"Boo Sweets!"

"Boo Sweets!"

Dear Diary,

Today is the first day of fall and my sun-kissed tan is fading fast leaving no memory of a great summer. Tonight, Hudson is playing our rival Riverview High in the football game. I love the variety of friendships I have, and I am looking forward to catching up on the gossip floating from group to group. That is just who I am, Brooklyn, the dark-haired, green-eyed, happy go lucky girl who socializes with everyone. The girl who is single and has never had a boyfriend at 15! Although, my Mom's advice is stuck in my head, "Have fun tonight and don't get so serious about wanting a boyfriend, you are so young." I know she means well but it would be nice to have a boyfriend. Someone, to write me sweet notes and give me heartfelt gifts? Bye for now diary. Signed, Brooklyn.

The air was crisp and cool tonight. You could smell the popcorn and hot dogs from the concession stand hanging in the air. The fans from both schools were squished together like sardines on cold metal bleachers with not an open seat. The roar of the crowds and chanting of the cheerleaders kept me from hearing people scream my name. I scanned the crowds for familiar faces as I felt uncomfortable getting dropped off alone, searching for friends.

I heard a voice yelling my name, "Brooklyn come here!" It was my buddy Joe waving me over like a crazy person. As I climbed the crowded stands I weaved in and out of the fans, I noticed Joe with a wide smile but as I got closer it was more of a smirk. My initial thought, is what is he up to now? As I focus on Joe, I glanced at the person sitting to his right and slowly feel my face turn bright red. The guy sitting next to him is staring and smiling at me. Do I know him or is he looking at someone behind me?

This moment feels like all eyes in the stands are on me and time stops. As I reach Joe and the stranger Joe said, "Hey, Brooklyn, I want you to meet Jack, he just moved to town from Texas." "Jack this is Brooklyn she lives around the corner from you." At that moment, my tongue was tied into knots and I couldn't get the words out fast enough. I was lost in his piercing blue eyes. I said, "Nice to meet you, and welcome to Hudson." Joe made a snarky comment about me being the one who welcomes all students.

Jack said, "Nice to meet you Brooklyn. I think I saw you earlier tonight sitting in your window at your desk." I said, "Oh, yeah I was writing in my diary. I want to be a writer someday. So, Jack tell me about yourself?" I quickly learned Jack was the youngest and his older sister was off at college in Texas.

Joe is revealing all my secrets and said, "So, besides Brooklyn being the social butterfly of the school did you know you are both single?" My face is flushed again, and I shove Joe to stop playing matchmaker. I said, "Joe, look! I think Kailyn King is waving to you the head cheerleader." He immediately jumped up to leave us alone and squished his way through the fans as he was screaming and waving "Kailyn I'm coming!" Jack said, "I thought he would never leave us alone." I laughed and was glad that we got some private time too.

The game ended or, so we saw as the scoreboard was flashing 40 to 10. We smoked the competition. As my Mom picked me up, I got in the car and screamed with excitement and told her all about Jack, his incredible blue eyes and how we were both so outgoing. I was head over heels for the boy that just moved into town. I said, "I'm lost in the moment, mom." She said, "Don't let your Dad hear you talking about a boy like that, you know your still his little girl." I reassured her that I would keep my enthusiasm to a minimum.

The next morning, I woke up early and raced to my desk to throw open my diary. I started writing without lifting my pen off the page.

"Dear Diary, last night was incredible! Not only did we pummel the competition at the football game, but I met the guy of my dreams and his name was Jack. We talked the entire game. Well; I talked the entire game and he listened. We love the same bands, songs, and have so many of the same interests. Although he has had other relationships in the past, he says the song "Bad at Love" by Halsey sums up his past. I can't relate to what he is talking about, but I know the lyrics to the song. "I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe that we're meant to be but jealousy, jealousy, jealousy, jealousy gets the best of me. Look, I don't mean to frustrate, but I always make the same mistakes, yeah I always make the same mistakes cause I'm bad at love." Well, diary maybe he will not make the same mistakes with me. Bye for now, signed Brooklyn."

As I bounced down the steps to the kitchen there was a white stationary note propped up by my empty cereal bowl. It was folded neatly, and the letter B was written on the outside. I yelled to my younger brother Nick asking if he left me the note at the table but of course no response. When I opened it, it read "Boo Sweets! I can't stop thinking about how nice it was to meet you last night and how I met the prettiest girl at the game. Hope to see you soon," signed Jack.

