Julia Jones' Diary - Boxed Set - Books 2 to 6

by Kahler, Katrina

  Interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, I took Blake by the hand and moved towards the door. When I opened it, Millie, Jack and Alec stood before us, smiling widely, the excitement obvious on their faces.

  “Happy Birthday Julia!” they all cried in unison.

  Millie raced inside, throwing her arms around me.

  “Julia, you look so good!” she squealed, as she admired my clothes. “I absolutely love your outfit and where did you get that necklace? It’s beautiful!”

  Beaming at Blake, I watched the cheeky grin spread quickly across his face. He was clearly thrilled at her reaction and so was I. Millie had always been very observant, but of all things for her to notice and then to comment on, Blake’s gift was the perfect one. He had gone to so much trouble and Millie’s genuine seal of approval managed to top it all off.

  “Oh my gosh, Blake,” she replied, instantly picking up on the fact that the necklace was from him. “That is such a beautiful present.”

  Blake, who had become embarrassed by all the attention, made his way into the living room, followed by Jack and Alec. However, I could not resist taking a moment to show Millie the interior of the little silver heart that hung delicately around my neck.

  And when she saw the photos inside, her face lit up with a beaming smile. “Oh, Julia, that is so romantic!”

  In love with the gift I’d been given, she continued to carry on about how special it was, and all the while, I stood there nodding in absolute agreement. Then, remembering that the boys were waiting for us, I led her inside to join them.

  Only minutes later however, everyone else began to arrive and it seemed that I’d instantly become surrounded by presents. Amongst the gifts from my friends, there were also the other parcels that Blake had handed to me earlier, but I was so overwhelmed, I didn’t know where to start. Within seconds though, I was being passed each gift in turn and once again, I felt my heart spill over with happiness and excitement.

  I was so spoiled by my friends, in particular Millie, who gave me the most gorgeous lamp for my room. It was a beautiful lava lamp and had the prettiest swirly patterns that lit up and constantly changed colors. I’d been admiring that exact lamp in the designer gift shop at the mall for ages and I was so touched that she had thought to get it for me. I knew that it was pretty expensive as well, which made it even more special, particularly because Millie had used her own money to buy it.

  As well as that, I was given movie tickets, an iTunes gift card, some really pretty nail polish, a cool pink cap, some new stationery that was in a beautifully arranged set, a gorgeous candle scented with apricots, some really yummy chocolates and a couple of gift vouchers for different shops in town. I was overwhelmed by the sight of all the gifts spread out in front of me.

  Afterwards, we snacked on the party food that my mom laid out for us and then headed into the back garden to begin the games that Millie and I had organized. As I’d hoped, everyone wanted to join in, and my parents could not believe how much we still enjoyed little kids’ games. The egg and spoon race was hilarious, with a couple of us tripping over each other in an attempt to make the finish line first. Thankfully, I’d taken the time to boil the eggs because just about every one of them ended up splattered on the ground.

  We ran several relay races, using balloons between our legs and this was followed by relays with a variety of movements, including skipping, hopping and leap frog. It was the funniest thing to watch, especially seeing the boys in action when they tried to skip. Although skipping seems to be something that every girl learns how to do, this is not always the case with boys. On previous occasions, I’d noticed that many never learn how to skip properly and it’s so hilarious to watch them in action. Alec was one who struggled and all he could manage was a kind of half-hopping, half-galloping motion. Even my parents were in fits of laughter at the sight of him making his way to the finish line.

  Then when we went inside for the chocolate game, I was sure that our laughter would be heard throughout the entire neighborhood. The loud yelps and roars from the boys were definitely the noisiest of all, but the competitive spirit of each person, spurred us on, each of us desperate to be the one to roll a six on the dice so that we could eat some of the huge block of chocolate that was sitting in front of us.

  Watching everyone being forced to put crazy hats on their heads in addition to at least 2 items of clothing from the pile, before being given a chance to cut a square of chocolate, was the best part. And my stomach ached from the constant laughter.

  When the game finally ended and we fell back onto the couch, ready for pizza and movies, everyone’s attention was abruptly drawn to Millie’s stunned gasp.

  “OMG!” she exclaimed loudly, her eyes gaping at the sight in front of her.

  When I looked her way, it was her surprised expression that caught me off guard.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Millie, are you okay?”

  But instead of answering, she simply pointed towards the window, where the curtains were spread wide open giving us all a clear view of the lighted pavement that edged the road. It had just begun to grow dark but the light from the lamppost illuminated the area as usual, and the glow shone onto the person standing there staring our way.

  “Is that who I think it is?” she asked, disbelievingly.

  In front of our very eyes, it was as though the ghost-like figure that we were all sure we had seen, had abruptly disappeared. It was almost as if he hadn’t been there at all.

  But I knew it had been him. He had been outside staring into our living room. Again! And with a sinking feeling, I wondered how long he had been on the pavement in front of our house, completely unnoticed.

  “Was I seeing things or was that actually Ryan Hodges?” Millie looked at each of us in turn and then glanced back out onto the empty street.

