The two that surprised me most, however, were people that I did not even know a year ago. I have always had difficulty making new friends, so it was very surprising when I fell into an easy friendship with Jackson. The only other time that had happened was when I met my best friend, Tegan, when I was in kindergarten. I was used to people thinking I was odd because I was so often in my head, but Jackson did not bat an eye. In fact, he shared my bookish eccentricity.
The most surprising part about Jackson’s shockingly nice and considerate disposition was that it was such a direct opposite to what I would have expected. It was my biased hang up that left me with the belief that, because Jackson was so good looking, he would not be intelligent, friendly or kind. He proved me wrong and also made me aware of my own preconceived notion.
The other person was Mark. His reputation preceded him in a very unflattering way, and he initially proved that reputation to be warranted. He also did nothing to endear himself to me. After my first encounter with him, I would have been more than happy never to see him again. Then, quite unexpectedly, I witnessed the real Mark that existed behind the angry mask he usually wore. It made me pause to reconsider where Mark was coming from, but he was the one who approached me and changed the trajectory of our relationship.
I realized that, despite making some very bad choices, the real Mark was not so bad. While I was reluctant to trust him at first, once he opened up, he proved to be a worthy friend. I am still amazed by how much he has changed; I would not have thought it possible. I appreciate his friendship so much and feel so honored to know the person he is now.
So many times I felt like people overlooked or did not understand me; I found I was just as guilty. What I have learned in the last year, however, is that people can and often will exceed your expectations. There is nothing more humbling than being proved wrong. That is why I have discovered that is it important to never take anything at face value. Sometimes you have to take a closer look and see what lies beneath the surface.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing Infinite has been, without a doubt, one of the best experiences of my life. It was a wild ride and pure joy every step of the way, but it would not be the story it is today without the help of several people.
The story probably never would have been written at all if Mandee had not recommended I read The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Thank you, Mandee, for bringing the book to my attention, and thank you to Stephen Chbosky for writing a wonderful novel that managed to get the wheels turning in my head.
To Nikki, you were the first person to read any of Infinite. Even when it was just a titleless jumble of randomness, you were the first person to love Silly and believed in the story enough to tell me to keep writing.
To all of the AITP readers, thank you for sticking by me and encouraging me through the years. It was a long road to get to this point. I never would have found the courage to publish without your support and kindness.
Thank you to my family for introducing me to the world of books and encouraging me to read (even if you don’t like it yourself, Grandma!) and enabling me to fall in love with writing. Even if you didn’t know what that they were (because I wouldn’t let you read them), you tolerated my years of writing silly stories.
And last, but certainly not least, I have to thank Becca, Mel and Amy for standing by me through this publishing journey. You were invaluable to the process. Without you, I probably would have given up and walked away. You stood by me and cheered me on and were always gracious enough to offer to help in any way possible. I cannot even begin to express how much I appreciate your kindness and generosity. Thank you for being the Tegans to my Silly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BRITTNEY MUSICK was born and raised in Indiana. She graduated from Ivy Tech Community College with an Associates of Applied Science for Visual Communications with a concentration in Graphic Design. She works primarily as a freelance designer, and creativity has always been in her blood.
As a child, when her nose wasn’t buried in a book, she was always writing stories in her head. She even had an imaginary friend–or so she’s been told. For many years, she wrote stories only for herself (and occasionally shared them with friends). As a teenager, she became active in sharing her fiction in online communities, making several friends and penning several stories along the way.
Infinite, however, is her first published novel.
She currently resides in Indiana, sharing a home with her grandparents and cat, and when she’s not writing, she can usually be found chasing after her niece and nephew or crocheting on the couch while watching one of her many favorite television shows or movies. When she’s not drowning out the real world with music, her nose can still be found buried in a book.
You can find her online at brittneymusick.com.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Infinite (Strange and Beautiful, Book 1) Page 62
