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

"Ladies and gentleman!" A male voice echoed throughout the orange and yellow stripped tent. You could feel the excitement and mystery rise in the air as a man stepped out of the mist that seemed to wrap itself around the audience. He wore a long, red tailcoat, a dark purple button-up shirt that was tucked in his sleek black trousers, black dress shoes, purple and black stripped top hat, and in his right palm he held a long gold staff that at the top held a purple transparent ball. "Welcome to Cirque De Les Secrets! My name is Martin and I will be your guide this evening." He chuckled darkly as he said the word guide, adding more mystery to the air. "Now, remember that one you enter, you can not leave- not until the show is over." His voice bellowed, a slight Spanish accent audible. "Now, let the show," he stepped back into the heavy mist," begin." My name is Angela. Angela Monaè. I'm an acrobat in the most famous circus known on earth- Cirque De Les Secrets. Translation: Circus of Secrets. A show full of wonder, mystery, and excitement. If only they knew what lies beyond those black curtains. Beyond that façade, is a deadly way of what we call life. Its a place where everyone has a secret that could get you killed. My secret? I'm cursed. The only person who knows is Martin- the ringmaster. And he never lets me forget it. But I have a plan- one that will rid me of that burden and set me free. But... I can't do it alone. In order for my plan to work, I'll either have to earn the trust and support from everyone else in the circus or I will have to blackmail them. And that is a very deadly game I will have to play.