She Who Left [COMPLETED]

a/n

I said last chapter I would have a chapter that was a longer final authors note and that is what this is. This might be the last post in this book but if I do decided to go ahead with an idea of mine there will be a post about that too.

This story has gone through a lot of change from when I first thought of it. Originally it was going to be based off of the film P.S. I Love You (of you haven't seen it, watch it) but instead of someone dying it was going to be someone moving away. I was torn between Norminah or Camren for the ship and I believe the title was Letters to You or something along those lines. Then I saw a quote from a book of Tumblr and I really wanted to use it so the book then became about a suicide. It was still going to have the P.S. I Love You letters idea but gradually it became more and more influenced by 13 Reasons Why. I still didn't know who the ship was going to be but the title changed to She Who Left, which then gave me the idea of making it about Camila. I didn't want it to be Camren anymore because I wanted Lauren to be the main bully. So I then came across Normila. And that is how the story came to where it is now.

It's funny because the very quote that inspired it was never once used in this book. But if I go ahead with my plan of a sequel/spin-off book it will be in the first chapter. The second book would be called She Who Stayed and would follow Normani's fresh start, more specifically her last year. It would be one of those cliche - I came here for a fresh start but someone from my last just showed up - books. Would you want to read it?

Originally this was going to be a 15 part story not 10. Although it was always going to end on the funeral and Normani writing a letter to Camila's parents. I planned more flashbacks and confrontations about the contents of the letter but I kind of like how it ended up. I want to clear a few things up in case anyone is wondering (I know no one has questions but I just feel like explaining some stuff no one cares about):

• Involuntary Manslaughter is a thing! I googled it what Dinah did - messaged Camila to kill herself - was a crime and found a real life case that was brought to trial. The case I found was classing it as involuntary manslaughter. It's sentence can be between 10-16 months.

• Dinah was being blackmailed with the knowledge of her selling drugs - which she confesses to doing.

• You never find out why Camila got blackmailed

• Normani ignored Camila. She witnessed physical beatings and never reported them. She never helped Camila when she was going through things - for example she brushed off death threats.

• Lauren doesn't go to prison as her parents are rich and they bought her out of them - if I write a sequel you will find out more about this probably.

If you do have any questions about this book please feel free to ask. I tend to leave things unexplained when in reality I think I have explained them.

Thanks for anyone who has read this and this authors note all the way down to here.

- Heather