Chapter 1
Moving to this town was never part of the plan.
It happened because my mom met some stupid guy on Hinge.
Apparently, they “really connected,” which is adult code for I met a man online and now we’re rearranging our entire lives around him.
So here I am.
New town. New house. New school.
And somehow, within my first week, I ended up at a party hosted by the most popular girl in school.
Ivelle.
I don’t even know why she invited me.
We barely know each other. We’ve had a few classes together, exchanged some random comments, and that’s about it.
Yet somehow, she noticed me standing awkwardly near the kitchen and decided I needed to come upstairs.
Now I’m standing in her bedroom while music pounds downstairs.
I glance around.
Her room is actually pretty badass. Metallica posters cover one wall, records are stacked beside her desk, and there’s a guitar leaning against the corner.
“I appreciate you inviting me,” I say. “And your room is pretty badass. I love Metallica.”
Ivelle grins.
“Thanks. But you don’t have to be all formal with me.”
She jumps onto the bed and grabs the remote.
“Let’s watch something.”
Moving to this town was never part of the plan.
It happened because my mom met some stupid guy on Hinge.
Apparently, they “really connected,” which is adult code for I met a man online and now we’re rearranging our entire lives around him.
So here I am.
New town. New house. New school.
And somehow, within my first week, I ended up at a party hosted by the most popular girl in school.
Ivelle.
I don’t even know why she invited me.
We barely know each other. We’ve had a few classes together, exchanged some random comments, and that’s about it.
Yet somehow, she noticed me standing awkwardly near the kitchen and decided I needed to come upstairs.
Now I’m standing in her bedroom while music pounds downstairs.
I glance around.
Her room is actually pretty badass. Metallica posters cover one wall, records are stacked beside her desk, and there’s a guitar leaning against the corner.
“I appreciate you inviting me,” I say. “And your room is pretty badass. I love Metallica.”
Ivelle grins.
“Thanks. But you don’t have to be all proper with me.”
She jumps onto the bed and grabs the remote.
“Let’s watch a movie.”
I stare at her.
“While there’s literally a party going on downstairs?”
Ivelle shrugs.
“It was my sister’s idea.”
She tosses the remote onto the bed.
“She wanted to throw this huge party, invited basically half the fucking school, and now I’m supposed to entertain everyone.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Sometimes I just want to get away from all that shit.”
I look at her.
“Popular life can be exhausting?”
She laughs.
“You have no idea.”
She falls backward against the pillows.
“Everyone thinks it’s fun. Parties, people constantly wanting your attention, everyone knowing who you are…”
She looks at me.
“But sometimes I just want to sit in my room and not have to be Ivelle for a few hours.”
I smile, but something about that catches me off guard.
Because I want the exact opposite.
I want to be seen.
I want people to know my name.
I want someone to walk into a room and actually notice I’m there.
At my old school, I was invisible.
Well, mostly invisible.
Invisible until somebody wanted someone to make fun of.
I was bullied constantly. I became the girl people could say whatever they wanted to because they knew I wouldn’t fight back.
I hated those hallways.
I hated lunch.
I hated wondering what someone was going to say about me next.
And somehow, after everything that happened, my mom still thought moving here would be good for me.
She knew how bad things had gotten.
She knew I’d struggled with hurting myself when everything became too much.
I hadn’t completely stopped.
But I was doing better.
Not perfect.
Just… better.
Maybe that’s why i somewhat tolerate this move..
A fresh start.
A chance to become someone people actually wanted around.
Someone who wasn’t just the weird girl everyone whispered about.
I look at Ivelle.
She has everything I’ve spent years wishing for.
Friends.
Attention.
People wanting to be around her.
And she’s sitting here telling me she’s exhausted by it.
If she only knew how badly I’d wanted what she was trying to escape.
“So you kidnapped the new girl,” I say.
Ivelle grins.
“Pretty much.”
“That’s actually kind of flattering.”
“Good.”
She pats the bed beside her.
“Come on.”
I hesitate for half a second before climbing onto the mattress beside her.
Immediately, those stupid butterflies start fluttering in my stomach.
I have no idea what’s wrong with me.
Maybe it’s because I’m nervous.
Maybe it’s because she’s the first person who’s actually made me feel welcome since moving here.
Or maybe it’s because she’s ridiculously fucking hot.
Yeah.
Probably that.
Anyone would get butterflies sitting this close to her.
Right?
Ivelle grabs the remote.
“So, what kind of porn do you watch?”
I look at her, completely caught off guard.
“Are you being serious?”
Ivelle looks at me like she just asked what my favorite color was.
“Just asking.”
My heart is suddenly racing.
Why is she asking me that?
I shrug, trying to act like it doesn’t matter.
“I don’t know. I’m bi, so I guess I like the best of both worlds.”
We both laugh.
Ivelle points at me dramatically.
“See? You got the best of both worlds.”
Then she starts singing the Hannah Montana theme under her breath.
“You got the best of both worlds…”
I laugh.
“You’re such an idiot.”
“Maybe.”
She shifts closer, leaning toward me.
I look up at her.
For a second, neither of us says anything.
“So…” I say, trying to break the tension. “You really stole me away from your party to watch porn?”
Ivelle raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
She smiles.
“I think you’re cute.”
My face heats up.
“I like the shy types.”
I stare at her.
“You’re flirting with me.”
“Maybe.”
She grabs the remote before I can answer and turns the television on.
The movie starts playing.
I stare at the screen.
Then at her.
She catches me looking.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She smiles.
“Sure.”
And suddenly the party downstairs feels very far away.
