Don't Peek (The Diaries of a Teenage Girl)

by Marita A. Hansen

  After karate, there was a barbecue at one of the black belt’s house, Lucas – I think that’s his name.

  I watched ‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’ tonight. It was rather good. Watergate was mentioned in it. I want to know what it is and what happened. Watergate? I must look it up.

  Anyway, I wrapped all of my presents for Christmas and Mum’s one looks neat with the ribbons and all. I even fixed up a little gift tab with it. It looks excellent. I must make the other gifts look good too. I’ve still got to get Clara’s and Dad’s presents, and also send a couple of cards off. And I can’t forget to write to my pen pals. Maybe I can send a card off to the New Zealander or even to the Japanese ones as well. I’m also definitely going to send my name into Teletext so more people can write to me. It would be great to have a lot of pen pals.

  I want to get some Sherlock Holmes books. And I must ring Amy to tell her about karate. I hope my knuckles get better. And I should also try and find Melanie’s phone number. She lives next door to Liam Hudsworth. Celia, her sister, has a crush on him.

  I’m going to go to work with Dad on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I might be doing next door’s lawn.

  I better go to bed now.

  Laku noć

  (Goodnight in Yugoslav)

  SUNDAY

  18

  DECEMBER

  I went to one of my friend’s birthday party. It was excellent. We went to the beach first. My new togs were excellent. I went windsurfing for the first time. Well, I had a try.

  It was my last karate lesson for the year yesterday and I got my certificate for my grade, which was cool. I didn’t go for the barbecue. Mum, my younger sister, and I went shopping today at Panmure. I posted my Christmas cards.

  WEDNESDAY

  21

  DECEMBER

  I have just finished reading ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo. It was amazing. I must look the mafia up and also Watergate.

  I got the book ‘Savages’. Mum brought it home yesterday.

  I saw a real cute guy today. He’s a milk boy. I’ve seen him before, but was not interested. But today he was so cute and I love it when guys wear cut-off shirts and they have muscly arms. I have to see him some more, I just have to check what days he does his milk run on.

  Also, I want to start up jogging, but I always seem to put it off. What a bummer. I must get fitter. I’m getting a bit too heavy. My weight is alright, but I mean the way I look. I don’t want to be flabby.

  I need to make a lot of friends next year, even if I don’t sit with them. I must be really friendly. It’s my last year at high school and it’s going to be my best.

  I’ve got 4 Christmas cards left. One for Clara and I’ll decide what to do with the rest later. I’ll probably be going to the shops tomorrow. I must get Clara’s present as well. Also, I can take back some library books.

  I went to Shena’s house today, saw ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’. I’m going to get Poison’s tape from her, which she will get from Diana. I also must remember to ring Clara.

  TUESDAY

  27

  DECEMBER

  I’ve been writing heaps of letters lately. I wrote 4 on Sunday – Christmas day – and one very long one today. I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to stop writing them. I had a real gala day writing my last one. I wrote 4 and a half pages. I just want people to write to me, I don’t mind what they say just as long as they write.

  I finished reading ‘Savages’ by Shirley Conran last night. It was absolutely brilliant. It’s one of the best that I have ever read. ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Savages’ are the best books. Also ‘The Godfather’ was brilliant and ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ was very well written.

  I got a new diary for Christmas from my older sister. It’s a real nice one. So on the first of January I will start writing in that book instead of here.

  That cute milk boy does work on – oh, I forgot – well, too bad. Maybe it was ..... oh, I don’t know.

  New Year’s Day is this Sunday – the week after Christmas. I’m going to see the film ‘Big’ – maybe tonight?

