312

My name is Benjamin.  Benny, to my friends, which is why nobody calls me Benny.  I hate everyone and everyone hates me, and that's the way I like it.  My bedroom is my castle; my sanctuary, if you will.  You will because this is my journal and I was told to write what I like, so this is what you get.  I may even swear in it, but if I don't it's only because I didn't want to.  I can end sentences with a preposition, and nobody can stop me.  I am a rebel without an out.  Get me out.

Monday.
I've decided to write the days in my journal because I want to.  It helps me stay on track since I have been kicked out of school and I can't see the day on the corner of the board anymore.  Yeah, that's right: I was kicked out of school.  Bad a$$.  I made a fake swear because I wanted to.

215

The slate floor was cold and unforgiving to bones and angles.  Hipbones and shoulder bones and the sides of knees and ankles in particular.  It tasted of cool minerals.  Sari had tasted three full rectangles of slate from grout to grout.  The last one tasted of iron, but she had started her tasting and didn't like to leave one only partially done.

192

Heather felt her tether tenuously.  It stretched and swung and slipped.  She hung, her hands hugging, her fingers tightening, yet sliding nonetheless.  Loosely, she lost, kicking and swinging, wheeling and keening, windy and whipping, falling, but not falling because there was no bottom.

171

"I bought pantyliners at the grocery store today."

"Good for you."

"No, listen.  I was picking out the pantyliners, because there are tons of them to choose from, when this guy came over."

"Did he help you choose?"

"No.  Would you let me finish?  He came over and just stood."

...

"Well?"

"Are you finished?"

"Yes."

...

"It would have been more dramatic if you hadn't interrupted.  Or shown me how much you didn't care about my story by not listening."

"I listened!  I cared!"

...

"You were buying pantyliners and a guy came over and stood.  I listened."

...

"We're breaking up right?"

"Probably."

"You're just upset because you're on the rag."

... (stands and leaves)

 "I listened!"

159

The Quizzical Cat died with a smile on its face and only Helpsome James knew why.

105

Marjorie did weird things when she thought no one was looking. Kaylee caught her sniffing her shoe. James saw her eating bits of eraser. Georgio wondered why she talked to her hand. When her teacher noticed her licking and replacing the class' boxed crayons, Marjorie was sent to the school counselor.