Chapter 1
The air began to cool, and the late afternoon clouds came to their resting places on the surrounding peaks. Parking spots and businesses along Main Street stood empty as Sunday evening slid into Ra...
Chapter 2
The car tossed up a cloud of dust as it climbed the unpaved road to Grammie's house. The house was small and needed paint, but orange and white wildflowers lined the front yard, and a porch surroun...
Chapter 3
Two years ago I would have been stoked to have a chance to assist the coach, but now the idea sucked big time. And my enthusiasm to compete had disappeared with the rest of my old self. Once I'd re...
Chapter 4
Speaking of stupidity, I walked into the yardage store to help Grammie, and Mrs. Busby, the owner, smiled at me in that sympathetic way and said to Grammie; she has such a pretty face. If ever ther...
Chapter 5
Dermott and I had gotten along well in my first two years. But after Amy's suicide, he'd made it clear that I was to blame for her out of control dieting and downward spiral. He'd decided it was ne...
Chapter 6
"I'm sure the principal will want to meet you. He'll decide whether or not you can stay in that attire today." She motioned through the small swinging door and led me to an office. She knocked and...
Chapter 7
It didn't matter where I sat. I couldn't hear anything Ms. Miller was saying over the pounding in my chest. And I couldn't see anything past the doll-like profile of the new girl. Amy's cousin. She...
Chapter 8
Now for the juicy stuff. This was the part of the day where I truly wish I knew how to channel people. Dani, I would have channeled your smooth, cool confidence. And maybe those friggin' legs of yo...
Chapter 9
"Just so you know, James Riley has already asked me to the Homecoming Dance." "Good for him," I said and turned to leave. She scurried on her backless sandals to catch up to me. "Don't you think it...
Chapter 10
Spring formal has everyone in a frenzy at school. I intend to stay home, bathe in a tub of chocolate frosting, and watch Pride and Prejudice for the hundred and fiftieth time, wishing that someone...
Chapter 11
"But religion helps us to face our own mortality." I spoke to her like she was the only person in the room. She stared at me through a curtain of razor cut bangs. "I agree. Religion is a wonderful...
Chapter 12
Now, standing outside the classroom, I badly wanted to give her my assessment of Mr. Dermott, her Mr. Knightly. I would tell her she knew a romantic hero when she saw one. The guy was dreamy, smart...
Chapter 13
Katrina stood up and peeled off her sweatshirt like she was an artist lifting the curtain on her masterpiece. Alex and the other clay heads sitting with him howled like wolves from their perches. A...
Chapter 14
"He was my first horse. I got him when I was seven. We used to compete in local rodeos together. Even won some. Now he spends his days out in this field munching grass." "It's a nice life," I said,...
Chapter 15
My hair nearly touched my shoulders when I combed it wet. I was surprised the coach hadn't said anything about it. Apparently he didn't want to ruffle my feathers. I hadn't been growing it long to...
Chapter 16
Big question of the day. Why is it so easy to make gargantuan goals and plans for life improvement at night when you're in bed? Last night I told myself that in the morning I would begin a strict d...
Chapter 17
Dani was staring up at me. It was obvious she was assessing how much of my confession was the truth. But it was all true. "You were her romantic hero." I looked away. "They only exist in books." "I...
Chapter 18
I grabbed a chunk of pages and flipped closer to the back. The entries got shorter. One entry had a self-portrait where she was unzipping a fat suit and a skinny, bikini-clad Amy stepped out of it....
Chapter 19
No one from our generation had jumped from the Ledge yet and for good reason. There was a good chance of painful death waiting for those who tried. Some guy from my dad's graduating class jumped an...
Chapter 20
We stepped inside the pipe. The air inside was thick with the smell of moss. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light but once they did my mouth dropped open. The sides of the tu...
Chapter 21
"The girls put their names in a bag and each guy pulls out a name. The guy who picks the blank is the emcee. He takes the girls out into the forest, hides them, and ties them to a chair. Their eyes...
Chapter 22
Why did no one warn me that being thin sucked? If this is what real life is then give me back my blubber suit and shove a romance novel in my chubby fingers. I'm going back to friends I can count o...
Chapter 24
"Death." I finished for him. "It's alright if you say the word Mr. Dermott, I know she died." He looked slightly embarrassed. "It's just that it's always hard to talk about a student's death." "Did...
Chapter 25
"Come on, Dude, the first meet means the first bonfire. It's tradition." Dani and Blister walked over just then. "What's tradition?" Dani asked. "We always have a bonfire at the bus after the first...
Chapter 26
"You should be on an Olympic team." "Yeah, well, it's kind of hard to train for the Olympics when you're moving from town to town every few months." "You're staying here though, right?" Blister ask...
Chapter 27
I pulled the first tire up and rolled it away. Then the second. We both stared at the revealed picture. The rest of the pictures were brightly colored images of people, animals, and flowers. This p...
Chapter 28
"Even with a popularity status that bordered on legendary, he kept his head and his cool. Everyone adored him. Then when rumor got around that he'd said something cruel about Amy's weight, and she'...
Chapter 29
She pulled at a strand of her wavy brown hair. "I don't even have the great hair going for me. Not that I care. I don't want to be popular. I just want to know that it's not a waste of my time spen...
Chapter 30
Mom's face dropped. "Do you think I can only hang out with losers?" "Face it, Mom, up until now . . ." She whipped around, walked to the kitchen, and grabbed a soda out of the fridge. "I've changed...
Chapter 31
"What about your grandma?" "My mom was always fighting with her. She actually preferred me to go to the foster home because she was afraid Grammie would never send me back. She probably wouldn't ha...
Chapter 32
"Jake doesn't deserve any of the grief he's been given about Amy's death. She adored him, yes. And he said something stupid that I'll never forgive him for… I doubt he'll ever forgive himself, bu...
Chapter 34
We walked back home to inspect the house. My skin crawled with the thought of someone prowling around our things. And knowing I'd been inside with the intruder was enough to make we want to sleep w...
Chapter 35
"It was all her fault. She claimed she was going to tell the school board. I went to stop her. I had no idea she would swerve off the road," Mr. Dermott blurted. Sweat was pouring off of his forehe...
Chapter 36
His mouth covered mine, and I thought Miss Austen could have her Darcy, and Miss Brontë could have her Heathcliff. I had my Jake. (36.19)