My heart melted and my mind raced. Jack got up early to leave me a note and did my Dad grab it off the front doorstep on his way to play golf and put it on the table? Ugh! My stomach turned in knots thinking my Dad intercepted my first love letter. Yikes! I didn't even tell my Dad about Jack last night so how am I going to explain this one? I think I will play it cool and see how he reacts when he gets home from golf. I didn't pour my cereal and I raced back upstairs to hide the letter in my cabinet.

Hours passed and I did everything to keep myself busy. I started writing, reading my book for school, playing a video game with my brother Nick just to watch the hours go by slowly waiting for the front door to open. My Dad is an easy read. He doesn't have a poker face and is completely quiet when something is bothering him. It's the silent treatment that all kids dread from their parents. The worst punishment of all when they see you but at the same time act as if you are invisible. Otherwise, he is just like me outgoing. I hear the front door chime and listen for the footsteps as they come towards the kitchen and family room. I hold my breath. As the footsteps stop My Dad yells, "Hey kids, how is it going?" My brother Nick and I give a response in unison. "Great Dad."

He talks about his golf game and how it was his best one yet. I am thinking wow, he must not have intercepted the note. I said, to myself under my breath, "That was a close one."

Monday comes and I see Jack in the hallway at school. He flashes his beautiful smile at me and said, "So, how did you like the note I left you on Saturday?" I said, "I loved it thanks for reaching out. I was worried that my dad read it before he put it on the table." Jack said, "Oh, no, I left it on the table. I noticed your back-screen door was open I was going to surprise you and put it against the cereal bowl. I hope you don't mind?"

"Aww, that is so sweet and thoughtful. Thank you." We walked to class and I was starry-eyed the rest of the day. After school I tried to remember everything, he said word for word as I flipped open my diary.

Dear Diary,

I found out it was Jack who left the note on the kitchen table. He said, our backscreen door was open, and he wanted it to be a surprise. Case solved! I'm head over heels for this guy. Although, this is my first real boyfriend so should I feel weird that he snuck into my house? I know my parents wouldn't like it, but it's so romantic. Bye for now, Signed Brooklyn.

As weeks went on Jack and I became closer and closer. I decided to finally introduce him to my family since we were an item at school. My parents liked him and thought he was well mannered and commented about how he came from a nice family. The only thing that seems to bother my Dad was that Jack never made eye contact with my parents when they talked.

He would give me gifts just because. A box of my favorite chocolates, a rose left on the front doorstep of my house, a cute stuffed animal with big puppy dog eyes. I was over the moon. As the holidays started to approach Joe walked up to my locker one day to tell me I was getting a necklace for Christmas. He said, "Brooklyn word has it that it's an initial necklace." Joe loved getting gossip and spreading gossip. I didn't take it too seriously because a lot of the times he was way off with his information.

As Joe strolled away with a swagger like he just broke the biggest news story, Jack quickly walked up behind me. He said, "I don't like him hanging around you all the time." I know the weekends your always busy with your family and he takes up the rest of your time at school, so when is there time for us?" I brushed it off as if he were, joking but I saw something troubling in those piercing blue eyes. I stayed quiet.

I did not see Jack for the rest of the day at school. I started to question the one-sided conversation. Was this our first fight? Every piece of the conversation played over and over in my head. He did not think I had time for us, he did not like Joe hanging around, he thought I was too busy on the weekends with my family.

As I walked through the front door my house was silent. My brother was hanging out in his room and my parents weren't home. I opened my bedroom door and sitting on my bed was a white stationary note with the letter B on the outside. Again, it was folded neatly. I opened it and it read, "Boo Sweets! Sorry I called you out about your friend Joe and your family time. I guess it is just the way I am wired." I get jealous easily and I am sorry." Love, Jack

I quickly crossed into my brother Nick's room and said, "Did you put this note on my bed?" He looked puzzled and said, "What note?" I said, "Mom and Dad must have put it there." Nick said, "They're not home yet. They called and said, they would be late." My head started spinning and my face went flush. My brother looked at me and said, "Brooklyn, Brooklyn are you alright?"

I said, "Yeah, I'm okay." How could I tell my brother my new boyfriend had been in our house twice without an invitation? I would not dare tell gossiping Joe because it would spread like wildfire.

