Sean Griswold's Head

by Lindsey Leavitt

  He stops pacing. “But I think the patriots would’ve forgiven them.”

  I stop breathing. Could that mean … does he forgive me? “Really?”

  “After all, those rebels had to stick together, right? How else were they going to win against such huge odds?” He raises my chin. His eyes are endless. His scar is glorious. His hair is sunshine.

  His head … is heaven.

  “So you still think I’m hard-core?” I ask, my voice shaking.

  Sean leans in and brushes his lips against mine. There’s the taste of peppermint I’ve been waiting for. I close my eyes and take him in. It’s not unicorns or dandelions. It’s better. So much better.

  “No way,” he says, his voice low. “Hard-core doesn’t even begin to describe you.”

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  A robust thank you to:

  Sarah Davies, for finding Sean the perfect home and believing in this story despite the absence of tiaras and vampires (oh, wait. So there kind of is a vampire).

  Lisa Schroeder, Holly Westland, Angela Cerrito, Shelley Seeley, Rich Wallace, Cynthea Liu, Rachel Hawkins, Sarah Deford Williams, and especially Kristin Daly for reading, critiquing, and guiding me through many drafts.

  The publishing dream team at Bloomsbury: Melanie Cecka, Danielle Delaney, Deb Shapiro, Beth Eller, and Alexei Esikoff. Caroline Abbey, Editor of Awesome, for asking just the right questions, understanding/loving the quirkiness, and including enough revision smiley faces to keep me going. It’s been an absolute joy to share this bookish experience with you.

  My parents for, you know, raising me and stuff. Rylee, Talin, and Logan for being sweet and adorable … most of the time. My little sister, Rachel, for reading the manuscript first and loving Sean (even if you insisted I give him dark hair, which was just wrong, wrong, wrong). To my father-in-law, Berne, for answering my questions about multiple sclerosis, and to the National MS Society for helping me understand the complexities of the disease. To Curry, my high school lab partner turned best friend turned husband turned father of my children turned man who helped me write about Valley Forge and bike riding. I never did add a slap-on-the-butt bike crash because no one would be that careless. Oh, except, um … you. LOVES.

  Copyright © 2011 by Lindsey Leavitt LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  First published in the United States of America in March 2011

  by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers

  E-book edition published in March 2011

  www.bloomsburyteens.com

  For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

  Leavitt, Lindsey.

  Sean Griswold’s head / by Lindsey Leavitt.-1st U.S. ed.

  p. cm.

  Summary: After discovering that her father has multiple sclerosis, fifteen-year- old Payton begins counseling sessions at school, which lead her to become interested in a boy in her biology class, have a falling out with her best friend, develop an interest in bike riding, and eventually allow her to come to terms with life’s uncertainties.

  ISBN 978-1-59990-498-6 (hardcover)

  [1. Emotional problems—Fiction. 2. Multiple sclerosis—Fiction. 3. Family life—Pennsylvania—Fiction. 4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction. 6. Pennsylvania—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.L46553Se 2011 [Fic]—dc22 2010006949

  ISBN 978-1-59990-568-6 (e-book)