chapter one

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"She was brave and strong and broken all at once"

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"She was brave and strong and broken all at once"

-Anna Funder

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"WE NEED TO GO TO THIS PARTY!" Bella squeals, her forest dark green eyes flickering with excitement while I take my books from my locker. 

"You know I can't talk my dad out of something he already decided. I can't go out." I say with a sad smile, causing her to frown. My dad absolutely prohibits me from going anywhere but my house and both of my best friend's houses.

And I'm the good girl who always follows the rules.

According to my dad, I need to study hard this last year so that I can be accepted at Harvard, the university of his dreams. The keyword, his.

"I do, but you have to live a little, Lina," My best friend says as she shakes her head, repeating the same thing she's been telling me since junior year. I roll my eyes as she huffs annoyed that I refused.

"It's not like I don't want to," I mumble as I shut my locker door, her sigh loud next to me.

Bella and I had been friends since we were in diapers and I couldn't imagine facing high school without her, but sometimes, she was hard to deal with. As I observed my best friend, her straightened and short dark blonde hair bobbed and swayed with each step of her heeled shoes. Her short jean skirt and a white frill-edge crop top matched perfectly, accentuating her curves and pairing well with her makeup.

We were alike, almost like twins, until something bad happened to her family. When her twin brother passed away last year, everyone expected her to grieve for a long time. Instead, after the winter recess, she came back different and stronger than ever.

Short skirts and meaningless hookups became her new mantra. I'm glad she didn't close herself from everyone else, but she turned into a shallow girl when referring to boys and clothes.

"Bad boy alert," Bella says breathlessly, suddenly changing the topic. And I knew exactly who she was talking about. My bestie has had her eyes on Damien Stone for too long.

I turn around and see all the students parting away so the school's bad boy and his group can pass freely. His close friend, Chadwick Wells, and sister, Kayla Stone, remaining at his side at all times.

The boys mess with practically everyone, but people are smart enough not to mess with them back and just stay out of their way. Kayla is the only one that likes to keep things low-key.

Damien doesn't just smoke and ride a motorcycle. He's as dangerous as the devil and he makes sure everybody knows it.

But there was something about his dangerous personality that attracts and frightens me at the same time.

One thing I admire is that he doesn't let anyone take him down or the people he cares about. His gang member's best friend and sister are people he truly protects.

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