The Fall Changes
by Marie McGrath
(Honey Cove , #1)
Publication date: August 11th 2020
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Change where you live.
Change your parents being married.
And maybe, change who you are.At 16 years old, Riley Mills has had more change than she ever wanted. A new high school would be daunting for most teens, but between getting attention from the most popular girl and being paired with a boy for her class project, she is navigating many situations she never could have imagined.
With homecoming fast approaching and rumors about her swirling, Riley must confront her true nature. Is she a popular girl at heart? Could someone actually like her?
With no clear answers, Riley may just find some answers from the most unexpected sources.
—
EXCERPT:
A girl with reddish-brown hair didn’t allow me to dwell on it for very long as she sat across from me. “Hey, new girl.”
Now what? Wasn’t one interaction enough? Couldn’t I have one minute of peace in this school without someone bothering me? All I wanted was to blend in and move on. If people kept reminding me I was the new girl, then neither of those things would ever happen.
“I’ve never seen those two stomp away in my entire life. I decided I had to introduce myself to the person who would accomplish such a feat. I’m Sophie Graham.”
I was unsure what to say. After what I just experienced, my walls were all the way up, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled with being called the new girl.
“Look. I know you don’t know me, and I can only assume what those two must have said to you, but seriously, I mean no harm. Okay? I think it’s cool what you did. Those two have been asking for it for, well, forever.”
“Thanks … I guess. I didn’t say much.”
“Well, for not saying much, they certainly bolted out of this lunchroom. Not to mention their bad mood could be felt like an earthquake across the cafeteria.”
I tried to stifle a giggle but wasn’t very successful. I imagined those two as an earthquake and couldn’t help it.
Sophie seemed to be really nice. But I thought Shelby seemed nice too, and look how well that turned out. I supposed if I was cautious with Sophie, it couldn’t hurt, could it? Something about her made her seem familiar and genuine. As my mom-mom always said, “You catch more bees with honey.” If I didn’t try, I would never know.
Sophie sat and blabbed about the school and her classmates.
I had a hard time concentrating. Instead, my brain churned everything that had happened so far. My thoughts were at war with each other. How much should I trust these people?
Sophie waved her hands in front of my face and snapped her fingers. “New girl! Hello! Are you in there? I asked you what class you had next. Lunch is almost over.”
I retrieved my schedule and showed it to Sophie. “I think it’s gym.”
“Well, isn’t that ironic. So do I. I’ll show you how to get there. Follow me, new girl.”
I hesitated before getting up and throwing away my trash. “The name’s Riley.”
“I know, new girl. Remember it’s a small school and town. You’re famous. We don’t have many newcomers, and most people have already heard your name, but new girl is more fun to say.”
I shot her a look.
“Well, I guess so is Riley. Come on, let’s go. Coach Schneider does not like you to be late. Trust me, I learned that the hard way.”
I may have only known Sophie for what felt like ten minutes, but Sophie was easy to listen to and seemed like she would be easy to get along with. I hoped things would be different with Sophie than how they had turned out with Shelby so far.
Author Bio:
Marie McGrath lives in a small rural town in Maryland. She hopes to inspire others with her stories. Her favorite genres to read are YA Romance and Contemporary Fiction. She loves the color turquoise, tigers, and listening to music.
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