never. fall. for. a. straight. girl.

"ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ꜱᴛʀɪᴄᴛʟʏ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱ." - ʟᴜᴄɪᴀɴᴀ ᴅᴏᴠᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴍᴀɴ ɪɴ ꜰʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʀʀᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴛ. ʙɪʟʟɪᴇ ᴏ'ᴄᴏɴɴᴇʟʟ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ (ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀᴅᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴇᴛᴄ.), ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴜɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴛᴜʀɴꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ A ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴅᴇᴀʟ? - ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ ɪ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴇɪʟɪꜱʜ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪ ᴜꜱᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ : ᴊᴜʟʏ 22ɴᴅ, 2019 ꜰɪɴɪꜱʜᴇᴅ : ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 23ʀᴅ, 2020

Everyone says high school is hell. For Riley, it started with a girl named Billie. When Riley is assigned to help the new girl at school, she doesn't expect much. Billie is quiet, strange, always scribbling in that journal she won't let anyone touch. But something about her-her sharp wit, her soft voice, her secrets-draws Riley in. As they spend time together on a class project, Riley starts to uncover the shadows Billie hides behind her silence. Nightmares. Disappearances. Cold, dead stares. Still, Riley can't walk away-not when Billie starts to trust her. Not when Riley starts to care more than she should. But everything unravels when a terrifying event exposes the truth about Billie's mental health. As reality blurs and rumors burn through the halls of their school, Riley is left with one question: If she keeps loving Billie through all of it-will she survive it herself? ••• • #2 in comeoutandplay on 8.28.25