This gets even more and more interesting and woooohooo, you mentioned Cam in that last one XD And wuuuutt? ROADKILLED BADGERS? How sad for a 3 year old Jake to have seen it maybe hee'lll be the roadkilled badger if he keeps acting like a troublemaker Anyways bwahahaha, I LAIKITTTTTT

Moaarrrr plzzz?

That's sad that Jake had to see a dead badger. I mean, that was really sad.

Hehe. That made me laugh

So, this entry was great Actually, this entry was AMAZING. I loved it. Please write more soon.

Zoe-just just, just,
ROTFLOL. And I love you. And Jakers. Cos his pink hair is so AWESOME! But a dead badger?

i know of your stalking abilities... but some people who read this dont know that Jake's dad turns out to be okay

bwaha, love me some wordplay

mkay *keeps writing*

*eyes you*

Not a troublemaker

just sorely misunderstood

hehe

have some moarrrrrr

^__^ glad you liked it

i know, sad, right?

xD

I knuuuuuuuu

tis sad

tis life

tis Jake





Part 5: Healed

Jake: 4 years old

“Mummy.”

The shout came from Jake’s bedroom. It was rare for him to say that. To even talk, especially these days, when he’d suddenly turned extremely quiet. Wouldn’t say a thing to anyone… Somehow, Brooke knew something was really up. He wasn’t even acting his hyper self at times. In fact, instead of running around in circles in the garden, like he always had, Jake only lay down all day, sleeping or just resting silently on the sofa.

“My poor boy,” Brooke had said, kind of awkwardly. Jake wasn’t the most accepting of sympathy, and she was never sure how the boy would react. He had a temper… a real temper. It was a mystery where he got it from. It was hard… very hard, to not hug her son. He showed in no way that he loved Brooke… or anyone. But… it seemed as though that wasn’t really an issue right then, for the boy was sick… he needed someone.

“’t hurts…” he murmured, eyes half closed, struggling to stay open, his usual floppy hair stuck to his forehead from sweat. Jake wasn’t acting normally, and Brooke couldn’t bear to see that, even if his way of acting normally was shutting himself off from the world.

“I know, baby,” Brooke replied, sitting by her son’s feet and rubbing the kid’s stomach. “It’ll stop soon.”

It was times like this that Brooke lay the blame on Heath Upstead. That insufferable man was the reason she had to look after Jake on her own, the reason she was driven to absolute confusion over the boy’s every move. GAH! If she ever saw that man again…

She’d probably just ignore him and walk away, frankly.

Squirming around, Jake thrashed his head against the arm of the sofa, moaning and whining.

And so it was for three straight weeks. Brooke didn’t dare go to a muggle doctor, or even a healer… Jake was kind of… against healers and in any case… she didn’t want people to think she couldn’t care for her son.

So they stayed.

For the first week, things stayed the same… Jake was quiet… squirming around… pathetic. The next week… well… Brooke didn’t want to experience that ever again. Jake got worse and worse, screaming and screaming… in pure agony. But… the third week…

That was the best week she could have wished for. At first it was like the first week, but then, finally, Brooke woke up to find Jake… outside. Running in circles. She managed to get him inside, and aside from a slight fever, he was fine. Back to his old self.

But Brooke never forgot that first time he acted like her son.

Jake: ... still 11

Professor Morgan is pretty cool.

Kind of. I mean, there was that leeeeeeettle teeeeeny weeeeeeeeny issue with the hospital wing. She like, practically DRAGGED me up there to get my shoulder fixed, and Kayla came too… well… she was told to meet us up there. See, I tried to run away a couple of times. I got detention at first and got hung in the air by my ankle (not fun) and then I tried to run again and got LEVITATED the rest of the way. And THEN I tried to run AGAIIIIIIIIN and… I got tied to the chair.

Fun!

But my arm got fixed in the end.

BRUTALLY!

And I ran away… fo realz that time.

But I was better at it than before. I made it all the way down to Professor Morgan’s hut and under her desk with nobody finding me. Ooooooh yeah.

Until they found me, that is.

We had this talk… and Professor Morgan…

She was cool. Really nice. Nicer than anyone I can remember. I hope she doesn’t leave anytime soon.

