Lost in the Never Woods
Page 33
“That’s gross!” Wendy scolded.
“It’s delicious!”
Wendy rolled her eyes but couldn’t help chuckling. When Jordan disappeared from sight, Wendy flopped onto her back. She reached her hands above her head and tangled her fingers in the grass. This was her favorite spot on campus, where rosebushes lined the lawn.
Back home, she and her mom had picked out and planted two rosebushes in the backyard as a sort of memorial to John and Michael. John’s were white and Michael’s were bright yellow. Mrs. Darling spent a lot of time talking to the roses while pruning their leaves. Last time she was home, Wendy had even caught her dad doing it a couple of times when he thought no one was watching.
She watched the roses sway gently in the breeze and thought about Peter. She did that often. When things were quiet, her mind always seemed to drift to him. She’d had a handful of dreams about him, but when she woke up, she was only left with fleeting glimpses of starry eyes and a toothy smile. Many times she’d wished she had a picture of him, or something more substantial than her drawings to remember him by, other than the acorn that she still wore around her neck every day.
Wendy sighed. It nestled into the center of her chest reassuringly. The longing ache came back as it always did when she thought of him. Wendy closed her eyes and did her best to conjure up an image of him grinning. She thought about the small chip in his front tooth and the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. Wendy smiled as a breeze picked up, causing the grass to dance against her skin. The wind brushed against her cheeks, smelling sweet as honeysuckle. Under the rustling of leaves, Wendy could’ve sworn she heard the soft chirping of crickets.
Wendy’s breath caught in her throat. She opened her eyes.
Acknowledgments
Lost in the Never Woods has been seven years in the making, during which I’ve grown, regressed, and changed. Throughout those years, many people helped this story grow, and, in kind, helped me grow. I owe thanks to so many of you.
Shelby Gagnon: You and your family took me in during one of the darkest times of my life. You introduced me to Astoria one weekend in spring, and I’ve been in love with those woods ever since. Without you, this story wouldn’t exist.
To Kathryn Reiss, for being my guide throughout undergraduate and grad school at Mills. I decided to pursue writing when I was a high school junior and sat in on your Young Adult writing course. Without you, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today.
To Marisa Handler, whose mentoring made Wendy’s story come to life in beautiful and poignant ways. You were a grounding force when everything seemed impossible to reach.
To Ellen McAmis and Mackenzie Bronaugh, who staged a ridiculous intervention when they saw me struggling, but mostly for your unwavering love and loyalty. Thanks for all the belly laughs and tight hugs.
To Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong: Without you, I would never have survived grad school. You are amazing.
To Elizabeth Stelle and Tanya Lisle, my amazing writing partners. Thank you for encouraging me to continue writing and being with me through every twist and turn of getting this book published. You two are the real heroes.
To all my writing buddies at H.O.W.—Genny, Maggie, Manasi, Mary—some of the most talented writers I know, who created a community where I could improve my writing, explore distant places, and experience magic.
Super special thanks to Alison Morrison, one of my biggest supporters who freaked out with me when I got the official email during a very serious meeting. You have talked me down from several ledges, and I’m sure there are plenty more to come. Thank you for being the best Mom-ager I could ask for.
To Holly West, my phenomenal editor who helped take my story and spin it into gold. I still can’t believe I found someone to work with who understands my stories and characters so fully—sometimes even better than I do. Working with you has been one of the best things to ever happen to me and my writing.
To Emily Settle, one of the best cheerleaders who happily shares in my freaking out when I message her with random thoughts and ideas. I hear you’re the one who first found Lost in the Never Woods and shared it with the rest of the team, and for that I am forever grateful.
There’s so many folks at Mac Kids who touched this story and made it shine. Perry Minella and Melanie Sanders for taking my words and making them decipherable—you two are the real MVPs. Raymond Colón for taking my story and turning it into an actual book I get to hold. Rich Deas and Mike Burroughs for creating such a beautiful cover and making a lifelong dream come true.
I also want to thank the other Swoon Reads team members, Kat Brzozowksi, Lauren Scobell, and Jean Feiwel. It takes a village, and you three have been in my corner this entire journey.
To the entire Swoon Squad, I love and appreciate each and every one of you. I am incredibly lucky to be part of such a supportive, talented, and kind group of people. You all are like my second family. A special shout-out to Prerna Pickett and Olivia Hinebaugh, who came to my rescue in my time of need. A huge thanks to Caitlin Lochner, who saved me in the eleventh hour.
And last, but certainly not least, my family. Without you, I would be lost.
About the Author
Aiden Thomas, author of Cemetery Boys, received their MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Born in Oakland, California, Aiden often haunted Mountain View Cemetery like a second home during their misspent youth. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden is notorious among their friends for always being surprised by twist endings to books/movies and organizing their bookshelves by color. When not writing, Aiden enjoys exploring the outdoors with their dog, Ronan. Their cat, Figaro, prefers to support their indoor hobbies, like reading and drinking too much coffee. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1. Falling Stars
Chapter 2. Peter
Chapter 3. Closed Doors
Chapter 4. Thunder
Chapter 5. The Arroyos
Chapter 6. Dreams
Chapter 7. Crickets
Chapter 8. Memories
Chapter 9. Stories
Chapter 10. The Shadow
Chapter 11. Old Friends
Chapter 12. Warning
Chapter 13. Bubblegum
Chapter 14. Into the Woods
Chapter 15. The Acorn
Chapter 16. The Tree
Chapter 17. Fairy Lights
Chapter 18. Pain
Chapter 19. Growing Up
Chapter 20. Truth
Chapter 21. Lost in the Never Woods
Chapter 22. Found
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2021 by Aiden Thomas
A Swoon Reads Book
An Imprint of Feiwel and Friends and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
swoonreads.com
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First hardcover edition, 2021
eBook edition, 2021
eISBN 9781250313980
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