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Ms. G? Can I read something from my diary?
That'd be great.
Who is he?
Man, he's been with us from freshman year, fool.
- What's his name? - I don't know.
This summer was the worst summer in my short 14 years of life.
It all started with a phone call.
My mother was crying and begging, asking for more time
as if she were gasping for her last breath of air.
She held me as tight as she could and cried.
Her tears hit my shirt like bullets
and told me we were being evicted.
She kept apologizing to me. I thought, 'I have no home.
"I should have asked for something less expensive at Christmas.'
On the morning of the eviction, a hard knock on the door woke me up.
The sheriff was there to do his job.
I looked up at the sky, waiting for something to happen.
My mother has no family to lean on, no money coming in.
Why bother coming to school or getting good grades if I'm homeless?
The bus stops in front of the school. I feel like throwing up.
I'm wearing clothes from last year,
some old shoes and no new haircut.
I kept thinking I'd get laughed at.
Instead, I'm greeted by a couple of friends
who were in my English class last year.
"And it hits me, Mrs. Gruwell,
my crazy English teacher from last year,
is the only person that made me think of hope.
"Talking with friends about last year's English and our trips,
"I began to feel better.
"I receive my schedule and the first teacher is Mrs. Gruwell in Room 203.
"I walk into the room and feel as though
all the problems in life are not so important anymore.
I am home.
wearing
tight
thought
thinking
tears
teacher
stops
started
waiting
should
shirt
sheriff
there
short
school
schedule
receive
problems
phone
person
mother
throwing
couple
important
could
coming
freshman
shoes
front
instead
better
getting
gasping
bullets
breath
asking
gruwell
being
cried
looked
begging
talking
about
grades
great
bother
family
morning
began
eviction
apologizing
crazy
asked
years
class
evicted
something
anymore
haircut
english
think
homeless
christmas
diary
first
worst
friends
trips
greeted
expensive
happen
though
knock
summer
crying
clothes
laughed
money
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