CECILY
Oh
Really?
VICTORIA
Ugh yeah
Tomorrow after school everyone come to my
VICTORIA
My mom isn’t really letting me out of the house for a while but she said I can have friends over @ my place
Let’s all hang in person
Want to talk to all of you & have a to
Can’t talk freely over text
CECILY
Ok I’m free
GABRIELLE
Same
Unless I have to walk the dog again LOL
PRIANKA
Hahahahahahaha
K see u all then
PRIANKA
Going to write more poetry
GABRIELLE
So psyched for you & your win, Pri
CECILY
ME TOO
Mwah
VICTORIA
YEA, PRI
GABRIELLE
Xoxo
Gabrielle, Ivy
GABRIELLE
Hiiiiiii
How’s the snow day
IVY
Fun
Yours
GABRIELLE
Fun except blahhhhh I keep having to walk my neighbor’s
& Pri won a poetry contest
I feel like I stink @ everything
IVY
Gabssssss
IVY
You need to
You’re so hard on yourself
You’re an amazing person & friend & ILY
GABRIELLE
I am I know
But wahhhhh
IVY
K go chill
Snow day & everything
No sadness
GABRIELLE
Ugh ok
How do I find my passion
Top interests for middle schoolers
What am I good at
How do I find out what I’m good at
Quiz to find out what you’re good at
Personality quiz to discover passions
#MaRIPa
Cecily, Mara
CECILY
Hi
Feel so bad for Marisa
MARA
Yeah
She feels sooo embarrassed
MARA
I feel bad for Vic, too
Her mom just totally screamed @ everyone and like dragged her away
CECILY
Can’t believe I was there and missed all the #MaRIPa drama
MARA
Yeah that’s really weird
No offense
Also don’t type that
CECILY
OK
I had an idea, though
MARA
What?
CECILY
It just came to me
Out of the blue
What if I got a social media presence but used it as a force for good
MARA
Force for good LOL
CECILY
For real, tho
Wanted to ask u before I ask my other friends
We can all be our best selves so parents don’t need to spy
#MaRIPa inspired it
My mom spies, too
Sorry I typed it again
CECILY
Does your mom spy?
MARA
Duh
All moms do
This is a smart idea
CECILY
So you like?
MARA
Yeah!
CECILY
K gonna use this snow day to see if I can be allowed to have an account
Discuss with the mother etc
MARA
K good luck
MARA
Stay warm
CECILY
Positive Vibes
VICTORIA
Good morning, friends
So excited you’re all coming over today
Hellooooooo
Where are youuuuuu
See u at school
More Positive Vibes
CECILY
K guys hi
So glad we’re all together rn
Serious talk, tho, so please no emojis
Can’t get distracted
PRIANKA
Um lol ok
Also hi
CECILY
Let’s text or whisper so we don’t freak out Mama Melford @ all
Also I brought a new special notebook
CECILY
You know how I am with notebooks lol and this one is gonna be a little diff
We’ll only use it for super secret stuff that we’re a little scared to say out loud
Wish I’d thought of this when I told u guys I like girls but whatevs
PRIANKA
Such a good idea, Cece
CECILY
Thx
CECILY
Vic, are u ok with it
VICTORIA
Yesssss but nervous to have it in writing
Always nervous about snooping from the moms
Well my mom I guess
GABRIELLE
Same
VICTORIA
Do all of your moms snoop on stuff
Be honest
GABRIELLE
Mine def does
CECILY
So does mine
PRIANKA
Duh Mama Basak snoops allllll the time
VICTORIA
That’s a little bit of a relief
GABRIELLE
Kinda love this notebook idea & that we can all confess secrets in one place
We will be super careful guarding this one
CECILY
We are always careful duh
GABRIELLE
K true
CECILY
Let’s get started
VICTORIA
I know you guys heard by now from people . . .
VICTORIA
But does everyone at school know my mom saw that post & that’s why she picked me up early
The people who were there when she picked me up from sledding obv know . . .
GABRIELLE
I don’t fully know what happened
Bits and pieces here and there
Can you explain, Vic?
VICTORIA
Ok so . . .
THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING but
She started yelling and lecturing everyone about social cruelty and saying how they should all be ashamed of themselves
But Jared wasn’t even there!!
