My Life Undecided

by Jessica Brody

  Heimlich and I are doing great, too! We’re preparing for the state qualifying debate tournament next month and I’m really nervous about it. I almost lost him to the wrestling team, but it turns out I’m not the only one who’s learned to take responsibility for my life…and my choices.

  So that’s about it. You probably won’t be hearing from me for a while…or ever, really. But I wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you decided to take this journey with me. Every day is a choice.

  And I’m glad you chose me. Because without all of you, who knows where I’d be right now. So thanks for reading this. Thanks for caring. I promise I’ll never forget you.

  Your faithful friend,

  BB

  * * *

  Also by Jessica Brody

  The Karma Club

  Acknowledgments

  Although writing can be a very “lonely business,” as a writer, I never feel “alone.” And that’s probably because I’m surrounded by such an amazing, generous, loving, and supportive group of people. First of all, thank you to Michael and Laura Brody. I do believe that you choose your parents and I couldn’t have made a wiser choice. Charlie, thanks for sticking around for yet another book (and consequently another tumultuous “act 2”). I’m getting better, right? Right? You’re my rock and my sounding board and my plastic guitar hero. I love you. Thank you to Terra for letting me be such a bossy older sister and putting up with my occasional moodiness. And thank you to George, Vicki, Jennifer, and Addison for accepting me into your family with such open arms.

  Janine O’Malley, my lovely, adorable, funny, talented, and (most important) gentle editor, thanks for guiding me through yet another book and reading it on your vacation! Our lunches are always the best part about coming to New York. To all the wonderful people at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, my journey with you has been nothing but extraordinary.

  I’d like to thank my awesome team of agents, Elizabeth Fisher and everyone at Levine Greenberg, for your undying support and enthusiasm for my novels, and Bill Contardi for introducing my characters to the world of film and television.

  I also want to thank Deepak Chopra, Gotham Chopra, Carolyn Rangel, Felicia Rangel, and all the magnificent people at the Chopra Center for your support of my career and my novels. I have never met a more kindhearted family of generous souls.

  Thanks to Christina Diaz, for keeping me sane and keeping my life afloat. Without you, I’d surely drown. And because I forgot to thank her two books ago, I need to thank Jen Marr—you know why! And of course, as always, thank you to Alyson Noël for inspiring me in ways you’ll never know…I still say, I predicted everything!

  To my fabulous group of friends who keep showing up at my book signings time and time again…without complaint. Ella, Leslie, Lauren, Jacey, Dan, Shalini, Kristin, Allison, Tina, Hilary, Stacey, Dom, Angie, Holly, Mike, Alicia, Brad, Katherine, Jerry, Jessen, and Lindsay. I am so blessed to have you guys in my life.

  To the awesome people who work at the Champagne Bakery in West L.A., thanks for letting me stake out my office-away-from-office there and allowing me to stay for hours on end while I wrote this novel. And thanks to Mike Bachman, the master of titles, for summing it up so brilliantly in three words.

  A huge thanks (and hug) to Lisa Nevolo, who has brought nothing but good things since she walked into my life! And to Danny Malakhov, Stephanie Friedman, Savannah Outen, Josh Golden, Cathy Golden, Nikki Boyer, and Jonathan George.

  All the people who contributed to The Karma Club book trailer, I am forever indebted to you. Holly Karrol Clark, you are producer of the year! Your positive energy is infectious and good things always seem to happen when you’re around. Jason Fitzpatrick, my wonderfully talented, creative, and patient cinematographer, editor, and co-director. Terra Brody, fashion expert, style icon, and costume designer. Christine Schul, makeup genius and overall awesome human being. The hardworking crew, Steve Proctor and Adrian Ranieri, the rock-star music producers and songwriters, Tommy Fields, Matthew Clark, Mike Harold, and Ted Perlman, and the remarkable and beautiful cast: Madisen Hill, Megan Yelaney, Gina Cecutti, Leah Clark, Lyle Drucker, Nico Nevolo, Jaira Valenti, Savannah Polisar, and Deepak Chopra. Your talent is beyond measure.

  Thanks to all the wonderful booksellers who continue to stock my books and welcome me into their stores, especially John Schatzel and Lori Christian.

  And last but never ever, ever least, a warm and devoted thank-you to my readers—of all ages. It’s because of you that I’m able to live my dream day in and day out and for that I am eternally grateful. You keep reading and I’ll keep writing. Deal?

  Deal.

  A few fun facts about Jessica Brody’s own life undecided:

  Jessica was born in Los Angeles, moved to Colorado when she was twelve, moved back to California after college, and now indecisively splits her time between both states.

  Jessica graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with a degree in Economics and French because she was convinced she wanted to be an “important businesswoman.” After a brief stint as a strategic analyst for MGM Studios, she abandoned her business background to become a full-time writer. Now she uses her mad spreadsheet skills to build complicated outlines for her books.

  Appropriately, when writing this book, Jessica couldn’t decide on a title. So she polled fifty of her closest friends to finally come up with My Life Undecided.

  Copyright © 2011 by Jessica Brody

  All rights reserved

  macteenbooks.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Brody, Jessica.

  My life undecided / Jessica Brody.—1st ed.

  p. cm.

  Summary: Fifteen-year-old Brooklyn has been making bad decisions since, at age two, she became famous for falling down a mine shaft, and so she starts a blog to let others make every decision for her, while her community-service hours are devoted to a woman who insists Brooklyn read her “Choose the Story” books.

  ISBN: 978-1-4299-4099-3

  [1. Decision-making—Fiction. 2. Conduct of life—Fiction. 3. Blogs—Fiction. 4. Books and reading—Fiction. 5. Family problems—Fiction. 6. High schools—Fiction. 7. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.B786157My 2011

  [Fic]—dc22

  2009051277