Dear Diary (You’re not really dear to me but I’ve never seen a diary without that word soo…)

My English teacher suggested I start my own diary, because people ‘like me’ need to share their emotions. She’s nuts, what good does sharing your emotions with a book do? Anyway, here’s what happened today. (I’m going to write it in mixed tenses because I rather suck at sticking to one tense.)

Mom forces me to sit on the lecture couch while my sister, Melissa, sobs in her pink handkerchief. I can tell, a fierce storm is gathering.

I had called my whimsical sister the ‘B‘ word (note that I wrote it in BOLD because everyone thinks it is such a big deal).

It all started at school with Emmanuel and Dan, two big bullies in my class who had flushed my homework down the toilet. Mr Suleiman did not believe me and told me to do endless laps during lunch break in front of everyone. He is the worst teacher at my school. I hate him. 

I was already in a bad mood when I got back home. There was nothing better than a plate of mac-n-cheese and some good anime playing on TV.

I tried to grab some mac-n-cheese from the freezer but there was none. Turns out, Melissa was already eating all that was left. She was on some stupid diet to make her waist tinier. I’ll never understand girls like her. Who wants to look like an ‘hourglass’ anyway? It’s madness.

I was angry at her and proceeded to watch TV. Attack on Titan was supposed to play an episode I couldn’t miss. I mean, Eren is gonna destroy 80% of the whole world!

Melissa was watching one of her stupid shows where women cover their faces in white cream and cucumbers and have men who are not their husbands massage them in nothing but flimsy towels. So like a good brother, who did not want her to waste her eye sight on useless and IMMORAL shows, I kindly asked her to let me watch AOT (short for Attack on Titan).

Melissa had refused and hid the remote controller in her shirt when I tried to grab it. So I called her the ‘B’ word.

Mom decided to enter just then. I did not notice her so I went on, “I hate you. I wish I could swap sisters with Dorcas, or erase you off of my life and be an only child!”

Melissa began to cry then, her crocodile tears had definitely been triggered by mom’s presence.

Mom’s voice came from the door, “Nehemiah! How can you say that? And what did you call her?”

I froze and kept quiet. She asked again, this time shouting so I repeated the word.

So here we are.

“Do you even know what that means?”

Of course I knew, so I answered her, “A girl dog?”

“The other meaning boy! The bad meaning.”

What other meaning? Why did everyone get so worked up when someone called another person a dog? Especially girls? I mean, did the dog’s gender really matter?

“I have told you a hundred times. Your sister is family, you should love family. With all your heart,”

In my mind, I scoff, because I know I can never love someone with all my heart. If I love Melissa with all my heart, then what about my future wife and kids? Or even the cute Koala I was planning on buying in the future? There won’t be any love for them, would there?

There’s a knock. Mom gives me a final look before she stands and walks to the door. She opens and smiles.

“Sule? What a surprise,”

My eyes widen in horror.

Who’s this Sule you might be asking. Well, it’s Mr Suleiman. You remember? My teacher, the one I hate?

It gets worse, he has a major crush on my ‘single-and-ready-to-mingle’ mother. And guess what? She also likes him. We know what that leads to and I will never want to have my worst teacher as my stepdad. That will be worse than being stomped on by colossal titans in the rumble.

“I just want to have a little chat about Nehemiah’s behavior at school. I believe taming kids like him is only possible by getting more intel on their family,” the wretched man turns red, “And maybe stay for dinner if it will not bother you.”

Intel? He sounds like some spy or something. We have no space to feed another mouth pal, try the next door! My mother quickly nods then turns and shoots me a glare that means one thing.

I HATE MY LIFE!