And there’s no way, I’m going to ask him to go out with me. I mean, it’s up to the boys to do the asking, isn’t it? That’s what Millie and I think, anyway. But as far as Blake is concerned, it’s not only that he’s very cute looking but he’s a really nice boy as well. He doesn’t have the stuck up attitude of all the cool boys at school. Not that Blake isn’t cool, because he is, he just doesn’t act like the others.
One more week left until school goes back to start the new school year and I know my friends will be so jealous if they hear that Blake and I are actually girlfriend and boyfriend. That’s not the reason that I’m keen to go out with him though. I do genuinely really like him. I’ve kind of had crushes on other boys before, but nothing like this.
I remember when I was in fourth grade and there was this boy called Jimmy Wakefield. I thought he was the cutest boy I had ever seen. We’d actually been at school together since kindergarten but it took until fourth grade for me to notice him. He had this flicked back hairstyle that was so in fashion then and he was also really funny. He was probably one of the most popular kids in the class and I had the biggest crush. But I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Probably just about every other girl in my class liked him as well. Then one day, I realized that even though he was super good looking, he was not really a nice person at all.
I watched him let his best friend take all the blame for something that he was actually responsible for. I saw it happen with my own eyes and I still can’t believe that Jimmy did what he did!
There was another boy in our class named Reece and he had brought in a really cool compass that he’d been given for his birthday. Everyone loved it, in particular the boys, and many of them thought that it was the coolest thing they had ever seen. It had a flip up cover that opened by pressing a small button on the side and it also glowed in the dark. I think the most distinctive thing about it though was that it had a heap of special effects. It even had an inbuilt torch that you could change to a laser light with the flick of a little switch. It really was the coolest looking compass and everyone was desperate to have a turn of using it.
Apparently Reece’s dad had bought it for him while he was travelling overseas and no one had seen one like it anywhere before. That’s what made it so appealing.
Reece had been allowed to bring it to school for show and tell, although our teacher really didn’t like us bringing stuff like that in. First of all, it took up lots of time when she said that we should be focusing on school work and as well as that, she didn’t like the idea of expensive items like that being at school. Anyway, after we came in from lunch break, Jimmy realized that his compass was missing. He had left it on the teacher’s desk for safekeeping but when he asked her for it back, it was nowhere to be seen.
Our teacher, who was named Miss Bromley, asked everyone to check inside their desks just in case it had accidentally ended up in there somehow. I could tell that she didn’t want to create a fuss and start blaming kids for stealing. I guess her main aim was to simply get Reece’s compass back. She told us that if we found it, to return it and the problem would be solved without anyone getting into trouble. Unfortunately though, no one admitted to finding it or knowing of its whereabouts.
So Miss Bromley decided to check everyone’s desks herself. Just as she turned down my row I happened to spot Jimmy, who sat at the desk in front of me, very secretly slip something into the desk of the boy sitting next to him. Now it just so happened that this boy, called Ryan was Jimmy’s best friend. At the time, I didn’t think too much of it. That was until Miss Bromley checked Ryan’s desk and actually found the compass staring at her, the minute she checked. I knew without any doubt that Jimmy had put it there. I sat right behind him and had a clear view of the entire incident. And I knew that I wasn’t mistaken.
The look of shock on Ryan’s face was proof that he knew nothing about it, but Jimmy had just sat innocently by and let his best friend take the blame for stealing. That’s what he was accused of, and even though Ryan denied it, Miss Bromley did not believe him and he got into heaps of trouble.
I was convinced that I should tell Miss Bromley what had really happened but I felt way too shy to speak up. Back then, I rarely even put my hand up in class, let alone possess the courage to tell on one of my classmates. And especially to tell on someone who everyone thought was the coolest kid in the entire grade as well as being someone I had a huge crush on! For a long time afterwards, I was overcome with guilt about that day. I knew deep down that I should have spoken up about it but I didn’t. And looking back, I still feel so ashamed, even now.
After that incident, I changed my mind about Jimmy completely. My crush melted away into oblivion and I wondered how I could ever have thought that he was so cool. I mean who would do something like that to their best friend? It was so horrible!
It really taught me a lesson as well! Just because someone is cool and good looking, doesn’t mean that they’re a nice person!
And that’s one of the reasons I like Blake so much. I know in my heart that he would never treat his friends badly.
As I wiped the last crumb off the kitchen bench, thoughts of Blake lingered in my mind. Suddenly, I focused on the weekend ahead and the music camp that was planned. Blake was going to be there and it just couldn’t come quickly enough.
Music camp…
Saturday dawned bright and clear and I was up early with all my gear packed and ready. My guitar stood in its case right by the front door, next to my pillow, sleeping bag and carry bag that contained all my clothes and the bits and pieces I would need for the following 3 days.
The camp is an annual event and the aim is to teach and inspire young kids who are talented at singing or playing some kind of musical instrument. You have to be at a reasonable level to attend and the kids who went last year all raved about how much fun it was and how much they had improved after the time they’d spent there. Blake and I had both signed up to go and I couldn’t wait.