I was torn. I knew I had to get my feelings out on paper as my diary was my therapist and my confidant of my true feelings.

Dear Diary,

I am torn about my new relationship with Jack. He is becoming so weird not wanting me around Joe and now my family. He was so sweet in the beginning and now he is possessive. I dare not let anyone know that Jack has now snuck into the house two times. But it scares me at the same time, what should I do? I'm not a girl that gets pushed around easily and as hard as it may be, I'm going to confront him tomorrow at school. I can do this! Bye for now, Signed, Brooklyn.

The next day at school I walked straight up to Jack and said, "How did you get into my house again when no one was there to answer the door." He said, "Easily, you left a window open." I screamed at him and said, "You can't keep going into my home unannounced!" Everyone around us stopped to listen and even Joe became intrigued with our confrontation.

Jack apologized and said, "I told you I'm not good at this relationship stuff, remember the song "Bad at Love?" I acknowledged it but stormed off in silence. I was hurt and angry that he crossed the line. Was my mom right not to get serious so fast? I didn't know anymore and felt that I was in too deep and bad at love. On my way home from school, I felt like I was being watched and kept turning around to check over my shoulder. I walked as quickly as possible and my hands started to sweat as I squished my keys into my palm.

I could not shake that feeling and quickly unlocked the front door and locked it behind me. My dad yelled out "Brooklyn is that you?" I yelled back, "Yeah, Dad it's me." As I approached the kitchen looking down, I looked up to find Jack sitting at the table talking with my dad. I muttered, "Hi, what are you doing here?" Jack said, "I came to see you." Just then the doorbell rang, and I spun around to get it. I opened it up to find Joe on my doorstep. He said, "Brooklyn, I need to talk to you right away. I know Jack is inside so can you step outside so we can talk?" I said, "Yes, of course." Joe prepared me and said, "I feel horrible as a friend for introducing you to Jack and I have to tell you he has been asking me to spy on you. I followed you home today. He convinced me that you were seeing someone else. I now know it's not true and I'm terribly sorry."

I didn't understand. Why would he do such a thing and why did he make Joe the enemy. Joe said, "That's why they moved and left Texas because Jack started stalking a girl, sneaking into her house leaving notes and gifts behind. You need to end it with him! The girl started going crazy thinking people were following her, telling her family and friends she was getting notes from Jack left in her house that she had hidden but no one believed her because the notes were gone. She was also gifted a 14k gold heart necklace with the initial J. That's the same one that he is going to give you."

My heart sank and was pounding so fast. My first love was a stalker and I was not going to let him push me around. I thanked Joe for the information and said, "Get out of here so he doesn't see you." As I walked back in the house my dad and Jack were in deep conversation about golf and hardly noticed I was gone. I asked my dad if he wouldn't mind leaving Jack and I to talk privately. He gave his well wishes and out the room he went.

I sternly said, "Jack I know all about you and Texas and your old girlfriend. You are no longer in control, do you understand?" He looked at me stunned and muttered, "Yes." His piercing blue eyes looked cold with no emotion. He stared at me with a long deep stare and clenched his fists. I told him the relationship is over and he is no longer welcome in my house unannounced! He agreed and quietly walked toward the front door glancing back over his shoulder at me before closing it behind him.

I shared the whole story with my parents and brother to let them know what was happening and that I was okay but caught up in the moment. My Dad said, "We are so proud of you for not letting someone control your friendships or relationships with your family." We shared a group hug, and I thought to myself lessoned learned. Months later Jack became just another face in the hall at school and seemed to move on quickly. I didn't feel the need to share my experience with the next girl he swooned over. Joe and I became best friends and he promised to protect me like a brother.

Today, I wanted to write in my journal about my feelings and my experience. It was something I had been avoiding these past few months. I took a deep breath and began to write as a new me.

Dear Diary,

So, a few months ago I met the guy of my dreams, my first real boyfriend that turned out to be a stalker. Unfortunately, I should have listened to my mom's advice and not gotten so serious, so fast. As the quote goes "We met for a reason either you're a blessing or a lesson." Lesson learned. Bye, diary till next time Signed, Brooklyn. As I went to put my diary away, I noticed a little black box tucked away on my shelf. My heart started racing and I began to tremble as I reached for the box. I slowly cracked it opened and found a 14k gold heart necklace with the letter J. The note inside read, "Boo Sweets! You can't get rid of me that easily." Love, Jack