Susane Colasanti - Waiting for You

W aiting for Y ou

By

S usane C olasanti

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

VIKING

Published by Penguin Group

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First published in the U.S.A. by Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2009

Copyright Susane Colasanti 2009

All rights reserved

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Colasanti, Susane.

Waiting for you / by Susane Colasanti. p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-15549-3

1. Interpersonal relations Fiction.

2. Dating (Social customs) Fiction.

3. Anxiety disorders Fiction.

4. High schools Fiction.

5. Schools Fiction.

6. Family life Fiction.

7. Divorce Fiction.]

I. Title.

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For everyone out there who is still waiting

August-October

The best thing about summer camp is the last day. Because that s the day you get to go home and live like a normal person again.

Don t get me wrong. Camp was freaking awesome. I spent the entire summer in Maine at a special camp for the arts. My dad gave me his old Nikon camera and taught me how to develop photos last year, and ever since then photography has been my passion. There s something about vintage film that captures the Now in a way digital can t. It just makes everything look softer somehow. And the whole old-school method of developing your own photos exactly how you want them is rea lly cool.

So yeah, I learned a lot more about photography at camp and had a ton of practice. I ve also been playing the violin since seventh grade, so I had violin lessons there, too. We even had a concert last night.

I ve only been home for like three hours but I ve already participated in the following critical post-camp activities:

" Took a real shower. With water pressure. That actua lly got me clean.

" Remembered what air-conditioning felt like. Did a little happy dance at the supermarket.

" Put on clothes that didn t smel like mildew. They also did not feel permanently damp.

" Sat on the couch and watched TV.

" Got a cold drink from the refrigerator. Ice rules.

The only thing left on my list is to get together with Sterling for the first time since June, so I m majorly stoked. I can t wait to see her. Not just because she s my best friend, but because school starts in a week and we re getting psyched for it.

I love the beginning of the year. It s all about renewal and reinventing yourself, becoming the person you ve always wanted to be. You can go back to school as a whole new person and have a tota lly different time. Every year I get all excited about how everything s going to be different, but it never rea lly is. I m tired of always being disappointed. This has to be our year.

It feels good to knock on Sterling s door with a Wheel " playing in my head. Like I ve come full circle after a long journey, even though I ve only been at sleep-away camp for two months. But this is such a a Wheel " moment. That song rocks. The best part is where John Mayer says how our connections are permanent, how if you drift apart from someone there s always a chance you can be part of their life again. How everything comes back around again. I have a theory that the answers to all of life s major questions can be found in a John Mayer song.

Sterling flings the door open. Her hair isn t brown anymore. Now it s blonde.

Oh my god, your hair!" I yell .

Then she grabs me and we re hugging and squealing and doing this thing where we re hopping around.

I know!" Sterling goes. It was supposed to come out more like yours, but the stylist said your color is complicated."

Why didn t you tell me you were dyeing it?"

I wanted it to be a surprise."

Oh, I m surprised."

So, what do you think?" Sterling twirls around so I can inspect her hair from all angles. It s a lighter blonde than mine, since my hair has different shades of blonde mixed in, and I m not sure if it works with her coloring.

It s hot," I say. Maybe I just have to get used to it.

She points to my usual stool in the kitchen. Sit," she says.

Sterling took over the kitchen when she was twelve because her mom can t cook. Plus, she s never here. And Sterling got sick of eating things like hot dogs and Tater Tots and those instant pasta sides every night for dinner. So one day, Sterling announced that she was doing all of the cooking. Now she takes cooking classes and everything. Her mom was thrilled . The agreement is that Sterling puts what she needs for the week on the grocery list and her mom gets everything.