Allie - The teenage years of Alexander Horten

July 4-11, 2015

July 4, 2015

Saturday,

Dear Diary,

Let me introduce myself. My name is Alexander and I am 13. For some reason, everyone calls me Allie. I have long shoulder-length hair that is a small bit curly under my ears. I usually sweep it to the right to keep it out of my eyes. I am very small for my age! I am the same size as my sister and she is 10! Otherwise, I am skinny.  People say 4 things when they think about me. I am very small for my age. My hair is long. I have a nice singing voice and I have long eyelashes.

Today is my birthday. The most important day of my life. I am no longer a child. I am a teenager. I am also a middle child which explains why I just got you as a birthday present. Let me explain. Mom thought that Dad was buying me a present and Dad thought Mom was doing it. So this morning when I came down to show my new teenage self, mom and dad looked at each other. Then Mom rushed to her room, saying it was time for my present. I heard her swearing and drawers and doors being open. After me waiting and looking forward to the new smartphone I wished for so long, Mom came down with a present packed in Christmas paper. It was you! A diary!

It was hard to smile when all I got a diary as a present. Mom told me that this was very special. You would be a place to archive my deepest feelings and fears.... my soul. I will be honest, a smartphone would have been better.

My aunt came around later with a small cake she got at the bakery. She gave me a quick hug and talked with Sarah, my sister. Aunty is my mother's sister, but lives close by. She is not married, and I suppose that is good because she hates men. Aunty has lots of money and lives all by herself in a posh house. This should mean that I get good presents, but that never happens. I am sure she could afford a smartphone. She came with a cake and a book about horses.

Mom couldn't find any candles and dad just put one of his cigarettes down in the cake after he lit it. The cigarette stood proud like a candle, and smoke rose up from it. Dad was watching the news and wasn't paying attention. He told me to blow it out. We had cake with cigarette ashes powdered on top of it.

I will always remember the day that I became 13!

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July 5, 2015

Sunday

Dear Diary

Mom woke me up and told me we had to rush as we were late for Church. I nearly slept walked to the bathroom, but could not get in. My big brother Billy was using the bathroom and this meant he would take ages. He is 19. He thinks he is so mature. I, on the other hand, do not think that he is smart. Maybe because this is because he only thinks about parties and girls. He often says he is embarrassed by his family and he doesn't want us to speak with him outside the house. Billy can be a pain, but I love him as a brother.

I waited for him to come out. I really do not know what he does in the toilet. I lost patience and went out in the back yard and found a secluded tree I could water. Dad had the same idea and was mumbling what Billy was doing all his time doing in the bathroom?

Mom was like a busy bee. We were just about to walk out the door when she noticed my hair. She screamed that I could not go to Church looking like a hedgehog. So I was dragged in the house again and Mom started brushing all the knots out of my hair. She did not listen to my plea's and when I shouted in pain. Her mission was to make me look respectable. I told her I could do it myself if Billy did not hog the bathroom.

The hair in the front of my head was long. It was not enough that it was just swept to the side. Mom said that no one will see my pretty eyes.

Pretty?