“Right?” He picks up the envelope and my textbook and plops down beside me. “It’s like, Shut up already, dude.” He grins, revealing dimples, and then sticks out his hand. “I’m Nick.”
His warm, strong hand around mine sends a shiver straight up my arm. Yet I manage to say, in a somewhat normal tone of voice, “Livvy. And I’m really glad to meet you.”
I’m disappointed when he releases my hand, but then he says, “Pretty quiet around here today. Want to go to dinner later? Hear they’re making that mac and cheese with the bread crumbs on top.”
“Okay.” A rush of heat runs up my neck.
“Meet here at five?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“Cool.” He gets to his feet, and the envelope flutters to the floor. He hands it to me. “See you later.”
I smile and watch him go, my heart pounding. I glance at the envelope. My name and address are typed, and there’s no return address. I open it and pull out a folded sheet of paper. Something falls to the floor.
I lean over to look.
Next to my foot is a dead wasp.
I kick it away and scream, then slap a hand over my mouth. I grab my books and run back to my room. I realize I haven’t looked at the paper. I sink down on my bed. My hands are shaking so bad that I have trouble unfolding it at first.
There, in childish handwriting, someone has scrawled:
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
I crumple up the paper and throw it to the other side of the room.
It’s just a sick joke, I think. A terrible prank. It doesn’t mean anything. Someone saw the interview and thought to have some fun at my expense.
“That’s it. That has to be it. Just someone stupid, just someone—”
And then I can’t breathe as the truth dawns on me.
In the interview, and then article after article, so much came out about my time in the basement, so many details.
But not once did I ever … tell anyone … about the box of bees.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There may be only one name on the cover of this book, but by rights, there should be many others. Books are a collaboration; don’t let anyone tell you differently. To start, Liz Szabla, the best editor in the business. I’m so freaking lucky to work with her. As well as Rich Deas, who creates killer covers, book after book. And to the others at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group who work behind the scenes on my behalf, not to mention make me feel so welcome whenever I’m at an event or show up at the Flatiron: Jean Feiwel, Angus Killick, Nicole Banholzer, Mary Van Akin, Molly Brouillette, Lauren Burniac, Anna Roberto, Lucy Del Priore, Dave Barrett, Holly West, and Katie Fee, to name only a few. (There are many more! You know who you are.) I am beyond grateful to publish my books with them. Plus, I am over the moon that another novel is put to bed. Onward.
Find out more about our authors and artists and our future publishing at mackids.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S. A. Bodeen is the author of the acclaimed YA novels The Compound, The Gardener, The Raft, and The Fallout. She is also the author of the Shipwreck Island series for middle-grade readers. She travels the country making school visits and lives with her husband outside Minneapolis. writersabodeen.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by S. A. Bodeen
A Feiwel and Friends Book
An Imprint of Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
macteenbooks.com
All rights reserved.
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
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Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Bodeen, S. A.
The detour / S.A. Bodeen.—First edition.
pages cm
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Livvy Flynn, a bestselling author of YA fiction, is kidnapped by a woman and her apparently manic daughter who have no intention of letting her go.
ISBN 978-1-250-05554-5 (hardback)—ISBN 978-1-250-07863-6 (e-book)
[1. Authors—Fiction. 2. Kidnapping—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.1.B64De 2015 [Fic]—dc23 2015013378
First hardcover edition 2015
eBook edition October 2015
eISBN 9781250078636