DEAR Ricky,
Hi! I’m Anya Garrett. I am thirteen and live in a small town in Pennsilvania. I am an east coast girl and I love it! I here you are sporty. Well, I am the exact oppisate! That’s why I am writing to you fist, because I think it will be the most challenging to relate. As you can see, I really love to solve things. I am an avid reader and writer! If I could do anything, I would just cozy up with a good book on my favorite chair by the fireplace. That is the life for me! I have a big family. I have twin brothers who are eight- Simon and Remi- and an older sister named Beatrice but we just call her BT. She is a freshman in college and I really miss her. She is going to UCLA which I think is around where Cora lives. Or somewhere like that. My mom, dad, and Aunt Lidia live with me too.
Please write back!
Your hopefully good friend, Anya


Hey cora!
I’m Ricky which is short for Rickayla. There is just one thing you need to know about me: I love soccer. It overrules my life. Not even joking. I don’t even know my little sister’s name! Ok, maybe that was a little exaggerated. Her name is Soren and she is only a year old. Technically, she is my stepsister since it was my dad and stepmom who had her. My parents are divorced. My mom has a boyfriend, but their not married. I switch off from house to house every week. Sometimes its really hard with my huge soccer schedule since I play for the high school AND middle school team. It is sometimes a little over the top, but like I said, I am literally upsessed with soccer. Oh, and last but not least, this was actually just a dare from my friend Jim or “racer” as we call him. I have to do this for a whole year. Are you excited for it or totally bored out of your mind?
Got to go,
Ricky


Dear Anya,
I’m Jennifer Blackwell! I live in the best city in the world, New York City! I hear you live in pensilvania, that’s cool! We live so close. So why exactly are you writing to pen pals? Where you forced, or did you choose to? I was kind of a mix. My acting coach recommended it for me and I wanted to do it so here I am! I love to sing and dance and act. I guess you could say I am a little bit of a drama queen. Haha! Anyways, I am an only child and I live with my mom and dad in a small apartment. I have a favor to ask you. I have to write a song for my music homework and it has to be super short! I can’t think of anything and since you are a writer, I just thought maybe you could help me. It would be UBER fun and you could expand your writing horizons. Oh! And some exciting news! I got the lead role od Alice in Alice in wonderland! And now I have to go to the practice so please write soon! I love getting letters!
Xoxo,
Jennifer Blackwell


Dear Jennifer,
I am Cora. I live with my aunt and uncle and grandma who is mentally stupid. I have a perfect little family out north in Seattle, but I live in a awesome town called Aden, Nevada. I have an older sister and a younger sister who both live with my parents. I know what your thinking, why don’t I live with them? Well, they decided to put some ‘adventure’ in my life by sending me down here for A year. They visit me often, but I really don’t mind being away from them. You see, I am kind of crazy compared to them. My sisters do ballet 24/7 and that just makes me want to barf. I mean, ballet? I need to rack out! I am totally upsessed with hard-metal music and my family is just… not. So I have lived here fro the past month and I really enjoy it. First, I love the heat and dryness. Second, all these people actually understand how I feel about hard music. I even started my own band at school called Firestorm. It is beast! But now I can’t perform in the talent show ‘cause I’m grounded. With you penny pals or whatever. Ha, great.
Bya,
Cora

September 7th
A poem by Anya Garrett
When I open my eyes
Sometimes I see butterflies
Flying around and ‘round
Swimming up in down
But as I think
My mind goes down the sink
Moving as quick as a blink
If you call that
Imagination
If you think that
I am joking
If you know that
I am acting crazy
You are dead wrong.
Go ahead, my friends!
So long…