So yeah… what else? OH EM GEE! Plymouth Morgan is a JERK! He… well, I was only doing what we were supposed to be doing, and he got all mad. And… he took me and… and… and… he was going to flush my head down the toilet.

MEANIE!

And Cale… Cale Newell… just as bad. He tried to help. Gah…

But I kinda pulled off one of his sideburns with extra sticky spello tape, so s’all good.

And nowwwwwww I gotsa go see mah bestest mate, Cameron. I shall see y’all later, home skillets.

Chow!

I laiiks it.
PAMS!

WOOT, update!!

I saw someone posted and got all excited and such.

To the first part: Awww poor Jake. Though the running around in circles thing, that struck me as hilarious. The whole mother and son thing was sweet.

Annnd the 11 year old Jakers part: Bwaha, side burn pulling, poor Cale... And the toilet thing...People at Hogwarts are violent!!



Right so, I hope you write more soon-ish, but if you don't I'll be watching and waiting. Cause' this is just to entertaining not to do so.

PAMS!

Zoeeee Duude-ette toterly awesome

Poor Ickle 4 year old Jackers is ill -pets him-

Boys with sideburns stay away from Jake Upstead when he has cellotape

PAAMS <333

I'm glad
Here y'all are!

Yes, tis what Jake does. He should start doing that again some day And yeah, I thought i'd write about him and his mother. because they dont really bond much. Jake tends to choose someone else to be like a parent to him.

They ARE violent! It's rather scary.


Here you are ^__^

Yes. Do. Heeeeeeeed the warnings.

Soooo... with that...



*bright lights*

Part 6: Leaving

Jake Upstead: 8 years old.

A sad little boy with tears running down his face stood in front of his mother. He was no older than 8 years old, though he looked younger, thanks to his height and general demeanour. It was Jake. He was getting kicked out of school.

“The social workers will be getting in touch soon enough, and then they’ll tell you what needs to be done,” one of the pastoral workers at his school was saying. Just minutes previously, the boy who didn’t look capable of beating up an ant had pitched an absolute fit when they told him he wasn’t coming back to this place. It wasn’t fair. He liked it here.

As he watched the interaction between his mother and favourite teacher, Jake glanced out of the smashed window. Now he wasn’t allowed at this place… would he be made to cope… out there? Alone?

Was that such a bad thing?

“Goodbye, Jake,” the teacher said, patting the boy on the shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise. She gazed down at him with a look mixed with pity, sadness and disappointment. Another one had slipped through her hands. She couldn’t be helping this kid any longer. Jake let his eyes linger on that oh-so-confusing face as his mother led him out of the room, before taking him down the corridors and passed a certain trashed classroom.

As per usual, nothing was said on the walk home. To Brooke, she was keeping up a disappointed silence. To Jake, they were just walking home like they always did, except a little earlier.

“You’ll have to be home schooled now, Jake,” Brooke said as they approached the front door. At this, Jake frowned and stared at his mother, intrigued.

“What’s school?” he asked, getting out the question he’d always been curious about, but had never go an answer to.

Sighing, Brooke led Jake inside and began to explain.

Jake Upstead: STILL eleven. Not for long though

Soooooo… the school year is over. This makes me sad. I mean, I was all happy at first because I don’t really like it here all that much, see? And… well, you know… I didn’t want to be here.

But then I found out that people were going to leave and not come back. This really DOES make me sad. And I won’t see a whoooooole bunch of people for, like, six weeks. AND when I next see the castle, I’ll be twelve. I… I want to go home… but I’m not going home. I’m going to look for my dad. I’m leaving my mother’s house, and I… well, I’ll just have to see what happens.

I suppose… at least I’ll get to come back to this place… right? Which is more than can be said for other places.

It’s weird… I’ll miss the stupid uniform… the weird fact that everybody seems to be called ‘Professor’ as if it’s some kind of job requirement to have the same first name. I’ll miss… being the youngest kid in school (having a birthday at the end of August kinda makes that happen).

OOHHHH EMMMM GEEEE! I nearly forgot. Kayla had this kinda pregnant tarantula, and IIIIIIII got one of the babies! I named him Charlie, after his mother, Charlotte. Awesome, right?

