Boys of Summer (41 page)

I shake my head. “Can't. My mom is redecorating the house. I promised I'd help her search home decorating blogs.”

Mike chuckles. “Ouch. Good luck with that.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I mumble. “But I'm planning to marathon
Crusade of Kings
season two later tonight, if you want to come over.”

“Ooh. Season two.” Mike feigns getting stabbed in the chest. “The most heart-ripping, soul-crushing season of them all. Definitely count me in for that.”

I laugh. “Cool.”

“I'll catch you later, then,” he says, and I glance down to see he has extended his fist toward me. Without thinking I instinctively bump mine against his, then twice on top, twice on bottom, finishing off our ten-year-old salute with wiggling fingers.

“Have fun,” Mike says. Then he jogs back up the dock, leaving me alone on the edge of the pier. I watch him disappear down the beach, before I turn toward the water again, just in time to see Grayson's ferry vanish around the side of the lighthouse.

Then again, maybe some things
will
stay the same.

Thank you to Nicole Ellul, without whom this book would literally not exist. And to Mandy Veloso, Jodie Hockensmith, Carolyn Swerdloff, Mara Anastas, Steve Scott, Bara MacNeill, Russell Gordon, and all the rock stars at Simon & Schuster who send wonderful stories out into the world every single day. Also thanks to my amazing agent, Jim McCarthy; my parents, Michael and Laura Brody; and of course Charlie, who keeps me sane when sanity seems like such an unreachable goal. And finally, overflowing buckets of gratitude to my readers. Your letters, tweets, fan art, gifts, hugs, and unbridled enthusiasm remind me that I have the best job in the world.

is the author of several popular books for teens, including
52 Reasons to Hate My Father
,
A Week of Mondays
, and the Unremembered trilogy, as well as two adult novels. Her teen diary is filled with boys, most of them appearing in summer months. She splits her time between California and Colorado. Visit her online at
jessicabrody.com
.

SIMON PULSE

Simon & Schuster, New York

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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This Simon Pulse edition April 2016

Text copyright © 2016 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

“What Will She Be” song lyrics copyright © 2016 by Jessica Brody Entertainment, LLC

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Cover designed by Russell Gordon

Interior designed by Steve Scott

The text of this book was set in Cochin.

Library of Congress Control Number 2016930599

ISBN 978-1-4814-6349-2 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4814-6348-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4814-6350-8 (eBook)