This book is the fulfillment of my lifelong dream to write a book for Scholastic. If elementary school me, whose favorite day of the year was the Scholastic Book Fair, could see me now, she would probably pee her pants. Huge thank-yous are in order to everyone who made this dream come true.

Matt Ringler, thank you for coming up with this brilliant concept and for entrusting it to me. Writing an oral history has been frequently fun, sometimes frustrating, but always fascinating. This book would literally not exist without you, and it wouldn’t be nearly as good without your pitch-perfect editing and Kanye lyrics. I’m also convinced that if someone made an ’80s-style workplace sitcom starring the two of us, it would be hilarious. Thank you to Jennifer Abbots, Michelle Campbell, Laura Festa, and everyone at Scholastic I haven’t had the pleasure of e-meeting yet. Your love for this book overwhelms me, in the best possible way.

Molly Ker Hawn, you are a dream-come-true agent and one of my favorite people. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sending this project my way. Thank you for being my best early reader, and for always making me feel like I’m funny. I should probably just move to London so we can have brunch all the time, right?

Max, by the time you read this, we’ll be married! Thank you for reading every page and for always having faith in my writing, even when I don’t. I wish I was half the genius you think I am, but I love you for thinking it. Additional thanks to you, Daniel and Colin for keeping my D&D references honest and for introducing me to the wonderful world of tabletop gaming. I will beat all of you at Lords of Waterdeep anytime, anyplace. Especially you, Colin. I will destroy you.

Dad, thanks for all those emails saying “good” to let me know I’m on the right track. Mom, thank you for your constant love and support, and for always picking up the phone, even if it’s the fourth time I’ve called that day. Ali, remember that time your hair was doing a thing? Yeah, me too. Thanks for that. Somers and Max (again!), thanks for the conversation about helicopter parents that spawned a great chapter.

I thought I hated high school when I was there, but now I realize how great it was, if only because I had incredible teachers and made amazing friends. Mr. Burns and Ms. Schwartz, you are the kind of English teachers people write inspirational movies about; Mr. Campbell and Mr. Guffin, I know you would never have given this history project an A+, but all four of you made me a writer. Megan, Donnie, Sarah, Evie, and Caitlin—I’d still share a prom limo with all of you. Let me know when the DJ plays “Hey Ya!,” okay?