Okay, this is Chapter One. Hope you guys like it!

Chapter One

Jason sighed. For the hundredth time that day. Wasn't anything good going to happen, just for once?
He'd lost his lunch money. Again. Probably Dane Matheson stole it again, Jason thought. Dane Matheson was the school bully. There wasn't anyone who wasn't afraid of him, except for maybe some of the very popular or strong kids. Jason wasn't one of them, unfortunately.
I'll just skip lunch today. Jason took out a candy bar and took a big bite out of it. Still munching, Jason wandered over to the schoolyard fence. A bookstore across the school caught his eye. There was a book displayed on it. Jason strained to see what it was. He sucked his breath in. Inkspell, the book was. The sequel to Inkheart. Jason's favourite book.
His heart fell all of a sudden. He would do anything to read that book. His mum probably couldn't buy it for him. They were too poor. Just the two of them had been living together for years, in a cramped little apartment. Jason's father had died right after he was born. He and his mother were rendered poor and defenseless. Mum got a different job every other month, usually working somewhere like MacDonald's or Burger King. She earned just enough money to feed herself and her son.
Jason suddenly felt tears clouding his eyes. Angrily, he wiped them away. Shoving the rest of the bar into his mouth, Jason turned to head back into the school. He came face-to-face with... Dane Matheson.
"Hey, Pipsqueak!" Dane grinned. "Were you crying? Oh, where's my mummy?" He said in a high voice. His gang laughed stupidly from behind him.
Jason felt himself shaking. "Shut up, Dane."
Dane suddenly stopped grinning. "What did you say?" He growled, grabbing Jason by the collar.
"I said, shut up." Jason said through gritted teeth.
"Why, you-" Dane raised a great hammy fist. Jason squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the end. That's when the bell rung. Dane let out a torrent of swear words and dropped Jason where he was. When Jason opened his eyes again, the gang was gone. Letting out a sigh of relief, Jason walked slowly back into the school. Only one thing was on his mind - Inkspell.

When Jason got home his mother wasn't in. Setting his backpack on the floor, Jason went to go grab a snack. That's when the package on his table caught his eye. A red card was set on top of it. For Jason, it said in an elegant handwriting. His mum's handwriting.
Jason picked up the card. Happy birthday! Here's a gift for you. Hope you like it! Love, Mum. Jason had almost fogot that it was his own birthday. He set down the card on the table and took the package. It was nicely heavy. With shaking hands he unwrapped he gift. Jason gasped. For in front of him was a copy of Inkspell.
Not believing his eyes, Jason looked at the price sticker on the book. $19.00.
"How..." He trailed off by himself. He turned the book this way and that in his hands. Opening it to the first page, Jason read:

Chapter One: Words Made to Measure

He has been trying to sing
Love into existence again
And he has failed.
Margaret Atwood, "Orpheus 2,"
Eating Fire

Jason had always loved those quotes. They gave him lots to think about and was a great start to each chapter.
He had barely started the first line - Twilight was gathering, and Orpheus still wasn't here... when there was a knock on the door.
Irritated, Jason went to answer the door.
"Are you Jason Robinson?" A man, in his fifties, asked Jason.
"Er, yes," Jason replied uncertainly.
"Your mother is under arrest." The man suddenly said in a very police-man-like voice.
"W-what-" Jason had never been so shocked in his life.
"What you're holding there, young man, is stolen property. From my bookstore." The man said a matter-of-factly.
The truth hit Jason. His mother had stolen the book. All for him.
"No..." He whispered.
"Yes." The man's expression hardened. "I'll wait in your house 'till she comes home."
"She's not coming until after nine." Jason told the man. "You'll have to wait four hours."
"Then wait I shall," the man said stubbornly. He stepped into the house. Jason had no strength left to fight him. The man sat on the sofa. Jason sat in a chair opposite of him. He held his face in his hands.
"You like that book?" Said the man abruptly.
"Yeah..." mumbled Jason, still not looking up.
"So do I..." the man softly. "I have that book myself, you know," he reached into his bag and took out the exact same book. Jason was only mildly surprised. But he was very surprised when the man began to read from it.
"'Meggie hated quarreling with Mo. It left her shaking inside, and nothing could comfort her...'" suddenly Jason experienced the queerest feeling. It was as if he was under a spell. He couldn't move. It suddenly hit Jason, how nice the man's voice sounded. Then... his house began to melt away. Another image became clearer - an unfamilier house, a large house. Jason realized what was happening. He was getting read into the book. Into Inkspell.
Strangely, he didn't panic. Perhaps it was because he had read so much of it in Inkheart. Jason just clutched his own copy very tightly in his hands, in fear of losing it.
Because, he reckoned, where he was going, it was going to be very useful.