Monthly Archives: October 2010

This story is the conclusion from Diary Entries on October 11, October 14, October 20, October 24 and October 29.
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Some people need convincing to be loyal. Loyal like Henry. He watches over the house, he sleeps on my bed with me. He smells bad, but dogs smell. I hardly ever notice the smell anymore.

Tracie needed convincing. Now she’s as loyal as Henry. We cuddle close some times. She’s starting to smell a bit like Henry.

Some people can’t be convinced. Some people don’t want you to be with Henry or Tracie. They’re jealous of what you have, and they try to take it away.

You can’t convince fathers. You can’t convince Brians. You can only bury them out back.

This story is continued from Diary Entries on October 11, October 14, October 20 and October 24.
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I’ve waited forever and Tracie hasn’t come over to bring me my homework. Doesn’t she care for me like she did last week? Didn’t she say she’d do everything for me?

I see her talking to Brian Henderson after school. She talks on the phone a lot at night. I bet she’s talking to Brian on the phone. Do all girls play this kind of game with boys?

Henry never does things like that. Dogs are always loyal. Never betray you. Not like fathers.

Fathers deserve to be in the graves they bury loyal dogs in.

A knock at the door.

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Continued in Diary Entry: October 31, 2010

This story is continued from Diary Entries on October 11, October 14 and October 20.
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There’s nothing left to eat. Everything is either gone or gone bad. It appears my father was good for something after all. I still don’t regret that he’s gone, though.

Last weekend he came home drunk. That wasn’t different than most nights. But he found me with Henry and started cussing up a storm. He called my mother a whore and that was it. I’m better off without my father.

Called Tracie. Talked to her mother. Said I was sick. Asked if she would bring my homework next week.

I want to introduce her to Henry. I’m sure she’ll love him.

~~~
Continued in Diary Entry: October 29, 2010

This story is continued from Diary Entries on October 11 and October 14.
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Haven’t gone to school since Monday. No one is telling me to and I don’t feel like going.

There are more important things to do than school.

Tracie stopped by today. I watched her from inside. I didn’t answer when she knocked. I was covered in dirt. She left homework at the door and left. She has such beautiful black hair that sways with her steps.

She brushes it meticulously at night. She hums as she brushes, too. I don’t know the song. I call it Tracie’s Song.

I hum Tracie’s Song when I’m working. I’ve been humming it a lot.

~~~
Continued in Diary Entry: October 24, 2010

This story is continued from the Diary Entry on October 11.
~~~Mrs. Eglin scolded me again about my homework. I don’t feel like doing it. Henry’s dead. Nothing matters.

Don’t feel like going home either. My father’s worse than Mrs. Eglin. He tells me to “man up.” Gives me a black eye to emphasize his point.

I sat on the school steps as everyone else left, thinking about Henry. Then without warning, Tracie Adams sits down next to me.

“You okay?” she asked. She has the most beautiful voice.

“Yeah,” I lied.

She sat there with me a few more moments. “If you need anything,” she left the sentence unfinished and left.

~~~
Continued in Diary Entry: October 20, 2010

My dog died today. His name was Henry. He was the best dog a boy could ever have. I came home from school and my father was sitting at the kitchen table, a smoldering cigarette in his dirt-covered fingers.

“Henry’s dead,” he said, “Buried ‘im. Out back.” Then my father took a long drag from his cigarette.

I scrambled out to the backyard, not really sure if this was all real or not. There was a freshly dug pile of dirt. There my dog—my best friend—was buried.

I sat there beside his grave till long after the sun set.

~~~
Continued in Diary Entry: October 14, 2010