The Journals of Kara and Jason

By Charlie Wood

A boy. A girl. A friendship. A shocking secret.

When Kara meets Jason, a foreign exchange student from Europe, they quickly form a friendship, bonding over what it feels like to be an outsider who doesn't belong.

However, Kara soon learns that Jason has a secret—a secret that will not only rock their friendship, but also everything Kara knows about life.

"A brilliant novel...highly recommended" - The YA Lit Chick

"I was completely blown away by just how good it was...I absolutely loved it." - Sooz Book Reviews

"Beautifully written...captivating...I loved it!" - The Reading Diaries

"A joy to read...beautiful...so easy to get lost in..." - Book Passion For Life

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charlie Wood
• Release date: Sep 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301694792

Charlie Wood

Charlie Wood lives with his wife, Kate, in Massachusetts. He enjoys movies, baseball, and comic books. This is his first novel.

Book preview

The Journals

of Kara and Jason

Charlie Wood

Copyright © 2013 Charlie Wood

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the publisher and author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be uploaded without the permission of the publisher and author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is originally published.

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

To contact the author:

[e-mail]

www.charliewood24.blogspot.com

Table of Contents

Kara Bridges’ Journal September 25, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus September 25, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal September 26, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus September 29, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal October 3, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus October 8, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal October 9, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus October 15, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal October 26, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus October 26, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal November 18, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus November 18, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal November 19, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus November 20, 2008

Kara Bridges’ Journal November 21, 2008

JOURNAL DEACTIVATED

Kara Bridges’ Journal November 22, 2008

The Online Sidnet Journal of Jason Andrus has been reactivated.

Kara Bridges’ Journal February 8, 2013

ONLINE SIDNET JOURNAL INTERNAL SETTINGS

Kara Bridges’ Journal February 8, 2013

MESSAGE FOR JASON ANDRUS

Kara Bridges’ Journal February 8, 2013

William Hawking's Report to Home Base

The Journal of Jason Andrews February 24, 2013

About the Author

Kara Bridges’ Journal

September 25, 2008

So my mom tells me writing in this journal might help me, since I’m kinda going through a tough time. And since I love to write, I figured I’d give it a shot. So here goes. Where should I begin? Oh, I know.

Eighth grade totally sucks.

I’m sorry, but it does. I’ve been trying to give it a chance like my mom keeps telling me to, because after all, it’s only been about three weeks, but I can tell when something sucks. And eighth grade totally sucks.

The worst part is, seventh grade didn’t suck. It was actually kind of awesome—as awesome as school can be, anyway. Me and my best friend Stace had fun pretty much every day. We had been friends since third grade, and gotten really close during sixth grade, and spent seventh grade literally inseparable. Well, not literally inseparable—we weren’t, like, sewed together or anything. But you get the idea.

That’s all changed, now, though. I started noticing it right at the end of the summer—Stace stopped calling me or texting me to hang out, and even worse, stopped calling me back or texting me back at all. Then, when school started up again, I ran up to her on the first day because I was so excited to see her, but as soon as I started talking to her and asking her why she had fallen off the face of the earth, she turned and walked away. Like, literally stopped the conversation dead cold and walked away with Sarah Lawrence, who I thought she hated but is now apparently her new best friend. My dad (who doesn’t live with me and my mom—don’t ask) keeps telling me that it’s normal, that sometimes people just grow apart, and that when kids (especially girls) start getting older, they can change really quickly, even over the course of a summer. I get that, because I’m not the same person I was during seventh grade, either, but that doesn’t mean it sucks any less. I just miss talking to my friend.

Oh, and to top it all off, guess what happened to me today? I got my first ever detention. Can you believe it? For being late to class. The whole thing was kind of weird, actually. It all started when I stepped off the bus this morning. (I’ve been begging my mom to drive me to school, but she goes the totally opposite way in the morning, as she’s told me a million times.)

Anyway, as the torture-mobile known as the bus was driving away, I looked around at the hormonal chaos that is known as the twenty minutes before first period at FDR Middle School. The girls were all in their tight little groups, chatting away and laughing at how crazy the boys can be, and the boys were all in their own groups, which aren’t nearly as tight and compact as the girls’. The boys’ groups are more like little tornadoes—tornadoes that swear and punch each other and desperately, desperately try to impress the girls. As I was previously whining (pathetically) about before, I’m still looking to find my new group of friends since the Great Stace Debacle of 2008, so I was just about to bee-line it into the school and wait in my first period class when I saw somebody sitting all by themselves on a bench a few feet away from the bus drop-off.

