“Wait. What? No,” Roxana sputters, and then she clearly starts racking her brain. “Oh my gosh. Really?”
I put my hands up. “I have no confirmation of anything. Just my own astute observations over the past couple of days.”
“Oh my God. Do you really think . . . holy crap. It kinda makes sense. In an insane way.”
“Yeah, in an insane their-kids-would-dominate-the-universe way. Talk about supergenes . . .”
“They would be mutants. Actual, honest-to-goodness mutants.”
As we start to leave the room, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I take it out to see a text from Amelia. Have you seen Twitter?!
I grin at it before typing out a quick response and catching up with Roxana in the hallway, where we join a throng of superheroes and villains. But for once, I see all those characters and I don’t really envy them their fantasy worlds. I’m okay with my reality, as messy and imperfect as it may be. I don’t really know what comes next, but honestly, isn’t that the best part of writing a story anyway?
Maybe it’s the best part of real life, too.
Acknowledgments
I’m so grateful to my spectacular editor, Zareen Jaffery, who championed this book, Graham, and me from the very beginning. My fandom for you knows no bounds. I think I need to start an entire forum dedicated to the enormous talents of Lucy Ruth Cummins, Dolly Faibyshev, and Tim Sundholm, for this astonishingly perfect cover that brings Graham to glorious life. All the heart emojis go to the wonderful team at Simon & Schuster that I am so lucky to work with: Ksenia Winnicki, Mekisha Telfer, Justin Chanda, Anne Zafian, Jenica Nasworthy, Katy Hershberger, Chrissy Noh, and KeriLee Horan. And, of course, the gushiest of valentines to my agent, Victoria Marini.
More than anything I’ve written before, this book was shaped and guided by some of the world’s best beta readers. First and foremost, I must thank Billy Henehan for sharing his extensive Comic Con knowledge and stories with me (and for inspiring me to start attending the convention in the first place). And Sarah Skilton, who helped me find the story’s true ending when I couldn’t see it for myself. I don’t think this book would really exist without the two of you. Thank you so much also to Julie Henehan, Katie Blackburn, and Jenny Goldberg, for helping me through my narrative dilemma with their invaluable and astute feedback.
As any nerd worth their salt knows, geek minutiae is very serious stuff, and I would like to thank some experts who helped me with some of those very important details: Andrew Lobel, Gina Rosati, and Jerry Rosati. Thank you to Nicholas Doyle for writing a real-life (and spectacular) version of “Something on the Quiet.” And so much amused gratitude to Dave Henehan for cosplaying as Graham at NYCC last year.
Thank you to Nora Ephron, Cameron Crowe, Amy Heckerling, and, of course, John Hughes, for a lifetime worth of inspiration and honest, romantic, unforgettable stories. Thank you to the Killers for music to write to and dream by.
I’m so grateful to my mom for all her enthusiasm and support throughout the years and for babysitting so that I could write. Which leads me to thank my darling son, who outraced this book out into the world, and my husband, Graig. I love you both up all the hidden staircases in Hogwarts . . . and back.
© CORINNE RAY
SARVENAZ TASH was born in Tehran, Iran, and grew up on Long Island, New York. She received her BFA in film and television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. That means she got to spend most of college running around making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing, including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Follow her on Twitter @SarvenazTash.
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Also by Sarvenaz Tash
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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.
Text copyright © 2016 by Sarvenaz Tash
Jacket photograph copyright © 2016 by Dolly Faibyshev
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tash, Sarvenaz, author.
Title: The geek’s guide to unrequited love / Sarvenaz Tash.
Description: First Edition. | New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2016] |
Summary: Graham Posner is trying to get his best friend, Roxana, to fall in love with him by planning the perfect weekend for her at Comic-Con.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015033511| ISBN 9781481456531 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781481456555 (eBook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Love—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship. | JUVENILE FICTION / Love & Romance. | JUVENILE FICTION / Comics & Graphic Novels / General.
Classification: LCC PZ7.T2111324 Ge 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015033511
The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love Page 19