Afterglow


 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Dedication
 • The Story So Far •
 CHAPTER ONE
 CHAPTER TWO
 CHAPTER THREE
 CHAPTER FOUR
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER FIVE
 CHAPTER SIX
 CHAPTER SEVEN
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER EIGHT
 CHAPTER NINE
 iMessage
 CHAPTER TEN
 CHAPTER ELEVEN
 CHAPTER TWELVE
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN
 iMessage
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
 CHAPTER NINETEEN
 CHAPTER TWENTY
 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
 • iMessage •
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
 iMessage
 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
 CHAPTER THIRTY
 CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
 CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
 CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
 CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
 CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
 • iMessage •
 CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
 CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
 • Voice Message •
 CHAPTER FORTY
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
 CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
 CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
 CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
 CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
 CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
 CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
 • Facetime •
 CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
 CHAPTER FIFTY
 CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
 • iMessage •
 CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
 • Golden Boys •
 • Breakup Mobilizers •
 CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
 CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
 CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
 CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
 Sal for Mayor
 CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
 CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
 CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER SIXTY
 CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
 CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
 CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
 CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
 CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
 CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
 CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
 • iMessage •
 CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
 CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
 CHAPTER SEVENTY
 • Golden Boys •
 CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
 CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
 CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
 EPILOGUE
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 eCopyright
 
 
 
 Also by Phil Stamper
 The Gravity of Us
 As Far as You’ll Take Me
 Golden Boys
 
 BLOOMSBURY YA
 Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
 This electronic edition published in 2023 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
 BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
 First published in the United States of America in February 2023 by Bloomsbury YA
 Text copyright © 2023 by Phil Stamper
 Illustrations by May van Millingen
 All rights reserved 
 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form 
 or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any 
 information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
 
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 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 Names: Stamper, Phil, author.
 Title: Afterglow / by Phil Stamper.
 Description: New York : Bloomsbury Children’s Books, [2023] | Series: Golden boys ; book 2 Summary: After a life-changing summer, Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are finally ready for senior year, but as graduation nears and the boys prepare to enter the real world, it is clear their friendship will never be the same.
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022036055 (print) | LCCN 2022036056 (e-book)
 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0738-9 (HB)
 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0868-3 (eBook)
 Subjects: CYAC: Gay people—Fiction. | Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | LCGFT: Novels.
 Classification: LCC PZ7.1.S7316 Af 2023 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.S7316 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022036055
 LC e-book record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022036056
 Book design by John Candell
 To find out more about our authors and their books please visit www.bloomsbury.com where you will find extracts, author interviews and details of forthcoming events, and to be the first to hear about latest releases and special offers, sign up for our newsletters.
 To Caitlin.
 A thousand thank-yous doesn’t come close.
 • The Story So Far •
 GABRIEL + HEATH + REESE + SAL
 
 
 
 
 
 Activity time!!!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 Aaaaat the risk of being too sentimental… give me one rose and one thorn of
 the whole summer.
 
 
 G
 
 
 
 
 
 aw gabriel’s getting sappy!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 thorn: coming back from Daytona to a new apartment, my parents divorce being final,
 and CHAPTER ONE
 
 REESE
 OCTOBER’S ALWAYS BEEN MY favorite month. There’s a hint of change all around me—the breeze becomes slightly cooler, the trees change color, my allergies finally chill out, and high school football season gets into full swing.
 Well, okay. That’s a Heath thing. For me, that means high school football concessions stand season starts, and I get to have cheesy fries every Friday night.
 After leaving Paris this summer, I came back