Chapter Ten!!

Short post today, but I've got lots of news to make up for it.

First, I must, must share some fantastic news. My sister-in-law, Jennifer Shaw Wolf, who I like to call my protege because she is so brilliant, just signed her debut YA novel, TIGERSEYE with Walker! It's an incredible novel. Made my spine tingle from the start. I was so worried about the main character all the way through. Jen's got the first chapter posted on her blog. Read it. And then get in line as fast as you can for an ARC. Line up for an interview. This book is crazy good.

My second news is a signed, marked (that means I write all my secrets in the margins) copy of SING ME TO SLEEP is now on auction at Leave a Mark Auctions. Proceeds benefit firstbook.org. You have until November 12th to bid. Good luck! It would be the best if one of you got it.

Here's the start of Chapter Ten. Enjoy! Happy weekend. Keep the comments coming. They are great food for my muse.

CHAPTER TEN

LEESIE HUNT / CHATSPOT LOG / 05/10  10 AM

Kimbo69 says:  Report. Report. How did the big move in go?

Leesie327 says:  I’m like Frankenstein living in The Bachelorette Mansion.

Kimbo69 says:  You mean his monster.

Leesie327 says:  Everybody’s a critic.

Kimbo69 says:  Your roomies are that hot?

Leesie327 says:  Alex isn’t hot—just like Michael said. But the guys? Droolworthy in the extreme.

Kimbo69 says:  Stuck up?

Leesie327 says: Not really. Gabriel is a bit too good for the rest of the world, but when he walks by with no shirt on you don’t care.

Kimbo69 says: You’re typing way faster than last time we chatted.

Leesie327 says: Using two hands. Don’t tell my doctor.

Kimbo69 says: Is Michael regretting moving you in with all those hunks?

Leesie327 says: Did you actually use the world “hunk”? I thought we banned that word when we were Juniors.

Kimbo69 says: If you’d give me more details, maybe I’d be more inspired.

Leesie327 says: The guys didn’t look twice at me. Well, they took in the mess and looked away fast. Michael did seem kind of jealous. It’s cute. He got all romantic.

Kimbo69 says: Mark would be dragging me out of there by my ponytail.

Leesie327 says: Ouch. Don’t talk to me about ponytails.

Kimbo69 says:  Sorry. Lame one. How’s your head?

Leesie327 says: Itchy. Prickly. I guess that’s a good sign.

Kimbo69 says: Back to the men folk . . .

Leesie327 says: Alex is cool.

Kimbo69 says: I don’t care about Alex.

Leesie327 says:  She helped me unpack then we stayed up until two in the morning talking.

Kimbo69 says: You haven’t described in breathtaking detail the rest of the guys.

Leesie327 says: You’ll never believe what I found on the bottom of my second suitcase.

Kimbo69 says:  A digital camera so you can send me pictures?

Leesie327 says: Rough drafts of all the poems I wrote last year.

Kimbo69 says: I don’t get it.

Leesie327 says: Michael. He saved them from the wreck. Even scraps. Scribbled envelopes. There’s mud smudges and water stain’s on every page, but it’s dry. I think he ironed them. I would have lost it all, but he saved them.

Kimbo69 says: I can’t believe it.

Leesie327 says: I don’t deserve him. I should be alone, miserable, locked up somewhere banging my head on a wall, instead I’m with this beautiful boy who kisses me when I cry and saves my life every day.

Kimbo69 says: Maybe he finally deserves you.

Leesie327 says: I’d be so lost without him.

Kimbo69 says: So you’re computer got smashed?

Leesie327 says: Everything I took to school was in the back of the pickup.

Kimbo69 says: Even your hideous desktop?

Leesie327 says: I don’t know. It’s all gone.

Kimbo69 says: I’ve got all the poems you sent me. Do you want me to email them?

Leesie327 says: No. Maybe later. Keep them, okay? I’m not up to email. I’ve got three hundred unopened messages. All my mom screaming at me, probably. I don’t know who else.

Kimbo69 says: Did you leave you chapbook from high school at home?

Leesie327 says: Yeah. And the dive log Michael gave me. That’s safe.

Kimbo69 says:  Let me know if you change our mind. You should write. You can’t do anything else.

Leesie327 says: I can’t focus on anything. The pain pills they gave me aren’t helping that much. Wears me out.

Kimbo69 says: What are your plans?

Leesie327 says: Plans? That’s a good one. Today I’m nibbling on toast and drinking tepid water.

Kimbo69 says: And Michael’s just sitting there staring at you.

Leesie327 says: They are all working. I think I’m going to have the place to myself a lot.

Kimbo69 says: Is it going to hurt forever?

Leesie327 says: Today’s a big improvement. I don’t feel like throwing up.

Kimbo69 says: Try chicken broth.

Leesie327 says: There was a chicken wandering down the beach this morning. Maybe I can get the boys to catch it and I can cook it up for broth.

Kimbo69 says: Get that man of yours to buy you some of those little packets of dried up noodle soup. I love on those.

Leesie327 says: As soon as I can, I’m going to turn this place upside down.

Kimbo69 says:  What does that mean?

Leesie327 says: It’s a pig sty. Filthy. Bare cupboard. Beer and ketchup in the fridge. I need to get HAZ-MAT gear to attack the guys’ bathroom.

Kimbo69 says: Don’t hurt yourself.

Leesie327 says: Too late. Already did that.

Kimbo69 says: I got to go but I need to tell you something but I don’t know if I should.

Leesie327 says: What? You have to tell me now.

Kimbo69 says: Have you seen your wall?

Leesie327 says: No. I just come straight to chat.

Kimbo69 says: Go look at it. People love you, Leesie. A lot of them.