Unravelling
24 meets the X Files in the biggest teen blockbuster of the summer…STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.And killed.Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…
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For the Js—without you, none of this would have been possible
Contents
Dedication
Part One
24:00:14:32
23:23:57:07
23:23:57:06
23:23:56:49
23:23:56:42
23:23:56:40
23:23:22:29
21:22:40:34
21:22:07:29
21:22:07:28
21:20:59:31
21:18:10:00
21:18:03:54
17:09:40:41
17:05:07:12
16:23:33:54
16:19:58:49
16:09:48:02
15:19:53:38
15:16:55:49
15:16:03:24
15:15:51:47
15:10:55:00
15:08:50:05
15:04:00:43
15:02:05:07
Part Two
15:02:02:41
15:01:01:19
15:01:00:34
15:00:53:49
15:00:53:01
15:00:21:24
14:22:13:58
14:21:55:36
14:21:42:59
14:21:39:08
14:21:34:11
14:21:11:21
14:20:15:50
14:16:34:07
14:06:56:32
14:04:29:51
14:00:01:13
13:22:45:41
13:22:43:57
13:22:43:56
13:22:18:41
13:22:07:19
13:21:48:38
13:21:35:17
10:07:01:31
10:06:23:12
10:05:56:29
10:05:48:45
09:17:34:28
09:15:41:29
09:07:18:35
09:01:29:50
09:00:52:06
09:00:31:54
08:19:27:33
08:18:56:47
08:18:52:11
08:18:50:33
08:18:48:53
08:18:40:32
08:18:34:51
08:18:31:16
08:18:29:47
08:17:42:19
08:17:36:29
08:15:56:47
08:05:46:15
08:03:34:58
08:03:30:01
08:03:09:40
08:00:01:38
07:23:29:17
07:23:12:54
07:18:47:39
06:01:10:48
05:23:51:24
05:23:41:48
05:18:13:34
04:00:00:00
03:08:20:00
02:20:12:55
02:15:19:49
02:14:35:02
02:14:04:13
02:09:55:46
02:09:31:38
02:09:22:03
02:09:18:52
02:09:11:37
02:08:48:22
02:08:30:29
02:08:30:00
Part Three
01:01:26:07
01:01:15:40
01:01:10:01
00:23:02:31
00:21:56:29
00:21:50:01
00:21:47:19
00:21:02:44
00:20:42:58
00:20:41:04
00:20:41:03
00:20:40:13
00:20:37:40
Turn the page for more amazing teen books from HarperCollins . . .
Slide
Hereafter
Partials
Acknowledgments
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
—Robert Frost
It doesn’t matter that we’ve only been on three dates or that I wasn’t his biggest fan for the last five years. It doesn’t even matter that his romantic attempts to win me over this summer could be just a means to an end—better girls have been taken in by lesser guys.
But when the air changes, the temperature drops a fraction of a degree, the wind picks up, and a shot of electricity moves through the sand under my feet, I know he’s here.
At least, that’s what I tell Elise, since she likes to swoon over my sort-of love life and gets annoyed when she thinks I’m keeping the details to myself.
I can tell the exact moment Nick steps on the beach, though.
But that’s just because it’s sort of hard to miss seventy-eight twelve-year-olds rushing the beach.
Today I’m actually relieved to see the tidal wave of Little Leaguers descend on Torrey Pines, and I can’t help but smile. Not because of them—not even because of Nick—but because their arrival signifies the end of another ten-hour shift. My last dawn-to-five lifeguard shift this summer. Which is bittersweet, because I love spending my days here—there’s something about the wide-open expanse of water, especially at dawn, when the only people here are the diehard surfers. But I don’t love the long days or the Little League camps or the weekend warriors.
“Damn, J,” Steve says as he gets out of the truck, his eyes wandering to the tendrils of my scar peeking out from under the left strap of my bathing suit. “You’re bailing?”
I grab my duffel and jump from the guard stand into the sand—and ignore the urge to remind him that the scar is nothing he hasn’t seen all summer. “Dude, it’s all you until sundown.”
Steve doesn’t get the chance to say anything else. A clump of wet sand hits me in the leg, followed by a chorus of prepubescent male snickers.
“Aw, Nick. How many times I gotta tell you not to throw stuff at chicks to get their attention?” Per usual, Kevin Collins, mediocre quarterback, star shortstop, and biggest man-whore of Eastview High School stands surrounded by a half-dozen of his Little League campers. “Sorry, Janelle, but you know my man. He’s got no skillz.” He throws an arrogant smile at me because he knows he looks good enough without a shirt that most girls will forgive anything.
But I’m not most girls.
Instead I turn to his best friend. A blush and a lazy smile on his face, he’s swinging his hands together nervously. Tanned skin, short black hair, almond eyes, washboard abs. If I were Elise, I might say Nick Matherson is so pretty it hurts.
Instead I say, “Hey. Happy last day of camp.”
His smile widens, and something in my chest flutters a little—like it always does when he directs that smile at me. “Thanks. They were punks today since, you know, they knew they couldn’t really get in trouble. I thought I might lose my mind, but I’m just glad it’s over.”
I nod—he’s already told me he doesn’t think he’ll coach or work camp again next year.
“I brought you something,” Nick says, reaching into the pocket of his board shorts and extending his loose fist to me. Only he doesn’t open his hand. He just waits.
“What is it?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Come here and see.”
I take a hesitant step closer and reach out my hand. I’m not sure what he could bring me that would fit into his hand, but the fact that he thought of me when I wasn’t around—enough to actually bring me something—makes me smile.
