Being the first night however, a few people decided they wanted to make the most of it and went to lengths to put some other plans into place. Becky, Jess and I only heard about this because Millie had been invited to join in and she was keen for us to also tag along.
“You guys should come too! We’re just going to hang out in one of the cabins. It’ll be fun!” she promised, as she looked at each of us in turn.
As usual, her convincing and excitable manner made the offer too hard to refuse and besides, it definitely sounded more fun than spending the next couple of hours sitting around a bonfire.
Becky loved being friends with Millie. Although I think her real motivation was because Millie was friends with all the cool people in our grade. Her outgoing personality made her popular with everyone, so she found it really easy to fit in.
At first I was hesitant in case Sara was involved but after some slight hesitation, decided I didn’t want to be left behind. The other girls were keen, so I did not want to allow Sara to spoil my fun. In addition, my small stand-off at morning tea that morning had given me some much needed confidence and I was actually looking forward to confronting her again.
However, it seemed to take Becky forever to decide on an outfit to wear and after several changes of clothes, Millie became so impatient, she threatened to go without us. Then, because we were in such a rush to leave the cabin, no one apart from Millie thought to bring a flashlight and this made it difficult to see the darkened track that we were forced to follow.
In an effort to avoid drawing attention to ourselves, we had chosen to stay away from the main pathway. Although a gathering of a few people seemed innocent enough, our gut instincts told us that our teachers probably wouldn’t approve. Plus it was invitation only, and we certainly didn’t want a heap of other people asking to join us.
I was aware of my doubts about what was in store but too caught up in the excitement from the other girls, I chose to ignore any concerns that had surfaced.
What was still playing on my mind though, was Millie’s sudden disappearance from the river earlier that afternoon. When I questioned her about it afterwards, she said that she hadn’t been feeling well and wanted to return to the cabin for a rest. Then, at the sound of Ky’s name, I was sure I noticed an odd reaction on her part as she appeared to falter for a moment before switching topics completely. It was almost as though she felt uncomfortable talking about him.
Rather than focusing on something that I hoped was purely a figment of my imagination however, I concentrated on the pathway and finally we found the cabin we were looking for.
Much to our surprise, the place was in darkness, with all the lights turned off and no one in sight.
“Where is everyone?” Millie asked, the irritation evident in her voice. “I knew we should hurry. They’ve probably gone off somewhere else but who knows where!”
She was clearly not impressed to have missed the opportunity for some fun and I could see the annoyed expression on her face as she glared angrily at Becky. Surprised at her reaction, I opened my mouth to suggest that we take a look around, when we heard someone calling her name.
“Millie! We’re down this way.”
Turning towards the direction of the voice, we spotted a track leading down an embankment that led to a darkened area below. But with only the light of a single torch it was difficult to find our footing and I regretted for the second time, not bringing my own flashlight.
After some slipping and sliding and the odd squeal that was quickly hushed by the group at the bottom of the hill, we eventually managed to reach the level patch of ground where everyone was sitting.
“Keep your voices down, girls!” laughed a familiar voice. “We’ve found the perfect hiding spot and we don’t want anyone to know we’re here!”
Peering into the darkness, the glow of Millie’s flashlight shone on Ky’s face and I was taken aback for a moment at the sight of him standing in front of me. I certainly had not been prepared for this and I wondered briefly if Millie had been expecting to see him there.
My surprise at the fact that Ky and his friends were part of the group Millie had been invited to join, was overtaken by the next response. Although, if I was being honest with myself, I had to admit that I’d been expecting it.
“Do you girls want a drink? We have plenty!”
Looking around in the dim glow, I counted a group of 5 boys and 4 girls, but Sara was not amongst them. Instantly I knew this was something to be grateful for. I really didn’t think I could cope with having her there right then as I soon found that I had plenty of other issues to contend with.
For me, the fear of being caught drinking alcohol while on camp was too great but it didn’t seem to bother the others as they drank from the bottle that was being passed around. And with Millie sitting alongside Ky on the opposite side of the circle, all I could do was look on in frustrated silence. Before too long, the pair were chatting and laughing, although I had no idea what was so amusing. Obviously the alcohol was quickly taking effect but watching the two of them together made me more uncomfortable than ever.
It was so dark that we could barely see each other’s faces. At one point, a flashlight shined on Millie and I caught a quick glance from her…I could not help but stare coldly back.
