Dear Diary

Chapter 1

"Are you ready yet, Sophia?"

A young girl of seventeen looked to see a middle-aged man standing in the doorway of her new bedroom. Despite his age he was well-built, standing tall with broad shoulders which were enhanced by the military uniform he wore. His medals lined down the side and his number four haircut accentuated his stern face devoid of all emotion. 

He was the perfect picture a General of the U.S Military should depict ... and also Sophia's father.

"Yes, sir," she replied, her voice as solid and as disciplined as her father's.

She looked towards the full-length mirror once more to check her appearance. Her blonde hair had been straightened until not a hair was out of place, as she had been taught, while she wore a leather jacket with a black tank top underneath, dark blue jeans and combat boots. Her make-up was minimal and natural. She looked as stern as her father.

She grabbed her bag from beside her bed and followed her father out of their newly rented house and into the garage. They climbed into her father's black Mercedes and Sophia looked at her motorbike which stood proudly to the side. Normally she would ride her bike where ever she needed to, but it was her first day at (yet another) new school and the principal wished to meet her and her father.

It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination. The school was the same as any other: bustling with rowdy teenagers, some pleased to meet their friends after a long holiday away from each other, while others tried to duck and dive unwanted company. It was exactly the same as every other school that Sophia has been to - which was many.

Her father found a parking and opened his door so he could get out the seat. Sophia followed suit and they made their way to the front doors of the school building.

Sophia was more than aware of the gazes that instantly locked on her and her father. The two of them stuck out like a sore thumb after all. No teenager ever dared to bring their parent onto school premises. But Sophia's father walked with complete confidence - his medals giving a slight cling when they touched each other. With his mere presence alone, he had demanded the attention of every adolescent in the vicinity.

It took them a moment to find the principal's office and when they entered Sophia noticed three chairs positioned towards a large oak desk. She felt her heart clench. The school had made the same mistake as every other.

A middle-aged man entered the room shortly after them, his head bald and stomach forced into a belt which seemed two sizes too small. Sophia figured that he might've been her father's height at one point, but his shoulders were slouched while her father stood tall and proud.

"Ah yes, you must be the new student. Sophia?" the man asked.

Sophia nodded her head once in affirmation and gave his hand a firm shake.

"I'm Mr Foster, principal of Ridgeview High. You must be her father. I'm pleased to meet both of you."

The man, Mr Foster, visibly straightened when he took note of her father's attire as they shook hands.

"Likewise," her father replied.

"Please, take a seat," Mr Foster gestured to the three seats as he sat in his own. "I take it your mother wasn't able to attend?"

Sophia stiffened, but her father replied before she could. "She passed."

A look of sympathy passed across the principal's face. "Oh dear, my deepest condolences."

"You wished to speak to me?" Sophia's father changed the subject effortlessly, but his voice held a tension to it that Sophia noticed would only happen whenever he spoke about her mother. She glanced at the empty seat next to her father and wondered what it would be like to have her mother occupying it.

Sophia never met her mother - she had died in childbirth. Whenever she questioned her father about her such a pained look would cross his eyes, although his face remained neutral, that she stopped asking him by the time she turned six. 

The only things she knew about her was her name and what she looked like. The same blonde hair as her own with bright emerald eyes, while Sophia's were plain brown. She only knew that because her father kept a picture of them on their wedding day in his wallet, which she happened to see one day while they were in the shops. As far as she knew, her father kept nothing of her mother except that.

"I am a General in the military, so every few months I have to relocate to where ever I am needed."

Sophia tuned into the conversation.

"I realise that, but your daughter will now be entering senior year, and it is crucial that she is focused on her studies," Mr Foster said.

"My daughter is not lacking in any areas," her father responded.

"Yes, I see that." Mr Foster had glasses perched on his nose as he glanced down at the papers on his desk. "Acquiring A's in all her subjects is quite phenomenal considering her disruptive lifestyle, but I fear that they may slip now in senior year. It is the toughest and most important year of her school career. I know your job calls for you to relocate, but is it possible for her to remain here the whole year?"

"No, she is not of age yet."

"Are there any family members nearby where she could stay?"

"No."

Sophia glanced at her father. Ever since as long as she can remember, she and her father have been moving all over the country. The family that they did have, which were from her mother's side, resided in Florida and the last time she saw any of them was when she was five years old.

The only family members that they still kept in touch with was her Aunt Tess and her son Eric. But even those conversations were few and far between due to her aunt being an international, superstar country singer.

"Well, that's hard luck then. Please, just bear in mind that this will be a stressful time for your daughter so as little amount of disturbance to her routine as possible is vital. That was all I wished to say," Mr Foster concluded and Sophia's father stood. They shook hands and her father glanced at her before walking out the office without another word.

Sophia knew what that glance meant. 'Behave.' Or, in other words, 'Don't embarrass me.'

She slumped slightly in her seat once she heard the door close behind her. All her father ever worried about was how she behaved. It wasn't like she was even a rebel, but he always pushed 'correct mannerisms'. She knew it had to do with the army and their strict discipline, but still ...

"Well, Sophia," Mr Foster began and she turned to look at him. 

He had a large smile on his face, clearly relieved that her father's presence was no longer in the room. That was how much he could affect people. He slid a piece of paper across the desk and Sophia picked it up, realizing that it was her schedule.

"Welcome to Ridgeview High."

[A/N] Hi everyone and welcome to the first chapter of Dear Diary - the revised edition. If you liked what you read and decide to continue reading, feel free to vote and add this story so that you will get the notifications of forthcoming chapters and leave a comment on how you found the chapter.

However, please take note that only respectful, constructive criticism is allowed and any hateful comments will be deleted and blocked. This book holds all the rights of the author and anyone found plagiarizing anything from this book will be liable for prosecution. Also this story and its characters herein are fictitious and any relation to persons living or dead is completely coincidental.

Thank you kindly for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Thank you!

Katelyn Grace