Julia Jones - The Teenage Years: Boxed Set - Books 2, 3 and 4

by Katrina Kahler

  Interrupted by the sound of the bell signaling the end of lunch break, we headed silently towards our classrooms, each of us consumed by what had just taken place.

  Even though we had no proof, we were both well aware that what we’d just witnessed was not simply an innocent meeting of a teacher and his student. That was a ridiculous explanation for finding the two of them in a remote storeroom on the far side of the school together. After what I’d seen in the past, it was just too coincidental. And I shook my head for the umpteenth time that day at the mystery of how various moments in life sometimes come to pass. The fact that we’d been asked to go to that exact location at the very time they happened to be there, was too strange to be accidental.

  Perhaps we were meant to find them. Perhaps it was another predestined moment where we’d been given the chance to report something serious that really should not be allowed to continue.

  But that girl scared me. She was mean and vindictive and as I had said to Ky, she was capable of anything. Regardless of the fact that the incident really should be reported, I didn’t dare cross that line.

  And besides, I had enough problems of my own right then, the least of which was worrying about Sara and her “friendship” with one of our school teachers. I was much more concerned about the boy walking alongside me.

  We’d certainly been given the opportunity to clear the air between us and for that I was truly grateful. But would we ever return to the relationship we had shared so intensely such a short time ago?

  Whether or not his memory would ever be fully restored, I had no idea. But as for his feelings towards me, I could only hope.

  Was there a chance for us?

  I guessed right then that only time would tell.

  The bus trip…

  When we were all seated on the bus ready to depart for Kappa Falls, the sight of Ky sitting across the aisle, filled me with nervous but hopeful anticipation. Eternally grateful for the fact that we’d been placed into the same group, I dared to dream that it was a sign we’d been given a second chance. A chance to spend time together and for Ky to get to know me again.

  As I chatted excitedly to Millie, who was sitting alongside me, I was constantly aware of his presence nearby. One time, I caught him glancing in our direction and the shivers that tingled unexpectedly down my spine caused me to quickly catch my breath. My feelings for him were as intense as ever and I smiled anxiously to myself as I lay my head against the headrest, trying to calm my racing pulse.

  There were so many students in our grade and the camp could not cater for us all at once. We’d been separated into two groups, and it was arranged so that while one group was at camp, the other remained at school. To our huge delight, we were in group one and the first to depart, whereas the second group were forced to wait until the following week.

  The arrangement of the two groups however, had been organized by the teachers. Apparently their reasoning behind this was that they wanted us to mix with some people who weren’t our closest friends. As it turned out, there were several kids on the bus who I barely recognized at all; people who, even though they were in my grade, I obviously hadn’t ever really met.

  Once again though, it seemed that destiny had played a part. Looking discreetly across the aisle in Ky’s direction, I recalled the moment we were all informed of our groups. Millie and I had sat with fingers crossed and it was almost like winning a lottery prize when we found that we’d ended up together. And then to top it all off, I soon learned that Becky, Jess and Ky were also included. Of course hearing Ky’s name had definitely caused the most excitement, and I’d barely been able to contain myself at the thought of a week away on camp with both Millie and Ky.

  While this seemed to be the best scenario I could ever have hoped for, there was another that I was struggling to come to terms with and although I tried to brush the thought aside, it continued to haunt me.

  The issue involved Sara Hamilton. She was also in group one. How was it that we kept being thrown together? I wanted nothing to do with her!

  Ever since our accidental meeting outside the school store room a week earlier, I had done my best to avoid her. On the odd occasion where we’d crossed paths, her pointed look in my direction had carried a clear message; one that I did not need to have spelled out. In short, she was telling me to keep my mouth shut or else. And although that had been my intention anyway, she obviously did not feel secure enough to let it drop.

  Unfortunately, she was the one person who had the potential to totally ruin my week. This was something I was well aware of but hoped would not be the case. Just the night before, memories of our Seventh Grade camp came flooding back; the nightmare of Sara leaving me locked in a deserted cabin, not only in the middle of dense bushland but also in the dead of night, too vivid and frightening a scene to ever forget. That memory stayed foremost in my mind while I finished all the last minute packing until eventually I managed to force the vision away, determined to prevent her from spoiling my fun.

  Interestingly enough though, I noticed that at the last minute Mr. Hathaway, who was one of the organizing teachers, had swapped places and was now accompanying the second group when they left the following week. At first I wondered what had caused the sudden change of plan but then intuition reminded me that our chance encounter the week before most probably had something to do with it. Perhaps he’d decided it would simply be too risky for himself and Sara to be on camp together and had taken it into his own hands to ensure that did not happen.

  A few students had also arranged last minute swaps from one group to another, although I had no idea how they’d managed to get permission. Knowing that Sara was capable of anything, it seemed curious that she had not arranged a swap for herself. And I wondered how she’d responded to the news that she and Mr. Hathaway would not be going on camp together.

