84^TH DAY OF 263AL

I tried talking to Nykia today, but as usual she was pretty dumb. I told her I liked her, that we’re friends, and how I wanted us to stay friends. She didn’t get it. I never thought Nykia and Della were that close. Sure, they were friends first, but I’m like the glue that keeps them stuck together because they really don’t have anything in common. I brought that up, I said that we were way more similar, but she said the opposite. She said that I was like Della. So rude. I don’t exactly remember what I said next, but I know it went something like:

How am I the same as Della? I’m like, nothing like her.

Well you both watch Ovum-sponsored shows…

But we’re way more similar! We’re both really pretty!

Della is pretty…

Yeah but, she’s like a plain beauty. We’re different.

How?

We’re more stunning! We have colourful hair, and eyes!

I’m not sure what you mean…

Stars, Nykia is so annoying. Not as annoying as Della though. I brought that up too, about how Della is annoying. She’s always talking over us, forcing us to do what she wants, and bringing pastries into school to make our age mates like her. But Nykia doesn’t get how desperate that is. She said bringing in pastries was a nice thing to do, so our age mates should like her for doing it.

Whatever. I don’t really care about either of them but I need someone to hang out with at school. I wish I went to City Korai Academy with Evah, the girl that lives next door. She’s a cycle older than me, but she treats me like an age mate. Her whole family have been so nice to us since we moved to the Upper Region, they invited us to dinner a few days ago and their house is amazing! They have so much stuff! Father did say when we got home though, our garden is bigger than theirs.

Still, Evah’s room is nicer than mine. Her parents gave her the nicest room in the house! She said she get’s loads of attention because she’s an only child. I wish I was an only child. Instead, I’m the second child and Arran get’s all the attention. It’s not fair. My parents got him into City Korai Academy for his last cycle of intermediate school. That’s like, hard to do! At least that’s what Evah’s parents said! Mother said they let him in because he’s a horizontal harp playing child prodigy. I could be a child prodigy! Why didn’t they try to get me in too!

Annoying. Anyway, I only just started intermediate school an eight ago. I could still transfer and go to school with Evah next cycle. I’ve just got to find something that would make me a prodigy, which shouldn’t be hard. I won’t do horizontal harp. That’s Arran’s thing.

Plus, Della’s been calling herself a “harp enthusiast” since that school trip to the City Korai Symposium for The Harp Collective’s performance. Like I don’t get enough harp-playing at home as it is! It’s like she picked the hobby just to spite me! So I don’t want anything to do with her — or star-forsaken harps — anymore! I’ll think about something only I can do, because I have to be great at it. More than great. I have to be the best.

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