Damaged Goods
Page 21
There is only one thing for me to say, and I force myself to believe it. I nod my head slowly and whisper those five little words.
“Agent Plunkett, I trust you.”
A couple of weeks later, when I’m ready, I write a new post for The Lighthouse. Seth posts it on Veritas Rex too.
Dear Friends and Followers,
Like you, my own life has been forever changed by the Finger-Chip Outbreak of two weeks ago. I am encouraged by your messages of support and saddened by your messages of hate. But mostly, I am bereft because this great tragedy occurred.
When my birth father, Barbelo Nemo, died last year, a vacuum was created in the crime world. Secrets, spies, and political contacts were up for grabs. Wu Park, the founder of the Guardian order, saw her chance.
For years the Guardians worked to develop the technology that could corrupt finger-chips. Their ultimate weapon was finally ready. In one foul move, they attempted to wipe out their Vestal competition and seize control.
Now, three entire classes of Vestal children are missing. Fifty students are unaccounted for, and I am heartbroken.
I, Blanca Xavier Nemo McNeal, will not rest until my sisters and brothers are found.
To Wu Park, know this:
Vestals avenge all wrongs, especially when our honor is at stake.
You have been warned.
Epilogue
So many workers crawl around McNeal Manor that it is difficult to walk down the hall to breakfast without tripping over a caterer. Tonight is the Vestal corporate banquet and I am hosting it at the manor instead of Tabula Rasa. Cal encouraged me because he said it’s important for life to go on, regardless of tragedy.
I hope things aren’t too awkward for Cal with Pilar. She’s decided to renew her contract with the fashion house to stay close to her family.
As for the rest of the Vestals, I hope they drink way too much wine, so that I can weasel information out of them. Somebody somewhere must know information about Wu Park and where the Guardians took the lost fifty Tabula Rasa students.
But instead of thinking about tonight, I should focus on this afternoon. My Stanford interview is a few hours away. I’ll do better with a healthy breakfast. Cal is eating eggs and toast when I join him in the dining room.
“Blanca, sweetheart.” Cal puts down his coffee when he sees me. “You look beautiful.”
I give a little twirl to show off my new purple dress. “Thank you. Only I wish I weren’t so nervous.”
“You’ll do fine.” Cal pours me a glass of orange juice.
“Better than fine.” Seth strides into the room. “You’ll be brilliant. That panel of professors won’t know what hit them.” He takes a seat and grabs a Danish.
“I’m fine with calculus,” I say matter-of-factly. “But if they ask me about linear algebra, I’m done for.”
“Don’t worry so much.” Cal looks at me reassuringly with his brown eyes. “You have more to offer a college than any person I know. Those professors will see that.”
“Yes, but what if I clam up? What if—”
Seth puts down his pastry. “You won’t clam up. You’ll be fine.”
“What if they ask me to describe my plans?” The question weighs on me like granite. “What if they want to talk about my professional goals?”
“Tell them the truth,” Cal says. “You want to become an engineer and join McNeal Solar as my successor.”
“I still want that,” I say. “Really and truly I do.” Then I pull out Agent Plunkett’s card from the side pocket of my dress. “But I have other goals now too.”
“Yes. And so do I.” Cal slides an envelope across the tablecloth. “I’ve waited to give this to you for a long time. I had the papers drawn up months ago.”
“What is it?” My curiosity is definitely piqued. I open the brass clasp of the envelope and pull out paperwork. There on the top in big font, it says File for Adoption.
“Don’t look too closely,” Seth says. “I don’t want you to sign them.” Underneath the table, he runs his hand against my thigh.
“And I want you to know that these papers exist.” Cal smiles and looks at me expectantly. “You can choose to sign them whenever you want—or not.”
I look back and forth between the two. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I do.” Seth takes both my hands in his own. “Someday, one way or another, you’ll legally become a McNeal.”
Cal reaches out and covers our hands with his own. “That’s a promise.”
“Okay,” I answer with a smile. “But don’t expect me to get the family tattoo.”
Seth smirks. “Never say never.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The people who matter most in my life, my husband Doug and our two kids Bryce and Brenna, sacrificed a lot for me to make my dream of becoming an author come true. They put up with a messy house, frozen dinners, a spacey mom, and my tech-addiction to Facebook and Instagram. Without their love and support Genesis Girl and Damaged Goods would not exist.
My parents Bruce and Carol Williams, my sister Diane Williams, and my grandparents Gerry Stevens, Ken Williams, and Bob and Darlene Woodson, gave me a childhood that was rich in love, laughter, and learning. I wish every child could be so lucky. My inlaws Marc and Lynn Bardsley, are the best bonus parents I could wish for.
People I have never had the privilege of meeting in real life have helped me too. Bloggers, bookstagramers, and booktubers took Genesis Girl someplace Blanca would never want to go: all over the Internet! Search for the hashtag #GenesisGirl and you’ll see what I mean. My social media friends on “The YA Gal” Facebook page as well as my Instagram account @the_ya_gal have made a huge impact. Every person who left an Amazon or Goodreads review made a difference.
A special wave goes to YA authors Joshua David Bellin, Elisa Dane, Melanie McFarlane, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, Jeanne Ryan, and Stephanie Scott. These authors are not only terrific storytellers, but wonderful friends.
Damaged Goods owes a huge debt of gratitude to my beta readers Sharman Badgett-Young, Carol Brudnicki, Karyn Brudnicki, Sara Cessnun, Antonia Hillman, and Jack Hillman. Thank you also to my friends from the Liza Royce Agency, Month9Books, The Sweet Sixteens, and Sixteen To Read.
I live in Edmonds, Washington, and write a column called “I Brake for Moms” for The Everett Daily Herald. To my Herald readers, it is a joy spending Sunday mornings with you. Thank you to my former editor Jessi Loerch for making me a better writer, and to executive editor Neal Pattison for being the first person to ever think my words were worthy of a paycheck.
An enormous thank you goes to my agent Liza Fleissig, who is friendly, responsive, encouraging, and wise. Thank you also to my publisher Georgia McBride, who is a champion for everyone who loves books. Without these two fine women Damaged Goods would not be in your hands right now.
My final thank you goes to you the reader. If you enjoyed Damaged Goods please pop on over to Instagram or Facebook to say “hello.” You can also find me on Twitter @JennBardsley, or at my website: http://JenniferBardsley.net.
JENNIFER BARDSLEY
Jennifer Bardsley writes the column “I Brake for Moms” for The Everett Daily Herald.. Her novel Genesis Girl debuted in 2016 from Month9Books. Genesis Girl is about a teenager who has never been on the Internet. Jennifer however, is on the web all the time as “The YA Gal” on Facebook, the @the_ya_gal on Instagram, and @JennBardsley on Twitter. Jennifer is a member of SCBWI, The Sweet Sixteens debut author group, and is founder of Sixteen To Read.. An alumna of Stanford University, Jennifer lives in Edmonds, WA with her family and a poodle named Merlin.
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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
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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