  I want to be a writer. Why else do I love reading and coming up with all these ideas for stories. I’m going to work on this one which I like a lot – the idea, that is. It’s going to be about this girl and boy. The boy is part Puerto Rican and American, he’s 17-years-old and is in his last year at high school. He’s a brilliant artist and poet, but hides it because he’s shy about his work. He starts having trouble at home when his Puerto Rican mother, who is grateful to her husband for pulling her out of the Bronx, begins drinking heavily after finding out that he plays around. The father knows that the mother will never leave since she will own nothing without him, but he’s tired of her, which is why he has affairs, and when she drinks he loses his temper and slaps her around. The boy is over protective of his mother and is constantly fighting with his father. They live in a middle class place so they aren’t poor, but the boy soon joins up with a gang of the poorer kids since he can’t stand being around the richer ones, because they remind him of his father. He is in constant trouble at school and gets in fights with the richer guys. He dresses like the poorer kids and sometimes he runs away from home after he has a fight with his father. He always goes to the same place – a beautiful spot by a stream. This is where he is able to concentrate and draw and do poems. It’s one place he is able to be by himself.

  He has a little sister aged 6, and a little brother aged 12. He loves his sister dearly and is afraid that she will get hurt during the fighting.

  The main girl in the story is from England and moves to America with her father and mother. She starts going to the boy’s high school. She has blonde hair, cut to just above the shoulders in a Cleopatra style, except all the one length. Her father is a well-known English architect, who becomes the president of the number one architecture business in America, which is why they moved there. The mother is an old English starlet, who was a hit back in the early 60s and late 50s as an actress and is considering returning to acting, this time in America.

  The girl can be called Shelley or Cassandra, while the boy will be called Mike, I think. Well, the girl becomes popular instantly and all the boys start asking her out, but she chooses the lead football player, who is handsome and the most popular boy, but is very vain. Even though all the guys like her, Mike doesn’t. He reckons she’s a stuck-up rich bitch, and ignores her or causes trouble. He reckons she is just like all the rich kids who remind him of his father.

  Well, anyway, she is in his Art, English, and Liberal Studies classes.

  She also avoids Mike, because of his reputation, but is still fascinated with the way he acts, even though she is scared of him. Mike, who is extremely handsome with a dark complexion, high cheekbones, and a fine nose and black eyes, is in turn the talk of all the girls at school. Because of this, the rich girls frequently dare each other to hit on him, even though they know he doesn’t like them. He will only go out with the poorer ones.

  In Liberal Studies, a marriage project is happening, so the teacher pairs couples up. Cassandra’s boyfriend is in the class too. When the teacher pairs Mike and Cassandra, Mike gets hassled by her boyfriend and told not to do anything to her or else. However, Cassandra is slowly growing sick of her boyfriend – his name is Robert or Stewart – and starts having feelings for Mike, but she acts as if she doesn’t like him, because she is scared of what her boyfriend might do if she became entangled with Mike.

  Mike doesn’t like her, but slowly stops being hostile towards her and eventually falls for her. When they do finally get together and confess their feelings for each other, everyone tries to break them apart, but they fight back and stay together.

  Their song will be ‘A Town Without Pity’ and that will be the name of the book.

  Name Ideas:

  Boy – Mike, Matt.

  Girl – Amanda, Cassandra, Danielle, or Donna could be good names for her, also Sandra, Sarah, Shelley.

  THURSDAY

&nb
sp; 29

  DECEMBER

  I went to see ‘Big’ last night with my younger sister and one of my cousins. The film was so sweet.

  I got all my pen pal letters posted yesterday.

  Soon it will be New Year’s Eve, then New Year’s Day. 1989 will be here on Sunday. I’m not sure what we will be doing exactly on New Year’s Eve – might be at the Yugoslav club. I love going to the Yugoslav picnic, but I’m not that interested in going to the club.

  _______________

  I wonder if I’ll get any letters from the pen pals I sent away for. I reckon my best letter was to that guy from Dunedin. It must be lovely down there. I would love to go and see the South Island. They had a program about it tonight with Leeza Gibbons in it. Beautiful scenery and places.

  Well, I better get some sleep now – so goodnight.

  Laku noć

  FRIDAY

  30

  DECEMBER

  I wonder what school will be like in “89”. There won’t be any of this year’s 7th form there, so that means Clara’s boyfriend Mike (not my Mike) and also Lauren (not my sister) will be gone. And a lot of this year’s 6th form won’t be coming back either.

