Since this is an original, I get to truly say that it's mine! No, this isn't actually based on little ol' me(I'm lying! I'm lying!)... it just strongly appears that way. Life can be tough and throw some real curve balls your way, but several years later...you're glad you learned it then. Diaries are wonderful things, aren't they? Please review. I'll beg and plead if necessary.

August 16th, 1999

Hello, Jojo.

High school started today, Jojo. It wasn't an absolutely horrific day, but it could have easily gone exactly the way it did in my nightmares.

            I never dreamed that it would be so huge. I should've guessed though, since the marching band is absolutely huge, but never that such a small building could hold 2100. I hope they never resort to cannibalism; otherwise the freshmen class will probably be eaten first. No one ever threatened to shove me in a locker (I'm probably too fat for them to anyway. So much for New Year's resolutions), although someone did try to sell me a ticket to a pool in the basement. Thank God I'm too smart for that.

            My first class was Algebra. The teacher's a little ditzy, but I can tell I'm going to like her, especially since she sat me next to the cutest guy in the room! HE'S SOOOO CUTE!!! Jojo, this boy is everything I want. He's that trumpet player that I march next to, and fate has seen fit to shine down on me! I can hardly wait for Algebra!!

            In my science class, there's a guy who looks like Nathan, who I used to have a crush on. I can't remember his name; I keep wanting to call him Nathan and I keep forgetting his real name. Fudge it, I'll remember later.

            Samantha is next to me in band, again. She acted so friendly towards me, I could almost forget that we had that big fight last year...almost, Jojo. She acts like nothing's wrong. Ooh, Miss I'm-too-good-for-Nicole can eat my shorts for all I care. I'm certainly not forgetting about our fight. How can she forget telling lies about me behind my back, then refusing to talk to me for four months? Well, since she's only in my band class, I suppose I'll have to deal with her.

            The nicest girl is in my English class, Jo. She sits across from me, and I kept seeing her smile at me so I smiled back. Her name is Katrina, and I think we could be real friends, maybe even best friends. She kept looking at something under her English book; I wonder what it could be...

            Band practice is taking up every bit of my time, so that's why I haven't been writing. Three days a week for two hours, can you believe it? Mr. Smith yells at me all the time. Apparently I can't march worth squat. Well, why doesn't he do something about it instead of yelling at me? No, the thought NEVER crossed his mind...

            I'm leaving now. My Spanish teacher is nuttier than a fruitcake and already assigned a gazillion pages of Spanish, so I'll write more...whenever.