Happy Book Birthday to Time War by Amanda Kay w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @amandakay_books

Excerpt Copyright © 2016/2017
Amanda KayIt had been two weeks since we moved into our new house. I still didn’t know anyone. Mom and Dad said that was because I spent my days sulking; maybe they were right. I was sitting in my room looking around, when I realized I had barely left this room since we got here.
“You’ll never make friends this way,” I scolded myself.
I decided it was time to mingle. I walked downstairs and outside at the same time as my neighbor. She looked about my age, so I walked toward her driveway. “Hey,” I called.
She looked my way and waved, “Hi.” I smiled at the return greeting.
“I’m Willow,” I called, not as loud since I was now closer to her house.
“Lydia,” she replied. A car came speeding down the road, stopping in front of her house. “Got to go,” she waved before jumping into the car.
I sighed as I watched it speed away. “That went well,” I mumbled, returning to my house and my room. This was bullshit. I wanted to go back to my old city.
Sitting on the bed, I debated calling my Aunt Kari. Surely, I could live with her. Then I could attend my high school, with my friends. I absently looked around my new room. It was a nice setup, much like my old room, but it wasn’t my old room. A loose floorboard caught my eye.
“Great, the house is broken,” I chuckled, leave it to my parents to buy a house without looking at it up close. I got up and walked over to the loose board. If I pulled it up, I could show Mom and Dad how wrong this house is.
Under the floorboard was an old leather book. I pulled it out, Property of KJ. Sitting on the floor, I opened it. Who was this KJ?
July 22, 1958
Well, it’s official, high school begins in September. I’m not looking forward to it at all. I really couldn’t tell you why either. I’m fifteen and nothing about this life excites me anymore. I’m not really living. Isn’t life supposed to have a purpose? I’m not sure what mine is.
That’s my story today,
KJ
I sighed, I knew what this KJ felt like. What is my purpose in life? Before the move, it was friends and boys. Makeup and clothes. Malls and movies. Now, I wasn’t sure. Closing the journal, I carried it over to the bedside table. Maybe a nap would help.
I only closed my eyes for a minute, but when I woke, it was late afternoon. Damn, I didn’t want to take a nap. I walked downstairs, the house was quiet. “Mom, Dad.” They didn’t answer. I glanced out the window and their car was gone.
Oh well, I walked out the back door, anxious to explore the area around the house. I walked down the pathway and noticed a pond, but my parents had mentioned that. What caught my eye about the pond was the guy sitting on the edge of the pond.
“Hello,” I called out freezing my steps as he turned around to face me. He frowned and I wasn’t sure why.
“Hi,” he called back and I walked toward him. He looked around my age, which I thought was nice. At least I’d make a friend.
“What are you doing on my property?” I asked, not sure why that tumbled out of my mouth first. Smooth, Willow. Bite the guy’s head off.
He frowned more and scratched his head, “Last I checked, it was mine and I don’t have a sister.” It was my turn to frown. His?
I looked around and tried to think of a response. “KJ?” I questioned barely above a whisper. It was likely that he didn’t hear me.
“That’s what my friends call me. I’m Keagan,” he smiled.
“Willow,” I rasped. Where was I? What year was it? “What year is it?” He stared at me and then broke into a roaring laugh. I felt so stupid.
“1958, same as it’s been for seven months.” He was still laughing hard so his words were breathless.
“Oh God,” I gasped and his laughing stopped. When I chanced looking his way again, he was staring at me with concern. His green eyes searing my heart.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” How did I answer that question?
“I’m new in town,” I muttered quickly.
“And somehow, my property became yours?” He smirked.
“It’s complicated,” I dismissed. How the hell did I end up in 1958?
“Well, it’s a story I’ll look forward to,” he smiled.
“One day,” I said softly. He continued to smile at me and then he patted the ground next to him.
“So, Willow, how old are you?” I laughed at the simplicity of his question. This felt unreal.
“Fifteen and you?”
“Fifteen.” I nodded and he took my hand, “You’ll be going to St. Paul, right?”
I swallowed, “I will.” It was an honest answer, right? That was the school I would be attending but not until 2016. God, what the hell was this?
“That’s cool.” He smiled as he took my hand. My heart stuttered and began to hammer in my chest. I ran my other hand through my hair. “I won’t bite, Willow,” he whispered.
“Maybe I will,” I shot back, hoping to calm myself down with some banter.
He laughed again, “I doubt that.” He dropped my hand casually and I was able to exhale.
“I should be going,” I muttered, quickly standing.
“Yeah, okay.” He sounded sad and suddenly I felt guilty.
“Are you okay?” I asked, looking down at him.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” he dismissed.
“I understand.” He smiled at me again and I smiled back before turning to walk away.
“Will I see you again?” he called after me.
Would he? “Maybe I’ll visit in your dreams,” I chuckled.
“I’ll wait for you there,” he answered and my heart raced again.
“Bye, Keagan.” I waved and then trotted off quickly. I could feel his eyes on me, so I went around to the front of the house before entering. Racing to my room, I scooped up his journal and flipped through the pages. The blank pages.