in which two nihilistic teens find the meaning of life when their hands entwine. current cover :: @parthenons [summary inside]

Official bonus novella to High School Hit List. Maddy Danton should have never returned. She's collateral damage, trapped within a cage of secrets, a risk to the reputation of a boy held on a perfect pedestal. And maybe freeing herself from her shackles is as unrealistic as it is dangerous. But lies can only last as long as their facade survives. And Maddy is sure she is dying. A deeper, darker, and steamier insight into the characters of High School Hit List. Find out what happened to the royalty of Arlington once they left the kingdom. » can be read as stand-alone, however, contains spoilers to its predecessor » #8 in ChickLit » cover: @glueeater © 2016 AUTHERAS

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION Adrift after a failed suicide attempt, golden boy Everest can't find anything worth living for - until he meets Beverly, a loner determined to prove him wrong. ***** For a boy who seemed to have it all - wealth, good looks, popularity, a wide circle of friends - Everest Finley becomes the ultimate social outcast after failing to take his own life. Dejected and alone, he starts his last year of high school by acting out, determined to ruin his golden boy reputation after his best friend and girlfriend both turn on him. But to his surprise, resident loner Beverly Davis reaches out and tries to befriend him. Ever the optimistic, her empathy and persistence eventually convinces him to spend time with her, and the two slowly bond over their complicated family lives and a love of singing. But even as their budding friendship begins to hint at something more, Everest continues to struggle with depression and unhappiness. Can a simple pact between the two truly encourage him to find something worth living for? Content and/or Trigger Warning: this story contains mentions and descriptions of depression and self harm. -SKY

"Seth?" He walked to the door and paused. "Yeah?" He murmured, hand poised on the knob. "Would you...Could you stay?" I asked unsure. He turned to me and a small smile formed on his lips as he walked back over to my bed. "I thought you'd never ask" He grinned laying down so our shoulders touched. And it was at this point, as we lay down, that I realized that I needed him. I needed this brash, obnoxious idiot with me because I, finally, felt complete. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seth Fuller and Trishelle Mcguiness couldn't be anymore opposite. Where Seth was all about having fun, Trish would rather sit home and read. Where Trish was always making sure things ran smoothly, Seth lets all hell break loose. In an ordinary world, Seth wouldn't even do a double take in her direction and She wouldn't be caught dead with the likes of him. But what happens when Seth moves in with Trish's family for the summer and dares her to finally be a kid, and in return she challenges him to finally grow up? Together, they embark on a journey through the small town of Maine, that will change their lives forever.