Jan. 9th
To Mrs. Becken,

We are sending this letter of notice home with Drew Radigan to inform you that he has been having difficulties focusing in class. Notably, he has made a few inappropriate & upsetting comments which he has said were intended to be "jokes" but were not received as such by his classmates.

In addition, he was found during Science to be drawing under his desk, instead of paying attention. The nature of these drawings was rather disturbing and violent, and Drew demonstrates little understanding of their severity.

We would like to see Drew engaged in class and making appropriate discussion, so as to have a better standing with both his teachers and fellow students.

Please sign this letter so that Drew can bring it back tomorrow to show that you have received it, and that he will be responsible for his behavior going forward.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Graine (Grade 6)
Preston Elementary

* * *

Dear Diary,

I got sent home early today for making a dumb joke and drawing some comics. I didn't even get to keep them! They went pretty much like this:

1. Stickman Pete is standing there, all normal.
2. A saw blade comes flying out of nowhere!
3. Pete ducks for cover...
4. ...and a second one comes and takes his head clean off!

That's just good physical comedy. I've seen Coffee Joe do the same thing. He jitters off somewhere like an addict, he accidentally winds up in a heavy-duty machine (like a tractor or a crane), and WHAM! Fifty people dead. It's hilarious! And people love that show! The joke wasn't much worse. Shirwin was telling Yo Mama jokes, like "Yo mama's so fat her dress size is in light years!", and dumb stuff like that. So I said "Yo mama's so old she needs rigor-mortis just to stand up straight." And somehow THAT was offensive?! Newsflash: lots of people's moms are heavy. How many of their moms are DEAD?

Then Shirwin started calling me "grim" again, cause I'm a "spooky freak". Yeah, I'm kinda pale, and yeah, I wear a lot of black, so I wasn't really offended. It actually sounded like a cool nickname. So he called me "four-eyes" instead, because of my glasses, and a bunch of other kids joined in. They said I was old and weak, and compared to them I kind of am. I don't like being picked on, so I got really angry about it. I called him "shitbag", and said if he doesn't watch out, I'm leaving him on a doorstep in a flaming paper bag. He got so mad he actually told on me! What a whiner. Everyone took his side, even the teacher, which was total crap. I'm totally alone in my class, so I didn't even have a single friend to take my side. It almost made me want to die from embarrassment.

Anyway, I gotta go. Pearl's going out and I'm going to try to watch Ultrabros, the 14A movie she rented. Everyone else has seen it but she won't let me for some reason.

In a hurry,
Drew Alijandros Radigan

* * *

Flint's Journal #2
January 9

What am I supposed to write about? The whole day was boring and nothing happened. School is supposed to teach you stuff, but I don't feel like I'm learning anything. Sometimes it just feels like I'm the only one who's ready for any action in my whole school, and everyone else is just asleep.

My dad never even went to school, and he makes his whole living by himself. Not that he has a choice.

* * *

Sid's Log: 01/09
Preston Apartment

i. Farmland:
Buy rights to local pig ranch. Easier than expected, previous owner walked for extra $$$ under -the-table. Smart gent.
ii. Residential:
Bring Special brand to local grocers (01/10). Beef & chicken facilities fully operational. Significant consumer traffic in Preston.
iii. Commercial:
Pull pork stock from shelves & reintroduce under Special brand. 25% off, 14 days (01/14 – 01/28).
iv. Legislative:
Postpone Mayoral audience. Hunt for Cloak among populace. Contact at FS Landfill unable to locate item. Someone has it.

* * *

Drew Radigan, Jan. 10th
Mrs. Graine (Gr. 6)
We've just read the short poem Snow Falls by Ted Isadora. How did it make you feel, or  what did you think? (4 sentences)

The poem Snow Falls by Ted Isadora made me feel cold. When he said, "Ice like winter's fingers, dangling frozen from their rooftop perch", it reminded me of how cold my fingers get when it's -30 degrees (Celsius) outside, and how they feel stiff and frozen like bones. That's probably my fault because I wasn't wearing gloves though.

Pearl got me a pair that are warm but they're too thick, and I can't move my fingers to make snowballs or hang on the monkey bars at recess. I don't really have anyone to play with, so I just hold on as long as I can. I tried it yesterday but it was so cold my hands got hard and calloused. They're okay now, though.

* * *

Flint's Journal #3
January 10

Came home to find Dad drunk on the couch before he even made dinner. Guess he got off work early.

Asked him about my birthday again, and about the Cree rite of passage (because I'm turning twelve), but he said "we'll do it next year". I told him that was crap, and asked him straight if he even knew what it was. And you know what? He finally admitted it, he doesn't. Said his dad never taught him cause he was in a residential school and they made him forget. Yeah, that stopped old Grandpa Tom, but what's your excuse? Maybe if he picked up a book instead of a bottle for once he'd know.

Anyway, he whipped my ass again for talking back to him, used that stupid stick with the little piece on the side. What is that thing, anyway? Didn't hurt much, this time.

He tried to send me to bed without dinner, but he was too wobbly to make the macaroni and cheese, so I made it for both of us. I'm not as mad as I probably sound, it's all good now. (That's definitely the most I've wrote all year, for anything.)

* * *

To MOM, from JET.

Thank you for making meatloaf for dinner. The best part was the ketchup and bacon on top! :o)

* * *

Adina's Shopping List:

- Eggs
- Milk
- Apples
- Juice
- Beef (for Gietto)
- Bacon (for Gietto)

* * *

Dear Diary,

Who the heck is "Sid Becken" and what makes him so special? Jet won't stop talking about how it's the "best brand" and it's "new and local" and how it's got a "higher protein content". Whatever, as long as it isn't alive when it hits my plate. I had three whole bowls of beef stroganoff and I'm still hungry, but I'm way too full... Britta makes it the best.

Oh yeah, and at school I was wearing my skull and bones hoodie (the black one with no zipper) and Shirwin started calling me "grim" again. He's not even the first person to call me that! Every time some old deaf person asks me what my name is, I say "Drew" and they're like, "Dew? Drover?" I should just stop correcting them, and be like, "Actually it's Grim, nice to meet you. Where's the nearest graveyard?" It might shut Shirwin up.

He thinks he's the most clever and awesome kid in the world, and he gets away with everything because he's big and adorable (barf). I bet they'd forgive him for murder if he smiled wide enough. Meanwhile I get in trouble for nothing.

Last year he pushed me and I didn't even hit him back, but everyone still acted like he beat me in a fight. I was being NICE because I was afraid I'd hurt him. Pearl's always telling me not to pick on people who are smaller than me, and that if anything it's my job to protect them. But what am I supposed to do about people who are bigger?

Living LARGE,
Drew Radigan

(Oh, and begone to your sun-void slumber, etc. etc. Etc.)

* * *

Sid's Log: 01/10 @ 9 pm

- Preston Sales on 01/09, 400 kgs
- Beef: 300 kgs ($8/kg), $2400
- Chicken: 100 kgs ($5/kg), $500

Outstanding debut. Beef preference noted. Counting on return shoppers for pork on 14th. Old pork stock shipped to Hillwood & Flatstone as "donation" to food bank & shelters. Sales for Beef & Chicken consistent in both locations, but no increase. Local recession?