The Secret to Lying
Page 21
I gestured to the open book in my lap. “I already signed a dozen yearbooks with ‘see you next year,’ and I’ve got this new policy about always telling the truth.”
“Good luck.”
“No kidding.” I flipped through her book, past the picture of me pretending to be dead. “I’ve told so many stories, it’s hard to know what’s true anymore.”
Ellie shook her head. “I mean good luck being here.”
“Oh.” I set her yearbook down and looked out her window. She had a nice view of the main square where people gathered. “It’s strange,” I said. “I know most people can’t wait for summer, but I wish I could stay here. I’m such a geek.”
“No, you’re not.”
“What am I, then?”
“You, James Turner, are a baby. And I mean that in the very best way.”
“Right. Because guys love to be called babies.”
“The only real friends I’ve ever had were babies,” she said, handing my yearbook back to me. “It means you’re new. You’re discovering things. We both are.” Ellie leaned against the desk where I sat, fitting her legs between mine.
“So I’m your friend?” I asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“A real friend?”
“You feel pretty real to me,” she said, putting her hands on my shoulders. “You’re not a ghost anymore.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist.
For a moment, I thought I’d imagined the brush of her lips on my cheek, because I’d wanted so badly to kiss her. Then Ellie kissed me again, and this time our lips met. It was wonderful and sad — a hello and good-bye and everything else in one gesture. I kept thinking This . . . this . . . this . . . because it seemed incredible that I could be myself, and life could be this amazing.
“I’ll write you,” I said, pulling her so close I could feel her heart beating against my chest.
“You better,” she whispered.
Dear James,
I’m looking at you right now, and there are so many things I want to tell you. That you scare me. That seeing your scars helps me to see mine. That you bring me back to myself. That because I met you, I want to stay. That I understand how fake words often sound, and how truth can swim beneath them like fish in an ice-covered lake. That I know who you are, and I think you know who I am, too.
Basically, I’m in syzygy with you.
Love,
Ghost44
P.S. Sweet dreams.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Piece of Cake — that’s what I thought when I finished the first draft of this novel. I’ve since been humbled. It took me four years and over a dozen rewrites to figure these characters out and unearth their secrets. Here’s to the people who believed in this book and kept me going.
I especially want to thank:
My wife, Kerri, for reading this book nearly as much as I did, and being the one I always write for.
Lauren Myracle, Laura Resau, Ellie Echo, Trevor Jackson, my sister, Jill Mitchell, and The Minions (Steve Church, Abe Brennan, Sophie Beck, Jamie Kembrey, Emily Wortman-Wonder, and Oz Spies) for giving this manuscript early reads and excellent suggestions. Alvero, for pointing out that there needed to be a kiss. And David Levithan and Wendy Lamb for giving me expert advice.
Jennifer Yoon, for being a brilliant editor who stuck with me through more drafts than I care to remember. Amy Maffei, for looking up the ingredients in Chunky Monkey ice cream. James Weinberg for excellent design work. Deborah Wayshak, Elizabeth Bicknell, and all the other fine people at Candlewick, for helping a bunch of pages become a book.
Ginger Knowlton, the best agent ever, for believing in me. And Tracy Marchini, for staying in touch.
Heather Standley Hayward, for helping me remember things, and for never forgetting my birthday. Dickie and Heinous, for letting me borrow their nicknames. Ellen Landers, for inspiring me to take the writer’s path. Justin Jesty, for Japanese translation help and ongoing friendship.
Hundreds of students in schools I visited for giving me title advice (I like Syzygy, too).
My family, for always supporting me. (No, I wasn’t like James in high school. Really.) And my daughters, Addison and Cailin (who was born while I was finishing this) for waking me up early in the morning and reminding me of what’s important.
Finally, I want to thank the faculty, students, and staff at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy — the school that changed my life.
TODD MITCHELL is the author of the middle-grade novel The Traitor King. The Secret to Lying is his debut young adult novel. He says, “I wanted to write a simple, realistic romance. But nothing for me is ever simple, and reality, I discovered, is a surprisingly strange place.” Todd Mitchell lives with his wife and two daughters in Colorado.
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 © 2010 by Todd Mitchell
Cover photographs: copyright © 2010 by Andrew Holt/Getty Images (broken glass); copyright © 2010 by Nino/Corbis (people)
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:
Mitchell, Todd.
The secret to lying / Todd Mitchell. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Fifteen-year-old James lies about himself to be considered “cool” when he gets into an exclusive boarding school, but soon unnaturally vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior lead to self-destructive acts while he is awake.
ISBN 978-0-7636-4084-2 (hardcover)
[1. Popularity — Fiction. 2. Honesty — Fiction. 3. Self-actualization (Psychology) — Fiction. 4. Boarding schools — Fiction. 5. High schools — Fiction. 6. Schools — Fiction. 7. Dreams — Fiction. 8. Demonology — Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.M6955Sec 2010
[Fic] — dc22 2009032484
ISBN 978-0-7636-5620-1 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-7636-5621-8 (electronic)
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