The Black Journal

The Black Journal

By Laura A.

Today, I finally get to see my old friend Jack. Who is Jack? He’s one of the most important people in my life. First off, he saved me from killing myself when I was a freshman in high school. I tried to hang myself because the sophomores were picking on me, I thought it would stop if I just need it all. Jack stoped me, he told me nothing would happen if I killed myself, that I would take all the pain in the after life if I did that.

The next day. When I went back to school. The sophomores tried to pick on me again. All I did was look at the ground. I knew if I looked at their faces, and showed them mine, they would just pick on me more. “Hey,” I heard Jack said from behind the, “why don’t we all just leave the poor girl alone.” In that moment, a fight broke out with the boys. A teacher stopped it, and they all went to the principles office. I told the teacher i had to go with them because they were fighting because of me. The teacher didn’t really care, but I went anyways.

In the principles office, we all gave our stories as to how the fight broke out. Of course the sophomores said that they were defending me from Jack, Jack said he was defending me. I agreed with Jack, but nothing really happened to the sophomores, they just left the school for that day and the next day they had to go to detention, which we all know is a place to goof around.

Jack, he was lucky, most kids would have to had the same punishment, but he only got off with a warning. At first I was shocked, then I thought that the system was finally working. Till I went to Jacks house. Another way the Jack saved me.

I was failing my history class. So many important evens is US History. There was a major project that we all had to partner up on. As usual, no one wanted to be my partner thinking that I would only make them fail. Jack was on the other side of the class room. He yelled from the other side of the class room if I would be his partner in the project. Everyone laughed thinking it was a joke, just to make fun of me. I hid under my jacket more and more as everyone laughed. Jack came over to me, and taped me on the shoulder. I lifted my head. “I wasn’t kidding,” Jack said, “would you be my partner on this project.” I nodded my head.

After school Jack asked if we could meet the next morning at his place. I said yes. We exchanged numbers and he gave me his address. When the next morning came, I went to Jacks house on my bike, and his house was huge! I don’t mean like a 2 story house that just looks nice. It looked like they put mushed four 2 story together, and added a pool and golf course in it. It looked crazy! I pushed a bottom on the gate and told the man on the other end my name and why I was here. They let me in, and some man took me to the study, where Jack was.

“Hey Laura,” Jack said.

“Hey,” I said. We hugged before I sat at the table.

“So,” Jack said, “I wanted to let you know that, my dad will be coming in and asking you a question.”

“Question?”

“Yeah, my dad has been known to test people i come in close contact with or if i decide to bring them over to the house. Usually I never see them again.”

“They failed?”

“I think. I really don’t know.”

“Your dad never told you?”

“My dad doesn’t tell me a lot of things.” At that moment, the door opened.

“Hello,” an older man said.

“Hey dad,” Jack mumbled.

“Jack, please go out of this room for a second, I need to speak to Miss. Clan alone.”

“But dad-”

“No buts.” Jack walked out, leaving me and his dad alone.

“Miss. Clan, I have a question for you.”

“Ok.”

“Witch one would you take?” Jakes dad pulled from behind a 100 dollar bill and a black journal. I looked kinda shocked. Why would he ask me this? “You can keep either one of theses when you leave.”

“I’ll take the black journal.” I told him.

“Why don’t you want the $100?”

“I liked to draw.”

“You can get many more journals and more pens if you take the $100, so why the journal?”

“I,” I muttered, “I think it would only show you that I want his money if I take the $100. If I take the journal, it means I want a real friendship with Jack.”

“You are smarter then you look Miss. Clan.” I took the journal from Jacks dad. “Miss. Clan, I must ask that you never open that journal in your life.”

“Why,” I asked.

“I will pay you $500 a month if you don’t open it. I will know if you open it and the money will stop coming in when you open it.”

“Will I ever know why?”

“When I am dead, and Jack asks for it back.”

“Ok.” After that, Jack and I finished our project. We hung out many more times after that. I sometimes wondered if I could give the journal back to prove that I really was Jacks friend, but I needed the money. At the time, I needed that money. I needed to get away from my family. They were treating me really badly. I lived on my own for months in a small apartment till i finished high school. Then I moved, went to college and lived in the dorm rooms.

Today. Today is the day that I finally get to get to know what is in that journal. I never opened that Journal.

“Hey,” Jack said from behind me.

“Hey Jack,” I said getting up and giving him a hug. “What’s going on? How’s life?”

“Good,” Jack answered, “I’m really excited to know to get that journal back.”

“I’m excited to know what in the journal.”

“I know,” Jack answered, “when I found out I was in complete shock.”

“What is it?”

“You need to open the journal to find out.”

“You sure,” I asked Jack nervously.

“Yes. I promise, after you open this journal, your life will change forever. Your going to be making even more money then you thought.”

“I don’t want the money.”

“What,” Jack asked looking strange.

“I really just wanted to be your friend. I knew that was part of your dads test. If I open it now, I don’t know if it means that I’m in this for the money and not to be a real person, a real friend.”

“Laura, I promise you, that isn’t what’s happening.”

“You promise?”

“Yes.” I opened the journal. I read everything in there. It talked about how My mom and Jakes dad were siblings. How my mom left the family because they only cared about the money and how she wanted to escape that. My parents them died and I was given to my dads family, who treated me like dirt. It then explained how me and Jack were going to share the family company from now on, and how I would teach people that its not just about money, but how its about caring about others. I started to cry, so did Jack.

Who would have thought that me and Jack would be family!