Dear diary,

I've been kicked out of the varsity swim team. Father and Mother have been beyond furious, with the school and me. I was so bummed out, I didn't even tell anyone, not even Tellie or Alexis. I would have even told Odetta if she didn't care so much about that Lypsie Lee girl.

I was kicked out for 'bullying' and 'toxicity' which isn't very fair. I didn't understand what Coach Quinn was talking about. Being the mature girl I am, I went to her office to confront her.

Coach Quinn seemed annoyed. "You're been cut, Goode, deal with it."

"It's the middle of the swim season!" I argued. "You can't cut me off!"

"I'm the coach, Goode."

"At least explain why," I huffed, sitting myself on her bench. Her office was so plain and boring. I felt like my eyes would peel off if I stayed any longer, but I needed to for the sake of my swimming role.

"Okay, this is why," Coach Quinn snarled, pressing her fingers into her desk. "You're a freakin' bully. You judge the other swim members, you call girls off for their looks. You know Samatha?"

Samatha was some fat girl who made the cut. "Yeah?"

"You've been bullying her for her weight!" Coach Quinn threw up her hands in the air, exhausted. "This is silly and foolish. You also have been so toxic to your teammates, you cause drama and rumours, Goode. This isn't exceptional at all, especially from you."

"Especially from me?" I cried out, offended. "What do you mean?"

"I've dealt with girls like you in the past," the coach said coldly. "But you, YOU, are a menace. You take control, so much bad control, and dangle it over people's heads like a lethal weapon. Your words are like poison, Goode."

I stood up from the bench. "You can't say that!"

"You're right," she hissed back. "But I have no shame for bullies."

And I had no shame either. I got Father to fire Coach Quinn the next day, and I watched her shocked face turn into anger. I smirked as I saw my coach pack up her items.

"I hope you're happy," she growled as I visited her dull office.

"Oh, I will be," I grinned. "And I'll be updating your boring office along the way, Quinn."

Coach Quinn was replaced, and the school hired a woman named Coach Shelly.

And, as expected, Coach Shelly got me back on the time and cut off the fat girl. It was finally peaceful and blissful for once. The swim team stood out of the way and I won. I always win.

No matter what.

Dear diary,

I went up to Lypsie and told her to stay away. This new girl wasn't about to ruin the friendship I spent so long on. We were in the empty washroom, the same washroom where I met Odetta. I wasn't going to let Lypsie brainwash her.

"I don't care," she replied, applying red lipstick. "You're a senseless one anyways."

"Just like your daddy, Adam?" I sneered and she froze. "I heard about the crimes he committed. A terrible man, Lypsie. I truly hope he rots in prison until the day he dies. Father like daughter, right?"

"Shut up."

I walked closer. "Make me."

"Shut up!"

"Make me," I whispered in her ear, smiling.

"SHUT UP, PENELOPE!" Lypsie swung a left hook and missed. I shrieked as she threw another one, missing again. I wasn't shy either. I thrashed and kicked her in the shins. I had no idea how no one heard us fighting, but I had blood dripping from my nose.

"Don't talk about my dad like that ever again," Lypsie threatened.

I wiped away the blood. "Then stay away from Odetta."

"Never."

"Then we'll have a hard time together."

"Good."

I huffed. "What's your deal anyways?"

She gave me a distant look. "You would never understand. I'm leaving."

I talked to Tellie about how much Odetta was drifting away. "It's that Lee girl!"

"Her name is Lypsie," Tellie said meekly.

"I know her name!" I snapped, scaring her. "She's brainwashing her like a zombie!"

"Odetta knows what she's doing," she replied simply. "She'll come back to us."

"Ugh, you're no help! I should have gotten Alexis to come instead."

This got a rifle out of Tellie. She tensed and turned sour. I always knew what drove Tellie to the tipping point. Father always said, "Take control, drive them to the tipping point. That's the only way to make them sell."

"I'm just as good," Tellie mustered, mumbling.

I smiled. "Of course, Tels."

Dear diary,

I saw Tellie hanging around a boy. His name is Kirks Witcher, but most people refer to him as Circe, not as Circle. According to the Greek tales that Mother used to tell me, Circe was an enchantress. An evil or good one was debatable. Mother used to say that Circe was a cruel woman, but Father says that Circe was just some legend.

