At last, Mia is a junior. An upperclassperson. Free of her responsibilities as student body president. So why is it that everything is going so terribly wrong? What is she doing in Intro to Creative Writing? When she has made it through Algebra and Geometry, why must she be faced with Precalculus? And for the love of all that is Genovian, why has Lilly nominated her for school prez again? All this is nothing compared to the news Michael springs on her, however. On top of all the mathematical strife, her beloved boyfriend is leaving for Japan for a year. Precalc has nothing on preparing for the worst separation ever!
Turns out there is one way she might convince Michael to stay. But will she? Or won't she? No matter what, Mia seems headed for disaster.
Tuesday, September 7, Intro to Creative Writing
Oh, she has GOT to be kidding. Describe a room? That is our first assignment? Describe a room? Does she have any idea how long I've been describing rooms creatively? I mean, I've described rooms in space—for instance, in my Battlestar Galactica fan fic about Starbuck and Apollo finally Doing It.
You know what I can't believe? I can't believe she stuck me in Intro to Creative Writing. I should be in Intermediate at least. I mean, with my practice PSAT scores—which, okay, were about as low as they could be in math, but were great in verbal—I should have tested into it.
And okay, the SATs don't measure creativity (unless we're supposed to believe that those people grading the essay part really read them).
But my verbal score alone should prove that I'm capable of describing a room. Doesn't she know I've moved on from describing rooms—and even from writing novels—to writing whole screenplays?
Because Lilly is totally right, there's no other way I'm ever going to get a true representation of the story of my life onto the silver screen unless I write it myself. And Lilly directs it. I know it's going to be tricky finding financing and all, but J.P. said he'd help. And he knows tons of people in Hollywood. Just the other day he and his parents had dinner with Steven Spielberg's cousin.
Why can't Ms. Martinez see that by putting me in Intro to Creative Writing instead of Intermediate, where I belong, she is repressing my artistic growth? How is the blossom of my creativity ever going to be able to bloom if no one waters it?
Describe a room. Okay, here's a room for you, Ms. Martinez:
The four stone walls press narrowly against one another, glistening with moisture dripping from the low ceiling. The only light that filters in comes from the single tiny barred window near the ceiling. The only furnishings are a narrow cot with a thin mattress made of striped ticking, and a bucket. The purpose for the bucket is made obvious by the stench emanating from it. Is that what is attracting the rats that lurk in the shadowed corners, their pink noses quivering?
C–
Mia, when I said describe a room, I meant describe a room you know well. While I'm certain dungeons like the one you're describing do exist in your palace in Genovia, I highly doubt you've spent much time there. Furthermore, I happen to know from my membership in Amnesty Inter-national that Genovia is not on the watch list for inhuman treatment of prisoners, which leads to my next question: When is the last time the dungeons in your palace were even used? And I believe a man as forward thinking as your father would have installed a proper sewage system in the palace by now, making the need for buckets for human waste obsolete.
—C. Martinez
Tuesday, September 7, English
Mia!!!! Aren't you excited???? It's a whole new school year! We're juniors!!! Just one year away from ruling the school!!!! Oh, your hair looks great, by the way. —T
Do you really think so, Tina? About my hair? Mom and I took Rocky to Astor Place Hairstylists yesterday for his first haircut, since it was the only place open, seeing as how it was Labor Day. He wouldn't stop screaming bloody murder about it, so I volunteered to let them trim mine first, to show him it didn't hurt. I have to admit, I was kind of startled when they got the clippers out!
I think it's great. You look just like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday! What did Michael say when he saw it????
I haven't seen him since I got back from Genovia. We're meeting at Number One Noodle Son tonight though. I can't wait!!! He says he has something very important he needs to tell me...
Meg Cabot is the author of the best-selling, critically acclaimed Princess Diaries books, which were made into the wildly popular Disney movies of the same name. Her other books for teens include the Mediator series, the 1-800-Where-R-You books, all-american girl, ready or not, teen idol, how to be popular, and avalon high, as well as nicola and the viscount and victoria and the rogue. She also writes books for adults, including the boy next door, boy meets girl, every boy's got one, size 12 is not fat, and queen of babble. She is still waiting for her real parents, the king and queen, to restore her to her rightful throne. She lives in Key West and New York City with her husband and a one-eyed cat named Henrietta.