DOS
Guess what racer dared me to do!!!!!
I have to write about a crush I’ve had like non-boyish girls do in their diarys. That’s what he calls it. A DIARY! EWWWWW!
So anyway, here it goes! Oh, and if you are reading this racer because I am dead, screw you!
I guess, I have had a crush on Racer since I first met him back in third grade. But I will never ever tell him that! He is my best friend and I would never want to lose that. The thing is, the eighth grade graduation dance is this year, and I am really hoping for him to ask me! Anyways, it’s a far ways away and so I don’t really need to worry about it. There is only one problem: Natasha Goodwin. Ms. Perfect and popular. You know the type. Anyways, he has major crush on her ever since last year when she came to this school from Texas. I mean come on, TEXAS?! Up in Minnesota, we don’t care about herding cattle! But apparently all the boys do. UGH!
End of entry *sighs with relief that she is not going to be late for soccer practice*


Dear Anya,
I’m Jennifer Blackwell! I live in the best city in the world, New York City! I hear you live in pensilvania, that’s cool! We live so close. So why exactly are you writing to pen pals? Where you forced, or did you choose to? I was kind of a mix. My acting coach recommended it for me and I wanted to do it so here I am! I love to sing and dance and act. I guess you could say I am a little bit of a drama queen. Haha! Anyways, I am an only child and I live with my mom and dad in a small apartment. I have a favor to ask you. I have to write a song for my music homework and it has to be super short! I can’t think of anything and since you are a writer, I just thought maybe you could help me. It would be UBER fun and you could expand your writing horizons. Oh! And some exciting news! I got the lead role od Alice in Alice in wonderland! And now I have to go to the practice so please write soon! I love getting letters!
Xoxo,
Jennifer Blackwell


ENTRY #2
OK. Number 2. This is so boring. As in a piece of crap. NOT EXAGGERATING. I’m officially ‘un-grounded’. OH yay, now I can go visit my band who hates me! Sam called me and was like, ‘we need to talk. Come over at five, the rest of the band will meet us there. And now I’m here, at 4:15. Soon Aunt Lue will come back from work and take me over there. I am so NOT excited. I mean, its totally obvious they are going to kick me out. But do they think that’s a smart move? C’mon, I’m the lead guitarist!!! So yeah, maybe I did bail on them, but that is 100% NOT MY FAULT. They can take it up with Aunt and Uncle. Then maybe they can realize that I am really the good guy and that they were super stupid.
Mr. Key, the only teacher I like, asked me to be on the newspaper. He wants to get me as a photographer and to write comics. He says I am a student who is blossoming into a academic success. Yeah, right. I have a C in four in my classes, a B in his class, and then an A in band. That totally explains my ‘academic success’
-CORA

Dear Jennifer,
Wow! Sounds like you have a busy life! Mine is pretty laid back, but I am the editor-in-chief of our school newspaper- the Bethleham Times- and love every minute of it. My boyfriend Kavon is the main photographer, plus he is a major writer like me, and so we really click. He is actually my best friend Sophie’s older brother. He is in ninth grade, but he volunteers at our school newspaper club anyways. Do you have a boyfriend? I suspect your kind of famous and all, what with all your acting experience, that you must have a boyfriend. I mean, everyone should want to date you!
Anyways, about your song. I came up with a few topics that I think sound cool and easy… Hopefully.
*A girl and a boy meet and they instantly fall in love (cheesy and unoriginal, I know. But you could start with something like ‘every time I look over my shoulder, I wish I could see him there.’ Sounds awesome, right?’
*Running away from your past (‘It fallowed me like a shadow everywhere I went…’ It is easy for a short song I think!)
I really hope these help. Congratilations on getting the part! I bet you did great. Enclosed is a recent photo of me. I hate the one you got on my ‘get-to-know-me sheet’. I look so ugly!
Write back A.S.A.P!
-Anya Garrett