He was my age, I think, but I’ve never seen him before today. Actually, when I think about it, he might be in seventh grade, because he looked a little young, like he still has that baby face and is still kind of chubby. His haircut also looked pretty weird—it was cut close on the sides, but long on top and parted in the middle, like the person who cuts his hair is stuck in the 1990’s (which was not a good decade for hair). His clothes also made me laugh: they were a little too tight, like maybe he gained some weight over the summer and hasn’t realized it yet. There was also a picture on his shirt— it was a poster for a movie, Jurassic Park, which came out like twenty years ago. I didn’t know who this new kid was, but I knew he could use some fashion advice, that’s for sure. (To be honest, he actually could be kind of cute, in a strange way. And if he didn’t look like some kind of lost boy from 1995.) The weird thing was, after I watched him for a few seconds, I realized he wasn’t sitting there reading a book or even looking at his phone—he was just looking at the ground.

Then, just as I was about to open the door and go into school, I heard a burst of laughter from one of the groups of boys. I turned back, and I saw a bunch of them standing near the lost boy on the bench—and it was also the exact bunch of boys you wouldn’t want standing near you and laughing if you went to FDR Middle School. One of them had clearly just landed a perfect shot with an elastic band, ‘cuz I could see a red mark on the lost boy’s cheek. He also must have knocked over his backpack when he was hit by the elastic, because he was leaning over to pick it up with one hand while he rubbed his cheek with the other. The group of boys were still celebrating and high-fiving each other when the ringleader finished the can of Red Bull in his hand, wound up, and winged it at the lost boy. It bonked off the lost boy’s shoulder, but he didn’t even flinch. He just kept staring at the ground. What do those kids honestly think they are gonna get out of acting like that? What the hell goes through their heads when they need that kind of attention? It’s kind of scary, to be honest.

Anyway, after thinking about it for a sec, I decided I had to do something, so I walked away from the entrance of the school and toward the bench. As I reached the boys, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the ringleader pull back another elastic band, so just as he was about to let it go, I walked in front of him. Whoa! he shouted, stopping himself at the last second. As I guessed, he didn’t shoot the band at me or even say anything. He actually looked embarrassed as he and his friends walked away and into the school, like I caught him doing something he knew he shouldn’t be doing.

Anyway, when I reached the bench, I saw the lost boy was still staring at the ground. I realized this was kind of weird, because I didn’t even know him, but I knew what he must be feeling, to be the new kid who could use someone to talk to. And I knew I wasn’t gonna be best friends with him or anything—just someone welcoming him to his new school. And maybe someone telling him to get a new barber.

Hi, I said.

But he didn’t look at me. He just looked at his feet. At first I thought he was shy, or maybe even scared because he thought I was gonna screw with him like the bullies, but then I realized he just didn’t think I was talking to him. Like there was no way someone could be saying hi to him, so he didn’t even react.

Hi, I said again, waving my hand in front of his face. I’m Kara.

Finally, he looked up, half-startled, half-confused, obviously 100% thinking Is somebody talking to me? Why is somebody talking to me?

Oh, hi! he said after a moment, with his confusion quickly changing to excitement. I thought he would be upset or maybe even crying from the teasing, but surprisingly (and thankfully) he wasn’t. His eyes looked a little teary, maybe, but that’s probably just because they were so dark. Almost black-ish, like his hair. His weird, mushroom-cut hair.

We stood there for a moment, with him smiling as wide as I’ve ever seen anybody smile (which was mildly creepy,) but he didn’t introduce himself until I said, What’s your name?

Oh! he said again, sitting up straight, opening his eyes wide. I’m Jason! Sorry, I forgot. I’m not really used to how this stuff usually goes.

He stuck out his hand for a handshake, so I did the same thing, and he shook it with just a little bit too much enthusiasm, so my body was pulled forward and I had to like step forward to not fall over.

Hi, I said again, laughing. This was now the third time I had said hi, so I realized it might be up to me to get the conversation past this point. Are you new here?

Yes, very! he replied with a laugh. I’ve only been here four days. This is my new school for the year. I love it!

I looked at him. You do?

Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?

I turned to where the group of bullies had been standing. Well, some people here can be…pretty big losers. Like those guys.

He scrunched up his face and waved both his hands, as if what I was saying completely ridiculous. Oh, they were just trying to have some fun. That’s okay, I like to have fun, too. I know how it is.

This kinda pissed me off. They might have been having fun, but they were also being jerks to you. I looked at this weird new kid’s face and I squinted. "Were you having fun?"

No, not really. But they were, so that’s okay. Plus I’m learning a lot about what it’s like here at this school, so that’s fantastic.

I laughed and shook my head. That’s just about the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard somebody say. I pointed to where the bullies had been with my thumb. That’s not okay, you know, what they were doing. You can’t let them do that. It’s really not cool at all, actually. They weren’t being nice, you know, they were being jerks.

I know. He stood up and pulled on his backpack straps, tightening them. But if it went any further, or if I thought they were gonna hurt me, I would have done something. Believe me, I could have taken care of it.

I looked him over, with his too-tight, twenty-year-old