ANDDDDDD Jack Mosier fiiiiiiiiinally got what was coming to him. Reese and Lima were standing up to him… in a stupid way, though, and Kazi apparently showed up. I wasn’t there… but they told him they were protecting me or something and Anna, the Gryffindor Prefect, had to come find me, and she did, and took me down there. And theeeeeennnnnnnnn I finally told Kazi about Jack… and he, Reese and Lima got detention and lost points. I lost points too, for not telling anyone about being bullied. But that’s okay, because I’m glad I didn’t get detention.

I was mad, though, when Jack wasn’t expelled… even though he toterly deserved to be. But ahhhhh well, no point dwelling on it. We kind of made up at the end of term feast.

So… I guess that’s it.

Write to y’all soon.

Jakey.

All I can say is that I love Jake
And I miss Lima in the school

That corridor stuff with her Reese, Jack and Kazi was awesome

Lolol, 'twas

Thanks for commenting ^_____^

Okay...

Next part...

After this, I'll start talking about his actual second year at Hogwarts... but I figured this might be cool to write.

Part 7: PINK

Jake Upstead: 10 years old

Jake had a favourite pair of shoes.

They were pink.

Bright pink.

And he loved them.

"I wish you wouldn't insist on wearing those ghastly things," Jake's mother remarked, as her son strolled about their large house, looking for something to do. "They really are grotesque... How old are they?"

Shrugging at his mother, Jake glanced down at his small feet. He hadn't grown in a while, but since he had found them, when they were too big, his feet had grown, and now Jake had to cope with cramped feet whenever he wore them... but-

"I love them," the boy replied simply, curling a strand of his dark blond hair around his finger. The locks had started off being bright blond when he was younger, and were rapidly turning dark. Probably all the time he spent inside. Since he'd been expelled, Jake had avoided any chances of going outside the relative safety of his home. Whenever his mother tried to pull him, he had screamed and screamed... and his mother always gave in.

Shaking her head disbelievingly at her son, Brooke smirked somewhat. "Didn't you find them? They're disgusting!" she added, eyeing his feet disdainfully. "I like your purple shoes better than... those. Pink..." she trailed off.

"I like pink," Jake replied firmly.

"But-"

"Love it."

Nod.

Jake Upstead: Twelve years old

I. HATE. PINK!

HATE IT!

I mean, really... my little brother turned my hair BRIGHT PINK!

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!

Okay... I suppose I should calm down and start from the beginning... maybe tell you how exactly I managed to get a brother. Ugh, well...

So, I came home on the train... with nowhere to go. At the train station, I ended up calling my social worker, and she found me a home to stay at for a few days whilst she tried to find me somewhere else. I'm not going back to my mothers house. That's it.

Soooooo, after about a week, my social worker told me she'd found my dad's address, and she took me there.

Well... turns out I have a half brother, who is like six. His name is Dale, which is funnily enough one of my middle names. Dad must have had a say in naming either of us. My dad also MARRIED someone like a few weeks ago... and guess who my step-sister is?

REESE NORTHWAY!

'Cept now she's gonna be an Upstead too. She has this brother, Ryan, who is older than Hogwarts age... he's a squib, though... so...

Yeah.

Okay, SO! After an eventful few days, in which I totally crashed Reese's party (teehee) things calmed down and stuff... and then Dale... DALE the little... he found my wand... and turned my hair PINK.

PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!

And THEN stupid Ryan put this brown potion on my hair, as if it would turn it dark again.

It didn't. My hair is pink.

Dad took me to St. Mungo's... oh that was an eventful journey. Kicking and screaming just didn't work on him. Not this time. But at least the Healer gave me a lollipop.

So, now... for the next two years, I'm gonna have pink hair.

This fails.

(Oh yeah, and apparently Jack and John got killed. Not the best summer.)

I love it!

the sentence...not the color..the color is okay..

Bwahaha The was a VERY good entry, Zoe! I LOVED IT

And, Ryan wants to let Jake know he's very sorry

PAMSSSSSS.

I love your writing. Love it. Love it. LOVE IT.

Both of those entries were SUUUUH-WEET. I especially like the parts about little Jake. Very cool.

Hope to see mooore soon!

Teehee, I get what you mean
Thanks for reading and commenting

Why thank you
Well... I'm sure Jake will forgive him... one day

thank you! and here ye go
awwwww,
Thanks

those parts will vary in his age now and then, like this chapter, its a bit from his "future" than him in the story, you know?