  In a rush, I jumped up to close the curtains before replying.

  “He’s seriously weird!” I replied, my stomach filling with dread. “And it’s not the first time he’s done that!”

  “OMG!” Millie repeated once more. “I remember you telling me about him. Julia, that is so creepy!”

  The room was instantly abuzz. Blake wanted to know what was going on and so did everyone else. It was all too strange to ignore, especially the second time around.

  But preferring not to create a scene at my party, I tried to convince them all that he was probably just a lonely kid with some type of crazy disorder. I reminded them about his wild outburst at school and the odd way he seemed to hang out on his own, always watching other people but never joining in.

  Although none of us had really discussed him before, my friends all agreed that he was pretty strange. When I looked at Blake however, I could see that he was not satisfied with my explanation. His brow was creased in a concerned frown and it was clear that he was not going to let the subject drop.

  “Have you told your parents, Julia? You’ve got to do something about him. You can’t have some weird kid staring into your living room whenever he feels like it. I don’t care what his problem is, this creepy stuff has to stop.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I quickly replied. “I’ll talk to them about it tomorrow. Don’t worry, they can to speak to his parents or something. I’m sure it will all be sorted out.”

  At that very moment, we were interrupted by the sudden sound of the doorbell which caused a few of the girls to jump. The talk of Ryan Hodges had put everyone on edge and we all stared silently towards the doorway.

  Looking at Blake in the hope that he might answer the door, I stayed where I was, not at all willing to be the one to open it. And just as he stood and was about to take a step forwards, the bell rang once more.

  However, this was immediately followed by the unexpected sound of my father’s voice. “I thought you guys were hungry?”

  Peeking curiously into the living room to check what the problem was, he continued along the hallway towards the front door, where we could hear him talking to the pizza delive
ry man.

  “Well, that’s a relief!” I laughed as I jumped up to help with the food that had just been delivered.

  Grateful for the perfect timing, I opened the boxes and spread them across the coffee table after offering everyone a plate and a napkin. It was the perfect distraction for all of us and all talk of Ryan Hodges ceased as everyone gathered around and began eating.

  Breathing another sigh of relief, I turned on the DVD player and started the first movie. The last thing I wanted was for my party to be spoiled by talk of Ryan Hodges, although I knew that something certainly needed to be done.

  But that was an issue I decided could wait until the following day, and I focused my attention on the TV screen.

  It was my thirteenth birthday party and I was determined that nothing was going to ruin it!

  A surprise connection…

  The following morning, we were all seated around the kitchen benchtop and nearby dining table, waiting hungrily for my dad’s famous pancakes to be cooked. And while chatting about the fun we’d had the evening before, the topic of Ryan came up.

  “That kid is seriously creepy!” Millie exclaimed as she explained to Dad exactly what had happened.

  Dad frowned as he looked my way. It was the first he’d heard Ryan’s name mentioned and was not at all impressed by what he was being told.

  “I think I might go and visit his parents later today,” he responded. “And just let them know what their son’s been up to. I’m not having some strange kid hanging around our house like that. Who knows what he’s capable of?”

  The mere mention of Ryan created an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach but I had to admit that I was glad Dad planned to do something about it. Although, I didn’t dare tell him about the notes Ryan had sneaked into my bag. Worried that it would all erupt into something bigger than it needed to be, I decided to keep that to myself and then redirected my attention to the chatter going on around me. It was at that time I noticed something I hadn’t picked up on previously.

  Millie appeared to be taking a huge interest in the boy sitting alongside her. Alec often joked around and was really very funny but regardless of that, there definitely seemed to be a connection between him and Millie. Although I hadn’t thought much of it the day before, their interest in each other had been a little obvious then as well. That morning however, it was more noticeable than ever and I was very curious as to how long Millie had been feeling that way. Until then, it was something I’d been completely unaware of and I could also see that I wasn’t the only one who had noticed what was going on.

  Jack was sitting quietly on the opposite side of the table, not saying a word. He was clearly unhappy about something, and my gut instinct told me exactly what that was.

  Millie had a crush on Alec! When and how that had happened, I did not know. But perhaps that explained her unwillingness to ask Jack out. She usually came straight out with whatever was on her mind, which was why I’d been convinced she’d go ahead and do the asking. But Alec must have already been in her thoughts at the time.

  Surprised that she hadn’t mentioned it, I wondered where this sudden interest between her and Alec might lead. He was fun and easy-going, probably similar in personality to Millie. So maybe that was why she liked him so much.

  Then out of the blue, an odd thought popped into my head. I hoped it wouldn’t amount to anything but I realized that if Millie really did like Alec, how would Jack cope and how would that in turn, affect our band? And besides the band, we all loved hanging out together and I hated the thought of that ever changing.

  As I bit into the freshly cooked pancake that had been put onto my plate, I tried not to focus on an issue that may not even develop. I knew there was absolutely no point in worrying as it would not help at all, in fact it may even make things worse. However, as I watched the scene in front of me unfold, I found it difficult to think otherwise.