PRIANKA
Ummm
Confused
VICTORIA
Did you all hear all of this or no
CECILY
Not all of it
GABRIELLE
TBH people are more focused on Marisa I think
She’s the one who should be sooooo embarrassed
I mean hello
#MaRIPa
So don’t worry too much about everyone talking about you and your mom
VICTORIA
Ok
Little relief
I delete every text thread as quickly as I can so my mom can’t see it but she usually only snoops on my comp when I’m not home and I’m home now so . . . hopefully safe
CECILY
K
Stop texting now, tho
Notebook time
GABRIELLE
Lol
OK, since I bought the notebook I’m starting this off. This is our safest space ever. Where we can confess our innermost thoughts, share everything we want to without saying it out loud.
Now and forever your friend and truest confidant, Cecily Anderson
Please sign at the bottom of your entry—a contract of sorts that we are all true to one another and safeguarders of each other’s secrets.
Also: IF YOU ARE NOT CECILY, PRIANKA, GABRIELLE, or VICTORIA, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT BE READING THIS. STOP NOW!!!!
* * *
OK, I’m starting. I’m sorry I didn’
t tell you right away that my mom saw that post and made a whole scene when she picked me up early from sledding. I was sooooooo embarrassed and sort of thought it would just go away. I couldn’t even talk about it.
Yeah, she snoops on social media when I forget to log out of my accounts on my computer. She reads my texts on my computer when I’m not home. I try to delete all threads but they don’t always delete. It’s so confusing! She’s sooooo overprotective and it’s a huge issue. And I want it to stop.
Soooooooooo . . . I’ve been thinking about it a lot and here’s why I think she’s so overprotective. THIS IS TOP TOP SECRET. NEVER TELL ANYONE.
When I was four, I begged her to go swimming one day. She kept saying later, later, later. We had to go to the mall to help my dad find suits because he was starting a new job. Anyway, all I wanted to do was swim, so I wandered off at the mall, my parents had no idea . . . I took off my clothes (except undies, duh) and went swimming in the mall fountain.
She was so panicked that I was lost and then when they found me she was SOOOO mortified. Obviously. And it ended up in the local newspaper, on the internet, etc.
Headline: Care for a swim?
DO NOT GOOGLE IT. (PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT GOOGLE IT.)
Also, soooooo scared my mom won’t let me go to the Valentine’s Day dance after all of this, and because she gets freaked when there’s any possibility of dates or mischief or ANYTHING AT ALL. I mean, she’s not even letting me go to people’s houses right now.
HELP ME!!!!!!!
* * *
Ummmmmm. Wow, that is a lot to take in. I do not know how to respond yet. You were so mischievous, Vic! I love you. I am here for you!!!!
* * *
Wow, Vic. Way too much to write by hand right now. Can we please move this to be a talking thing? Now that it’s out in the open. Do you want to leave here and go to my tree house? So private. Haven’t been up there in a while & feeling nostalgic. Ooh! Poem alert!
* * *
Oh, good idea, Pri! Let’s do that!!!! OK, Vic? Will your mom let you leave? I love you!!!! HERE FOR YOU FOREVER. DUH.
* * *
The Squad
VICTORIA
So that was a no
She doesn’t want me going out right now
CECILY
Ok
PRIANKA
It’s cold anyway for tree house
We’d have to really bundle
GABRIELLE
So so so sorry you’re dealing with this, Vic
Are we still going no emojis?
PRIANKA
LOL
CECILY
Can we whisper-talk in person now?
Tired of texting
VICTORIA
Me too
Prianka, Sage
SAGE
Hi, Pri, my love!
PRIANKA!
Hi
SAGE
Just wanted to say congrats again
SAGE
Proud of you
PRIANKA
Awwwww thank you my poetry BFF
SAGE
Mwahhhhhhhhhhh
VALENTINE’S DAY IS COMING UP
Attention, students! The Valentine’s Day dance is coming up very soon and it will be better than ever!
Planning meeting Friday after school.
Come and share your ideas!
See you there!
Hearts for all!
The Squad
GABRIELLE
Omg u guys
I just had the best idea
U know how the dance needs to have some kind of community service element
What do u think about doing something with St. Francis
PRIANKA
GABRIELLE
Bc it’s the heart hospital ya know
Get it, hearts? Valentine’s Day?
