Read Initiation Online

Authors: Jessica Burkhart

Initiation

BOOK: Initiation
13.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

To Drew for being the first guy cool enough to e-mail me and say you're reading Canterwood. Keep reading and being exactly who you are.
I hope you like the character named after you, as promised!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Lauren Towers, Insomniac

Chapter 2: My Side

Chapter 3: Drama Queen Khloe

Chapter 4: Acting Out

Chapter 5: Understudy Not-So-Buddies

Chapter 6: Sweet Treats (Of Many Varieties)

Chapter 7: Spilling Secrets

Chapter 8: Kismet

Chapter 9: Home-Type Things

Chapter 10: Tea? Party!

Chapter 11: Schedule Swap

Chapter 12: Whisper, We're Not At Briar Creek Anymore

Chapter 13: The Towers Family Work Ethic

Chapter 14: Snap! Judgment.

Chapter 15: Don't Scare Lt

Chapter 16: Decorators, Inc.

Chapter 17: Monday Mornings Suck

Chapter 18: Second Chances Don'T Exist

Chapter 19: Someone's a Little Too Comfy

Chapter 20: Excusez-Moi?

Chapter 21: Bbm, Set, Go!

Chapter 22: Fear Monsters And Lurking Losers

Chapter 23: Finally Finding . . . Whisper

Chapter 24: My Reason To Live!

Chapter 25: Decisions, Decisions . . .

Chapter 26: Lt And Rotten Reiler=Bffs 4 Eva

Chapter 27: Head? Meet Desk.

Chapter 28: Miss You, Love You, Mean It!

Chapter 29: E-Vitation And TGIT

Chapter 30: Beware Of Sharks In Indoor Pools

Chapter 31: Instructor Khloe

Chapter 32: Step Away From The Coffee

Chapter 33: Break A Leg

Chapter 34: Truth Or Dare?

Chapter 35: Reality Lt

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to everyone at Simon & Schuster, especially those who have been initiated: Fiona Simpson, Bethany Buck, Mara Anastas, Dawn Ryan, Carolyn Swerdloff, Craig Adams, Jessica Handelman, Nicole Russo, Russell Gordon, Karin Paprocki, Lucille Rettino, Courtney Sanks, Alyson Heller, Deane Norton, Virginia Herrick, the fantastic sales team including Mary Marotta, Jim Conlin, Christina Pecorale, and the countless other people who support Canterwood.

Thank you, Stephanie Voros, for working so hard on the rights for the series.

Thanks to the fantastic models, stylists, makeup artists, and to Monica Stevenson.

Special thanks to the bookstores and employees who have introduced Canterwood to readers.

Jill Cikowski, thank you for being a part of Team Canterwood! Horse Mystique board members, you all are THE BEST. Big
s for the support and love you've shown to Kate and me! The get well soon banner you
created for Kate, among other things, we'll never forget.

Brianna Ahern, your texts and kitty pics got me through some rough spots. Thank you for being there at all hours. Lauren's blog was your idea—thank you! Hug A for me!

Lauren Barnholdt, you're a constant source of support.

Thank you, Katherine Devendorf, for being the world's best Jane of all trades: managing editor, cat sitter, and kitty photographer.

Alex Penfold, the offers of a home-cooked meal were so sweet, as were the flowers from you and Paula Wiseman. Thank you both.

Thanks to Becca Leach, Kelly Krysten, Jennifer Rummel, Mandy Morgan, James Booth, Carrie Ryan, and April Aragam for the encouraging Tweets.

Josephine Piraneo, thank you for keeping the Canter-wood Crest website looking so lovely.

Joey Carson, thank you for offering business advice and being a wonderful new friend. Hugs to Lexi and Grace!

Ross Angelella, I loved our late-night UES write-a-thons. We got some
serious
work done.

Shout-outs to the music/TV that I used for inspiration while writing this book:
Pretty Little Liars
,
Switched at
Birth
,
The Nine Lives of Chloe King
,
The Glee Project
,
The Voice
, Lady Gaga, 2am Club, Andrew Belle, and Keane, among others. Find my complete
Initiation
playlist on my blog.

Julia Reed at Sakura of America, thank you for offering Gelly Roll® pens for a contest. The prizes are greatly appreciated!

Thank you, Hana Johnson, for providing Pro Hair Tinsel in a variety of colors as a giveaway during the book's release. I heart Hair Flairs!

Kate Angelella, Canterwood is a fifty-fifty product cultivated by both of us. You are not only a wickedly talented editor, but also an author, a business owner, and the best friend a girl could hope for. I'm honored to co-own Violet & Ruby with you. I'm so excited to see what the future holds. My wish came true when you came to the dark side and started writing full-time. I remind myself every day how lucky I am to have you in my life as more than just my BFF. LYSM.

LAUREN TOWERS, INSOMNIAC

11:59 p.m.: Days left: 1!

Tomorrow morning (!) I leave home and Briar Creek for Canterwood Crest Academy. I got up to blog because I could
not
sleep. Usually, I'm up late on Fridays anyway, but not like this. Blogging is better than talking sometimes because I can sit down and let all of my thoughts come out unfiltered on the page. I've been blogging all summer—Dad's suggestion—and now I'm totally addicted to it.

I'm scared about tomorrow.
So
scared. I'm still second-guessing all of my decisions about everything. I'll admit it: All of these questions keep rolling around my brain, like:

Am I leaving Briar Creek too soon?

Am I ready for the competitive riding life again?

Are Whisper and I prepared?

Will anyone find out my secret before I'm ready to talk about it or any other part of my past?

That last question is the one keeping me awake. Tonight and every night.

Posted by Lauren Towers

MY SIDE

THIS WAS REALLY IT.

My breath caught, forcing me to sit on the bare twin bed. My parents and older sister, Becca, had dropped me off in my new dorm room only an hour ago.

BOOK: Initiation
13.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

One Year by Mary McDonough
Captive! by Gary Paulsen
Worth a Thousand Words by Stacy Adams
Davo's Little Something by Robert G. Barrett
1990 - Mine v4 by Robert McCammon
Kirev's Door by JC Andrijeski
Mi último suspiro by Luis Buñuel
That Summer by Joan Wolf
Sasquatch in the Paint by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar