Dec. 3. 2023. Dear Skyler, Sorry I didn’t write after school yesterday, I had swim team and we went to the movies after. Anyway I just got some horrible news. For some context, at my school Christmas break starts on the 4th, mostly because any days after that are almost always snow days so there’s no point of keeping us in school if they just cancel anyway. We were supposed to have a week off and then go to my aunt’s house for Christmas, but instead of leaving on the 10th, we’re leaving on the 5th. In 2 days! I should probably tell you a little more about me and my family, since my last entry was kinda vague. My family is pretty strange. My mom and dad were childhood best friends, who got married in a marriage decided on by my grandparents. They had my sister Leila and me. They got divorced when I was 5, but it was friendly and they still platonically love eachother. The marriage just didn’t work out (probably because they’re both gay, hence why there was an arranged marriage in the first place. They came from a really religious town.) A few months after, my dad started dating Liam, and they got engaged, and adopted my four other siblings, Callan, Athena, Luca, and Quinn. My extended family is a little simpler. I have 12 cousins, Peter, John, Hannah, Ezekiel, Delilah, Joanna, Abigail, Ezra, Leah, Maria, Mike, and Adam. I haven’t seen them in years, so I don’t know their exact ages, but I know Mike, Joanna, and Hannah are older than me and the rest are all younger. I have a feeling my extended family isn’t going to like me very much. They’re all really bigoted. I remember last time we were all together, I heard dinner conversations about how queer people are going to hell, people with dark skin are threats/illegal immigrants, and disabled people are financial burdens and will never achieve anything. My whole family also has light skin, brown hair, and blue eyes. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb. I have jet black hair with neon green bangs, heterochromia (left eye blue, right green) and vitiligo. I also have a hearing aid and a cochlear implant, and while the hearing aid is more hidden, the cochlear is noticeable right away. Anyways, Skyler, I have to go pack. Ugggghhhhh. Sincerely, Tabitha