GABRIELLE
Ohhhh and my neighbor was there for her heart surgery
Just remembered
My dog-owning neighbor!
CECILY
Omg, Gabs
Such a good idea
That’s where my had her open-heart surgery
VICTORIA
Ooh
Sorry just catching up
CECILY
Bring it up at the planning meeting, Gabs
GABRIELLE
But I don’t really have any more ideas
Like how it would connect
It just came to me
CECILY
K well give it some thought
GABRIELLE
Lol k
Hiiiiii!!!! So I’m still on this quest to find my passion and so far it’s not going great. I feel like I need to DO something big. Like all along I’ve just been coasting and now I really want to do something. The problem is, I can’t really come up with any ideas. Plus I feel like I suck. I don’t really have much confidence. It’s like I want to do something but I also kind of want someone to just do it for me. Ughhhh . . . grrrrrr. Why am I even telling you this? You’re a journal. You can’t help me.
Xoxox Gabs
PS Sorry that was rude
Sometimes I want to go sit in my tree house
It would be easy to do
Right in my backyard
My dad even built steps up the tree
I don’t, though
Not sure why
I always think about it
But I never go
I think something happens and you realize
You can’t go back
To something that once was
Another time
Another phase
Even though the place is still there
Going back just doesn’t seem right
In one way it would be so easy
But in all the other ways it’s impossible
Prianka the Magnificent
Vishal, Prianka
VISHAL
Yo
Are u involved in this Valentine’s Day dance at all
PRIANKA
Not yet
I may go to planning meeting
Why
VISHAL
Just curious
Are peeps bringing dates
PRIANKA
Lol
PRIANKA
How would I know
VISHAL
Hahaha
No clue
U know this stuff
PRIANKA
Not really but thank you
VISHAL
Jennie’s this weekend?
BURRATA STUFFED WITH BURRATA
PRIANKA
Kk I’m in
VISHAL
Awesome
Meet there Saturday @ 6 pm
PRIANKA
Kk
VISHAL
Jared is in soooo much trouble from #MaRIPa
Suspended for a week
PRIANKA
Whoa
VISHAL
I know
He’s dumb
Peace
PRIANKA
Peace
How do you know if you are on a first date
Best first dates
Worst first dates
How young is too young for dating
Does the person need to pick you up for it to be a date?
#MaRIPa
Victoria Melford
Melford PA
girl in fountain Melford
Priscilla Melford
Melford Fountain
Vishal
This boy
One day I like him
Then I get nervous
Maybe I don’t like him
I think this is normal
But maybe it’s not
I was told not to google
I did it anyway
I feel bad
Not telling a soul
Confession done
Prianka the Magnificent
The Squad
PRIANKA
Guyssssssss
Vishal & I are really going to Jennie’s this weekend
OMG
Hellloooooooooo
Cecily, Mom
CECILY
Hi, Mom
CECILY
I wondered if you’ve given any more thought to my social media request
Hello????
MOM
Hi
CECILY
I want you all to trust us and stop snooping on us
All the moms snoop
MOM
Heading back from grocery store. We can discuss when I get home. See you soon. Love you
CECILY
OK
Love you too
The Squad Forever
GABRIELLE
Guyssssssssss
I am sooo not motivated to do any work
This time of year is sooo blahhhh
CECILY
I feel you
But we have Valentine’s Day to look forward to
PRIANKA
Oh
Guess what
Vishal asked about dates for the dance when we talked about Jennie’s plans
VICTORIA
WDYM
PRIANKA
Like if people are bringing dates
I was like how would I know lol
CECILY
Omg he totally wants to go with you
VICTORIA
Agree
GABRIELLE
Yessss
ALSO CECE IS DONE WITH EMOJI HIATUS?!
CECILY
LOL
PRIANKA
Chill guys
You guys never responded to my news
Vishal and I are going to Jennie’s THIS WEEKEND
CECILY
OMG
How did we miss this?
GABRIELLE
DOUBLE OMG
VICTORIA
That’s fab, Pri
Here’s my plan
PRIANKA
Plan for what?
VICTORIA
To get myself to the dance
VICTORIA
I’m gonna do so much work for the dance there’s no way my mom can say no
My neighbor owns a party company and I’m gonna see if she can donate cool stuff
Photo booth maybe?
OH OH OH