Hereeeeee it iiiiis:

Part 8: Healer



Jake Upstead: 12 and a half years old

Laying in the bed of a closed ward, Jake stared straight up at the ceiling. Not too far away, his dad was speaking to a healer of St. Mungo’s; where he was right now. Only about an hour had elapsed since Jake had been taken from Hogwarts by his father and then whisked off to St. Mungo’s on the headmasters suggestion.

He was crazy. That was the only possible reason. Just like seven months earlier, Jake had kicked and screamed and this time nothing had put the hospital workers out of doing their job. He had been given a highly concentrated calming draught, which practically paralysed him, though Jake was required to stay awake for observation.

He wanted to go back to school… do homework, have quidditch practice, get in trouble. But Jake didn’t like being crazy.

At the moment he thought this, Jake heard footsteps and glanced around to see his father, looking mighty awkward.

“Jake…” the man began, and usually the tone in which he spoke would alert someone that something was up. “They want me to go. You’re going to spend a few weeks here, with the nice healers. I want you to… just know that you’re aren’t here because you’re in trouble. We care about you.”

With all the sedation and tiring business of the day, Jake didn’t reply to his father, and after an awkward silence the man gave him a kiss on the forehead and headed out of the ward. A female healer looked on as this happened, before smiling at the boy and reaching for his hospital record, which already explained his pink hair.

Any potion lasts off after a certain length of time and because Jake was so small, they couldn’t give him much of that calming draught at once. Jake felt himself getting highly irritable and stroppy, and a general brat, but sliiiiiiightly more dangerous. At the simple suggestion of a nice lunch, Jake picked up a vase of flowers beside him and threw it at the Healer, screaming about Ministry conspiracies and hospital prisons. As three more healers had entered to calm him down, Jake totally freaked and manage to stress himself out. He lashed out at Healers, using anything he could to help him, before the medical staff resorted to the absolute last resort and used magic to still him.

All this was eventually written in a file, and after a few days of a similar process, Jake found his bed magically stuck to the floor, absolutely NOTHING he could possibly throw, and they’d even gone so far as to put a kind of magical leash on him so they could control when he could walk around, something Jake resented and made him feel like a toddler. After that, he lay in the bed and pouted for days on end.

He knew healers were evil. KNEW IT!

Jake Upstead: 12 years old

Okay, so, first of term feast was a bit of a bother.

ALLLLLL I did was complain about someone kicking me, and Kazi made me sit at the foot of the staff dias for the rest of the feast. And then freakin’ Bunbury put a silencing thing on me, and THEN I got treated like a total baby.

With a bib and everything.

So, after all that, the healer was being nice, and everything looked promising. Then I said ONE LITTLE THING that was a leeeeeettle out of line, and BAM! She has a RIGHT go at me.

Not much to say, really, because I’m dead tired.

But you know what?

I don’t like healers.

Except one.

Future huh? Sounds nice.

This is sad. The addition, especially the first part. Poor Jakers.

Though on the bright side...no badgers died. that's gotta be good.

Annnnnnnd begginging of term feasts always seem to be eventful don't they?

More awesome, please.

Mmmmkay. Here ye go. I like the first part of this one

Thanks for commenting, always appreciated. xD I am starting to forget details that happened, so I'm having to hurry along.

Part 9: Shock

Jake Upstead :: 14 years old, closing in on 15 years

Jake Upstead stared down into his lap as he sat on his own, a book open in front of him which he was making no attempt to read. Instead, the boy was reading through a letter which had arrived about a week earlier. It was from his birth father about new arrangements, even though Jake had tried to make it clear he didn’t want to know anything to do with that family anymore.

He was in his fourth year, and the month of May was ending, giving way to a sunny June. The room was empty and Jake soon folded up the letter and tucked it into his pocket, before walking away. The shock was still weighing heavily on him, as it had for a long while. Leaving the book open, Jake walked away from it in a daze, the letter falling out of his pocket, revealing the words COLE AND DEXTER and TWIN BROTHERS. This note would later be picked up by one Tiberius Pryce.

And Jake went on his way, looking for someone to talk to.