I tried to join in the laughter going on around me but was unable to control the despair I was feeling. By that stage, I desperately wanted to escape and was tempted to make the trip back to our cabin on my own. I just wanted to get away, but too scared to attempt the track by myself, especially without a flashlight, I was forced to suffer in silence.
That was until the laughter and loud voices surrounding me were abruptly interrupted by the sound of an adult, calling down from the top of the hill.
“What’s going on down there?”
As if in answer to the thoughts in my head, everyone instantly jumped to their feet, each of us forced to make a move whether we wanted to or not.
The unexpected shout had us scattering frantically in all directions. But although every flashlight had been switched off, the majority of the group had no control over their own voices and the sounds of stifled giggling seemed louder than ever.
Grabbing hold of Becky’s arm, I dragged her along behind me, desperate to escape the beam from the high-powered torch that was shining in our direction. My fear of being spotted, was so great that I could feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I ran.
Stumbling through the long grass, I headed towards the dark outline of nearby trees, hoping to hide amongst them. At the same time however, the torch beam seemed to follow my every move.
With adrenalin kicking in, my feet sped over the rocky terrain as I dragged Becky into the thicket of bush. My wildly racing pulse felt ready to explode and I barely noticed the scratch of branches that scraped roughly against my skin.
My only concern right then was to stay hidden until we could attempt to make our way back to our cabin.
Just as we thought it was safe to make a move however, we were blinded by the bright light that shone directly into our faces.
Consequences…
When I saw Becky’s dad pull up in his car late the following morning, the frown of serious disapproval was almost too much to bear. Glaring at Becky who was standing alongside me, he opened the car door and without a word, made his way over to our supervising teacher who had been waiting nearby for his arrival.
The whole scenario was more humiliating than I could ever have imagined and I could not believe that it had come about. My only saving grace was that my own dad was away for the week and unable to come and get me. To see his daughter evicted from her school camp would have filled him with shame and for me, his look of disappointment would have been worse than the punishment itself.
Climbing into the back of the car, I sat alongside Becky and stared out the window. In the distance, I could see groups of kids tackling a high ropes course that was set up in a cleared area at the bottom of the hill. From
our vantage point in the car park, we had an open view and I realized abruptly, that the area I was staring at was actually right by the spot where we’d met for our gathering the night before.
It was also right by the trees where we’d attempted to hide.
Shaking my head in disbelief at what had taken place, I recalled the terrifying moment when the high-powered beam of the teacher’s flashlight had found its mark. That exact moment, I was sure, would be etched on my mind forever. The mere recollection was frightening and my pulse began to race at the sound of his booming voice as it replayed continually in my mind.
“What do you two girls think you’re doing?”
The fact that we’d been caught hiding out in the bush was bad enough but this was instantly worsened when the powerful beam of light fell upon the item that Becky still held in her hand. I simply couldn’t understand why she hadn’t dumped it somewhere in the bush! To stand there in full view with a half empty bottle of alcohol firmly in her grasp was beyond stupidity.
“I was too scared to move!” she moaned later that night after we’d been marched back to our cabin. “I was so scared that I completely forgot I was still holding it!”
Her attempt to explain fell on deaf ears as she apologized over and over.
In reality though, I knew it wasn’t her fault and I really had no one but myself to blame.
“If only I hadn’t gone with them in the first place!” I could not let the thought go and as I sat humiliated and ashamed, in the back seat of Becky’s car, that single thought replayed over and over again in my mind.
For us, the worst part was that no one else had been caught. Somehow they had all managed to escape back to the safety of their cabins and Becky and I were left to face the aftermath.
The teachers had their suspicions of course, but when we were questioned, neither of us were willing to snitch on the others. I spoke up first, pretending ignorance, and said that we’d heard about a gathering but when we joined the group, it was too dark to see who was actually there. I also said that by then, most people had left anyway. I couldn’t bring myself to start listing names, it just didn’t seem the right thing to do. And I knew beyond doubt that if the situation were reversed, I’d be praying that the ones who were caught, would stay quiet and allow me to remain safe.
Staring pointedly at Becky as she shared her version of the events, I was relieved to find that she was willing to go along with my story. We’d been warned in simple terms that we should confess the truth or be forced to take the blame on our own. But as soon as I realized that we’d all share the same fate regardless, I decided there was no point involving the others.
