Alyssa signed it and Ben signed it and Mommy and Daddy too. My whole class signed it except for Mason and Cole. Daddy told me if they're mean to me, I need to fight back, but Mommy told me not to. She told me to tell a teacher. I listened to Daddy because Cole threw a block at my head and then I hit him in the face.