Rowan's Journal
September 13
Today was my first day attending The Academy. It was interesting seeing Jaden and Dana again after so long. Looking around I was unable to discern why mother wanted me to attend another school. I don't understand! what could her reasoning be?! She graduated from here. Her, Mr. Strider, and Dr. Harley all went here. Now that I think about it, Jaden's mother and Dana's father did not want them here either. What on earth could be going on? Are they hiding something from us? I'll talk to Grant and Alice later and find out what they think..
7:00 p.m.
It seems that Jaden and Dana share my suspicions. Jaden mentioned finding an old, blue journal in his attic when he was 5 that Dr. Harley took and ordered him to never go into the attic. Dana told us that Mr. Strider has a pair of dorky, rectangular glasses sitting on his dresser. When she had asked him about them, he told her that they belonged to an old friend and she wasn't allowed to touch them. Jaden says that he will try to find the journal tonight after Dr. Harley goes to sleep. If he is successful, we may be able to unravel this mystery.
Rowan
I've got the journal 1:00 a.m.
1:05 a.m. Excellent work Jaden
Jaden's Journal
September 14
I had that dream again last night. This time though, the dorky looking guy with black hair and blue eyes seemed to be excited about something and had a strange gleam in his eyes. The last time I had that dream, I was 5 and my mom had just taken that journal from me. After I fell asleep that night, the dorky guy showed up in my dream and seemed upset. Maybe the journal belongs to him? Oh well, at least I got the journal. Hopefully, mom won't find out until we figure what they're hiding from us!
9:00 a.m.
I met with Rowan and Dana today before class. Dana thinks that we should meet up in the library before lunch. If the guy the journal belonged to went to school here as well,he should be in the yearbook. If we find his picture, we could probably ask some of the teachers if they knew what happened.
11:00 p.m.
Dana was right. The guy who wrote the journal went to The Academy. His name was John Egbert. We found a page dedicated to him in the yearbook from our parents' sophomore year. When we asked Mrs. Captor, the librarian, about him, she told us:
"It's a sad story. Why do you want to know?"
It was Rowen who answered her.
"Our parents spent a good deal of time trying to convince us that we really didn't want to go here. When we asked why, they would change the subject. Jaden had actually found John's journal in his attic when he was five. He asked his mother about it, she took the journal and forbade him from entering the attic ever again. Dana discovered that her dad was keeping John's glasses on his dresser and, when she asked her dad about them, he told her to leave them alone."
Mrs. Captor sighed and went over to the door to the library and hung up the sign that declared the library closed for lunch. She then motioned us into her office telling us to bring the yearbook with us. She took the yearbook from us as we sat down in front of her desk and opened it to a picture showing the entire sophomore class standing at the front of the school. Placing her finger on the dorky looking boy standing next to our parents she began her story.
"John Egbert started school here as a scholarship student in our sophomore year. For a short time our entire class was enthralled by novelty of having the sole scholarship student in the whole school in our class. But that novelty began to wear off, starting in the upper echelons of our social pyramid. Eventually even Martin and Felicia, the nicest kids in our class, started to despise John.
I think Ethan was the first to act on that hatred, stealing John's homework and hiding his textbooks. Kane, Silas, Natalie, Ezra, and myself were the only ones, besides your parents, that left John alone. Although, in your parents case, it was because they were friends with John. "
Mrs. Captor paused and looked down at the photograph for a single moment before continuing.
"On December 7th, our class gathered in the auditorium for an assembly. That day, we were sent home. The Academy was closed down for the investigation. John's body had been found, draped across the now broken piano, mangled almost beyond recognition. The only clue the police found was a note, clenched in his hand."
At this point, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. We promised to meet up in the library to look through the journal at lunch tomorrow. Dana said she would try asking her dad about John after dinner and Rowan said that he would take the journal with him to limit the possibility of mom finding out that I have it. Maybe, when we learn more, I'll be able to understand those dreams.
Dana's Diary
September 14, 9:00 p.m.
At dinner, I asked dad about John. He froze and looked at me with wide, red eyes.
"Where did you hear that name?!"
I told him that we came across it in the yearbook from his sophomore year when we were seeing what him, Ms. Lalonde, and Dr. Harley looked like in high school and that Mrs. Captor told us what happened when she saw us looking at the memorial page. He sighed and said,,
"Autumn told you?"
