Life doesn't abide by the rules of a child. Sixteen-year-old Ramona knows this. She's seen it throughout her entire life, from the way she was treated by her birth parents to the way she was thrown around the foster system with nothing but her little brother, Mason, to hold onto. Every bruised cheek and broken bone has slowly shattered Ramona's trust in the system and any foster parent she's ever met. In the end, it's only Mason she can trust. Her life is dedicated to making his better, and focused solely on sheltering him from the pain of feeling as lonely as she is. That is, until Ramona gets news one day that may just uproot everything she's ever believed about her and Mason's situation. Everything is about change for Mason, all because of a man named Owen Parker. He wants to take the only thing that Ramona has ever truly loved. He wants to adopt her brother, and there is nothing she can do to stop him. Though after years of running and years of pain, Ramona knows just how badly Mason needs a home. It's a breath of fresh air for him, a family filled with love, and everything that Mason has never had. But then, what about Ramona? She's brotherless, parentless, and alone in a city that has never cared about her. She has to find a way to cope, and she has to find a way to forgive the man who took her little boy from her. But she can't cope, she can't forgive, and she can only bend so many times before she breaks. - - Warning: This story deals with mature content that may be difficult for some to read, such as self-harm, suicide, drug use, abuse, depression, anxiety, and sexual harassment. - - Highest Ranks: |#1| - adopted |#1| - fosterkid |#1| - fostercare |#1| - foster |#1| - suicideawareness |#1| - recovery |#1| - comingofage |#1| - mentalillness |#1| - strength |#2| - adoption

wattys longlist 2018 | MEET ELLA. She's drowning, literally. Ella has lung cancer, causing her lungs to fill with liquid that needs to be drained daily. Every breath she takes feeds her life, but also takes it. MEET JAKE. Resident smoker and bad boy. Forced into rehabilitation, and fighting his inner demons fills up his day. Jakes over it all, he doesn't want to live anymore. So what will happen when the two meet? A girl fighting to live. A boy hoping to die. *not edited or monitored*

Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that.