I can’t count my chickens before they’re hatched, so nothing’s certain.

[Note: In the latest of adolescent Jen’s “gimmick” entries, the first page of the following prose is written right to left, in the fashion of Arabic calligraphy]

Directions: Hold to mirror and read!

Do you like my writing? I’m doing something different again. I’m getting good at it. Anyway, Emily called me this morning. She said that since Nat couldn’t go to the movie, Doug asked if she’d go by herself. So Em was going to go on a real date! But they didn’t go. Nat can’t go tomorrow or Fri. So M (Em) is going tomorrow (with Doug of course!) To-night we were talking on the phone. She asked if I wanted to go. I said yes, so she called Dave.

(I’m tired of writing backwards)

So now Dave and I are going on a double date with M + Doug. Of course he doesn’t know it’s a double date–Em asked if he wanted to go to the movies with her me + Doug. But technically it’s a first date. Except that in order for it to be a “date”, Dave has to ask me, or we are going out. Or I ask him. Here’s how the seating arrangement is supposed to be:

[    ][    ][    ][Dave][ Me ][  M ][Doug]|aisle|<—–chairs

It’s going to be majorly obvious that we’re being set up. M’s going to say that she wants to sit by me + Doug and since Doug has the aisle seat, Dave has to sit next to me. I pray everything works out. We’re going to go see “Getting even with Dad.” It’s a comedy starring Maccauley Culkin. I’m really nervous.

Today at ice-skating there was a guy about our age. He was semi-cute. He had his own skates and was hella good at hockey skating. Anyway, he kept sitting on the wall, looking too solemn. So Nat dared me to go over to him and ask him his name.

So I finally did it. It was Mark. A while later I was dared by Nat to go over, wave to him and say “hi, Mark!” Well, I did it. His younger brother was there and after some investigating, I found out that his name was Isaac and that Mark likes Dr. Pepper. It was so funny! It gave ice skating a twist.

I don’t know what to do about the movie tomorrow. I’m so nervous. What will happen? I can’t count my chickens before they’re hatched, so nothing’s certain.

In an effort to look good, I braided my wet hair tonight. If it doesn’t look good, I can just brush the crimps out and look normal. I hope everything works out. Wish me luck!