I nodded and he motioned for me to stay at the table. He left the dining room and returned with those dorky glasses that sat on his dresser as well as a picture I hadn't seen before. Looking at the picture, I saw dad, with Ms. Lalonde, Dr. Harley, and John. They looked like they were 8 and were all wearing those funny cardboard party hats. They were standing behind a cake with blue frosting and white lettering that said 'Happy 8th Birthday John'. I looked up at my dad when he started speaking, "John was my best friend. When we were young, he would send me his prank ideas and I would send him the stupid raps that I was so proud of. I was so excited when John told us that he got the scholarship. He would be going to school with us! I couldn't even imagine all the mischief we would be getting up to. When school started, we were all so happy.
After a while, I noticed that John was acting more withdrawn. I thought that it was just that he was adjusting to the demanding curriculum. Rose, Jade, and I just thought that he was sick when he didn't show up at school on December 7th. I was horrified when I saw his body lying on the piano in the auditorium. John was the nicest person I knew. None of us knew what caused it. Eventually, we drifted apart. We started talking to other people."
I was shocked to see that my dad was crying by the time he finished. I better tell the others tomorrow.
Rowan's Journal
September 15, 3:00 a.m.
I had a strange dream last night. John was in it. He was far away from me and seemed to be trying to tell me something. The faster I ran. the farther away he was until he was gone. I stopped and looked around. Wherever I was, it was completely empty. "Read the journal" I spun around and John was standing directly behind me, a pleading look on his face. I know that Dana, Jaden, and I promised that we would read the journal together, but I have to… no… I need to know what happened.
4:00 a.m.
It was truly awful, what happened to John. I am now certain that he was murdered. This is what the last entry in the journal says:
"I wish they would all just leave me alone. What did I do to make them hate me so much? I haven't done anything to deserve the pain they've put me through! I'll make them pay! I'll make them all pay!"
I will find out who did this to him and I will avenge him!
Jaden
Did You notice that Rowan is
acting weird today, Jaden? 10:00 a.m.
10:05 a.m. No Dana. I didn't. I wonder what's
going on...do you think he's sick?
I don't know 10:10 a.m.
10:15 a.m. We can find out during lunch
Jaden's Journal
September 15
When I asked about the journal, Rowan said that his mom took it. Dana was right. Rowan is acting strange. He would never let his mom get a hold of something as important as that journal. Dana wanted me to try and distract him while she searched his backpack for it. So I drug Rowan off, ranting about the dissection we would be doing in science and how he needed to help me save the poor rabbits before Mr. Ampora killed them. Rowan was very upset when he learned that the were dead and that they were, in fact, already dead when they arrived at the school. He stormed off and when I met up with Dana again, she revealed that she had been unable to retrieve the journal before Rowan had taken his backpack and left.
Dana's Journal
September 16
When I got home last night, I told my dad that Rowan was acting really weird today and that he left during lunch. Dad told me not worry about it and that, if it makes me feel better, he will call Ms. Lalonde after dinner and ask. After dinner, he called Ms. Lalonde like he said he would. Dad told me that she said that Rowan wasn't feeling well and that he should be better by tomorrow. I haven't seen him yet. I hope he's okay…
Rowan's Journal
September 16
I did it. Last night after mother had gone to bed, I took the journal to John's dad.. After I got there I debated just pushing the journal through the mail slot when,
"Can I help you?"
I turned around and saw someone who could only be Mr. Egbert.
"Mr. Egbert?" I asked.
"Yes. Do you need something, kid?"
"My name is Rowan Lalonde. My mother went to school with John."
When he heard me say John's name, he froze before saying,
"What do you want to know?"
I held the journal out for him to take.
"Mr. Egbert, from what I had read in this, I don't think that John killed himself."
He looked at me, startled, as he took the journal.
"Where did you get this journal?"
I told him about how Jaden had found it in his attic and how Dana's dad has John's glasses on his dresser. I told him that the reason we had involved ourselves was because our parents wouldn't tell us why they didn't want us to go to The Academy. He thanked me for returning the journal and told me that he thought that John would appreciate the belief that I placed in him. I hope that Jaden and Dana will forgive me for my actions last night.
9:00 p.m.
It turns out that Jaden and Dana forgave me for not telling them what I had planned. After I told them what was written in the journal, they could understand why I chose to act on my own. We also got a new student today! The reason she started today instead of on the 13th with the rest of us is because she was in apparently in an accident.. The strangest thing was, she looked as much like John had looked as Dana, Jaden, and I look like our parents. When the teacher told her to introduce herself she said,
"My name is Joan English and I am the second scholarship student in the history of The Academy. I like to read and play the piano. I hope we can be friends."
When the teacher assigned her the seat next to me, she smiled and leaned over to whisper,
"Thank you for helping him move on."
As I stared at her in shock, she winked at me with her brilliant blue eyes. I swear that I will not allow what had happened to John, to happen to her.