eryn32

Summary: Dylan's life has always been a routine with very little deviation; it's tried and truly perfect. The perfect routine for the perfect town. The kids he went to kindergarten with are the exact same kids he'll graduate with next year. Nothing ever changes, until Emma moves in across the street. She is different from all of the other girls, with bright pink hair, total confidence and the tendency to speak up for herself, even when she should just stay quiet. Everyone shuns her, calling her names, pushing her in the hall. Everyone except Dylan. After being trapped in detention with Emma, he begins to learn more and more about her. He finds himself leaving the crowd more, something unusual for him. Can Emma help him to stand out for once, even when he's spent his entire life just blending in?Excerpt:We don't say anything else about it, and everyone continues as though the last few minutes never happened. Nothing like that happens in Oakland, at least it never gets seen, and it always gets ignored. You only see the perfect parts. How we all get really great grades because our school system is one of the best in the country. No one commits suicide, no one gets busted for doing drugs. Those things never get recognized, always hidden from the public eye. In the public's view everyone always looks the same, acts the same, thinks the same. Always.…

eryn32

A dark figure is walking towards us through the haze. I ignore it and let Ryan pull me to the ocean. As the figure gets closer, I can tell its a grown man. I stop abruptly and Ryan stumbles, almost falling in the water. He turns to me with concern and quietly asks, "what's wrong?" I shake my head, but don't take my eyes off of the figure. "It's nothing. Sorry, I thought I saw something." I say distantly. Ryan follows my gaze and steps closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist protectively. "Oh. I didn't see him. Do you want to go back to Amy's before he gets here?" He asks. I shake my head. "No, I'm just making a big deal out of nothing. He'll pass without a second glance." He doesn't let go of me as he leads me out of the ocean. Together we sit down and I lean my head on his shoulder. I look and see the man is a lot closer. I do a double take. For a moment, I thought he looked familiar. I brush it off but scoot closer to Ryan. Noticing, he whispers "are you sure you don't want to go inside?" I shake my head again but hesitate a little. I close my eyes and feel Ryan lean his head on mine. The soft footsteps of the man sound only a few feet from us. I open my eyes and feel Ryan's head shoot up. Who I saw before was no mistake.Maggie is in danger. Her mother is dead, her father is an abusive alcoholic and she might be falling in love. Stuck in her own personal hell, Maggie is constantly afraid.She tries to focus on just getting by day by day, until her father does the unthinkable and unforgivable. Will she be able to make it out alive?…