  Thankfully though, my attention was redirected towards the laughter that had erupted around me. My dad was in the midst of telling jokes, and everyone was in fits of laughter. While I often rolled my eyes at his attempt at humor, I could see that my friends all thought he was pretty cool and as I watched him flip pancakes at the stove while we laughed at his crazy technique, I was filled with instant gratitude.

  Everyone agreed that he was the best pancake cook ever and the demand for more kept him constantly busy. Dad didn’t seem to mind at all. He was clearly enjoying being our source of entertainment right then and all the attention encouraged him further.

  Smiling at him gratefully, I accepted the offer of another pancake. His job at the stove right then seemed never-ending but he was more than happy to keep cooking. It was his contribution to my party and it really was the best way to end it. I’d had so much fun and I could see that everyone else felt the same.

  Everyone except Jack that was, and when I glanced his way once again, I saw that he was too preoccupied to join in with the rest of us. Apart from an occasional grin, he continued to sit quietly while he ate his breakfast.

  Then, as soon as we all finished eating, he was the first to announce that he was going home, his excuse being a school project that he needed to work on. As schoolwork was usually very low on Jack’s priority list, I looked from him to Millie with concern. But she didn’t seem the least bothered by his sudden departure. She was way too interested in the boy sitting alongside her.

  Worried for his feelings, I walked Jack to our front door where he already had his things packed together and ready to go. And standing deep in thought, I watched from the doorway as he made his way onto the pavement and headed down the street in the direction of his house.

  I just hoped that the band practice we had scheduled for later that afternoon would still go ahead as planned. Graduation was only two weeks away and we still had a lot of practice to do.

  Changes…

  Finally it was time for band practice. Dad stopped by to pick up Millie and she hopped into the back seat beside me…the perfect opportunity to have a chat.

  “So, how’s Alec?” I laughed, figuring that I may as well come straight out with the question. It had been playing on my mind ever since everyone had left my house that morning.

  An instant pink flush worked its way across her cheeks and although she tried to make nothing of it, she could not help the grin that also appeared.

  “What are you talking about, Julia? I haven’t seen Alec since your party.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, grinning mischievously. “And it was so nice of you to offer him a lift home.”

  “Well, his house was on the way to mine and I figured it would just save his mom the effort of having to pick him up.”

  She was trying to justify the fact that she’d asked her mom to drive him home but I simply smiled and nodded with understanding.

  “What?” she responded, the pink flush on her cheeks turning bright red. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  “Oh, come on Millie!” I said softly, not wanting my dad to hear our conversation from his spot in the driver’s seat.

  I loved my dad but it was kind of awkward to have him listening in on our discussion about boys.

  “Millie, I’m your best friend. You’ve got to admit that you like him! But what’s even more obvious is how much he likes you!”

  “Really?” she squealed, her obvious delight at my comment causing her grin to become a beaming smile. “Do you really think so?”

  And then lowering her voice a little, she continued. “He’s so cute, Julia. Don’t you agree? I know you’re going out with Blake, but you’ve got to admit that Alec’s really good looking!”

  “Seriously, Millie,” I sighed in disbelief. “I thought you liked Jack!”

  “Well I did,” she responded guiltily. “But now I just like him as a friend. He’s really nice and all, but apart from the band, we don’t really have that much in common.”

  “It’s the band that I’m worried about,” I muttered quietly, just as my dad p
ulled into Blake’s driveway.

  I wasn’t sure if Millie heard me or not. Perhaps she just wanted to avoid any further talk of Alec because she quickly thanked my dad and jumped out of the car. All I could do was head after her as she rushed towards the front door where I could see Blake waiting for us to arrive.

  We followed Blake to the garage where his drum kit and a heap of other musical equipment was permanently set up. Then, sitting down to wait for Jack, we chatted on about the party and the games and the movies and how great it had all been.

  And then came the question from Blake that I’d been expecting. “Has your dad talked to Ryan’s parents yet?”

  “He said he’d go this afternoon,” I replied, anxious at the thought of that conversation.

  Blake stared back, the frown on his face describing the thoughts racing through his own head. But before he had a chance to say another word, I abruptly changed the subject, preferring not to dwell on the vision of my dad confronting Ryan’s parents.

  Jack was unusually late. It was not like him to ever be late for band practice. It had become his all-time favorite thing to do on weekends and he was usually the first to arrive. However, Blake had not heard from him since he left my house that morning and just as I was about to suggest calling him, Mrs. Jansen appeared at the door with the phone in her hand.

  It was Jack was on the line. But as I listened in on the conversation, it quickly became obvious that something was wrong, and I glanced knowingly at Millie while waiting for the call to end.

  Eventually Blake was able to fill us in on the details but as he looked from me to Millie, it was clear that he was totally confused by the conversation he had just had with his friend.

  “He actually wasn’t going to come. He said he has too much schoolwork to do, but I told him to get over here. It took a bit of persuading. I don’t know what his problem is. It’s not like him to skip band practice, especially because of schoolwork. That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard!”