Chapters (45)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Pulse
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY–ONE
- TWENTY–TWO
- TWENTY–THREE
- TWENTY–FOUR
- TWENTY–FIVE
- TWENTY–SIX
- TWENTY–SEVEN
- TWENTY–EIGHT
- TWENTY–NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY–ONE
- THIRTY–TWO
- THIRTY–THREE
- THIRTY–FOUR
- THIRTY–FIVE
- THIRTY–SIX
- THIRTY–SEVEN
- THIRTY–EIGHT
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- RESOURCES
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
“No. No, no, no.” Lucy shook her head. “You’ve got to stop with the justs. We all do. Me, you, even my mom. We can’t ‘just’ wonder. We have to stop ‘just’ checking in. No more ‘I hope it’s okay, but I just needed to know . . .’ No more couching. No more being afraid to say what we mean. To ask for what we want. Not anymore.” Lucy opened the contacts on her phone. “Now, I do think we should still do this—all of it. But say the word, and we’re going for sushi.”
“No,” Delia said. Lucy’s face fell. “I mean, no, I don’t want sushi—kind of ever again. But I do want to do this. Dial.” That Lucy’s resulting nod had a slight hesitation in it made Delia feel better, not worse.
Lucy hit the call button, and Delia texted Cassie back: Go straight to the theater. See you soon.
Cassie: 
Delia: 
THIRTY–FOUR
MOONSHOT • Investing in a risky area with the hope that it will be incredibly successful, i.e., “reach the moon”
THIS. IS. IT.
Everything. Not just for the past few weeks but for the past few years. More.
A current powered by fear and disbelief and the chutzpah she’d inherited from her mom flowed through Lucy as she tucked her legs underneath her on the seat between Maddie and Delia at the back of the auditorium.
If only she didn’t have to sit through everyone’s presentations to get to “it.”
Truth? Lucy was impressed by what most of her classmates had done. The acceptance rate at ValleyStart was two percent, and this was why. Creative, innovative, ambitious, far-reaching, many of the projects would have a good shot at attracting investors if this were that type of program.
They’d slipped in after it started, after Nishi had sent an email asking what happened, why Ryan had just told her that Lucy’s team had been disqualified for violating the morality clause of the contract they’d signed. Lucy wrote back, asking for Nishi’s cell number, saying she’d be in touch shortly.
Shortly was now. The final team was concluding its presentation. The next-to-final team.
“Go ahead,” Maddie whispered.
Lucy drew out her phone and texted Nishi: Someone dumped a whole cart of lemons on my doorstep, and I promise not to make a single glass of lemonade. But I need a favor. She paused and then added: Ryan won’t like it.
Nishi: Good. What do you need?
Lucy: Don’t let things end. Announce that there’s one more team left.
Nishi: Only if it’s yours. Starting to feel like curiosity’s not just terminal for cats.
Lucy whispered, “We’re a go,” and her stomach twisted into a dozen knots as Nishi walked onstage.
She did exactly as Lucy asked, and Ryan leapt from his seat.