Rigmor told me her brother manages the local comics and games store, which I was happy to hear about because I didn’t even know there was one in town. She said we could go there after school one day and I could meet her brother. That was something I didn’t even have back home! Could anything be better than being friends with a girl who practically owns her own comic-book store? No.

Things were so good that I almost started to like Stony Butte Elementary for a while there. I was feeling so good I sent you a couple of texts and a game invite. I wondered if you were missing me and didn’t know what to say. But you didn’t reply. Again. That made me glad I’d already decided not to send this. Unless you really want to read it when we’re back in touch and things are normal again.

I wonder if people are only your friends when you can see them in person. If so, why is my sister constantly talking to her mopey friends from back home about how sad they all are and how no one understands them? Why isn’t anyone talking to me? I started worrying about you and your mom. I wondered if you guys were having money troubles since the TV show is shut down. When we had our bad family meeting, my dad said your mom was “another factor.” I didn’t know what that meant. He felt bad about everyone who worked on the show losing their jobs. My dad cares about people. He really does.

Never mind. Back to the good stuff. My mom and I were making things happen at Stony Butt, which is what I call this town in my mind, but I don’t say it out loud because I don’t want my mom or anyone else to think I’m making fun of this place. My mom has a new job and she just got asked to teach a Pilates class at the community center. I saw my sister reading a book that didn’t have a black cover with a bat or a vampire on it. Everything was looking up. Or almost everything. At least for a while.

This past Monday, Ben rode me home on his bike and said we should go rock climbing, which sounded terrible and dangerous, but I was still glad to be asked. Rigmor invited me to go to her brother’s store, which I was excited and also sort of nervous about.

On Tuesday, my mom and sister and I had dinner, and my sister and my mom actually ate some beans, which meant they both got in a better mood almost right away because of how carbs bring the joy. We even laughed a couple of times. Those were the first laughs we had in that house. I played games online with Dave and Macii and Rigmor.