  We will be going on a camp next year for school. I hope we go to Motitapu - I think you spell it that way. I’ll just check. Nope, it was Motatapu. I’ve never been there before.

  Also, I hope I do well in “89”. I need to do good at school, because it’s the bursary year.

  I hope I get some letters from my pen pals. I like writing, it’s neat.

  _______________

  Things I would like to do or happen in the year “89”

  1) Do extremely well in my subjects at school.

  2) Join the school committees and be one of the leaders, especially in the social committee.

  3) Go to the school ball (with a spunky guy).

  4) Go out with a guy, someone who I really like.

  5) Do extremely, extremely well in karate.

  6) Do extremely well at school for sports and at all competitions in sport.

  7) Become very popular.

  8) Be a liaison officer.

  9) Have a lot of pen pals.

  10) Get a job – a good one. Part-time – hopefully at Denny’s.

  11) Write a book, a big one – a novel.

  Things that I can do to be popular

  1) Join committees, clubs, etc.

  2) Help people – be friendly.

  3) Always smile and say hi to people.

  4) Talk to people I know and don’t know.

  5) If anyone is by themselves, talk to them – whether they’re 3rd or 7th formers – remember you were like them once – do unto others what you wish them to do unto you.

  6) Don’t be shy.

  7) Don’t just talk to girls, talk to guys. Let them know what you’re really like. Offer to help them with their homework.

  8) Also, I must dress good, be clean, and smell good. Use my nice smelling soaps for my baths or showers, put nice perfume on, shave my legs perfect, put nice smelling moisturiser on them, wash underarm every morning and put roll-on and powder on. Have clean nails – both toes and fingers. Take spray and makeup with me to school. Have clean, nice smelling clothes. Wear clothes for the occasion, not hot stuff on a boiling day so I won’t stink. Put powder in my shoes so they don’t stink. Always have sparkling teeth and good breath. Buy breath cleanser – or something like that. Don’t wear too much jewellery or makeup, have just the right amount on. Walk, talk, and hold head up high. Be confident. Always have a watch. Always wash around the neck and ears and in ears. Have a good wash in the morning. Have hair clean and done beautifully. Curl it with curling comb and wash it with nice smelling shampoo and conditioner. Have split ends cut off. Talk properly. Don’t mumble. Smile and be happy – try to cheer up anyone who is down.

  9) Be responsible with people, don’t argue, don’t lose your cool.

  10) Be charming, compliment people, charm them.

  11) Don’t tell lies. They can hurt and make you feel guilty. Don’t be guilty, because if you don’t do anything wrong, your conscience will be free.

  12) Don’t swoon over boys. If you like them, get to know them and be friendly – Say hi or something, talk to them, because if you don’t it’s no use being stupid and going goo goo over them. Don’t let boys look down at you. Be proud of yourself, but not stuffy. Don’t be vain. Don’t be bullied – stand up to the culprits. Talk reason. Don’t complain no matter what. Don’t be a whinger.

  13) Smile.

  _______________

  I must make the most of my holidays, and not just let them pass me by. I must also make the most of what I’ve got. I should be more grateful, especially to my parents. I should do more things – I shouldn’t have to be told to tidy things up. I need to make everyone happy – at home as well as at school, everywhere. Sometimes I trim the edges of the lawn without being asked, I think my parents like me doing that, and it keeps me busy. I must always be busy, I don’t know why, I get hyperactive sometimes. I suppose it’s why I exercise so much. I need to be doing things all the time, my mind races ahead of my body. It’s sort of like I’m aching to jump out of my skin, because I’m not moving fast enough. It’s hard to explain.

  SATURDAY

  31

  DECEMBER

  New Year’s Eve.

  We’re going to the Yugoslav club tonight. I’m going to tidy up my room now, so I’ll write later.