Jake Upstead :: 12 years, 10 months and 2 weeks old

This year has seriously flown by, I tell you. It might be with the whole hospital thing or maybe Aparecium or the fact that I’ve been avoiding those thousand and one detentions with Kazi, but… yeah. Suddenly I found myself going down to the feast with everyone else.

I hate end of term feasts. I mean, like, going home, which is an ABSOLUTE shock to the system and then the whole goodbye thing that everybody goes through. I never want to go through one ever again.

I hate… saying goodbyes… and everything. I mean with Kayla, last year, she didn’t even bother to tell me she was leaving. She just left and didn’t send a letter for ages, by which time I was furious at her.

And I still am. That day in Hogsmeade. It’s not FAIR! IIIIIII wanted that attention. Why did Raiden have to come along and spoil it. Kayla was there to see ME! ME and ME ONLY! It’s not FAIR! I never get what I want. I don’t even get my dad to myself, but I don’t care about that anymore. I’m not going back home. And that won’t even shock them… they never notice me. Dad’s too worried about his stupid car. Ryan and Dale are always playing aeroplanes and who even KNOWS what the girl-people are doing.

Not fair.

Anyway, yeah… shock to the system.

Oh yeah… Truebridge said he’d take me rock-climbing. That has to be fun, right? I mean… he’ll keep his word, yeah?

Right?

I hope so. He’s alright, Truebridge. I like him better than Kazi, though that’s not really saying much. Stupid old man.

It was… a surprise when Truebridge offered to take me, and I can’t wait. Lawson was going to take me to some beaches too.

And… well… I suppose none of them really found out about Bunbury’s cat, or I wouldn’t be allowed to go anywhere.

I bet that was a shock to see.

HEY! I KNOW THAT NAME!

Ummm...because I really like reading Drabbles. (They're short, and sweet, and oftentimes funny. And anybody who can get a point across in 100 words deserves an award).

Next term's going to be eventful for sure! Wesley's stepsister Bree's born in March. It was supposed to be this March, but I never got around to fitting it all in. So that means they'll (Dexter and Bree) be at Hogwarts at the same time . 'Cause Dexter's a wizard 'cause I read Drabbles.

Okay, anyway,

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY ENJOY READING THIS! (if you can't already tell) Because Jake is awesome, and the story's awesome, and you're a GREAT writer!

My favorite part, of all, is when Jake rips of Cale's side burn. It made me laugh so hard! But I also liked the very first part with Brooke and Heath. I don't know, I just liked it.

But -to be up to date:

I loved how Jake referred to the girls as girl-people. I think it really gets across his age and gender quite well. Plus it was funny . Reading about Truebridge makes me feel sad due of recent events. And I really liked the last line. It made me laugh! Because, you know, shocking pink.

I'd say, 'keep up the writing', but then I'd be ordering you, sort-of. So I'm going to just say thank you for sharing this with everybody. Because life wouldn't be nearly as amazing without it.

So now that you have finally told me that you are writing this. I am finally here to post a comment.

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS!!!!

You are very awesome but you know this because I tell you all the time.

Haha, yup. It aaaaall comes together, yes?

This is true, they'll be at Hogwarts together. But Dexter will have a twin there too, as you can see. And that twin is older. xD But that's for the future ;D

Thank you for the compliments, they do make me happy. Yarp. THANK YOUUU!

Yeah, I do like to use wordplay and manipulate this with current events... one upside to being verrrrry behind xD

Well, hehe, here it is. Thanks for your amazing comments

Bwahahahaha. I didn't tell you beforrre? Reeeally? Hehe.

Thank you for reading it =3 I love getting the comments.

MWAH!

PS: I love you xD

THANK YOU!


Part 10: Reading

Jake Upstead :: 7 years old

"Jake, come on," came the voice of a kind sounding female teacher. It was the voice of the teaching assistant who was based in the classroom to help another group of students, but also to assist anybody. The young boy with his dark hair and deep blue eyes turned to look at the owner of the voice, who was holding out a book for him. Jake looked at it, blinking.

The teaching assistant seemed to be making up her mind about something, and she smiled warmly at Jake before gesturing for him to follow her up to the main teacher. Jake didn’t understand what he was being told to do, and went back to staring out of the window.

