The Dream - Whitney Dineen Page 0,2

to solve the problem facing me right now.” I inhale deeply and let the book part where it will. I look down and read:

May 1, 2008

Dear Molly,

Tonight was the worst night of my life. Not only did I not go to prom with the boy I dreamed of going with, but freaking Chad Adkinson attacked me in the hallway outside the bathroom.

I was scared shitless when he growled, “Girl, you look like sex on a plate.”

I didn’t acknowledge him, I just kept walking. But, being the disgusting pig he is, he told me, “You look goooooooooooood in your prom dress, sugar. I bet you’d look even better without it.”

I’m sick to death of his perverted comments. If it weren’t for him, my life at Creek Water High would be so different. I told him, “Screw you, pig,” while picking up my pace as fast as I could in those dang shoes Sammy loaned me.

He grabbed my upper arms and slammed me into the wall of lockers so hard I’m pretty sure you can still read the numbers from the dial on my skin. “That’s all I’ve been saying,” he said.

Crap! I picked the wrong words. Why did I do that?

Fear prickled at the base of my neck like a stampede of hairy tarantulas. He leaned in and bit my upper lip so hard I could taste the blood. It still hurts like hell and I had to make up some stupid lie to tell Mom when she asked me what happened.

The smell of beer and freaky fantasies was on his breath and it was disgusting. I don’t know how I kept from vomiting. I told him to let me go but he had other ideas. He rammed his knee between my legs and pushed me into the lockers again. Honestly, I thought I was a goner. I was so scared I didn’t know how to react.

That’s when Davis came to my rescue. He told that skid mark, “Man, you better step back before I forget we’ve been friends since we were in diapers.”

Chad claimed he was just trying to get to know me better (Um, hello? I think it’s called assault.) Thankfully, Davis was having none of it. He practically shouted, “If you so much as say this girl’s name again, I’m gonna beat the shit out of you. Now get going before I change my mind.”

They glared at each other before Chad finally walked away. I felt so ashamed I could barely meet Davis’s eyes.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when he gently touched my lip and asked, “Does it hurt?”

I shook my head, scared by the sight of my blood on him. But he was so kind and so … I don’t know, manly, that every nerve ending in my body was doing a dance. I was so relieved I wanted to throw my arms around him and cry like a baby. I might have done it too, had his date not shown up.

I slam the book shut before I can read any further. Tears trickle down my cheeks as I wonder what I was thinking by opening it. Years and years of sporadic entries are in it. Memories that are liable to unleash a storm of pain I’m better off forgetting. Yet, I don’t put my old diary back under the bed with the other remnants of my early life. I place it on my nightstand, almost daring it to change my life. I’ll have to start at the beginning if I want it to do that, but I’m not sure I have that kind of courage.

Chapter Two

January 3, 2006

Dear Molly,

Today was my first day at Creek Water High School. I’m a sophomore just like you were in Sixteen Candles.

After my teacher introduced me to the class, some guy named Chad Adkinson, who is like every preppy rich boy you ever had to deal with in the movies, hollered out, “I hear those big city gals know a thing or two about a thing or two. Am I right, FelAshleyO?”

OMG, can you even believe it? I thought about what you’d do, so I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore him, but I’m pretty sure the damage has been done. One of the popular boys has declared me trash, so I’m guessing no one will give me a chance now.

The only good thing that happened today was that the most gorgeous guy in the whole high school, Davis Frothingham, smiled at me. Davis is Blane (Pretty