I’d barely been able to sleep the night before. I just love anything to do with dancing and music, whether it’s simply dancing, playing an instrument or listening to music. I love it all!!
I was also really looking forward to being with a group of other musical kids and in particular of course, I was most looking forward to hanging out with Blake. Although I knew that I would enjoy it regardless, it would obviously be so much more fun to have Blake there too.
As Dad and I pulled out of the driveway, I waved goodbye to Mom who was standing at the front door, watching us leave. Dad was one of the few parents who had volunteered to attend and I was very grateful for that. Without the help of those few parents, the camp would not have been able to go ahead.
Driving down the highway towards the campground which was only a few kilometers from where I lived, I thought back over the events that had led to that moment. Being given my guitar by my best friend, Millie was one of the biggest and most wonderful surprises I had ever experienced. And hardly a day had gone by where I had not picked it up from the spot where it sat right by my bed. Gradually I had improved and I was now keen to become better than ever.
I couldn’t wait to go back to school and show Mr. Casey, my guitar teacher, how much my level of playing had developed. At the end of last semester, he had invited me to join one of the bands that he’d put together. The plan was for Blake to be the drummer and the two of us were really keen to get started. I definitely wanted to be as good as possible by then.
The look of excitement on my face as I focused on the weekend ahead must have been obvious because Dad commented with a quick grin, “We’re almost there, Julia! You’ve been waiting all summer for this camp and now the time has finally arrived!”
“I know,” I squealed, unable to contain the enthusiasm I was feeling. “I can’t wait to get there!”
And just as those words were out of my mouth, Dad indicated to the left and took the turn that led down the long, narrow driveway to the campground.
Lo
ts of cars were arriving and several kids and their parents were milling about, waiting for instructions. Leaping from the car as it pulled to a stop, I spotted a girl from my grade standing nearby. I’d had no idea that anyone else from school apart from Blake and I, were attending and I was really pleased to see another familiar face.
“Hi, Suzy!” I called out to her. “It’s such a great surprise to see you here!”
Her friendly smile showed that she was just as pleased to see me. “Let’s head to the girls’ dorm and unpack our stuff!” I suggested eagerly, noticing the sign that led to the girls’ sleeping cabins.
Chatting excitedly, we grabbed our gear and headed off. My dad had gone in the direction of the office to see what he could do to help with the general organization for the weekend and I told him that I would see him a bit later.
As we rounded the corner of the building and approached the doorway, I reached out to turn the doorknob and then pushed on the door to open it. Unexpectedly, it kind of gave way and I fell forward. As I regained my footing, I looked up just in time to prevent myself from bumping heads with the person who had pulled the door open from the other side.
When recognition dawned and I realized that the individual in front of me was not just a vision but was actually really there in the flesh, I gasped involuntarily and stood in stunned silence.
Unable to hide the shock I felt at seeing the familiar figure standing there, I opened my mouth to speak, but words failed to appear.
“Hi, Julia!” her sweet smile did nothing to dispel the dismay that had engulfed me like the sudden blow of a sledgehammer.
“Sara!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t know that you were coming this weekend!”
“It was really last minute,” she replied, a look of assured confidence on her face. “Apparently one of the girls cancelled and a spot opened up. My mom just happened to hear about it all and booked me in.”
“And I didn’t know that you played an instrument?” I continued to query, trying to overcome the shock I was still feeling.
“I don’t,” she replied, smugly. “I like to sing. I’ve always been too shy to sing in public but Mom finally convinced me that I should. She’s always going on about how good I am. You know what mothers are like though. I’m really not that good.”
I looked at her unconvinced, never knowing Sara to be genuinely modest and then I remembered that Suzy was standing there and Sara hadn’t even acknowledged her.
“Do you know Suzy?” I asked. “She’s in our grade at school.”
“Oh hello, Suzy,” Sara responded. “Yes, I remember seeing you around the school. This is going to be so much fun, especially now that there are three of us here from our grade. Well, I’ve been asked to help the camp organizers, so I had better get moving. Just go straight through that doorway and you’ll find the girls’ dorm.”
“Oh, one more thing; there’s only one double bed and I’ve already claimed it,” she continued with a smirk. “Bad luck girls, first in first served!”
Indicating a nearby door, she gave a small but confident wave and took off down the pathway.
Looking towards Suzy with a disbelieving shake of my head and a huge sigh, I exclaimed, “Well, I was not expecting Sara to be here, that’s for sure!”
Questioningly, Suzy raised her eyebrows in response but I decided quickly that I should take control of my senses and try not to let Sara’s presence dampen my enthusiasm.
“Come on,” I said with a sudden resolve, “Let’s go and unpack!” And with a firm stride, I led the way into the girls’ dorm to select a bed. I’d been looking forward to this camp all summer long and I was not going to let anything spoil it, especially not Sara Hamilton!
