Save One Thing

Save One Thing Savage Academy J. Wolf Copyright Copyright © 2023 Julia Wolf Little Bird Publishing All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. Editing: Monica Black, Word Nerd Publishing Proofreading: My Brother's Editor Cover Design: Y'All That Graphic. Cover Photo: Paperback Models Contents Author’s Note Prologue 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Chapter Seventeen 18. Chapter Eighteen 19. Chapter Nineteen 20. Chapter Twenty 21. Chapter Twenty-one 22. Chapter Twenty-two 23. Chapter Twenty-three 24. Chapter Twenty-four 25. Chapter Twenty-five 26. Chapter Twenty-six 27. Chapter Twenty-seven 28. Chapter Twenty-right 29. Chapter Twenty-nine 30. Chapter Thirty 31. Chapter Thirty-one 32. Chapter Thirty-two 33. Chapter Thirty-three 34. Chapter Thirty-four 35. Chapter Thirty-five 36. Chapter Thirty-six 37. Chapter Thirty-seven 38. Chapter Thirty-eight 39. Chapter Thirty-nine 40. Chapter Forty Epilogue Epilogue Two Playlist Stay In Touch Acknowledgments About Julia Author’s Note D ear Reader Friend, Although Save One Thing isn’t a dark book, it does touch on subjects that may be sensitive to some readers, such as: -past mentions of sexual assault -drug use and addiction -mild violence Please treat yourself kindly when choosing whether or not to read this book. Xoxo, Julia Prologue Luciana Age 13It took a lot of pleading, but my sister finally agreed to let me spend the entire weekend with her at Savage U. She lived in this cool house with two other girls, and her boyfriend lived in the house right next door. How sick was that?They were definitely going to get married. Theo and Helen were like the couple. She was beautiful and badass, and he completely adored her. Theo was nice to me too, but because I was Helen’s little sister, he kind of had to be.I was hanging out on campus with Helen and her friends and wondered if all the college kids could tell I was only in middle school. I’d be in eighth grade soon, which was practically high school—okay, yeah, they’d probably clocked me as a kid a mile away.Whatever.We were getting ready to watch a drumline show. One of Helen’s friends, Julien, had brought his little brother too. Helen shoved us together, telling us to talk to each other since we were the same age. I didn’t really like talking to most guys, but I tried to be friendly for my sister’s sake. I didn’t want her to think I was uncool and not let me stay with her again.The kid—Beckett—was a total beanpole. He had to be almost six feet tall, with long, lanky limbs. His clothes were preppy. No one in my school wore khaki shorts or deck shoes. I guessed it worked for him, but to me, he looked like he came from an entirely different world. My Vans had a hole in the toe, and my Dickies, which I’d cut into shorts, had once belonged to a man named Charlie—that’s what was written in Sharpie inside the waistband anyway.Beckett was staring at me, barely blinking his crazy blue eyes, making me feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.“What grade are you in?” I asked him.“Almost in eighth,” he grunted.I smiled. “Same.”He scowled in response.“Um…” I racked my brain for something else to ask him. “Do you play any sports?”“Soccer.” Based on the handful of words I’d heard him say, his voice was surprisingly deep. I almost told him he looked more like a basketball player but refrained, figuring he heard that a lot.“I mainly skateboard, but recently got recruited to play field hockey. It’s weird, playing a sport in a skirt, but it’s kind of fun.”He didn’t say anything, but I guessed I hadn’t asked a question. Fortunately, the drum show started, letting me off the hook. I really hoped Helen didn’t expect me to entertain this kid when we went back to her house for the cookout. I could already tell he was not my number one fan.The only time I had ever counted myself lucky was when my dad died and I got to move in with my mom in Savage River. Not that living with my mom was the good part—it was the worst part. But now, I was in the same town as Helen.I seemed to have used all my luck up in one big swoop.Instead of hanging with Helen’s cool college friends while they drank and played badminton, I was stuck sitting on the deck with freaking grump-face Beckett.Couldn’t everyone see this kid hated me? Honestly, the feeling was beginning to be mutual. I kept asking him questions just so I wasn’t stuck in awkward silence, buried under the weight of his glare.“When’s your birthday?”His eyes narrowed. “September.”I wiggled my brows. “I’m older than you. Mine’s in June.”“Did you get held back or something?”My stomach curdled. I’d been trying to be nice to this guy all afternoon, but he ranked up with the top ten rudest human beings I’d ever met—and that was saying something since my dad had been a drug dealer and my mom was a…how had Helen told me to say it? Oh yeah, an indiscriminate lover.“No. My dad forgot I was supposed to start kindergarten when I turned five, so I didn’t go until I was six. That’s the beginning of my villain origin story.”I paused for a laugh. I would have even accepted a scoff. The kid gave me neither, glaring at me with his freaky eyes.“I’ve never seen eyes as clear blue as yours,” I blurted.He shrugged. “They’re better than plain brown, I guess.”I flinched. Wow. My eyes were dark brown, almost black, with the tiniest bit of gold swirling through them. I’d always wished they’d had a little more pizzazz, but