Three (I gave up on Spanish)
I guess Racer wants me to do ‘challenges’ once a week now. He gave me a list of rules that I need to follow and made me glue them in:
RULES FOR RICKY:
1. DIARY ENTRY MUST ME 5 SENTENCES
2. HAS TO HAVE PLENTY OF DETAIL.
3. AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK,
4. SIGN YOUR NAME WITH A ‘LOVE’ BEFORE IT.
5. THAT’S IT. –RACER
So, this weeks challenge is this: How do you feel about your pen pals so far?
Well, they haven’t written me back yet so I am kinda pissed. But maybe Cora is just a jerk, you know? I mean, I am getting ready to send someone else a letter if she is not going to respond. Its been like 3 frickin weeks! So no, so far I do NOT like my pen pals. And apparently they don’t like me either.
LOVE, Ricky
*sigh*


September 10th
My. Best. Friend. Is. Heartbroken.
STUPID DANNIE WALKER! I mean come on! They have been dating for like six months now, and suddenly, it just comes to a hault? Katy has been crying for hours now and came to my house to get all her emotions out. Since its Friday, we had a sleepover and whatched a movie and stuff, but her mood did not change. And 10:30 she fell asleep on the air matress and so now I am writing in this. I feel so bad for her! I mean, I dated Joey last year, but we knew it wasn’t like ‘for real’. But this relationship was going great! And get this, I went on facebook and his status was still ‘in a relationship’ and so I was like ‘with who?’. And it turns out he already found a new girlfriend names Khloe. I didn’t tell Katy this of course. SHE WOULD FREAK!
Anyways, I don’t know what to do! It was her first major breakup and all so now what? I wish there was some like ‘breakup guide’ you know? But there isn’t, so I guess I am just stuck with a sad friend. Boo.
Xoxo,
Jennifer Blackwell


Dear Ricky,
You do like soccer, don’t you?
To answer your question, I hate doing this. Just like I hate my stupid aunt and uncle for making me do this. I guess you could say I am kind of ‘divorced’ with my parents. I mean, we don’t live with each other. *don’t ask*
My band got together the other day. Luckily they didn’t kick me out after I talked them out of it. They are like brothers to me! The ones I never had… So after a reahersal and some cheez-its, we were all good. Theres only one problem: They got a person to replace me already! So now we have this stupid girl named Delia, who makes me sick because I WAS THE ONLY GIRL! She is apparently my ‘back-up’ guitarist, but there is only one problem: she is like, really good. I really wish that she would be like stuck-up and snooty and take over the whole band so we could kick her out, but no. She has to be MS. NICE-AND-SMILY all the time. She has a perfect family who love her instrumental talent. I went over to her house the other day where we were going to practice at. Her parents are really nice, they made us brownies for petes sake. I mean c’mon, brownies???? Anyways, there is 100% no way I can hate on her. You see my problemo?
Gotta go,
-Cora

September 13th
Lizzie is having a party. A big one. You know, with boys and stuff? AND Charlie is going to be there. Charlie being my hopefully- future boyfriend. I really think he likes me, and he is one of the most popular guys in the school… so it would definetly be a boost for me! I mean, its not like I am a ‘super nerd’ or anything. I’m just not a ‘social butterfly’ as Lizzie says. But apparently I am a good enough friend to go to her party! Its in a couple of weeks, and write now I am planning on what to wear. I made a to do list of what to do for the party.
•
get an outfit
•
Schedule a makeover… maybe?
•
Get a ride. Refer to number 4.
•
ASK MOM.
The last one is a brain teaser. I know she will probably say no, and that it is really important, but I just don’t know how to say it! There will be adults there, and Lizzies mom and my mom are in the same gardening club, but still. How can I say this nicely, my mom is WAY overprotective. I had my first sleepover LAST YEAR!
I just can’t tell her yet. Its way to risky…
Love, ANYA


FOUR (another challenge)
Special things about Ricky:
1. I don’t like school.
2. I kinda want a BF
3. Maybe Racer?
4. My parents hate each other.
5. I have a step-mom who’s a model.
6. My mom has an ugly-duck boyfriend.
7. When I was three I broke my wrist.
8. I like to act weird.
9. I had a twin brother.
10. He’s dead.