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August 15th, 2008

Dear Tally,

     I can't believe this is happening! We're going to different neoschools! This is SO unfair. Who's going to laugh at my strange orange shirt? Who's going to participate in waving contests with me?

     This redistricting stuff is SO bogus. I really wish we could spend 7th grade together. Now I'm not going to have an ounce of fun because you and most of the others are going to Hayes Middle School. I'm going to Hidings. They sent me a notice in the neomail today. YES, I know I'll be with Jacky and Lizz, but they're, like, nothing. Not near as good as you. Not even as good as Britney and Cassie, but they're going with you. To Hayes.

     I'm so depressed right now. I am so NOT going to have a good time. At all. I just know I'm going to get failing grades and I'm not even going to make the volleyball team. I'm going to be COMPLETELY unpopular. No one's going to want to be my friend. I'm absolutely NOTHING without you. Even Jacky and Lizz will turn up their nerdy noses at me.

     I can't believe this! I seriously cannot BELIEVE this!

     -Kippy

     August 19th, 2008

     Dear Kippy,

     Get AHOLD of yourself and stop wallowing in self-pity. Seriously. Kippy, you're losing your grip on reality or something of the like. Kippy, you really should take a deep breath and think about the neomail you sent.

     First off, the failing grades part. You can handle the classes. You could handle them all last year, with all As... and a B, fine. But anyway, you're going to end up with a great report card, I know it. And second, you are probably the best volleyball player I know (aside from myself, of course) so you will so definitely make the team. I look forward to playing Hidings in volleyball. It should be fun. And third, the unpopular part? Dude, you are a FAERIE BRUCE. Even if looks shouldn't really matter, you'll make a great first impression. Maybe you're not as cool as a Pirate Xweetok like me, but you're still pretty darn cool.

     So get a grip on reality. Tryouts are tomorrow for volleyball, and gosh, you are gonna make it, girl.

     Totally,

     -Tally

     August 25th, 2008

     Dear Tally,

     Yeah, I guess you're right. Your letter made me crack up when I saw all those comments about you. You've always been a bit too self-confident, but that's okay, you bring out my own self-confidence.

     Tryouts went well, as predicted by Tally Von Jones. I spiked and spiked till my wing throbbed with the intensity of it all. Being able to fly really helps with that. Coach wasn't too pleased with my passing skills, but that was okay, because guess. What.

     I MADE THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!

     I am, like, SO happy now. At least I'm on the team, and I'm already good friends with a lot of the girls on the team, so it's cool. There's this one girl named Silla there and she seemed really cool, kinda made me think of you. She's got the same fiery and pushy personality. So yeah. I'm making some friends.

     School started yesterday and it's going well. The teachers weren't too strict or mean or nothing, and they seemed to kinda like me, so it's all good, like you predicted. Still wish I was at Hayes... but I think I'll be all right at Hidings.

     -Kippy

     August 30th, 2008

     Dear Tally,

     Hey, what's up? I neomailed you five days ago, and you STILL haven't answered. What's with that? Anyway, I thought I should tell you about the past few days. It's been nice at Hidings.

     So earlier today I walked into science class. Silla saved me a seat. She's like, my best friend now (other than you, duh). Anyway, when I sat down, I heard this loud farting noise. It was a whoopee cushion. Omigosh, right? I turned redder than your red anubis Clark. So then we heard snickering and it was the POPULAR girls. Two Faeries, a Draik, and even a Mutant Lupe. They were cracking up and one look at Mona, the Maraquan Draik's face, told me all I needed to know. She planted it there, and Silla knew it too. So Silla stood up and got RIGHT in Mona's face and said, "I think you owe my friend an apology for that, Mona."

     So Mona stood up and told Silla, "Oh yeah? For what?" Her tone was daring and mocking at the same time, like she thought Silla was stupid or something. Proud of this, her group laughed and high-fived each other frantically.

     So then Silla said, "For your own IMMATURITY. Do you know what that means, nimrod? Or should I SPELL IT OUT?"

     Everyone knows spelling and vocabulary are the two things Mona is horrible at. So she reddened completely (she didn't even know what immaturity meant) and muttered, "Sorry, Kippy," in this real quiet voice. Most of the others roared with laughter at Mona's humiliation. Missi, Dana, and Holli sighed loudly, ashamed that their leader let them down.

     So Silla bested the populars and got away with it alive. Isn't that amazing? Hidings is pretty cool.

