Some of the pressure eases off my chest, and I manage a small smile, thinking about how I danced in the living room with him when I never thought I’d dance again. I can do this. I’ve made it through so much already. This should be the easy part.

  Standing up straight, I open the doors and step inside with Luca, refusing to run away, to tumble into self-destruction, to be that lost illusion of myself.

  When we enter the hallway, I notice every stare, hear every whisper, but I also feel Luca’s hand in mine.

  “I have to check in at the main office,” he says, glancing around at all the people gawking.

  “That’s okay.” I clutch onto his hand tighter. “I have to go to the guidance counselor’s office, which is right by the main office.”

  We veer right and push our way through the people crowding the hallway. I see Cece standing with a few of her cheerleader friends, and when she waves, I wave back.

  “So, do you want me to show you around after I get out,” I ask Luca when we arrive at the main office.”

  “Of course.” He slips the handle of his backpack over his shoulder. “Okay, you’re right. I’m a little nervous. I’ve never started a new school before.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I assure him, feeling really freaking anxious myself. “And if not, then we can both be outcasts together. You can even put purple in your hair and wear dark clothes so we can give everyone twice as many reasons to stare.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “See you in a bit, Anna.”

  Smiling, I turn for the door and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans before walking into the office.

  Mr. Dalcbee glances up from a stack of papers. “Anna, please come in and have a seat.”

  I drop down in a chair in front of his desk and pick at my fingernails, restless and fidgety because I’m here, getting ready to talk about my future with a clean, unpolluted mind.

  “So,” he starts, adjusting his smiley face tie. “I wanted to discuss your grades again since it’s a new semester, which means you have a clean slate. I really think you shoulder take the opportunity to get your grades back up to what they were.”

  I stare at my hands. “I guess I could try that.”

  “Good. I’m so glad to hear that.” He sounds mildly shocked. He leans over and retrieves a folder from the file cabinet. “Now, I’d like to discuss your plans for college. I know at the end of last year you had a few colleges you were planning on applying to. Are you still planning on doing that? Because a lot of the schools have deadlines.”

  I shrug, wringing my hands on my lap. “I’m not sure. Stuff’s changed, you know.”

  “I know.” He pauses then closes the folder and sets it aside. “I know you’ve been through a lot and life has changed for you, but I’d really like to see you focus on something, just to jumpstart more ideas of maybe what you want do with your life.”

  I’m not sure how to respond, and I have no idea what I want to focus on.

  “How about this,” he says, crossing his arms on his desk. “Is there one thing you’re passionate about? Or maybe something that you’ve thought of doing after college?”

  Seven months ago, I would’ve answered the question without a second thought. I want to be a dancer. A wife. A mother eventually. Happy. Healthy. Successful. In love.

  Thinking about it right now, though, seems so overwhelming, so I decide to take it one step at a time.

  “Honestly, I’m not really sure what I want to do in the future,” I tell him. “But for now, I kind of just want to be Anna.”

  Upcoming books in the Honeyton Series:

  Reclaiming Jessamine

  Discovering Zhara

  Alexis’s story (Title TBD)

  Loki’s story (Title TBD)

  The Metamorphosis of Nikoli

  About the Author

  Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author that lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

  Other books by Jessica Sorensen:

  The Coincidence Series:

  The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

  The Redemption of Callie and Kayden

  The Destiny of Violet and Luke

  The Probability of Violet and Luke

  The Certainty of Violet and Luke

  The Resolution of Callie and Kayden

  Seth & Grayson (Coming Soon)

  The Secret Series:

  The Prelude of Ella and Micha

  The Secret of Ella and Micha

  The Forever of Ella and Micha

  The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

  The Ever After of Ella and Micha

  Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always

  Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always

  The Shattered Promises Series:

  Shattered Promises

  Fractured Souls

  Unbroken

  Broken Visions

  Scattered Ashes (Coming Soon)

  Breaking Nova Series:

  Breaking Nova

  Saving Quinton

  Delilah: The Making of Red

  Nova and Quinton: No Regrets

  Tristan: Finding Hope

  Wreck Me

  Ruin Me

  The Fallen Star Series (YA):

  The Fallen Star

  The Underworld

  The Vision

  The Promise

  The Fallen Souls Series (spin off from The Fallen Star):

  The Lost Soul

  The Evanescence

  The Darkness Falls Series:

  Darkness Falls

  Darkness Breaks

  Darkness Fades

  The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):

  Ember X and Ember

  Cinder X and Cinder

  Spark X and Cinder (Coming Soon)

  The Sins Series:

  Seduction & Temptation

  Sins & Secrets

  Unbeautiful Series:

  Unbeautiful

  Untamed

  Unraveling Series:

  Unraveling You

  Raveling You

  Awakening You

  Standalones

  The Forgotten Girl

  Coming Soon:

  Entranced

  Steel & Bones

  Connect with me online:

  jessicasorensen.com

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Sorensen/165335743524509

  https://twitter.com/#!/jessFallenStar

 


 

  Jessica Sorensen, The Illusion of Annabella

  (Series: # )

 

 


 

 
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