  ______________

  I need to lose weight on my legs and stomach (waist), and I should learn to swim better, so I’ll go to the pools to train. I need to know how to dive better as well.

  I must make time for training – be determined to learn and become fitter and better. Also, I must take better care of my hands, in particular my fingernails, because I bite them. It’s a nervous reaction to almost anything; I do it even when I’m bored. Actually, that’s when I do it the most.

  Diary 1989

  MONDAY

  2

  JANUARY

  Saturday night, Dad, Mum, Nina, and I went to the Yugoslav club. We stayed there to just past 12:30 pm.

  Sunday morning, Mum, Nina, and I went to church. When we got home, Dad joined us and we went to say ‘Happy New Year’ to our neighbours. I think we got back just before one o’clock. Later on we went to Aunty Vesna’s place. We stayed there till about 9:45 pm.

  Lena, a girl from the club and also a relation, I think from Uncle Luka’s side, was there. Well, anyway, she reckons the girls snob her too, and that she gets bored like me, so next time I go to the club I’ll have someone to talk to.

  I did some more jogging. I went this morning and at 8:00 at night. The morning run was around 11:30, so it was boiling hot and I couldn’t do much more than half an hour. The night run was for 40 minutes. It went well until I got a heat rash on my legs and it started to burn. It was very painful. I also went for a swim at the local pool. It was only a short one because they had to close.

  I’m going to Rainbow’s End tomorrow from 9:30 to around 6 at night with my younger sister and the boy next door. The boy’s mother is taking us.

  I’m going to see Torvill and Dean this Saturday with Mum at the Big Top, which is at the Epsom Grounds. It’s going to be excellent. Also, there will be Russian ice skaters too, who will do excellent Russian dances on the ice.

  TUESDAY

  3

  JANUARY

  We didn’t go to Rainbow’s End today, because of the weather, so we’ll go tomorrow at the same time. I went running instead, this time in the late afternoon. Due to the heat rash, I wore my cycling pants. It was much better than wearing the other shorts, because they didn’t rub.

  My younger sister, her friend, and I got two videos out. It only cost five dollars for both. We saw ‘Teen Wolf Too’ and the ‘American Nynga’ (I don’t know how to spell the second word). Anyway, they were both good and the second one was excellent. ‘Ninja’ – that’s how you spell it, Mum just told me.


  Shena just rang. I invited her to go to Rainbow’s End tomorrow. She couldn’t go today because she went to Piha then Orewa, somewhere in that direction anyway. She said it was nice and sunny up there. So, now at least I will have someone to talk to, because my sister will go off with her friend.

  The holidays are going very fast, I reckon. Already I’ve had practically two months of holidays. Soon I will be a big 7th former. Well, the 3rd formers look at the 7th formers like they are adults. I remember when I was in the 3rd form the 7th formers looked so big and mature, only now do I look at those 7th form boys as immature.

  I feel like writing some more letters, only I haven’t got any replies from the other ones that I’ve written to. That’s probably because of all the public holidays. Hopefully, some will come tomorrow. But, I will have to wait till just after six to see whether I have any since I will be at Rainbow’s End practically all day.

  Karate starts again soon - on the 12th, next Thursday. I hope I become really good at karate. The boy from next door, my sister’s friend, was a yellow belt in Taekwondo and his father was a brown belt.

  I’ve got to draft the badminton skirt pattern sometime before badminton starts again. I wonder when it will be starting. I also wonder whether Caleb will be there, because if he is it’ll be mighty embarrassing, since I haven’t seen or heard from him at all, not even after I gave a present to his sisters to give him for his birthday. Maybe he didn’t like it. So be it, can’t change things now.

  SATURDAY

  7

  JANUARY

  I finally got a letter from the first pen pal that I sent off for. Her name is Rachel Linton, and she is from Napier. I got it yesterday. She’s in the 5th form this year and is fifteen.

  I started a drawing of my Aunty Vesna and Uncle Luka in pencil.

  I’ve started dieting yesterday. I’m using Victoria Principal’s one week dieting program.