     Your BFF,

     -Kippy

     October 31st, 2008

     Dear Tally,

     Gosh!!!! You haven't neomailed me in forever! I really miss you. I would have neomailed more but I've been so BUSY. Maybe you have, too, but couldn't you throw together a neomail every now and then?

     Remember last Halloween? We dressed up like vampires and ran around scaring the little kids and egging old people's houses. It was really fun. We ALWAYS spend Halloween together.

     Why didn't you call and make plans? 'Cause I really did try, I did. I've called ten times over the past three days and no one answered. Are you out of town or something?

     C'mon, write to me!

     -Kippy

     November 10th, 2008

     Dear Tally,

     You still haven't neomailed me. What's the deal?

     Anyway, maybe you'd like to know how I spent Halloween.

     Silla and I went to Rebecka's party. She has this monster house, like a mansion or something. It's huge. And she dressed it all up like a spook house, so we were running through the place, and then a mummy would jump out at us or something. Silla and I would scream till our lungs were about to fall off. Then we'd crack up and continue. It was so much fun! More fun than any Halloween WE'VE spent together.

     Fine. If you want to be like that, Tally, I'm not neomailing you until you neomail me. SO THERE!

     -Kippy

     January 18th, 2009

     Dear Tally,

     Fine, fine, I gave up on that. I reallyreallyreally miss you! I want to hear from you.

     Christmas was fun. I spent it with Yolanda and Chrissy and Tyler. Oh, wait, you don't know who Tyler is, because we've been out of touch for so long. Tyler is my new little sister. Chrissy was relieved that someone would be younger than her. Yolanda was happy to get a new pet. It's been fun.

     We decorated up the tree until it sparkled with radiance. It felt alive, as much as me or Yolanda or Chrissy or Tyler.

     I had so much fun, and now I'm having fun at school.

     Oh, do you REMEMBER volleyball at all? We played Hayes on the 19th of November. You. Weren't. There. This was ALL I'd been looking forward to since we got sent to different middle schools. And you missed it.

     Were you sick? Or are you mad at me, and do you just not want to see me anymore? Am I not even your friend anymore?

     Your unfriend,

     -Kippy

     June 10th, 2009

     Dear Tally,

     It's the end of seventh grade. Silla and I are best friends. Hear that? BEST FRIENDS. And she's SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU. I hate you, you know that? Because YOU never even wanted us to stay friends. You never wrote back.

     I AM NO LONGER YOUR FRIEND. So don't even bother responding to this, although I know you wouldn't anyway. Whatever. See if I care.

     Your non-friend,

     -Kippy

     July 1st, 2009

     Dear Kippy,

     I can't BELIEVE you! You know what was happening during all that time when I didn't neomail you? I WAS IN THE POUND. Stuck in it, in fact. My owner just dropped me off right before volleyball even started, and I stayed there all year. ALL YEAR. No volleyball, no school for me. No friends. No family. No Merry Christmases or Happy Halloweens. Just the cold lonesome of the pound.

     Then Kendra found me and adopted me. And then they forwarded your neomails to my new address. I've never been so angry in my whole life. You just recklessly assumed things. And you were out there having fun when I was in the pound. My life was in turmoil and you were mad because I wasn't at the volleyball game.

     I HATE YOU.

     -Tally

     July 2nd, 2009

     Dear Tally,

     Oh my gosh. I can't believe that happened to you. I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry. I was being so shallow and selfish and you were having the worst year of your life. Do you have to repeat seventh grade? Does it really count as repeating if you were never there in the first place?

     Please write back. I'm really sorry. I'd do anything to make you believe that.

     -Kippy

     August 10th, 2009

     Dear Kippy,

     I've given it a lot of thought. I don't forgive you. I sound mean and all, but I don't.

     A best friend has empathy for her friends. She understands them. What if I hadn't wanted to write back, or I didn't have time to instead of being in the pound? Maybe that would be a little mean, but a best friend should understand. A best friend should live with the fact that their best friend might have moved on.

     A best friend isn't you.

     I'm going into eighth grade now. At Hidings. My new neohome is only four blocks from yours. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to visit. I wanted to ignore you forever. And I know that isn't possible now. We're going to the same school, and we'll probably both be on the same volleyball team. I can't hate you. I can't avoid you. But I can't forgive you. You understand, right?

     No, I guess you wouldn't. Never mind.

     But I won't hate you. Because Kippy, even though I can't forgive you, I guess I'll call a truce. We can be buddies, maybe. But not best friends. Probably never again.

     So, truce?

     -Tally

     August 25th, 2009

     Dear Tally,

     Truce.

     -Kippy

The End