Boy Proof (20 page)
Authors: Cecil Castellucci
“Does it still look okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, why?”
“’Cause I think it’s a good design. It sure took a beating today and it’s still on my head. Sturdiness is important in the movies.”
Max laughs.
“What about you? What are you going to do?” he asks.
“I’m going to work with my dad on his next movie in Poland,” I say. “Then I’m coming to visit you in Chicago.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Max says.
Then his hand catches mine and I don’t push it away. Instead I curl my fingers into his.
News flash:
For supporting me and my arty ways, I’d like to acknowledge my family — Lise, Vincent, and Laurent Castellucci; my most excellent friends — you rule most mightily, especially those who bought me a latte, lent me $100, or drove me somewhere; my agent, Barry “Mr. Fantastic” Goldblatt; SCBWI-LA Working Writers Retreat, Kerry Slattery and Skylight Books in Los Feliz, Margot Gerber and American Cinematheque, The Banff Centre Writing with Style Program, Andrea Kleine, Phil Glau, Collyn Justus, Carolyn Kellogg, Tim Wynne-Jones, Tom Burman at the Burman Studio, the Tuesday Night Writers Group (R.I.P.), The Alpha 60 Filmmaking Club, and Liz Bicknell at Candlewick; special thanks to my editor, the divine Kara “Kick-Ass” LaReau; and a very special thanks to Steve Salardino for suggesting I write a book called
Boy Proof.
There’s more to read by Cecil Castellucci
C
ECIL
C
ASTELLUCCI
grew up in New York City. She is a writer, filmmaker, actress, and singer-songwriter, and engages in many other creative pursuits. She is also an avid science fiction fan — as a testament to her devotion, she lived for six weeks on Hollywood Boulevard, waiting for the opening of
Star Wars: Episode One
. “Sci-fi fandom is always given such a bad rap,” she says. “I’m a card-carrying geek and proud of it.” Cecil Castellucci is also the author of
The Queen of Cool
and
Beige
. She lives in California.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2005 by Cecil Castellucci
Cover photograph copyright © 2005 by Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
First electronic edition 2011
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Castellucci, Cecil, date.
Boy proof / Cecil Castellucci. — 1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Feeling alienated from everyone around her, Los Angeles high school senior and cinephile Victoria Jurgen hides behind the identity of a favorite movie character until an interesting new boy arrives at school and helps her realize that there is more to life than just the movies.
ISBN 978-0-7636-2333-3 (hardcover)
[1. Identity — Fiction. 2. Motion picture industry — Fiction. 3. Motion pictures — Fiction. 4. High schools — Fiction. 5. Schools — Fiction. 6. Interpersonal relations — Fiction. 7. Los Angeles (Calif.) — Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.C26865Bo 2005
[Fic] — dc22 2004050256
ISBN 978-0-7636-2796-6 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-7636-5428-3 (electronic)
Candlewick Press
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Somerville, Massachusetts 02144
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www.candlewick.com
