Judy

Chapter X

"Diary"

The Diary of Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

The ambient sounds of the engine purrs had muffled the thoughts that had already jumped in my mind during. The car ride back to school. After taking a decently long nap, all that could be said was that I needed to get my priorities straight. One of them being Rosalie. She'd woken me up from my nap again with the sound of a foot tap. And then another, and another, until my carpet was getting abused by a back sock worn by an eighteen year old. I soon got up, a bit unamused to say the least, but proud to be awake, let alone alive to say the least. I had vivid dreams for the brief hour and a half that I was out. Dreams about my past, my present situations, simulated in the dream state, and what was yet to come. I really couldn't remember any of them specifically, mainly because I didn't track them down. I just didn't feel like doing so. As I jokingly shoved Rosie out of my room to get dressed, I recalled the events of one of my various dreams I had catalogued in my brain.

Taking a good look back, I remembered seeing a younger me. A scrawny sixteen year old sitting on a porch of a house. I remember seeing my younger self in pain and a look of disbelief and failure paints my small childlike face. It's all coming together now. That night. All I could remember really was her bringing me home and sitting with me on my porch for a good thirty minutes with a bag of frozen vegetables on my head. I know, over the years I came across my memories and past with Charlotte Ann, but talking about her makes me feel safe. I button up my shirt and look toward the mirror on the wall. I stroke a few poses to try and boost my ego a bit, until a giant stuffed bear, buried in dirty laundry catches my eye. I won this bear for Charlotte on our second date when we were younger. Surprised she even kept it all this time. I try and snap out of Memory Lane's gaze with some cologne and a few comb strokes through my hair. The old, reckless, desperate Jeremiah was no more. I realized after looking at myself at the mirror, how much has changed and how much I've changed. I step out of my room for the last time, grab my coat and head toward the door. Rosie's there waiting for me, flipping through her notebook scribbling in something.

"What are you writing?" I ask, curious.

"Nothing" She responds, not looking up.

I take a look at the small paragraph of neatly written words, compiled into a poetic stance.

"Doesn't look like nothing." I smirk.

Rosie looks up, flustered and puts the pen in her pocket, closes the books and heads for the

door. "It's...personal, alright?"

I nod my head and lock the door behind me.

***

There really wasn't much to be said at the car ride back to school. Rosie glances out toward the auburn sky, leaves dance and populate the cold sky and rocky bare road. It was surprisingly cold this Autumn, but I didn't mind. I wanted to strike a conversation, but upon looking at Rosie smiling and gawking at the beauty of nature, I let her be. "You know, I used to write music too." I began glancing at Rosie's book. She looked at me, acting a bit confused, but sat down willing to hear my tale. "It was harder than I thought, crafting my emotions into rhythmic words, rhymes. It was like a puzzle. I had all the pieces I needed, just didn't know where to start."

"How did you start?"

"Simple. I didn't. All I did was write whatever I wanted out there. Although it may seem stupid at first. I wrote random words, sentences, things that made me happy. Soon enough I had a list of about fifty phrases. All possible candidates for a song." I opened my coat pocket and unveiled a folded piece of paper. "This was the only page I could find from the move, but here. Hope you might get some motivation." Rosie grabbed the paper, containing scribbles words, phrases and sentences, filled with emotion, wonder and curiosity. Some stuck out like a sore thumb Empathy, Hope, Dinosaurs, Raspberry Tea, Darren, and Monopoly. Rosie looked at the list some more, at me and back at the list. Apparently she saw a word that must've ticked a nerve or something, but after a silent chuckle, Rosie had asked me if she can partake in the talent show. Of course, this, not only surprised me; but I saw it coming. I just didn't know when. "Of course!" was my response. "What gave you that idea?"