"You like this, don't you?" Sam grins, running his tongue over his lip ring. "You're turned on by it." "Please," I wave my hand in dismissal. "You are," he accuses, his voice light. He does it again. I can't look away. "Stop." "Why should I? Little Miss 'I hate everyone at Ryder' really does find me irresistible. Who am I to deny her?" Sam's voice has something of an edge to it and my eyes snap to his. "'Little miss 'I hate everyone at Ryder', huh?" I ignore the second part of his jab. "That's right." I lean against my wardrobe, crossing my arms over my chest. "There's only a few people at Ryder I really can't stand, and you're at the top of my list." Sam's eyes narrow on me. "Is that so?" He turns from the mirror and takes a step in my direction. I refuse to back down, tilting my chin up to keep his gaze as he crowds into my space. His eyes hold mine until he's close enough that I can feel the warmth of his breath over my cheeks and his focus shifts to my mouth. He runs his tongue over the lip ring again, and I feel my own lips part slightly as he does it, my breath coming a little faster. My stomach is pulsing with a mix of nervousness and something I'm not totally ready to admit to myself. ---- Logan Grey's a 16 year-old girl with a penchant for Bob Dylan and running long distances. When her father dies suddenly, she and her best friend come up with a scheme to keep her from moving to her grandparents' Ohio estate: two years of boarding at her Connecticut hometown's highly renowned prep school. But a fluke lands Logan in a room with Ryder Academy's hottest, baddest boy and it's pretty obvious they're not going to get along. At least until Sam Evans and his sexy-as-hell lip ring saunter into her life, upending everything she thought she knew. [This story contains strong language and sexual content. You've been warned!]

Lucille is 17 years old. She does not have many friends. She's always been by herself since she had a hard time making friends. Ethan is also 17 years old. He is one of the most popular guys at school. He is the head of his baseball team. Boys admire him. And girls drool over his perfect looks. One night Ethan saves Lucille from a robbery. From there, one crazy decision made by the two to become "friends with benefits" leads to an endless, hot romance that's full of tears and untold feelings.

* * * Lauren Collins is a good girl. She's responsible and shy but has a tight knit group of friends, excellent grades, and is dating Thomas Clark, a popular football player at Littleton High School. Nathan Rhodes is a bad boy. There are too many rumors to count about the times he's been in jail, or come close to it. But behind the tough, arrogant bad boy facade, Nathan is a mysterious, observant guy with a few too many unrevealed secrets for Lauren's taste. When Lauren finds out her boyfriend has been using her for sex, she decides it's time to quit playing nice. With the help of her best friend, Lauren decides to create a social experiment that makes her become popular and outspoken; she goes from being invisible to being the center of attention overnight. She even seems to capture the attention of Nathan Rhodes. Both of them of secrets that they don't want to share. Both of them have enemies they want to get back at. Both of them have to realize that they aren't so different after all. * * * disclaimer: so far this story is unedited, and will probably remain unedited until i complete it. enjoy!

Reece Bremer goes through life with a scowl and cold personality. Jessica Andrews goes through life with a glowing smile and positive outlook. Reece looks at life with dull, judgmental eyes that make him hate the world and the people living in it. Jessica, well... She looks at life through a camera. Literally. They're polar opposites, and that's what sparks Reece's immediate hate for Jessica the moment they meet. All he sees is a girl with the best life, put in the category of those who get everything handed to them on a silver platter. But who says Jessica's life is like that? Just like a photograph, there's more to the story than what you see. Stumbling across one of Jessica's hidden portfolio might reveal that her happiness isn't all that true. Behind that smile and each picture she takes, holds a thousand words of a very big secret - one that Reece is determined to find out. And who knows? It just might change everything between them. cover by dysanic || 2015 watty's winner for talk of the town ||