Tellie was giggling. "You're so funny."

You're so funny, how original, Tellie.

"You want to go to Wendy's with me?" Circe asked her.

"Uhm...nah, I'm good."

He gave a mere nod. "That's fine with me."

They whispered to each other's ears, laughing. I couldn't let Tellie be taken away like how Lypsie did with Odetta. I stormed over, scaring the duo. "Tels, I've been looking for you!"

"Oh...Kirks, this is Penny, my friend."

"Nice to meet you," he said, looking a bit uneasy. He glanced at Tellie as if they were speaking in each other's minds. "I'm Kirks Witcher, but call me Circe—"

"Oh yes, I know who you are," I snapped, grabbing Tellie by the wrist. "Stay away, creep."

"Creep?" Kirks questioned as I dragged Tellie away. "I'll text you, Ellie!"

"ELLIE?!" I demanded once we got away from the Circe guy.

"He also calls me Els..." Tellie trailed off. "I like him, Penny. So much. Why did you have to ruin our special moment?! You em-embarrassed me!"

"Oh please," I yelled, frustrated. "Do you really want to be like your mom? Yeah, because Porta Hollows would go on a date with some fair-weather idiot called Circe. Maybe instead of Ellie or Els, your nickname should be 'The Worst BFF Ever'—"

"Penny, stop it!" Tellie cried out, sobbing. "STOP! You're so mean and—"

"I'm your only chance." I walked closer to her. "Didn't I buy your place for the track event?"

"I..."

"I'm the only one who understands you," I said quickly. "We're all broken, aren't we? We don't need to be fixed; den chreiázetai na diorthósoume."

"Den chreiázetai na diorthósoume," Tellie echoed sadly.

Dear diary,

I met Alexis for lunch, just the two of us. Odetta was hanging out with Lypsie more often and Tellie said she was busy. Yeah right, Tels. Tellie has been acting weird, spending less time with me. Odetta was rubbing off on her, but I suspect it's because of that Circe boy.

I saw Alexis with a taro bubble tea and some pasta. "Uhm, hey, Penny."

I set down my stuff, rolling my eyes. "You already ordered? Wow, what a great BFF."

Alexis frowned. "You're twenty minutes late and I skipped breakfast..."

"It was just a joke, Lexis."

"Don't call me that, Penny..." Alexis shoved a handful of pasta in her mouth. I ordered some pasta as well, but less sauce. She could never handle a joke, she was too busy stuffing her face in a book. I swear I could just rip one to shreds if I see her reading again.

"What's up?" Alexis asked finally as I chewed.

"Odetta and Lypsie are getting on my nerves."

"C'mon, she's not so bad, Penny," she replied, laughing a bit.

"Yeah, I guess Odetta isn't so bad."

"I'm talking about Lypsie!"

I set down my food, glaring. There was no way I'd let Lypsie take Alexis too. I wasn't going to let Lypsie drive us apart. I wasn't going to let everything I wanted and worked for just fall apart. "Don't lie, it's not a pretty thing."

"What?"

"Lypsie's here to ruin us," I persisted, packing up.

Alexis turned pale. "Wait, y-you're leaving? Like right now? We didn't even pay—"

"You're paying," I snapped, tossing my hair over my shoulder. "And the price, the cost, is our friendship."

"You're just ditching me?"

"I could ditch you," I said with ease. I knew Alexis didn't have anyone else to turn to, she was forever alone. "Permanently."

I walked out, leaving Alexis Kathan stunned.

Alexis hated that day, a day she tried to forget. She tried to store it away in the back of her mind so she'd never have to remember it again. She did the same with the pool incident.

Alexis Kathan just melted and sank into the mattress of her bed. She never realized how much of a bad friend Penelope Goode was. Coach Quinn, who Alexis heard about before, was right about Penny.

Her words were a lethal weapon. She dangled over people's heads like a poisonous cloud, always there to shadow over you. Suddenly, Alexis' mind became clear and focused.

In other words, Alexis Kathan realized what a toxic bully Penelope Goode was.