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Prologue

Noah

You’re not supposed to meet the love of your life when you’re thirteen It’s not normal, it’s not natural, and it’s without a doubt destined to end badly because it is inevitable that one of you will screw it up And in the after of war clears, all you’ll be left with is the meht In this case, I’ the price of my actions ever since

“Noah!” a girl’s voice called from somewhere on the trail behind us

It was right before my thirteenth birthday and ere on a school field trip to Lake Thunderbird State Park that included all three schools––elen to educate us on Oklahoered species Needless to say, when you have that many students asseh chaperones

Back then, there was little I loved otten it into bememorable

I’d overheard so trail, one that led to a cliff you could ju to bememorable that year, and once I’d formed a plan, it didn’t take much to talk Dane and Jerrules, those tere always up for it

“Noah Callahan!”

Dane and Jer up the trail, doing nore her

“Maren Murphy is calling you,” Jermaine said

“No shit, doofus I got ears”

“Why’d you tell your girlfriend where ere goin’?” Dane, knucklehead number two, added

“I didn’t tell her nothin’, dummy She saw us”

We’d made a run for it when the school chaperones were busy with lunch Maren had been watching us all day so I knew she wouldn’t onna follow––and she ain’t ain and I’ll beat the shit outta you”

Dane laughed “You can try”

I should’ve known though It didn’t matter whether I was in reen eyes, too big for her face, were alatching me