I feel sick.
Daithi continues to read the diary entries and it paints a fucking awful picture. God, what the hell did Daire do to that young girl?
2nd December
I sat alone again today. This is every day for three weeks now. I don't understand what I've done wrong. Daire says it's nothing, that people are just being stupid, that she's trying to fix it. But every day it gets worse and I don't know how she's fixing it because it doesn't feel fixed.
It feels like everyone hates me and I don't know why.
Daithí turns more pages, his jaw set, and the anger radiates from him. He doesn't look up from the journal. He just keeps reading.
19th January
Someone spit at me in the corridor today. They just walked past and spit on me. I don't know her name. I don't know what I did to make her hate me that much.
I didn't tell Da. He's busy, he's always busy.
I came home and I sat in my room. I didn't eat dinner and no one noticed.
Christ, that poor girl, she had no one to help her. Not one person to help her through the worst time of her life. Every fucking day she was bullied and no one did a thing to help her.
4th February
They took my books out of my bag while I was in PE and threw them in the trash outside. My history notes were in there, six months of notes.
I found them in the rain. I had to dry them out page by page on my bedroom floor.
Daire said she'd find out who did it. She seemed genuinely upset. Maybe she really is trying to help. I don't know anything anymore. I feel as though I’m losing my mind.
1st March
They cut my hair today. I was in the bathroom. There were three of them. I don't know who organized it, but one of them held my arms and one of them used scissors.
It wasn't a lot, but enough to frighten me. They wanted me to know that they can get to me whenever they want. I didn't tell anyone. What would I say? Who would believe me?
Mom asked me if I’m okay. I just nodded and lied. She can’t help me, no one can. Only dad, but he came home late and didn’t notice anything. I don’t know why I thought he would.
The room is completely silent as everyone contemplates what’s just been read. Conn has his eyes closed, Caden is staring at the table, and my father is shaking his head in disbelief. That poor girl went through hell alone.
Daithí turns to the next marked section and continues to read aloud.
He turns to the next marked page, and I watch something shift in his expression before he reads it. He breathes in once through his nose.
I take the journal from Daithí. The page he's handed me is open to a later date.
29th April
Quinn sat with me today.
I don't know her well. She's Daire's younger sister, which means I've seen her at family things but we've never really spoken. She's quieter than Daire. Less...I don't know the word. She doesn’t take up much space, like me, like she’s been conditioned to be small, just as I have.
She just appeared at my table in the library and sat down and started talking about a book she was reading. Like it was normal for her to do, that it wasn’t the first time she spoke to me. I didn't know what to say so I didn't say much, but she didn't seem to mind.
I can’t stop thinking about it, about how nice she was.
Of course, Quinn was nice to her. Quinn is sweet as fuck, and has always shown kindness. The first time she met Marco, she was polite and introduced herself to him. I turn the page and continue reading.
8th May
