PMB's Diary: DO NOT OPEN (PENNY) by beth9501
Summary:

It's 1995 and 16 year old Pam thinks she has everything figured out. All she wants is to be an artist, find a nice boy to fall in love with, and continue to think that everything happens for a reason.

The summer after her 16th birthday everything comes crashing down. Pam's life as she knew it begins to change. The perfect cocoon of a life she had originally had begins to crumble.

 


Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Past, Future, Alternate Universe Characters: Jim/Pam, Pam, Pam/Other, Pam/Roy
Genres: Childhood, Fluff, Inner Monologue
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Challenges: Another Decade
Challenges: Another Decade
Series: None
Chapters: 31 Completed: Yes Word count: 21168 Read: 26067 Published: February 05, 2020 Updated: June 09, 2023
Monday, January 1,1996 by beth9501
Author's Notes:
I hope everyone is staying safe during this time!

So I reorganized my room and lost my journal in the process. There isn’t too terribly much to update future me on, but there are some things. I’ll start with the most important. I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! AH! Roy asked me to be his girlfriend last night at midnight. How romantic, right? It was really sweet! We were with all of his friends and had been drinking. He was a bit tipsy when he asked me, but he was so incredibly genuine and heartfelt. I sound like a sappy movie right now. I’m just on cloud 9. I really didn’t think I’d date anyone ever again after James...I mean Jim (ugh why change your name anyway, so dumb). I feel so happy. I have a group of friends to hang out with. I skipped school with them the other day. We went out to lunch and never came back AND DIDN’T GET CAUGHT. It was such a rush.


 Anyway, I have a group of friends, a boyfriend, and I’m starting my art classes up again! Roy said I ditch them to take the health class requirement with him. He suggested we “might need it”. I didn’t really understand what he meant by that, but I’ll take it next year since it’s a requirement to graduate anyway. I just don’t want to lose sight of my art ever again. How devastating would that be?


My job at the office has been steady. Roy is always there so we eat a snack together during our break. He’s made some friends down there and they’re trying to convince him to drop out and work full time down there with them. I don’t know, but he might be considering it? I know he wants to play football in college, so it doesn’t make much sense. Especially because he’s being scouted by some pretty big schools! Let me see if I can remember them...The College of Idaho, Hiram College (Ohio), and Wilkes University which isn’t too far from here! I know his big concern is cost, which makes sense. If he gets a football scholarship, that’ll pay for part of it, but he should really try harder in some of his classes. I mean, creative writing? I didn’t enjoy it, but I did pass it. If he wants to go to college for sports, he should take it more seriously.


Ugh. I’m sorry, mom and dad keep annoying me with college so I’ve been thinking about it more. If Roy and I are still together a year from now, I’ll probably just consider where he’s going. That would be the easiest and then we can avoid the whole long distance junk. I guess if he goes out of state I can’t really follow him though, we don’t have that kind of money either. But I’ve thought about getting a degree in art. My parents think that’s ridiculous and said I should “supplement it with something that’ll make me money...like business”. Which I mean, I guess they’re right? It’s not what I want though and this is my life, not theirs. So I don’t have to listen to them anyway. I can’t wait until I’m 18. Only a year and 2ish months left until I don’t have to listen to their rules anymore! My first step with that is telling them I’m not driving Penny anymore. It’s really the biggest annoyance ever. She always wants to play music I don’t like on the radio, always begs me to take her places, always asks for money - which I don’t even have myself! She is such a burden on me sometimes. 


On the other hand, I do have a lot of time on my hands since Roy is always out with his guy friends. I only hang out when the girlfriends are there, which seems to be somewhat less so now that football season is over. Okay, when I said earlier that I have a friend group? Let me clarify, we don’t see each other all the time. Usually just at lunch in the cafeteria. It’s still nice though!!


I hope my parents never read this because I’m totally screwed if they do. I’m hiding it right now. Until next time future Pam. (PS, hopefully this thing with Roy works out because we’re such a great match)!!

End Notes:

Why yes, I did Google search, "small college in xyz state". Here are some facts I learned. The College of Idaho has a total of 1,000 students, Hiram College has the terrier as their mascot, and Wilkes University has 41 post-grad, medical field program, etc type degrees. So there's some facts for you all today!

PS, Roy is not forever, he's just a part of this story for now. 

This story archived at http://mtt.just-once.net/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=5716