Meanwhile, the teaching assistant spoke to the class teacher. Fragments of dialogue drifted over to Jake, but he paid no attention. Fragments such as “never seen him read… never does work… tests… take him with me… speak much?” and from the class teacher, “won’t get much out of him… lazy… they reckon ADHD… trouble… leave him and there’s no issue…”

Apparently, the assistant won the class teacher over, because she came over to Jake, who was very small even for that age, and led him out of the classroom and to the school library. Jake just followed, content to do as he was told for now. He was led to a small table and the assistant looked at him and smiled.

“I’ve never seen you read, Jake,” she said softly, setting the book onto the table and giving her full attention to the little boy before her. Jake just stared. He wouldn’t answer a statement that wasn’t a question; it didn’t make sense. The assistant had seen this lots of times, and took it in her stride. “Some staff have asked me to keep an eye on you. We think you might do well with a little help.”

Again there was silence. Where there wasn’t a question, there wouldn’t be an answer.

“I’ve never heard you speak, either.”

Silence.

“Even during the register… But you can talk, can’t you, Jake?”

“Yes.”

The assistant noted that Jake Upstead was very well spoken, even in that one word. She smiled warmly as if this made her the happiest person alive. “And you can read?”

This time, Jake looked as though this was a very difficult question.

“I duhhhhh- duhhh- duh-duh-don’t kkknow huhhh-how you ccccan muhh-make sssssense of whuh-what those… ssssay,” he said, voice sounding slightly stressed, for some odd reason. The assistant made a note of the speech problems and nodded, knowing what he was saying. It was in the job description to understand the childrens’ different way of expressing something. Jake obviously had trouble with words and letters… but she would have to try him with a book first, and it was never too early to start teaching the child.

The assistant, who was, by the way, named Susan, pulled the book closer to her. It was a child’s book, just right for Jake’s age, and she opened it, holding it in the right place for Jake to see. “Read me the first line, please,” she said, being sure not to say ‘can you’ or ‘will you’. That would confuse the boy, this much she knew.

Jake leaned forwards and looked at the words on the page. He’d tried this before. There was an extraordinary amount of books at home, but for each book they owned, even the non-fiction, there was an audio version of it. And Jake listened, but could not for the life of him follow in a book. The boy was intellectually clever. But Jake Upstead could not read.

He stared at the first ‘word’, but it made absolutely no sense, like matchsticks crossing over each other.

He shook his head, hands gripping at the table in front of him, this young version of Jake Upstead very much upset about failing to follow an instruction. This was most definitely not a foreshadow of how the boy would turn out. Jake gripped harder at the edge of the table and rocked back and forth, shaking his head frantically, and Susan watched him, staying calm.

“It says ‘The’, Jake, see?” she said kindly, and made up her mind straight away. He would have a special needs assessment. And the school would not give up on him. She’d make sure nobody ever would.

This happened just before the summer. The assessment happened just in time to find out each of Jake’s difficulties. A month into the next school year, Jake was pushed too far and, because of actions caused by his anxiety, Jake was expelled from that school. And the school was glad. Glad to be rid of what they called ‘deadwood’.

Days later, Susan resigned.

Jake Upstead :: 13 years old

It’s hard to read. I mean, I don’t know about anyone else (who does, really?) but I can’t really read too well. And as a result of this, I don’t write too good either. I have this quill… I was soooooo happy to find one, since I couldn’t magic my own quills for it, where… it writes out what you say. It makes it easier to do homework, but I don’t have those audio things I used to have for books. I just have to really remember what I’m taught.

It’s hard to deal with. I once persuaded my dad to read out my textbooks to me. We got through the whole of my History of Magic one… and I remember it all, when I need to. But after that, it didn’t work out too well.

I didn’t have to go back there. I got off the train and there was Kayla… waiting. She gave me a place to stay for like 16 hours. I guess getting kicked out was my fault. I shouted at her kid and I had a huge blow-out tantrum and she called someone else to come and get me. I spent a while there, and then it was foster family fun. Very very stressful.

But hey, I got to go climbing. I got to see a beach. I chilled out a lot, ain’t that cool? AND I finally found someone that will look after me and give me ALL her attention… pretty cool, I’d say. I mean, she won’t stand for tantrums but… I can work on that.

