Sea

by Heidi Kling

  Spider’s face got all serious. “Someday you’ll tell me about it, right?”

  “I’ll tell you, Spider. But not today. And maybe not even real soon, okay?”

  “Okay, but pinky swear you’ll tell me?” He held out his tanned pinky finger, so different from Deni’s, but the way he was looking at me in the moonlight was the same.

  “Pinky swear,” I promised as our fingers twisted in the cool ocean air. “So are we on? For tomorrow?” I asked hopefully.

  Spider taunted me. “Six thirty?”

  I grinned. “What are you, wimpy? Make it six. I’ll be up. Jet lag.”

  He nodded happily. “You’re on.”

  He leaned down, our fingers still twisted in the air.

  He whispered in my ear, “Hey, Sea.”

  “Yeah?”

  I turned and he kissed me.

  Not once, but twice. Right on the lips.

  He tasted like salt. He tasted like the sea.

  He pulled me close. “Hey, Spider,” I whispered as we pulled apart, our fingers curled together. “It’s good to be back.”

  Back to me.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing and revising this book felt like an epic journey. Not as epic as Sienna’s but close. I have so many people to thank. First off, I’d like to thank my wonderful agent, Sara Crowe, who fell in love with this story and then found it the perfect home. Thanks for believing in me.

  To my incredibly hardworking editor, Stacey Barney, who invited us into her home and then swiftly destroyed us, only to help glue us back together in a much stronger way. Thanks for your dedication.

  To the art department at Putnam: you are cover gods.

  I believe we are really the accumulation of those we’ve met along the way. And I’ve been blessed with truly amazing people in my life. From Santa Cruz to New York to Palo Alto and all the stops in between.

  Special thanks goes out to my real-life critique group, Debbie Duncan, Christy Hale, Kirk Glaser, Kevin Kiser, SuAnn Kiser and Cynthia Chin-Lee. My online communities: the 2009 Debutantes and the Tenners. My life-journal friends and readers who’ve been with me from the very beginning, Jennifer Laughran for jazzing up my query, the Summer of Seven for always listening and making me laugh, the Gothic Girls for puppet mayhem, and the Teen Lit Bloggers for the Waiting on Wednesdays, especially my intern extraordinaire, Mitali Dave.

  To the talented alumni of H & D’s Children’s Theatre who have grown from soulful kids to lovely adults, perhaps you’ll see flickers of yourselves on the pages of this book. Thanks for bringing magic into our lives and reminding me how awesome teenagers can be. Hey, now we can bring Lalaina’s Rose to Broadway.

  To my childhood family: my parents, John and Deborah, for instilling an early love of reading, letting me pick out as many books as I wanted from the Scholastic Book Fair and never suggesting I get a “real major.” I’m so happy I’ve made you proud. To my beautiful sisters, Bridget and Gretchen, for being my first and favorite readers.

  To Grammy, a fellow writer, who turns ninety June 10, the day this novel is released. We’ll celebrate the birthdays together.

  To my in-laws, Mark and Ann, for unconditionally loving me and treating me like your daughter from the beginning.

  To my creative-writing teachers and colleagues at both UC Santa Cruz and The New School.

  To my English and drama teachers, who taught me not all of the school part of high school is boring.

  To my early readers who read cold in one sitting, my stepmom Vicki (who is nothing like Vera), Molly and Rica. Thanks for two early enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  Special thanks to some of my favorite authors who gave me early advice and encouragement, most notably

  Nancy Farmer, John Green, Coe Booth and Laura Ruby. You have left extraordinary footsteps for me to try and follow. Thanks for paying it forward to a newbie like me.

  To Rahmat and Sky Lee, for fielding my questions about horse sate and everything else.

  To Usuludin, for outriding a tsunami and for sharing your story. Your bravery and your strength breathed life into Deni. Terima kasih, my friend.

  To my beautiful children. You are the most charming creatures on the planet. You are beloved and make me want to be a better person. I’m sorry Mommy is so “boring typing on the computer.” I’m finished! Now we can have a dance party.

  And finally, to my incredible husband, Daryn, who is my best friend and my love muffin. Thank you for writing entertaining and heartbreaking journals. For fielding all my questions and for inspiring this story. Thanks for doing your best to make this world a better place for our children and for people everywhere.

  And to you. Thank you for reading my book. I hope you liked it.