Paper Marks - Ziall / Zouiall Au

"They're sitting in the sunlight, laughing and smiling."
"But he's always been better in the shadows, silent and frowning."

Zayn and Niall used to be everything to each other. Now they're strangers with too much history and too many unspoken feelings.

Zayn hides in the background, sketching what he can't say out loud. Niall is the golden boy, loud, confident, and loved by everyone. But his smile doesn't reach his eyes anymore.

When Louis, the new assistant sports teacher, starts paying attention, he notices the silences. The shaking hands. And how two boys seem to be falling apart, together and apart, all at once.

This is a story about the quiet ways people find their way back to each other. Set in empty hallways, late-night notes app drafts, and half-sketched portraits. Told through glances, songs, and the things they can't say out loud.

This story isn't a romance in the traditional sense. But if you're the kind of reader who believes in quiet hope, slow healing, and the long road back to love, then I promise, this book is for you.

[WARNING: Includes themes of eating disorders, emotional isolation, self-harm and other mental health. Please read with care.]