But I still… don’t want to tell her about the reading thing. Nobody has really picked up on it yet, but as we get closer to the whole exam thing, I can’t copy what people do in classes and rely on verbal instructions. I’ll have to tell her soon. I actually went as far as carrying well-thumbed books with me, so people wouldn’t suspect anything.

It worked, but what if people don’t believe me now.

It’s very hard to live like this. I need to do something. Plus, murmuring instructions to a quill won’t work for much longer, and definitely not in an exam. I can’t skip lessons where I have to read for much longer. I’m on the train to school right now, so I have to leave soon.

School is too much like hard work for me. Next year… I’ll sort it. I just have to get by this year with no problems. Simple, right? Third year won’t be too bad.

Bwhahahaha, oh how I remember that or I should say Kayla remembers that little visit.

You is one awesome chick!!

I really love this and I am getting a real understanding of Jake. (Not that it helps Lawson any lolol).

Keep up the excellent work.

P.S. I love you too.

Ahhh, reading the first part makes me really, really, really sentimental. I didn't know how to read until I was 7, and when I finally learned (thank you, Bob's Books for Beginning Readers) it was MAGIC. First grade was and is my favorite grade, and it was all because of my teacher. So, seeing Jake struggle is something I can relate to, and when he didn't know 'the', that really pulled at my heart string. His 'the' is like my 'have'. I will never forget the patient boy who sat next to me and helped me with that word. But Jake didn't have a happy ending. It makes me almost want to cry.

Anyway, I think that these sections, in particular the first, are really polished stuff. They flow nicely, and if I started to read a book, and that was the first couple pages, I would buy that book immediately. Its just, lovely! The whole thing! I feel like, everything you mention is something that seems really believable; I think we all know kids like Jake who really struggle and get burned out. The words you chose for the teacher's dialogue, your description of the classroom environment, the way Jake held a old book just to appear like he read, the way you, I don't know, wrote it - that's all really, really amazing. The whole things amazing!

In fact, I think, the only word that can describe this is "Wow, all I can say is wow." (heehee, singing purple plastic purses are awesome)

I never knew any of this about Jake; it just makes me want to give him a hug. You just want to give all those sad kids a hug.

*POUNCES*

Yaaay, I'm all read up. It's really sad... Poor Jake. My uncle still has troubles reading...

I wanted you to know that you've done a really awesome job developing Jake as a character... He is really interesting, and had unique human faults and good qualities, and it all seems really realistic and somewhat tragic without overdoing it. If you know what I'm talking bout'. I may just be blabbing here...

ANYWAY, you're brilliant, and you should keep going with this.

Bwaha. He really WAS a brat. I'll grant you that

Oh, if only Lawson could read this, huh xD

<33333

Fank you for commentiiiiiiing

I really love readin your comments. They're so detailed and they make me embarrassed like woah. Not sure if I should be happy or sad to have evoked such an emotion... but thank you for commenting.

Teehee Thank you vair vair much. ^^ I love reading comments.

I has more

I'm not a fan of this chapter, but the time came when I needed to post SOMETHING, so here we are.

Part 11: Memory

Jake Upstead :: 8 years old

The best way to describe Jake Upstead’s memory was ‘photographic’ when he was a young boy. It was more something that he’d taught himself; remember what you hear. He couldn’t read, so remembering what he heard was the best way to learn. Educational TV shows, normal TV shows, radio, audio books… even the way his grandad told him stories or read the newspaper to him.

Noises and pictures where how he learnt. And it helped him pretty well.

Jake’s mother, Brooke, was not a bad mother, but she really was a terrible teacher. As soon as she learnt of Jake’s ability, she did no more than sit the boy in front of the TV. She didn’t really know that he couldn’t read or write, but she liked to fool herself that she had too much work to do to keep them afloat financially.

When, in reality, Jake’s father provided them with the money they needed.

Often, Jake was left with a babysitter; a girl from their neighbourhood who was more interested in texting her friends. Every now and then, the girl, Jessica, would bring along her friend. This friend was a lot nicer than Jessica, and her name was Abbie.

On one of these days, when Jessica was in the kitchen, talking on her phone to some boy or another, Abbie went through to the living room, where the TV was blaring.

