The Amanda Project: Book 4: Unraveled (26 page)

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FASCINATING STORIES AND ARTWORK
ABOUT AMANDA CONTINUE TO FLOOD
IN FROM ALL OVER. TURN THE PAGE FOR
ANOTHER TOTALLY AMAZING PIECE!

—HAL, CALLIE, NIA, AND ZOE

AMANDA VALENTINO

Amanda and I were polar opposites. She preferred change and I preferred constant routine. She always said, with a large smile on her face, “Change is the only permanent thing, so you should be willing to change!”

I, being such a social leper, was drab and quite hesitant.

Amanda and I were not intentionally friends. It just happened because it happened. I could list all the
things I was indifferent to that Amanda was not, but then we would be here all day.

If you loved Amanda, you would certainly hate me—that’s just how I felt. In my high school in New York, I wouldn’t ever expect so much as a slight wave toward me from my classmates. I was an outcast and a loser.

Maybe if I hadn’t met Amanda, I would still be dreading the weekdays. I never thought I would ever
change. I never thought change was necessary. I just never put thought into it, but Amanda injected the subject into the conversation every time.

Once when we were just hanging out on some swings, Amanda said, “You know what? I love parks. They’re peaceful and beautiful.” She was gazing out onto the green fields. I figured that Amanda loved anything that was peaceful. I figured that, as her guide,
I would have to be there whenever she needed help, which she didn’t need most of the time.

“Yeah? You think so?” I asked. The words just fell out of my mouth as my eyes focused on the dirty pile of trash next to one of the park benches.

“I do,” Amanda said softly. Then she locked eyes with me before speaking again. “Don’t you?”

I felt that the answer had to be yes.

“I believe that a park is
just a place. You can make any place a peaceful and beautiful place,” I said.

She cocked her head to the side. “That may be true, but parks in general are beautiful. No?” she questioned. Where was she heading with this? What did she want me to say?

“Sometimes . . .” I trailed off.

“If you can make any place peaceful and beautiful, what do you need to do if it’s the opposite?” she asked. She
was staring at me, although my face turned away from her, facing the field.

If something is the opposite of peaceful and beautiful, what do you do to make it peaceful and beautiful?

She knew that I wasn’t going to think parks were beautiful. She knew that I was going to lecture her that everything was not rainbows and sunshine.

“You have to change it,” I stated. There it was. As clear as day.

“Right. So change is good,” said Amanda, with a slight questioning inflection. She wanted me to agree.

“Correct, change is good. In that case. But I’m not willing to change, Amanda,” I almost whined. Amanda’s head tilted back as she laughed. Her blonde wig flowed in the breeze.

“Change is good for everyone, Lauren. Change is good for everyone.” Amanda ended the conversation right then. How was
I supposed to argue when I secretly knew it was true?

Maybe if Amanda had not gotten it into my head that change is good, I would still be skulking through the halls of the school, trying to go unnoticed.

Now, thanks to Amanda, I’m no longer the social leper I used to be.

Amanda’s probably helped us all in ways we never imagined. But she has. And she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to
me—my savior, Amanda Valentino.

—
JUMPINGBEAN

Jumpingbean
is fifteen years old.

Member Since: December 6, 2010

She always believed that Amanda was telling the truth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CATHLEEN DAVITT BELL
is the author of two novels,
Slipping
and
Little Blog on the Prairie
. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family. You can visit her online at www.cathleendavittbell.com.

This is the story of
AMANDA VALENTINO
. She makes things happen for her own reasons.

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COPYRIGHT

HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Unraveled

Text copyright © 2012 by Fourth Story Media

Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Fourth Story Media

Fourth Story Media, 115 South Street, 4F, New York, NY 10038

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www.epicreads.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-06-174219-4

Epub Edition © JUNE 2012 ISBN:9780062114297

12 13 14 15 16 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

¹
C33-2990 continues to display a troubling tendency to sabotage experiments. In this case, subject was effectively sedated.

²
And to those of you who know
kudos
is a Greek word, even more kudos. My yiayia would be very proud!