"Journal Entry 1:
I gotta get outta here. Nobody treats me right no more. I heard of a place called Ashwood, it ain't even on the map. It would be the prefect place for me to just disappear. Imma miss Jah, but he's got other friends, he'll be okay without me. I doubt I'm even that important to him either, anyways. I mean, my own family is terrible to me. They don't listen to a damn thing I say. And I could live without the racists and bullies around anyways. Fuck Byron. This town I grew up in... fuck it, I'm out. As soon as I can I'm running away."
"Journal Entry 2:
I'm leaving tomorrow. I saved up enough money to probably find a small living space once I get to Ashwood. I'll get a job once I'm there. Jah told me to go. He actually seemed kind of down about me leaving, but he said it would be better for me there. I still feel kind of betrayed, in a way, even the one friend I thought was really close to me could let me go so easy. Whatever, though, it makes my job much easier."
"Journal Entry 3:
I had to say goodbye. I stopped for a moment at my school to give Jahseh one more 'see ya' before I'm out of here forever. That was probably the only hug I've gotten in the past five or so years. He also gave me a chain to remember him by. Cross with a loop at the top lookin' thing. When you turn it over it's got his name lazily scratched in the back. It's endearing, looks like he did it himself. Man, I take back what I wrote before. I ain't feel betrayed, Imma miss this nigga like a bitch"
"Journal entry 4:
I've been traveling for what feels like years. I think it's been months though... I think I turned 19 sometime in this journey. I gotta call Jah as soon as I can so he knows I'm alive, it's dead, and I gotta pay my bill.... Man... I just gotta hope these rumors about this place are true. Not that it really matters anyways, I'm not wanted back home, where else would I go?"
"Journal Entry 5:
I made it... seven months.. it's September... but Ashwood's real... is
I don't know why, but I wanted to see his eyes again, so I placed my hands on both sides of his face and turned him back. He looked at me as I looked at him.
We were both trying to figure each other out. Not thinking about what I was doing, I caressed his cheeks with my thumbs.
I realized what I was doing and pulled my hands back, but soon after he reached out for my hands and placed them back on his face.
"Sonya, I dont wanna be alone anymore..." he says as he looks down.
That lowkey hurt my heart. Nobody deserves to be alone. It'll break you before anything else will.
"Well, do you wanna be my friend?" I ask, looking hopefully at him.
He raises his head back up and looks at me, studying me once again.
"Yeah, I'll be your friend." He finally says.
"Well new friend, I'm Sonya. But you can call me Sonya salice, salice or just Sonya. Nice to meet you." I say as I stretch my hand out to him smiling.
He takes my hand into his and shakes it.
"Just call me Jahseh."