She’d remember that day clearly for the rest of her life, though she didn’t know why. It wasn’t a traumatic nor generally symbolic day, but as she though back to the moments where her feet sank into the deep carpet of the living room, and the TV blared-

-and the kings of Egypt are greatly respected, even to the point of-

-loudly in her ears from the surround sound, Abbie would forever recall seeing little Jake standing in front of the TV.

She never asked why Jake wasn’t at school, and because she was 18, she was never asked why she wasn’t in school. But at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be in some place of education where she could learn. Learn about kids like this.

Because Jake was stood with his nose about an inch away from the screen, which crackled with static, and, though Abbie couldn’t see yet, his eyes were wide and fixed. Abbie immediately wished he wasn’t doing that. It made her heart sink; something wasn’t right about the boy. And every time she heard about Egypt, stepped onto a deep carpet or even just looked at a kid watching TV, she thought of the Upstead kid.

“Jake,” Abbie said quietly, stepping closer to the little boy. When she reached him and saw the intensity with which he was staring at the screen, she tried to turn him towards her. At first, Jake’s body turned, but his face still stared at the TV. When Abbie finally DID get the boy to turn, she winced beneath his penetrating stare. “Jake, what…?”

And then, instantly, Jake Upstead repeated the commentary from the TV show he was watching, word for word, beginning to… well… now. He did it at top speed and the only way Abbie knew it was exact was because a). she’d seen the show and 2). No 8 year old would use dialect like Jake was.

Because of that totally weird, innocent, insignificant day… the day she let Jake turn back and continue watching… the day which caused Jake to, every time he saw Abbie, repeat the narration again… Abbie remembered every word.

And she learnt a heck of a lot about ancient Egypt.

Jake Upstead :: 13 years old

I think I’m losing my mind.

No, seriously. There are great chunks of time that I can’t place at all. Huge blank periods in my life. People think I’m just forgetful… but seriously, I managed to get myself a whole bunch of detentions with Shackleton because of something I did… and I don’t remember doing it.

Truebridge called it ‘misplacing time’ or something like that, maybe losing. It doesn’t matter. What DOES matter is that I’m off doing whatever at certain times with no memory. And, apparently, LouAnn is having the same too.

Also, there’s this person… they killed this Hufflepuff. What if I run into them when I’m totally blacked out? That would be bad.

Ah, man. I wanna go home so bad. I’m scared. I’ve never blacked out before. Sure, I totally lost my temper and control of myself, like that time back at school where I just started throwing stuff without thinking about it or wanting to.

This fails. My whole learning method is based on my memory. I’m finding it hard to remember things from before all this happened, too. And the dreams… it’s hard to separate dreams from reality.

I don’t want to go back to St. Mungo’s… I’m so scared.

So, so scared.

Why, there's nothing wrong with St. Mungo's

Oh no, don't be embarrassed! Don't be sad either! Did your teachers ever tell you to make personal connections with the text? Because mine do all the time. For example, with this latest installment (which is fabulous as always!), I loved how Jake was watching about Egypt! My little brother goes through these periods where he's only interested in a certain thing. To date, he's liked deserts/cactus, Egypt, planes, rockets (and NASA), railroads, coins, stamps, and now he's really into antiques (more specifically, toys and G.I. Joes). The fun thing is I get to learn along with him, and my favorite thing of the list has been Egypt (I love history! ). So, when Jake was watching that show, I was thinking about all the books, museums, and shows I was exposed to when I was 8 years old (Just like Jake! 'cause Joey was 6 at the time; the kid could list off deities and kings like none other).

My favorite stories/parts of stories are those I can connect with.

But, to step away from my connections, I found this chapter really interesting because I did not know Jake had a photographic memory! I didn't really know he had reading troubles either, but I wondered about dyslexia after he wrote his K backwards on his name tag (which was, by the way, a great job doing the whole show, don't tell thing!). It was cool, but also a tad bit creepy. Sorry. It's just, if I was Abbie, I would've been really weirded out (but also totally curious). Aaarg! I'm making connections again! Sorry! I also love how you tied it together with the present time, it made it easier to understand where Jake was coming from - in fact, it made me realize how much more scary this must have been to him in comparison to the average person.

To summarize this all simply, I loved it. The whole thing.

And I also, as insane as this might sound, feel a little guilty for reading this for free.