For me, the most frustrating detail was the fact that I had been the only one not drinking alcohol. This was something that I decided the teachers should know about, but when I tried to convince them of the truth, they simply brushed it aside. According to them, I was still breaking the rules.
I really didn’t think they believed me anyway and I could see that my innocence in that department was not going to help, whether they believed me or not. It was obvious they needed someone to punish and we were the scapegoats.
It was so unfair! I could not believe it!
I’d hardly slept the night before, and had spent the majority of the night, curled up wide awake in bed. Millie and Jess had been ready to admit to their involvement, but I persuaded them not to. Although it had taken some time to convince them both that there really was no point.
My main concern however, was the threat of suspension. The teachers hadn’t said the Suspension word to Becky or myself. And I desperately hoped we could avoid such a dire consequence.
Tears of shame began to form at the corners of my eyes. But then I brushed them angrily away. The situation was bad enough and I did not want to make more of a scene than necessary. Especially as a group of kids were standing by and watching the spectacle take place.
Unfortunately for us, it seemed that morning tea was about to be served so there were several people milling around the dining hall which was situated right beside the car park.
I just wished that Becky’s dad would hurry so we could get out of there. All I wanted to do was leave as quickly as possible.
Then when he finally climbed into the car and started the ignition, I caught sight of a group returning from their morning activity. It seemed at that moment, my worst fears were coming to fruition. Millie and Ky were walking alongside each other, and from my spot in the car, I could clearly see the animated smile on Ky’s face as he looked towards her.
That simple smile was what hurt more than anything. Never before had I anticipated the scene before me. And while it could all be seen as an innocent friendship, intuition told me differently.
With a misty veil of tears beginning to cloud my view, I turned away, not wanting to look at the pair any longer. But out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a flicker of movement and was forced to turn around once more.
Staring through the rear window, I looked curiously on, while the tall, muscular figure ran in our direction; as if to catch up with the departing car, making its way slowly down the gravel driveway.
And then, in an instant, the cloud of tears cleared and recognition dawned. Blake’s familiar stance had not changed. But what stood out most, was the distraught look on his face as he watched us disappear down the road. Even from that distance, I could see that his sympathy was genuine, and for that I was truly grateful.
My eyes remained on his until eventually we were too far away and he was out of sight. Then I turned to face the front, the shock of the previous 12 hours filling me with a numb silence.
***
Find out what happens next in…
Julia Jones – The Teenage Years
Book 5
Coming Soon!
Thank you for reading
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ANNOUNCING A NEW SERIES!!
This fabulous new series fills the gap after Julia was forced to move to the country with her family.
It continues the story of Julia Jones’ Diary but has a whole new twist, one that all Julia Jones’ Diary fans are sure to enjoy.
Mind Reader – Book 1: My New Life
OUT NOW!!
A new girl called Emmie unexpectedly arrives in Carindale and meets Millie. But Emmie has a secret, a secret that must remain hidden at all costs.
What happens to Julia, Blake, Sara and all the others and how does Emmie’s sudden appearance impact Julia and her friends?
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Mind Reader – Book 1: My New Life
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TWINS – Book 1: SWAPPED!
Another awesome book for girls.
This is the exciting and suspenseful story of twelve-year-old Casey who unexpectedly finds herself face to face with a new girl at school who looks exactly like her. The events that unfold are a bizarre and unexpected mix of drama, school friendships, boy crushes and much more.
This is certain to be a favorite!
***
Read all about Julia’s friend, Ella
in the exciting New Series…
Angel
Book 1
Guardian
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Be sure to check out this suspenseful New Series…
SLAVE TO A VAMPIRE
Book 1
Catherine
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If you like FUNNY books then I’m sure you’ll enjoy
BODY SWAP
Find out what happens when 12 year old Jack Stevenson is forced to swap bodies with his dad. What will his girlfriend, Holly do? A hilarious adventure!!
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BODY SWAP
Book 1: Catastrophe
***
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Julia Jones’ Diary – Boxed Set – Books 2 to 5
Here are some other books that you or your family or friends may also enjoy reading…
Diary of a Horse Mad Girl
Diary of Mr TDH
Diary of an Almost Cool Girl
Diary of an Almost Cool Girl
Table of Contents
Book 2 - Roller Coaster Love
Book 3 – True Love
Book 4 – Mayhem
Julia Jones - The Teenage Years: Boxed Set - Books 2, 3 and 4 Page 24