Gotta go. Mom’s calling me for dinner.
Love,
Phoebe
November 7, 19—
Dear Suze,
I can’t stop thinking about ROMEO AND JULIET. I asked my mom if she would take me to see it again and she said maybe, but she wasn’t very enthusiastic. I have some allowance money and might buy the album of the music.
It’s the saddest story of all time, and these two people died because they loved each other! The parents were fighting over stupid things like adults always do and even though the Prince ordered them not to fight, they kept doing it, and then Romeo and Juliet killed themselves. Romeo thought Juliet was dead and killed himself and then she woke up and saw he was dead and she killed herself, too. I can cry just thinking about it.
Grown-ups are so stupid sometimes. Like war. Like murders. Like all the things they do to wreck the world. We have to change the world. It’s up to our generation to do it. I don’t know what to do, but I’m thinking about it a lot.
Love,
Phoebe
November 10, 19—
Dear Suze,
I haven’t had a chance to write and I’m going to put this back in the mail so you can have it for a while. My dad took me to see R&J a second time, and he said if I get an A in Geography, he’ll take me again, so I’m studying really hard. I wish I could go to a movie whenever I want like a grown-up. I’d go every day.
Love,
Phoebe
November 17, 19—
Dear Phoebe,
The diary took a long time to come back. I thought you maybe stopped writing, and I was so happy when I went over to Amma’s house and she had it waiting for me. She also made me hot chocolate and gave me some socks and I sat on the couch and read all the things you wrote. I wish I could see ROMEO AND JULIET! Maybe it will come here, but the only thing at the movie theater this week is THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Some kids at school are talking about BILLY JACK, and I really want to see that. They went down to Seaside to watch it, but Joel said it’ll show here, too, because his mom says the theater here shows all the movies.
Here is something else: YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND OF ALL TIME! I mean it, Phoebe. I feel like when we met, it was like finding my long-lost sister. Never think I will ever have a friend like you, ever ever ever. Joel is my school friend, and we get along really well, but it’s not like you and me.
I can’t wait to see your comic! Two girls on the beach! Does one have blonde hair and one have brown hair?
Thanksgiving is next week! I’ll write every day and give it to you when you get here.
November 18, 19—
This is one of the BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!! I GOT A PART IN A PLAY! And not just any play—ANNE FRANK, and you will not believe this, Phoebe, but I got the part of Anne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to play the most wonderful character in the history of the world in a play! Me, the weirdest girl in school!! I can’t even believe it. I don’t know what made me do it, but they had tryouts last week and I loved the book so much and felt so connected to Anne that I decided it would be cool. I didn’t think I did very well because after I read, the whole room was quiet and then they just said, “thank you, Suzanne,” all polite and stuff. I was blushing when I walked out, I know it, but Joel said later that I did really good, like good enough he almost cried, so I thought maybe it wasn’t so bad.
But ANNE FRANK! The lead!! I am so happy I could cry. In fact, I did cry.
Love and rainbows and sparkles and diamonds and dancing,
Suze
November 19, 19—
I don’t have much time, because I have to bake a bunch of cupcakes for the bake sale on Sunday and I had a meeting for the play so I had to tell my dad it was a home ec club thing. He saw that I was making money helping other girls make clothes and thought that was a fine thing for a girl to do （a fine thing, oh brother） and now I can use that as my excuse whenever. He likes that I’m earning some money, too, though he takes some of it. Anyway, I made the cupcakes, three dozen white cake and three dozen chocolate along with Mrs. Armstrong. She wears so much perfume it chokes me, and although she’s supposed to be modest in dress, she really likes sweaters that show off her gigantic boobs! Yuck! My dad always makes excuses to come talk to us in the kitchen when she’s around. It’s embarrassing.
November 20, 19—
You will be here today! I can’t wait to see you! Hug you tight!
CURRENT DAY
Chapter Eight
Suze
I surface from sleep to discover the bedroom is flooded with light, and for long moments I simply lie there, feeling safe and secure, the way I always have in this place. Here I was safe from my father, from the cruelty of the world, tucked into Beryl’s care.