Then I run straight toward the car and leap over the driver’s-side door, landing adeptly in the front seat.
Okay, mostly adeptly. My back foot does catch on the top of the door, and I sort of tumble into the gearshift while my face barely misses the steering wheel.
Nico guffaws from the curb. “You all right in there?”
“I’ll have to work on that!” I call back.
Nico uses the door, lowering himself into the passenger seat. I press down on the brake and the clutch and turn the key in the ignition. The engine hums to life. “Now that is a beautiful sound.”
I shift into reverse and ease my foot off the clutch until I feel the engine start to tremble a little. Then I press slowly down on the gas. The car inches backward.
“Nice!” Nico commends.
I shift into first, spinning the wheel around and slowly crawl out of the parking lot.
When we reach the street, I look left and then right.
“Which way?” I ask.
Nico leans back in the passenger seat and props his hands behind his head. “Driver’s choice.”
You’ve got nothing but open road ahead of you! Which way do you go?
A
B
C
I smile and ease off the clutch, letting the car roll forward. Then, at the last minute, I make a choice. I turn the wheel and we go.
To where? I have no idea.
But that’s the thing about roads. Sometimes we choose them, and sometimes they choose us. Sometimes they bring us to unexpected destinations. Sometimes they lead us straight toward heartbreak. Sometimes we turn around, hoping to follow that same road back in time, only to find that it’s gone. Swept away by the past. And we’re left stranded.
But every once in a while, if we’re really lucky, a road can lead us right to where we need to go.
Straight toward the things we lost.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, the person who deserves the most gratitude for this book is Nicole Ellul, my brilliant brilliant editor, who worked with me through revision after revision and who fixed everything that was broken (and there was a lot). When you wrote those magical words, “I think this story is actually about Jackson,” everything finally started to fall into place. You are a dream to work with. Thank you for your seemingly endless supply of patience and wisdom, and for continually saying, “WE GOT THIS!” (I think we finally did!) And a special shout out to Nicole’s dad! Thanks for reading!
Also, as always, thank you to my wonderful agent, Jim McCarthy, who never ceases to amaze me. Even with broken bones, you work your butt off for your clients and I know this client is eternally grateful!
Thank you to the truly remarkable team at Simon and Schuster, including (but certainly not limited to): Emily Hutton, Nicole Russo, Samantha Benson, Mara Anastas, Liesa Abrams, Jessica Smith, Jennifer Ung, Steve Scott, Chriscynethia Floyd, Jill Hacking, Elizabeth Mims, Rebecca Vitkus, Jodie Hockensmith, Russell Gordon, Sarah McCabe, Christina Pecorale, and Mary Nubla. Thank you for everything you to do for authors and books!
To my writing “tribe”—Jessica Khoury, Joanne Rendell, Jennifer Wolfe, Morgan Matson, Tamara Ireland Stone, BT Gottfred, Julie Buxbaum, Marie Lu, Emmy Laybourne, Jenn Johansson, Suzanne Young, Alex Monir, Robin Benway, and Andrea Cremer. My life would be so lonely (and frustrating!) without all of your support, friendship, and writing wisdom. I miss you all!
Thank you to Len Vlahos for “lending me” some of your lyrics and to Tom VanNess at Farland Classic Restoration in Colorado for giving me a crash course on Firebirds and classic cars.
Thank you to Kristen Gilligan at Tattered Cover, Cathy Berner at Blue Willow, Julie Poling at Red Balloon, Emily Hall at Main Street Books, Maryelizabeth Yturralde at Mysterious Galaxy, and Courtney Saldana at the Ontario Public Library for being such amazing champions for my books. I’m so honored and lucky to know all of you!
The Geography of Lost Things is my fourteenth released novel. I can hardly believe it. And even after all this time, my amazing parents still read every single book before it’s released. That’s the mark of a true fan. Thank you for that. And of course, thank you to Charlie, for constantly saving me from getting lost (both figuratively and literally . . . we both know how I am with directions). I love you.
And finally, I would never ever get to do this amazing job without the support and love I get from my readers. Thank you to each and everyone of you who has ever turned the final page of one of my books and smiled. It’s that very image that keeps me going, even when the road gets dark and windy and I feel like giving up. It’s because of you, I’m able to keep driving until the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author photograph by Brian Braff
JESSICA BRODY is the author of several popular novels for teens and tweens, including The Chaos of Standing Still, Boys of Summer, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, A Week of Mondays, Better You than Me, and the Unremembered trilogy. She lives with her husband and four dogs near Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com.
SIMON PULSE
SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/teen
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Jessica-Brody
ALSO BY JESSICA BRODY
The Chaos of Standing Still
Boys of Summer
52 Reasons to Hate My Father
A Week of Mondays
The Unremembered Trilogy
Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up
Better You Than Me
In Some Other Life
My Life Undecided
Dear Bully
The Karma Club
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel
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.
SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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First Simon Pulse hardcover edition October 2018
Text copyright © 2018 by Jessica Brody Entertainment, LLC
Jacket photograph copyright © 2018 by The Adaptive/Shutterstock
Jacket lettering copyright © 2018 by Jess Cruickshank
“Nearly a Saint” song lyrics copyright © 2018 by Len Vlahos
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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Book designed by Steve Scott
This book has been cataloged with the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4814-9921-7 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-9923-1 (eBook)
The Geography of Lost Things Page 33
