Anne Marie Barnes

It's been forever since I wrote in this, and so much has happened.

Ellie = Bestest Friend Ever. SO COOL. And I'm not sure but she might be a little like me in a way I never expected. Or at least, open to the kinds of things I'm interested in. I found the Sleeping Beauty books on her shelf, but we haven't talked about them. They were kind of behind some other books like she was embarrassed. Anyway, we had a great time with our sleepover and Claire dared us to go say hi to Tom, and I swear, we acted like we were nine years old or something. But it was great.

Claire and Maddy = super cool too, and I hope I'll get to know them better.

School is okay. I miss Walt. But I'm having a good enough time, I guess.

And Ellie's talked me into trying out for cheerleading, OMG. I don't believe I'm doing this but I signed up on the sheet so I guess I am. Eeeeeeeeeee.

The package had actually arrived on Saturday the fourth, but Anne hadn't opened it that day. She'd recognized the handwriting on it and been more than a little hesitant, not at all sure why Bridget would be sending her anything. But by Monday, her curiosity got the better of her.

The first thing she saw when she opened the box was the butterfly headband, which she vaguely remembered seeing Sarah wear a few times. Below it was the shawl, wrapped around something. Why is she sending me stuff of Sarah's?

When she opened up the shawl and saw what was inside, though, she burst into tears.

Suddenly she understood everything, a lot more than she had. Sarah had, indeed, stolen the shoes and the earrings; Bridget was returning them with "interest," two things she not only knew Sarah valued, but which she coveted herself. Anne could vaguely remember one visit to the Holloway house, a few years earlier, and hearing the two sisters arguing over whether or not Bridget could borrow these very things.

I always envied both of them so much, and they never knew it. They had a mother, and she doted on them... or I thought she did... But now it was much clearer. Sarah had been doted on; Bridget had been as much of an orphan as Anne was. Sarah had gotten the kind of attention that Anne had always longed after, and Bridget, to save face, had pretended she was getting that kind of attention, too. If she'd been more perceptive, Anne would have realized that the pose was just that, a pose.

All this time we could have been friends... She wondered if there was any way they could be now, or if it was too late, if too many cruel barbs had been buried in the things they said to each other for too long.

Maybe she could help Bridget adjust to, and fit into, the school more than she'd planned to. She could at least try; it was a start, right?

She had no idea that these were only the first tears she'd cry over her cousin; so many more would be shed in the months to come.

Ellie posted this and I thought it was cool, so I'm posting it too. Answer my questions and tell me about you. :)

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