by Antony John
I put on my warmest smile. “I’m Lola. Her friend.”
Before Mrs. Lewis can say another word, I turn away and link arms with Nick and Kiana. I want “friend” to be the last word she and Mallory hear.
Ned is starting a tiny campfire when we get back to my house. Momma has all the fixings for s’mores. Ms. Archambault stands behind Ned and tells him what he should be doing differently.
As Nick and Kiana prepare to toast their first marshmallow, I take a seat beside Momma. She wraps me up in a tight hug.
I look at everyone sitting around the fire. Maybe it’s that Momma feels well again or that Ms. Archambault is always looking out for us or that Nick and Kiana are such great friends, but there’s something so perfect about the moment that I almost want to cry.
I used to think that two is a fragile number. That when Momma’s struggling, I’m pretty much alone. But I’ve never been alone, not really, because it has never been just the two of us. Family is more than the people you share a house with.
Ned sharpens a twig with his pocketknife and hands it to me. Momma takes a marshmallow from the bag beside her seat. I stab it with the twig and hold it, resting, just above the fire, until the edge is hard and crispy and the middle is pure goo.
Momma eats one half. I take the other.
It’s exactly the way we like it.
Acknowledgments
First off, my heartfelt thanks to all booksellers, librarians, and teachers. As a former reluctant reader, nothing’s more gratifying to me than meeting a kid who doesn’t usually read but has discovered a book to fall in love with. When I ask these kids how they came across the book in the first place, they invariably reply that one of you gave it to them. Please keep changing lives.
Talking of booksellers, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to St. Louis’s finest, who can always be relied on for support, encouragement, and crazy-cool events: Kris, Jarek, Sarah, Cliff, Shane, and the entire crew at Left Bank Books; Holland Saltsman and Melissa Posten at The Novel Neighbor; and Emily Hall at Main Street Books.
This novel grew from a seed planted during years of summer vacations in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’d like to thank my mother- and father-in-law, Charles and Sandy Odom, for welcoming me to my home-away-from-home and giving me such a great place to relax, read, and write . . . and yes, sample the local restaurants. (Research is important, after all.)
Particular thanks to Vicky Berry, who provided expertise where the book needed it most. And to all my beta readers, young and old, I’m indebted to you. To Gavin and Tamsin, who read and reread at every stage of the publication process, I owe you an ice cream. A very large ice cream. Or two.
To Kevin and the crew at Cafe Ventana, for keeping my coffee mug topped up and providing a lovely, quiet place to write, thank you. I will one day vacate my favorite table. Possibly.
Ted Malawer has been a friend, mentor, and sounding board for more than a dozen years. I couldn’t ask for a better agent. Thanks for your steady hand and unflagging enthusiasm.
I owe special thanks to the team at HarperCollins Children’s Books, who always manage to surpass my impossibly lofty expectations. It’s a privilege to work with: copy editor Jon Howard (with a nod to Cindy Nixon and proofreader Rosanne Lauer); designers Sarah Kaufman and Alison Donalty; cover artist Bee Johnson; publicists Aubrey Churchward and Kris Kam; Robby Imfeld and Ann Dye from marketing; Patty Rosati, Rebecca McGuire, Stephanie Macy, and Katie Dutton from school and library marketing; Andrea Pappenheimer, Kerry Moynagh, Kathy Faber, Jen Wygand, Heather Doss, Fran Olson, Deb Murphy, Jessica Abel, and the rest of the sales team; and the awesome Sarah Homer (my go-to source for pretty much everything) in editorial.
Biggest thanks of all to my editor, Tara Weikum, who has an uncanny knack for unearthing the potential in my ideas, and both the skill and patience to guide me toward realizing that potential. Working with you is a joy!
About the Author
ANTONY JOHN was born in England and raised on a balanced diet of fish and chips and bizarre British comedies. To annoy his parents, he studied classical music. Now he writes books instead of music so he can wear sweatpants all day. He lives in St. Louis with his family, who think he’s weird for not liking chocolate. They might be right. Visit him online at www.antonyjohn.net.
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Copyright
THE OTHER, BETTER ME. Copyright © 2019 by Antony John. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
COVER ART © 2019 BY BEE JOHNSON
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019939421
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-283567-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-283565-9
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1920212223PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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