Love (fuck) Your Diary

He started writing a diary during his last year in middle school: it started with a page ripped out of a notebook. He thought he was punk as fuck. The civics class had been so boring that day. Mr. Pestañasdevaca, the civics teacher, was talking about los niños héroes (the virgin suicides: the heroic cadets): their dedication, their patriotism... real heroes. The class was informed that Mexico was in desperate need of heroes like that:

-"All kids want to do these days is go to the mall and dress like 'gringos'. If there are no patriotic values in today's youth, what can we expect of our country twenty years from now?" Mr. Pestañasdevaca looked truly troubled and saddened, ready to jump off a cliff wrapped up in the mexican flag, unable to stop the cultural 'gringo' invasion.

The first page in Hector's diary boasted a ballpoint-pen drawing portraying Mr. Pestañasdevaca holding a gun to his head. Hector entitled his portrait "Live free or die", a phrase he had seen or heard on some magazine or TV show. He had just finished his drawing when a girl in the class offered an answer to Mr. Pestañasdevaca's accusation:

-"Please Mr. Pestañasdevaca! only indians, nacos and poor people join the army... those people don't even have an education. They can barely read or write. I'm sorry, but people like that can't be heroes." All of her friends nodded in agreement as they gave Mr. Pestañasdevaca dissaproving looks.

Mr. Pestañasdevaca and his patriotic speeches faced a tough crowd. Hector's private school was located in one of the most respectable middle-class neighborhoods in Mexico City. Most of the kids in this neighborhood had been raised in families with very conservative values. But they were also exposed and had consumed, since their early childhood, everything that American popular culture had to offer to the world: from Knight Rider to NFL televised games.

Hector ripped this page off his notebook during one of those classroom moments
dreaded by teenagers: a sudden silence when one becomes the unwanted center of attention, a clumsy and unprepared actor in the stage of life. Mr. Pestañasdevaca walked to the back left corner of the classroom, Hector's hideout from the world. The drawing was taken to the principal's office. Two hours later Hector and Mr. Pestañasdevaca were sitting in front of Mrs. Chaix desk: "As the principal of this school, I will not tolerate this kind of vulgar display of violence. Young man, you owe Mr. Pestañasdevaca an apology... and your parents will be immediately notified of your two day suspension". Hector tried to explain to his teacher that all he wanted to do was to write the first page of his diary."Explain that to your parents" was Mr. Pestañasdevaca's only reply.

Diego laughed his ass off when Hector told him what have happened in Mrs. Chaix office. Hector confided a secret to his friend: "I'm starting a diary".
"Look" said Diego, "I'm your best friend, but I don't give a fuck about your diary... It's Friday, let's go to the movies".