I really need to tell someone this.

Laura looked down at the words that had just appeared on the page in front of her. What she had meant to write was, “The Revolutionary War started because the colonists wanted to have their own country.” She bit down on the end of her pencil and squinted, then continued writing.

I know there’s boys in this class that like me. Not to sound stuck-up

She scribbled out the words, hard, until the point of the pencil went through the looseleaf.

Anyway, it seems like you’re friends with lots of people in this class. Do you think, maybe, you could ask the boys to stop talking to me? It scares me. See, my mom, we move a lot because she has tons of boyfriends. When they break up, we move.

I’ve never told anyone that before.

She bit down on the pencil harder.

Anyway, one of the things I’ve decided is that I’m not gonna be like my mom.

I’m sorry to tell you all, this, I know you don’t care, you just seem nice.

She got up and placed the not gently on Heidi’s desk.