  But then, deciding to forget about Sara for the time being, I tuned into the animated conversation going on around me. While everyone was clearly enthusiastic about the prospect of a week away from school, several still had quite serious reservations about what lay ahead and some had previously needed convincing from their teachers and friends, before agreeing to take part. The cause of their apprehension was due to the style of camp and the activities that were in store for us, some of which were very different to anything we had ever experienced before.

  During our stay, we all had to spend one night camping out alone, unaccompanied by an adult or a friend or anyone else for that matter. And in addition, our individual camp sites were pre-allocated by one of the camp instructors and would not be placed in the vicinity of anyone else. During that night, we were given the task to erect our own tent and fend for ourselves. This included organizing our own pre-prepared meals which would probably consist of some fruit and something from a can or packet. The reason for this was because fires were not allowed due to the danger involved.

  As if that experience in itself was not enough of a challenge, they had thrown one other monumental scenario into the mix. All forms of technology were banned. This meant no mobile phones, no iPads, computers, iPods or any type of electronic device whatsoever was allowed to be brought along. And that was the absolute killer rule for everyone. Surviving an entire week without a mobile phone and having no access to social media was probably going to be the hardest challenge of all.

  The idea of a night alone in the bush, with no friends as well as no technology, was a daunting one. And we were all pretty apprehensive about it.

  “What will we do all night?” one of the boys at school had asked a teacher.

  “You could try reading a book!” had been the teacher’s quick response and the boy had rolled his eyes.

  It was something that had clearly not occurred to him and it obviously didn’t interest him either.

  As I actually enjoyed reading, this was something I looked forward to and had made sure I packed plenty of books to keep me going during our stay. However, while I quite looked forward to a night of
camping, I did feel slightly concerned about the thought of a night camping alone in the dark.

  Although most of us felt the same way about this particular activity, the overall excitement was too great to let it dampen our spirits. And Millie and I chatted non-stop, all the while raising our voices in an effort to be heard over the laughter and loud noise from the students surrounding us.

  After we’d been driving for a while and the atmosphere had quietened down somewhat, I had a sudden urge to turn around and glance down the aisle, curious to see what everyone at the rear of the bus was up to. While scanning the scene behind me, my eyes fell upon a person who I hadn’t given very much thought to over the past weeks. Although I’d seen him around school and we did share the same English class, we rarely spoke or had anything to do with each other. I’d certainly had way too much on my mind of late, to be noticing what Blake Jansen was up to.

  Just at that very moment…the two of us happened to make eye contact and instantly the familiar and heart-warming smile that I remembered so well, appeared on his face as soon as he saw me glancing in his direction.

  A lively tingle crept over my skin and I smiled awkwardly in return, my own reaction completely unexpected. I found it hard to believe that he still had the power to affect me in that way. The fact that we were both included in the same camp group was also another interesting coincidence that had taken place.

  However, as I turned back towards the front, I spotted Ky deep in conversation with the person next to him and for the time being, all thoughts of Blake Jansen left my mind.

  That was until a short time later when I overheard some interesting gossip.

  Blake and his girlfriend, Monica were no longer together. She had dumped him for a senior guy at our school. No-one seemed aware of the details, except for the fact that she’d been one of the students to swap from our group to the other one. This explained her absence on our bus.

  Fate was such a weird thing sometimes. I wondered momentarily about the fact that Blake was single once again, all the while not wanting to admit to myself that I did find that scenario an interesting one.

  But then, realizing we’d finally arrived at our destination, I stood abruptly, keen to be amongst the first to get off the bus, all other thoughts disappearing completely.

  Arrival…

  My first impression of Kappa Falls was even better than I’d expected. We had all previously been told various stories by seniors who had already taken part in the camp and we knew fairly well what was ahead for us. But the moment I hopped off the bus, my level of excitement increased even more.

  The view across the valley from where we stood was amazing and we could see nearby groups of cabins and other buildings scattered amongst clusters of leafy green trees. We could also see a winding river situated at the bottom of the hill and on its banks were a variety of canoes and other equipment, ready for use in the water. It was perfect that the weather had turned warm because we’d heard so much about the cool rope swing that was attached to a branch of a tree and we couldn’t wait to try it out.

  As well as all the fun that I knew was in store, I particularly looked forward to the idea of spending the next seven days in a country setting. It reminded me of the property where we’d lived before moving back to Carindale. And an instant flashback to that wonderful period in my life flooded quickly to mind.

  However, I had little time to daydream because it was first in, first served for the cabin beds, and after collecting our belongings, I raced the other girls to the cabin that we’d been allocated. Thankfully we had been allowed to organize our own cabin groups and Millie, Becky, Jess and I had formed a group with other friends of Millie’s, each of us, keen to unpack and settle in.

  Our cabin had two bunk rooms with four beds in each and a central living area. There was a table, four chairs and a couple of couches. These items, along with the bunk beds in the bedrooms, were the extent of the furniture.

