Keeping
secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.
Piper Woods can't wait for the
purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a
pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a
list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until
pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's
suicide, but Piper remembers Stella’s name from the book and begins to suspect
something much worse.
Drowning in secrets she
doesn’t want to keep, Piper’s fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous
text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a
name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...
Ohioan
and Double RWA Golden Heart Finalist
NATALIE D. RICHARDS won her first writing competition in the second grade
with her short story about Barbara Frances Bizzlefishes (who wouldn't dare do
the dishes). After getting lost in a maze of cubicles, Natalie found her way
back to storytelling, following the genre of her heart, teen fiction. Natalie
lives in Ohio with her amazing husband, their three children, and a giant
dust-mop who swears he’s the family dog.
An Excerpt:“You that eager to get rid of me?” he asks.
“No.”
“Because you seem nervous.”
I am. And it’s not just because he’s a tasty boy with a killer grin. Every time I see him, I think of Stella. And I’m pretty sure he does too.
I meet his eyes dead-on. “Yeah. Well, the timing of your sudden attention still seems…convenient.”
“For such a talented photographer, you’re good at missing the big picture.”
No, I’m not. I know an interested boy when I see one, but why me? And more importantly—why now? It’s too easy. He’s suddenly hot for a girl about twelve rungs down the social ladder? I’d be crazy not to think there’s reason he’s here with me. But Tacey’s right. I have to stop holding grudges.
I bring my hands to my burning cheeks and then drop them with a sigh. “I know I’m being weird. I’m sorry. This is hard for me to wrap my head around.”
Nick reaches for my hand. “Come up with me to get the sign. Maybe we’ll figure out a way to make it easier.”
My stomach ties itself into a bow. I look down from his teasing smile to his long fingers. This is a terrible idea. Nick reaching for my hand is a joke, and I’m probably the punch line.But I let him do it, because it’s just a hand. It doesn’t change anything. His fingers wrap around mine and my breath catches. Our eyes meet a beat too long.
I was wrong. So wrong. This changes everything.
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