Night Road

“I have something important to do before I leave. ” Lexi wasn’t even sure if Jude was listening. “A good-bye I should have said a long time ago. But Jude … love Grace better, okay? She needs you. ”

Twenty-seven

Mia’s diary.

It had been here all this time, waiting. Jude ran her fingertips over the mottled brass lock, and then, slowly, she opened the book.

Property of Mia Farraday. Private. Keep out. And yes that means you, Zach Attack.

Dear Diary,

I’m scared. Is it okay to write that down? I know how lame it makes me look. But you won’t care, right, Diary?

No one at high school is gonna talk to me. Mom says h. s. will be better than middle school, but she always says stuff like that. How would she know what it’s like to be me? She was a cheerleader and probably Homecoming Queen. What would she have done if Maribeth Astor called her pizza face?

I wish I hadn’t cried. That just made everything worse.

And now I’ll probably have to sit by MB in class.

Crap.

It used to be easy for me. So, like, what happened? In grade school I had lots of friends. Well, so, okay, maybe they were Zach’s friends, but we all played together and I didn’t know there was something wrong with me. Now I know. Boy do I know.

Madre is calling us for breakfast. The most important meal of the day. Yeah, right.

Loser out.

Dear Diary,

You won’t BELIEVE what happened today. Ok I’m gonna write it all down so I don’t forget anything.

First of all, Mom was wrong about h. s. At least at first. I walked into school with Zach, and even though he was holding my hand, it was like I was invisible. Okay maybe I shouldn’t have worn the pink tutu and high tops, but I’m not like those other girls. They know and I know it. The clothes help keep them away. And so what if they laugh?

Lunch was a horrorfest. I walked into the lunch room and almost puked. No one made eye contact with me. Zach was sitting with all his Barbie and Ken friends and he waved me over. No way I was gonna go there, so I took my book and went outside.

That’s when it happened Diary!

I was sitting on the grass by this scrawny tree, chewing and readi

ng (Wuthering Heights) when this girl just walked up and said can I sit with you.

I told her it was social suicide and she smiled. Smiled. Then she sat down and we started talking and Diary, we have like EVERYTHING in common.

I don’t want to jinx it but I think she wants to be my friend …

How cool is that???

Dear Diary,

Lexi stayed the night at my house last night. We totally fooled Madre and pretended to go to sleep at 11 but then we snuck out and went down to the beach. We sat there for hours, talking, about EVERYTHING. She likes me, and she doesn’t care that no one else does. We are gonna be Harry and Hermione. Friends forever.

Dear Diary,

Lexi made me try out for the school play, Once Upon a Mattress. And I GOT THE PART!

What would I do without her?

Tod Lymer asked Lexi to the dance. She tried to keep it a secret, but high school is such a soap opera. No one can really keep a secret. Besides, Haley wanted me to know. She laughed when she told me and called me a loser who couldn’t get a date.