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Back Dear Universe Save as PDF
Contents (64)
  1. Copyright
  2. Contents
  3. Prologue
  4. {OCTOBER}
  5. Days ’til prom: Eons
  6. 1
  7. SECOND HALF OF SENIOR YEAR {JANUARY}
  8. Days ’til prom: 103
  9. 2
  10. Days ’til prom: Still 103
  11. 3
  12. Days ’til prom: 100
  13. 4
  14. Days ’til prom: Still 100
  15. 5
  16. Days ’til prom: 89
  17. {FEBRUARY}
  18. Days ’til prom: 83
  19. 6
  20. Days ’til prom: Still 83
  21. 7
  22. Days ’til prom: 65
  23. Days ’til prom: 64
  24. 8
  25. Days ’til prom: 61
  26. Days ’til prom: 57
  27. 9
  28. {MARCH}
  29. Days ’til prom: 51
  30. 10
  31. Days ’til prom: Still 51
  32. 11
  33. Days ’til prom: 50
  34. 12
  35. Days ’til prom: 49
  36. Days ’til prom: 48
  37. 13
  38. Days ’til prom: Still 48
  39. 14
  40. Days ’til prom: Seems irrelevant now
  41. 15
  42. Days ’til graduation: 31
  43. 16
  44. Days ’til graduation: 30
  45. 17
  46. {APRIL}
  47. Days ’til graduation: 17
  48. 18
  49. Days ’til graduation: 11
  50. Days ’til graduation: 6
  51. 19
  52. Days ’til graduation: 5
  53. 20
  54. Days ’til graduation: Still 4
  55. 21
  56. Days ‘til graduation: Still 2
  57. 22
  58. Days ’til graduation: Still 2, but minus a few hours
  59. Epilogue
  60. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  61. PRAISE FOR
  62. Dear Universe
  63. PRAISE FOR
  64. Love & Other Carnivorous Plants

“Dance with us, Cham,” my dad says.

“You know I hate dancing, Dad. And Gene’s gonna be here any minute to pick me up. We can’t be late, ’cause Abigail’s dancing first.”

My dad sticks his lip out, which he used to do when I pouted as a kid. Now I complain instead of pout. “Please? Make your old man’s night!”

“Fine, one move.” I crouch down like a frog, then spring up with my arms spread wide. “Ta-da! Amphibian-themed shooting star! Okay, now I leave you to have a romantic Elvis Christmas in the beginning of March.”

“We want to meet this boyfriend sometime,” my mom calls after me. My dad is fiddling with the speakers, and the result is an eardrum-crushing static avalanche. “You said it wasn’t serious, but it’s starting to seem a little serious. You’ve been dating for what? Five months now? I think we deserve an introduction.”

I scoot toward the stairs. “Ummmm—Anywho, Abigail’s gonna drop me off in the morning.”

“Have fun, love you,” my dad says, waving me off. “And wish your mom luck at the dentist.”

“I have work tonight, not the dentist,” my mom says gently. Just when I thought everything was back to normal…

“We love you, Cham,” my dad says, and I turn around to kiss him before I open the door.

“I know,” I say, because I do. “I love you too.”

QUESTIONS FOR THE UNIVERSE

1. How long would it take to shave my whole body?

2. Is there one right way to do it for the first time? Should I aim for glorious? Awkward? Mind-blowing?

3. On average, how many bubbles are in a liter of Coke?

4. If the world were ending, how long would you stay?

5. When I was doing sit-ups in gym class, something started to feel really good so I kept going, and then it felt really good and I kind of peed a little, and I just want to know IS THAT NORMAL?

6. Does rolling admission extend into my twenties?

7. I know it’s not Father’s Day anytime soon, but what would mean the most to him?

8. What gift can I give Abigail after Senior Night to prove that I’m a much better friend than Hilary while acknowledging that Abigail is an underappreciated genius who better win valedictorian?

9. Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

10. Does anyone else spend as much time thinking about me as I do?

11. I can answer that last one for myself: no.

image

G I’m here!

G And I parked at the top of the street like you asked

haha thanks see you soon C

As soon as I’m out of the house, I sprout lovely invisible wings. I fly across the muddy lawn that’s starting to grow new versions of itself. When I open the door to Gene’s car, I close myself into its box of Bob Dylan music.