Authors: Laura Lascarso

Counting Backwards (25 page)

BOOK: Counting Backwards

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My father stands with Dr. Deb in the parking lot. He looks as nervous as I feel, but I give him a hug that is heartfelt and true. My duffel bags are already in the backseat, which means there is only one more person I need to say good-bye to.

“Thank you,” I say to her, “for not giving up on me.”

“Thank you,” she says, “for teaching me a few new tricks.”

I smile at her through my tears.

“Oh, Taylor,” she says with wet eyes. “This is a happy day.”

I nod, unashamed of my tears.

Dr. Deb smiles and sniffs a little. I give her a hug, and I don’t ever want to let go.

But I have to.

I get into my dad’s car and shut the door behind me. I cradle A.J.’s pot in my lap. My father starts up the engine, and I glance back one more time at Sunny Meadows. Dr. Deb waves, and I hear A.J.’s voice in my head reminding me,
This isn’t the end
.

But here and now it is only me and my words that I now believe as truth.

I am powerful. I am strong. I am in control.

I take a deep breath and turn around just in time to see the gate open.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank:

My mom and dad for supporting, loving, and always accepting me; my sisters, lifelong friends. Jordan P and SBV. Sarah M for holding my hand. Eric N for your early encouragement with Taylor, and Andrew Kozma for the many hours you devoted to my early manuscripts.

Kathy “Kathryn” T, I love you both. Grace for accepting me into your loving-fun-crazy family. Cherie G and Sky F for your kind words and confidence. Meredith R for being there when I need you the most.

Geoff B and Tracey M for sharing your expertise. My agent, Caryn Wiseman, for your endless support and advice. My editor, Namrata Tripathi, for tumbling my rock of a story until it shone. The Atheneum team for their beautiful work with the cover, layout, and publicity.

My critique partners Heather Whitaker and Angele McQuade—brilliant writers and dear friends. I truly couldn’t have done this without you both. Power of the Trinity!

My children, you are my favorites. And last, but never least, my husband—you are my beginning, middle, and end.

LAURA LASCARSO
lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with her darling husband, two children, three chickens, and a dog named Lucy.
Counting Backwards
is her debut novel. Visit her on the Web at lauralascarso.com.

Jacket photographs by Laura Hanifin
copyright © 2012 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Author photograph courtesy of the author

Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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The text for this book is set in
ITC
New Baskerville.

First Edition

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lascarso, Laura.

Counting backwards / Laura Lascarso. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: After stealing a car and assaulting a police officer, sixteen-year-old Taylor is sent to a boarding school that functions as a juvenile psychiatric correctional facility, where she struggles to hold onto her sanity as she battles her parents, overbearing therapists, and a group of particularly nasty fellow patients.

ISBN 978-1-4424-0690-2 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4424-0692-6 (eBook)

[1. Boarding schools—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Self-control—Fiction. 4. Family problems—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.L3266Co 2012

[Fic]—dc23

2011034783

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