Tug-Of-War…
After unpacking all our gear, everyone assembled in the large meeting room. I scanned all the unfamiliar faces hoping to spot Blake’s, but he was nowhere to be seen. I began to worry that something might have happened to him. It was unlike him to be late and he should definitely have already arrived.
The camp mentors had arranged for us to be organized into groups according to our ability level and instrument. We were given instructions for the morning and told to meet back at the dining room for lunch. I then made my way with a group of other guitarists to a nearby practice area. Our mentor, who was named Andy, was really cool. He was kind of hippy looking with long wispy hair and wore a vest that had fringing hanging down the back.
Apparently he was the lead guitarist in a local band and I could see that he was exceptionally good. Turning his amplifier up, he unexpectedly blasted us with some incredible lead guitar. He then spent time teaching us some new riffs and I was really pleased as I was able to pick up what he was showing us, super quickly.
The morning passed by in what seemed the blink of an eye and before we knew it, it was time to head to the dining area for lunch. Just as I was about to sit down, my plate overflowing with the biggest burger I think I had ever seen in my entire life, I spotted Blake’s familiar figure walking through the door. Almost instantly, we made eye contact and I felt my stomach flutter with relief that he had arrived safely.
“Blake!” I called out excitedly. And just as I was about to beckon him over to the spare seat beside me, Sara jumped up and raced to his side.
Grabbing hold of his hand, she dragged him to her table and stuck a huge plate of food right in front of him. From where I was sitting, I had an unobstructed view and I watched her whole face light up with the excitement of having him right beside her.
He threw an apologetic look my way and indicated that he would eat his lunch and then come over. Meanwhile, I sighed with disappointment as I stared down at the burger in front of me. I had suddenly lost my appetite and really did not feel like eating any more.
“Why did Sara have to come?” I thought to myself as I scanned the room once again.
“There are so many more boys here than girls and she could probably get the attention of any one of them. Why does she have to zone in on Blake?” I shook my head in dismay as thoughts of Sara filled my mind.
Then, tired of waiting, I took a deep breath and made my way over to where they were sitting. I had decided to just be myself and not make a big deal of things. I knew that Blake was my friend and nothing would get in the way of that, not even Sara’s pretty face and overpowering personality.
However, the minute Sara saw me approaching, she quickly jumped to her feet and tugged on Blake’s hand in a possessive and self-assured manner.
“Come on Blake,” she said to him eagerly. “I’ll show you where the boys’ dorm is so you can unpack your gear.”
But to my huge delight, Blake shrugged off Sara’s firm grasp of his hand and stood up to greet me.
“Julia!” his broad smile caused the familiar flutter inside me to return, the one I seemed to be overcome with whenever he was nearby. It then tingled right down my spine as he gave me one of his friendly big hugs.
I couldn’t help but notice the look of disgust on Sara’s face but she managed to conceal it with a false grin when Blake looked her way once more.
“Let’s all head over to the dorms,” Blake said tactfully. “I got held up this morning because my mom’s car wouldn’t start and we had to wait for the road service guy to come and get it going again. But now, I’m just keen to put my gear away and start playing some music.”
Smiling in his usual friendly manner, Blake chatted on as we walked towards the dorms. He seemed oblivious of Sara’s demands on his attention. Although, I wasn’t sure if he really was aware of what was going on or just pretending not to notice.
But feeling more confident, I also focused on ignoring her annoying behavior and looked forward to the afternoon ahead. The plan was to do another session with our mentors and then get together for a combined session after dinner. The mentors had said that they were going to select different kids from each group to form bands and the night times would be used to practice for the final performance on the last day. It would kind of be li
ke a Battle of the Bands competition and the winning group would win some recording time in a studio.
Looking forward to the evening session with excited anticipation, I left Blake to unpack and walked with Sara back towards our rehearsal rooms. At least she was in a different group to me, so I could simply enjoy playing guitar and improving my skills, which was the reason I was there in the first place. Of course, having Blake around was an added bonus but I decided to focus on guitar, for the afternoon anyway.
“Hopefully Blake and I will be put into the same band and then we can just catch up during rehearsals tonight,” I thought happily to myself.
Little did I know, however, that Sara had the same thoughts running through her mind as well.
Dreaming…
The afternoon session passed by quickly and before we knew it, everyone was heading to the dining room for dinner. I grabbed a table and Suzy and I managed to save some spots. When I saw Blake enter, I waved him towards us. Not far behind was Sara of course, and beaming widely, she walked over and sat down next to him.
“Oh my gosh,” she seemed so excited, she could barely speak. “I’ve had the most amazing afternoon. My mentor, Johnny, who is really, really cute by the way, thinks that I have an incredible voice. Can you believe it!! I’m absolutely buzzing right now. This could be the beginning of my career as a singer.”
“Wow, Julia!” Blake exclaimed. “That’s so awesome. I can’t wait to hear you sing.”
“Oh wow!” I also exclaimed, feeling a twinge of envy.
I then forced myself to add, “You’ll have to sing for us tonight.”
Julia Jones' Diary - Boxed Set - Books 2 to 6 Page 10
