Life Uploaded Page 19
“Are you sure?” he asks, his face brightening.
“I’m so sure, Jack. I love you.” My own jaw drops as soon as I say this. I’ve never said that in a romantic context before, not to him or to anyone else.
“I love you too, Harper!” He wraps his arms around my waist and twirls me so my dress swishes and swirls like the petals of morning glories opening to sunlight, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” he murmurs this over and over, speaking into the hair on the top of my head.
Oohs and awws pop up all over the gym. The crowd claps and cheers, then quickly loses interest and returns to dancing. Jack holds me close against his chest as the DJ plays “Sweetest Devotion” by Adele. Out of the corner of my eye I see Bryce take Ellie’s hand and lead her onto the dance floor, and past them, at the far corner of the gym, I see Dalton approach Jessie, who giggles girlishly and blushes. Delighted and amused, I watch them leave the gym together, his arm around her shoulder. Good for her, I think, that will be quite an adventure.
* * *
When I wake up on Sunday morning at Jack’s uncle’s Santa Monica beach house, everybody else is asleep: Jack and Bryce in the guest room, Ellie and I in the master bedroom like little seaside queens. Rainbow sprinkles from our ice cream party leave a Hansel and Gretel–style trail. I laugh to myself, remembering the fun we had last night, the pure, innocent, nonfamous, real-life-human-being fun we had. We played spin the bottle, Twister, and Cards Against Humanity; we built a fort and projected shadow puppets onto the walls; we sang karaoke, roasted marshmallows, and shotgunned Coca-Cola straight from the can. It was, no doubt, a night to remember. And the best part is that I didn’t do it for publicity, I did it for me.
I walk to the living room and look out over the lapis lazuli blue ocean, glazed with morning sun, pressing my hand to the window. It’s been a wild, unpredictable year, and it feels nice to have this moment of quiet and stillness to myself.
“Morning!” Ellie enters in her Blue Jays pajamas and a bright smile. The only thing that could make this moment of quiet and stillness any better is my number one bestie.
“How did you sleep?” I ask.
“Like a baby! You?”
“Same,” I say. “Like a baby.” I can’t take my eyes off the horizon, which is crisp and clear, a razor-sharp line cutting through the ocean and sky.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks, joining me by my side.
“That I’m going to be fine.”
“Oh, girl”—she kisses my cheek—“you’re going to be so much more than fine. You’re going to be fabulous.”
Acknowledgments
I want to thank everyone at Gallery Books for helping to make this first novel a reality. Thank you to Zara Lisbon, who has proved to be an invaluable source of guidance, patience, and overall good vibes.
To my mom, for her tireless support, endless hugs, and unconditional love. I hope I’ve made you proud of me!
To my nearest and dearest BFFAEAEAES: my life would be virtually meaningless without you. Thank you for the laughs, the chills, the adventures, and the listening ears. Each of you inspires me to continue chasing my dreams, every day. You are my #everythinggoals.
Finally, lastly but MOST important, to my fans, my #Sierranators: ya’ll, where do I even begin? From the very first video I posted, you’ve had my back, shared my laughter, my tears, my ups and downs, my greatest triumphs and failures; you’re more than just friends to me, you’ve become my family. For all the likes, shares, regrams, retweets, and reposts—this book is my way of saying thank you, from the very bottom of my heart. I would be nothing without all of you, and I can’t wait to see where we go next!
ALL THE HUGS AND ALL THE KISSES,
Sierra Furtado
SIERRA FURTADO is a beauty, lifestyle, and DIY YouTuber with more than 4.5 million social media followers and counting. She is a fashion and style guru who has a love for all things boho chic. Sierra’s love of YouTube has brought her much joy through her many subscribers. Her fans are her GOALS! She lives in sunny California with her cat, Louie, and hopes to hug you soon.
ZARA LISBON is a writer of fiction and poetry. She grew up in Venice, California, and received her MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
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Gallery Books
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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New York, NY 10020
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Sierra Furtado
A Beaufresh Book
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books hardcover edition October 2016
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Jacket design by John Vairo Jr.
Jacket photographs by Koury Angelo
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 978-1-5011-4395-3
ISBN 978-1-5011-4398-4 (ebook)