a deadly storm, an unsolved disappearance, and a small town brimming with secrecy;
an outcast girl, a boy who only knows how to hide, and the world against them;
what could go wrong?
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Left to face the deadest of dead ends, Boo spends the day holed up at home with Martha's 1969 journal in her lap, scouring the weathered pages for any more stories regaling her grandmother's secret romance with Damien. Part of Boo knows she should've given the journal to Ashton along with the rest of its counterparts, but a larger part of her simply couldn't bear to part with it. Not only did it hold clues only she and Harry seemed to recognize, but it was a beautiful window to a past that Boo knew little about but longed to understand.
"I can still remember the first day we met, as if it were yesterday. Every day for the rest of my life, I should never forget it."
flashback
Truth be told, Martha had caught the attention of her Sunflower long before their eyes first met in the crowded hallways of Primark High. And unbeknownst to him, he had her eye even before she had his. But there was little she could do about her affections; her heart was meant to be pledged to Randall Taylor, who had a frightening temper when provoked. In their own ways, Damien and Martha had both resolved to let their love go unrequited.
But then came the first hello.
The end of February held an early bloom for Spring. Damien stood at the riverside, gently trying to coax in a catch on the end of his line. He'd turned his head at a whisper of a sound and suddenly found himself face-to-face with the tall, fair-skinned girl he'd taken notice of weeks before. His heart skipped several beats; she was even more beautiful up close.
"H-Hi, can I help you?" he stammered.
Her smile was instantaneous. Later on, he would learn it was because she liked the Southern drawl he carried on the back of his words. "You go to Primark, don't you?"
Damien couldn't think straight for a moment. How was she here? Was she really talking to him? "Uh, yeah, I do. Do you?"
"I'm Martha," she beamed, sticking out a hand for him to shake. "I've been meaning to introduce myself. You seem like you could use another friend around."
Her easy smile is enough to make him laugh a little. "Y-Yeah, dunno how you knew but you're not wrong. That would be great."
He shook her hand then; her tiny hand was nearly entirely enveloped by his larger one. She looked thoroughly pleased by their meeting, and had even offered to walk with him to class the next time their paths crossed at Primark. Damien accepted with a smile he knew looked far too eager, but he didn't care. She really was talking to him.
"Do you come here often?" Martha asked, her eyes darting to the pole in his hands. "My daddy used to fish all the time. Never taught me though, said it wasn't very 'ladylike'. Whatever that means."
Damien smiled softly and gestured to the water gurgling alongside their feet. "Do you wanna try?"
