Nico Vaughan, the junior class "Nice Girl" wants to be free from her abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend.
Valen Henford, the school's resident "Rich Guy meets Bad Boy" wants to spend his senior year with the girl he's been in love with for years.
W...
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"I have never understood where the line is drawn, between sacrifice and self-slaughter" (Hilary Mantel).
|◁ II ▷|
Micah points at me as he passes me in the hall, smiling like a lunatic. "This year, we beat 'em!"
"Oh, yeah!" I laugh back, picking up my pace in excitement.
I push the library doors open with a hum and wave at Scarlett as she leaves. My body plops down beside Valen's on the beanbag in our usual spot in the back, and I grin when I see his closed eyes and slightly open mouth.
I poke his cheek unceremoniously. "Valen."
He stirs, and his hand rubs his cheek for a moment until he settles again. I poke his cheek again and leave my finger there. His hand comes up to his cheek again as his face scrunches cutely, and he takes hold of my hand.
"Nico?"
I grin down at him, meeting his pond blue eyes. "Hi."
He smiles as leans up, and I lean backward. His arms wrap around my waist, and he pulls me into him. I let loose the quietest shriek I can muster, and he pokes my cheek. "Hi."
He finally lets me breathe, but he keeps me in his arms.
"Why do you have so much energy?" he groans, resting his face on the crook of my neck.
I lightly scratch my nails over the back of his neck, and he tenses. "Well, I have more than you because you had football. And because it's finally hoco week!"
Valen leans back again, his eyebrows scrunched up. "What?"
"Homecoming."
"Yeah?"
I stare at him, but he doesn't get all excited at my reminder. "Y'know..."
His brows scrunch again, and I flick his forehead. "Dude, it's Junior-Senior Wars this year. I finally get to participate."
Valen groans pathetically and goes to lay his head back on my shoulder, but I stop him with a hand on his forehead. "Oh, come on."
He blinks his eyes slowly at me, his eyebrows raised. "All it is is rolling people's houses."
"And those little air soft guns!"
He looks at me weirdly and shifts his weight. "You want to shoot people?"
I roll my eyes at him. "They aren't real guns. And it's for defense."
