Dear Diary,

I wrote a long entry last night, because a lot happened yesterday. I gave a speech for the first time in my life, I almost lost my precious Fifi, and then I found out Fifi was mine for keeps. She is now officially Fifi Levin-Lopez.

Important stuff happened today, Tuesday, too, but I don’t want to just report it. I want to think about it. What does it all mean?

I started this diary on January 1. When I look back now at what I wrote then, every day sounded pretty much the same. I wrote about the grades I got on essays and tests, about books I read and TV shows I watched. I wrote about ideas for poems and stories, but I never got around to actually writing them. Pretty boring stuff.

After I met Ellie and Alyssa and Kiara, my entries became more interesting. First, because of the spyglass. I’d never experienced anything magical before, and it was very exciting seeing these visions and trying to figure out what they meant. And then there was the friendship. I’d never had that before in my life either, not really. I’d always been a loner, and I thought I would always be a loner. Because I’m different, and I didn’t think I fit in with other people. But getting to know three other girls who are also different, in different ways, well, that was pretty exciting too.

Things are changing a lot for me. It seems like I’m doing or thinking something new or different every day. When I met my friends this morning before school, they already knew about Fifi. I’d texted them the minute I got home from Paige’s. This was something new for me, sharing my news with people besides Mom and Mami, and knowing there were people other than Mom and Mami who were really interested in me.

Going to classes was different today. I used to keep my head down and I tried not to be noticed. And I wasn’t. But today, people said hi to me, and even wanted to talk about my presentation at the assembly yesterday. I kind of knew most of them because they’ve been in my classes, but they were never quite real to me. They were just faces and names. (Actually, since I never looked people in the eye, I didn’t really know the faces all that well.) But some of them seemed nice.

I thought it would be weird today, seeing Paige in homeroom. Not just because it was election day. Even though more people know who I am, and my speech was better than hers, she’s still the most popular girl in school, so I knew she’d win. But more because of Fifi, her old Fluffy, and what happened yesterday. I still can’t believe you could have a dog like that in your life and not want to take care of her.

Paige didn’t say anything to me. She just hung around with her clique like she always does, and that was fine with me. But I found myself glancing in her direction every now and then. Now, knowing that she played the violin beautifully, I felt like she had become even more of a mystery to me.

I talked to David Tolliver a little. I wanted to thank him for supporting me. Also, I’d kind of like to get to know him better. He’s different too—the way he talks, and dresses, and acts. I like his differences. Too bad he’s going to transfer schools. But he said it was just a possibility, so maybe he’ll stay.

We voted for seventh-grade student representative after the morning announcements. We had real, official-looking ballots to fill out, and Mr. Greene told us to hold them so no one could see whose name we were checking. Then he collected them and told us he’d take them to the office after homeroom, where they’d be tallied by the end of the day.

At lunch, I sat with Ellie and Alyssa and Kiara, as usual. But this time, when people passed us, some of them said hello. Alyssa wasn’t very friendly to them, and Kiara looked suspicious, but Ellie didn’t mind as long as they weren’t in the cool crowd. I wonder sometimes if everyone in the popular crowd is as terrible as she thinks they are. Maybe some of them are different, in good ways. Like Mike Twersky. Not that I want to become popular or anything like that. I just feel like I’m more interested in finding out about people than I used to be.

In homeroom Mr. Greene told us the winner of the election would be announced by the last period, and it was. All day I was so sure that Paige would win that I wasn’t even excited at all. So when the intercom came on and Mr. Lowell’s voice said, “Good afternoon, East Lakeside, and your attention, please. This is a special notice for seventh graders. The results have been tallied, and I’m pleased to announce that your new class representative is Rachel Levin-Lopez,” I was stunned. I just sat there, I didn’t know what to do or say. Actually, all I really had to say was “thank you” a hundred times to people who congratulated me, and that wasn’t hard.

So much of my life is suddenly so different compared to what it was a short time ago. I’m becoming independent, and I honestly believe Mom and Mami are going to be okay with this. I think I’m really getting over my shyness. When I think about going to committee meetings with teachers, I get nervous, but I think I can handle it. Ellie and Alyssa and Kiara will still be my best friends, but I might get to know more people too. Like David Tolliver. And one of these days, I’m going to stop just thinking about ideas for poems and actually write one.

I’m changing, that’s for sure. And as I change, I have to wonder, will I still be me? I don’t think I’m a different person today than I was two months ago, for instance. I feel like I’m still me. So maybe what this all means is that I’m getting to be even more me! Does that make any sense at all?

Yes, I think it does. Because if it didn’t make sense, I wouldn’t be feeling this way. Like I’m becoming the person I’m meant to be.

I think I’m going to like being her.