Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
I laugh. “In that case, you have me pinned pretty well. That’s Noah all over. Only he has a mean streak for anyone who wants to screw with me and doesn’t let the outside world see the real him. Ask anyone in this school, and they’d say Noah is the biggest ass they’ve ever met, but not me. I’ve known him since we were . . . Well, since I was born really. He was my first friend, and he’s been right by my side ever since. He’s the only one who’s ever truly had my back.”
I don’t bother to explain those three dark years, that’s definitely a conversation for when I know her better. But I already know, without a doubt, that I’ll be comfortable opening up about it and telling her all about Linc.
“You know, that is honestly the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Best friends growing up together and slowly falling in love.”
“Oh, there was nothing slow about it,” I scoff. “I was madly in love with him at thirteen, and it’s only ever gotten stronger. He tells people all the time that we’re two halves of the same whole.”
“Soul mates,” she murmurs, her blue eyes shining with fondness.
“Exactly,” I tell her. “What about you? What’s your story?”
Hope scoffs. “Compared to that, my story is boring. I’ve never had that big, all-consuming first love or had any issues with nasty girls. I’m just . . . plain Hope. Just hoping to get through high school without any drama—but maybe a handful of parties.”
“You know what?” I say, a genuine smile resting across my lips as I meet her kind, icy blue eyes. “Stick with me. You sound like everything I could possibly need.”
38
Zoey
My luck has more than run out.
We’re four weeks into senior year, and just as I expected, Shannan couldn’t wait to play her wicked games. Only it’s so much worse than it ever was last year. She’s had time to plan and hit me right where it hurts. Rather than public performances to humiliate me, which would leave her vulnerable to witnesses, she keeps it private. Stalking me into bathrooms. Editing my face onto naked selfies to spread through the school. She’s even gone as far as hacking into my phone and spreading some of my risqué texts with Noah.
Tarni hasn’t been any better either.
Now that she’s got her friends back and is no longer the school outcast shamed under Noah’s reign, she’s moving back up the ranks and taking revenge in the form of snide comments and insults. Though, I know Tarni better than she knows herself. This is only the beginning.
School is about to become my biggest nightmare. The little six-year-old version of me who was fighting cancer would even pity me now. If I didn’t have Hope, I’d be lost. She’s been my rock over these past few weeks, and despite the little time we’ve known each other, she’s become closer to me than Tarni ever was, and she knows more about my life and who I am as a person. What’s more, outside of Noah, she gives me something to be excited for.
Hope isn’t shy about her dislike of Shannan, and because of how genuine and kind she is, she naturally draws people in, all of whom stand with her against Shannan when she brings out the claws. So far, it hasn’t rattled her. Shannan’s used to people not liking her, but Hope makes me feel optimistic that things will be better one day.
As for all of this, I haven’t dared to tell Noah.
I’ve given him a few updates here and there and told him that Shannan’s been causing trouble, but I haven’t explained the depth of it. If he knew the truth, he’d drop everything to race back here and try to make things better. But I need to learn how to stand on my own two feet. There was a time I thought I had learned how to stand on my own, but it turns out, I was just pretending. I’ve never felt strong on my own, but I think I’m getting there.
Over the past four weeks, Noah’s only been able to come home once, and it’s killing him. He feels like he’s letting me down, but he’s been so incredibly busy adjusting to college life. Staying on top of his schoolwork and meeting the required training schedule for football is a full-time job. He’s starting to settle into his new schedule though, and the second he does, I don’t doubt that he’ll be sneaking in through my bedroom window just like he used to. There’s no denying it though, every second he’s been gone, my chest has ached for him. The way I miss him . . . It’s breaking me.
It’s been a big week with too many assignments already building up, but nobody claimed getting through senior year was supposed to be easy. On top of everything else, I still can’t seem to find energy, and my world has slowly been spiraling out of control.