The journal she was holding was a little smaller than the one I remembered, but it was almost identical to the one in the picture I showed her for my biography project. I had written about Augustin West, my grandfather, it was ten of the easiest pages I’ve ever written charting the adventures of a man who had traveled the world five times over, and who accepted me for me. I felt my eyes well up in front of her as she laid the journal in my palms, resting her hand on my shoulder as Kai rest his on the other, I felt a tear escape as Ms. Arcadie spoke. “but I thought this might help you navigate your summer”

We spoke for about five minutes, it might have been longer I couldn’t tell. I stared at the journal imagining what would end up inside, which experiences with Kai would I keep in it. Kai guided me from Ms. Arcadies' room, through the hallway, to outside, just in time to see the bus leaving and to start my adventure.

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.