  When everyone had claimed a bed and started to unpack, it seemed that within minutes, the entire floor of our room was covered mainly in Becky’s belongings. She had brought so many clothes, there appeared to be an almost endless supply. What caught my attention, was not so much the amount of clothing but the contents of a large plastic bag which had spilled out onto the timber flooring. Numerous packets of crisps, sweets, popcorn and gum lay there, waiting to be eaten!

  While we’d all been pre-warned that junk food was to be limited, this certainly hadn’t stopped Becky. Most people had bags of treats hidden in their bags but after looking through the selection on our bedroom floor right then, it was clear that Becky would most likely win the prize for the largest supply.

  “What?” she said, in response to the astonished looks she was getting from Millie and myself. “You can’t expect me to survive an entire week on camp food? These are emergency supplies. And I bet you’ll be glad that I brought them!”

  With a burst of laughter, Millie quickly advised her to keep her large stash hidden away, warning her that if our teachers found it, they’d probably confiscate at least half. And so Becky, with a frustrated shake of her head, gathered the items together and shoved them all back into her oversized suitcase.

  Although I found Becky’s abundance of treats quite amusing, I was grateful for the fact that she hadn’t brought any alcohol. This was also the scenario with everyone else in our cabin. A few people in other cabin groups had smuggled in a supply by camouflaging it in water bottles.

  For us, the strict warning from our teachers that any culprits would be made to leave camp, was enough to stop us from even considering the idea. The clincher was probably the fact that parents would be called to collect anyone caught drinking, which would be a pretty embarrassing situation to be a part of.

  This was something that had actually happened to a couple of boys the previous year and I was surprised that anyone would risk bringing alcohol this time. Especially as the teachers had stressed that if it occurred again, there would also be the threat of suspension from school.

  I had no idea who amongst our grade might be involved or whether it was simply a rumor, but right then, I didn’t really care. All I was concerned about was getting my things unpacked and finding a place in the cupboard to put them before Becky shoved all her belongings in.

  Before long though, we were all pretty well organized and as we still had half an hour or so before morning tea, decided to check out some of the other cabins. With Ky constantly in my thoughts, I wondered briefly where his cabin was situated. While most of the boys had been placed on the other side of the property, a couple of the groups had been given cabins nearby and I secretly hoped that Ky’s might be one of them.

  When Millie spotted one of her friends on the veranda of the cabin next to ours, I decided to follow her lead and headed up the steps behind her, with Becky and Jess also in tow. But as soon as I walked through the door, I instantly wished that I hadn’t.

  Standing awkwardly by as Millie chatted on in her usual friendly manner, all I could manage to do was fake a small smile and pretend that I hadn’t noticed Sara’s seething glare; one that was clearly intended to make me feel very unwelcome.

  I hadn’t realized that she was included in that group and would definitely not have joined Millie if I’d known. But it seemed that no one else was aware of the tension, so I attempted to ignore her and join in the conversation around me.

  However, Sara was not satisfied with that and clearly not at all happy to have me standing there invading her space. Obviously unable to keep her mouth shut where I was concerned, she drew all attention my way by loudly blurting out a snide remark; one that was totally unanticipated and very, very cruel.

  “So, Julia, how’s things with Ky? Has his memory returned yet? It must be so hard for you, you poor thing!”

  Knowing full well that she was aware of the details of his accident and also that there was not one genuine ounce of sympathy whatsoever in her comment, I looked furiously back at her, unable to hide my c
ontempt.

  Thankfully though, Millie, who could see my instant distress, managed to murmur something in response and then tactfully went on to change the subject in an attempt to direct all attention away from me. But this did not distract Sara who continued to stare scornfully in my direction.

  Seething quietly inside, I could not stand to be near her a moment longer and excused myself pretending that I’d left something behind in my room.

  Then, as I headed quickly down the steps and onto the pavement, eager to be as far away from her as possible, I bumped unexpectedly into a group of boys heading towards the hall.

  And in the middle of them all, looking curiously towards me, was Ky.

  Confrontation…

  With my face flushed and tears threatening at the corners of my eyes, the sight of the boys blocking my path, simply added to my discomfort, and I quickly attempted to hide my misery.

  “Hey,” I stammered, “How’s everything going?”

  “Great,” Ky replied. “Seems like a pretty cool place!”

  “Yeah, it looks awesome.” I tried to sound enthusiastic as my eyes darted towards his group of friends, but I just looked more awkward than ever.

  Feeling an embarrassed flush creep over my skin, I stood there uncomfortably, completely at a loss for what to say next. It was definitely one of those moments that one later regrets and I cursed myself for being so uptight and making such a fool of myself.

  Wanting to escape the odd looks from the boys, Ky included, I abruptly moved off, after saying that I would see them in the hall. Aware of their curious stares as I headed past, I put my head down and kept walking.

  “OMG!” I muttered to myself as I pushed open the cabin door and made my way into the bathroom, closing the door shut behind me. “You’re such a loser, Julia!”