chapter 1 How it started

MON,JAN 18 1933

I got just back home from grandpa's house yesterday. It had been a really long plane ride, so I just slept off most of the flight, and that's why I'm writing now and not yesterday. Mom and Dad said I had to go back to school today and I'm really mad about that. I had to go to school at grandpa's place too, because I had stayed there for so long.

So I went to school today morning and my parents talked to the principal to get me back in, but they told me something that really made me upset. Remember how they moved me to 4th grade when I was in grandpa's? well, they put me back in 3rd. I did so good when I was in 4th grade, but now I have to go backwards! I'm not stupid! it's not fair! I don't want to start over ! Dad seemed really mad because of it, but I am even more pissed at this fact that I am not doing any progress even if I did well.

Well I still went to school today even thought I was really mad. It was the same teacher I had before I went to grandpa's place for school, it was miss Florence. She was pretty happy to see me and so was I because she is a really nice teacher, but I felt sad I wasn't still in 4th grade. I missed my friends I had here, but now I miss my friends at the other school too.

By the way something cool happened today- I remembered I have been writing in you for a whole year now! it's like you're a friend- a secret friend! I can tell you anything I want and nobody tries to find out what I say!

I want to give you a name. I want to call you- "Bubbles" eh..is that okay? I know she is a PPG character from my favourite TV show and I have a lot of stuff toys related to PPG, but they just like to play pretend.

I'll talk to you tomorrow, Bubbles!

TUE,JAN19,1933

I still feel weird going back to 3rd grade, but it wasn't so bad today. I got to play kickball with all my friends at the recess and we had a lot of fun! Kevin Scott is still a kind of mean. he took the ball after I kicked it and ran all over the field and didn't bother to give it back. I almost won the game for my team, but he ruined it all! I went to get it back and he stuck his tongue out at me and ran the other way. I HATE BOYS!!!

Oh wait! there were two kids who got sick in class today and had to go home. I told mom about it and she said, "I told you the school lunches are bad for you". If lunch made them sick then I'm happy mom makes me my own lunches. Besides I heard it was tuna salad today. I hate tuna. It's stinky and feels weird in my mouth.

You're lucky Bubbles, you don't have to eat yucky stuff.

WED,JAN 20,1933

Hi Bubbles! I just got back from dinner. Dad had ordered pizza! I had 4 whole pieces to myself! Mom says I shouldn't eat so much. I don't know why she said that, my sisters are too little to have pizza so I don't have to share much, but we don't get pizza a lot, and I really wanted some. I'm really full now and I feel really very tired... but I got to eat a lot so its pretty good.

Oh, remember the two kids that got sick yesterday? They never turned up to school today. I heard a couple of elder kids were sick too, and so were three other teachers. I'm afraid that its the flu! I don't like flu shots, they are really scary. They have big needles and they hurt a lot. I don't want to get sick. Dad says I'm fine and I don't have any symptoms, so he is not worried. but he kept telling me to wash my hands all the time. He worries about me a lot. I don't think I'll get sick. I'm just fine.

Thu, Jan 21, 1993

My whole class is getting sick! Miss Florence said that a lot of parents called their kids in sick today. There were only 10 kids in my class! One of the elder kids told that there were only 3 in her class. This is scary! This must be a really bad kind of cold people are catching. I still feel okay. I don't feel sick and my class is still good.

I'm actually writing to you in school today! Since we don't have a lot of kids, the lessons go really fast. We couldn't go out for recess or lunch cause it was raining outside. So Miss Florence gave us free time until the end of school.

Wait, Miss Florence just coughed. I don't know why, but I'm starting to feel scared. I just want to go home, Bubbles. 

Okay, I'm back at home, I just finished dinner. Dad said on the news they were talking about the flu going around and that tomorrow after school they were talking me to a doctor to make sure I don't get it! I really don't want that shot. I've got it before and I always feel weird after getting it. Dad says it's better that I feel a little funny from a shot than really sick from a flu. I guess he is right but I still don't want to do it.