Chapter 8: Roxie

Dear Diary,

I am officially convinced that the universe has a sick sense of humor. That rockstar wannabe, Ricky, is making my life absolutely miserable. Seriously, who does he think he is? He’s been prowling the hallways for weeks now, trying so hard to "fit in" with his smudged eyeliner and that ridiculous white van, and he has failed miserably every single time.

I’ve made it my personal mission to shut him down. Every time he opens his mouth to say something "charming," I have a razor-sharp comeback ready to go. I can see the look in his eyes when I walk away—it’s like he’s stunned that someone actually has a backbone. But ughhhhh! He is such a loser. He thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips, but he’s definitely not. He’s just a guy who can’t spell his own band name correctly.

...Although, I have to admit—strictly to these pages and nowhere else—he is kind of cute. In a dark, brooding, "I’m going to ruin your life" sort of way. When he looks at me with those dark eyes, for a split second, I almost forget why I’m supposed to hate him. Almost.

I seriously need coffee. I just woke up, and my brain feels like it’s leaking out of my ears. This is my senior year, the pinnacle of my high school career, and I have to make it my best one yet. I have worked too hard for my reputation to let some newcomer with a leather jacket ruin everything. He won’t win me over with that crooked smirk or his surprisingly decent sense of humor. I will not fall into his trap. NEVER! I am Roxie freaking George, and I do not do "struggling musicians."

I will be strong. I will resist him at all costs, even if he looks really good in the sunlight during afternoon practice. It doesn't matter. Soon, I will graduate, move on to bigger and better things, and I’ll never have to see him or his eyeliner ever again. I just have to survive nine more months.

The Official Game Plan:

1: Resist Ricky: Do not smile back. Do not acknowledge the dimples.

2: Remain Cool: Maintain the ice queen persona at all times.

3: Have the most AMAZING school year: Focus on the crown, not the bassist.

4: Rely more on coffee: Because caffeine is the only thing keeping me from being nice to him.

Stay strong, Rox! You’ve got this!!