"Are you going to stop this now that's it's real?" As his beautiful lean arms snaked around Rome's waist he wondered, in a weirdly frenzied panic, if any pleasure in life could compare to 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.
Rome's always been this way. One moment he's studying for finals and next, walking down the streets of New York at midnight trying to find cheese fries for his best friend, Elowen. Despite the chaos he attracts, he likes everything in its perfect place, nothing changing and sticking to the plan. In fact, to make sure things stay the same Roman and Elowen made the 'Totally, Definitely Mistakes' list:
1. Having sex before turning 18.
2. Falling for the popular kids, those heartbreakers and troublemakers.
3. Touching anything that remotely resembles drugs (yes, even your grandfather's potent cough syrup, Romeo, that thing is infused with more whiskey than a party night).
4. Falling for anyone. Emotions are dangerous, after all.
5. Staying out past the acceptable curfew.
6. Engaging in any creative endeavours outside of school, except for the graphic novel that's a secret
7. Skimping on studying; good grades are paramount.
8. Attending parties where alcohol flows freely, and double points if there's a whiff of drugs in the air.
9. And just to reiterate, never, EVER fall for the popular kids, no matter how tempting.
But all that changes when Rome wakes up hungover and naked next to Benjamin and Hikari, the most richest and popular students of Cypress High who bring nothing but broken hearts and trouble in their wake. What's even worse is both boys refuse to say what happened that Friday night! What will Rome find in his pursuit for the truth? Does he even want to know...?
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]