by Vera Hollins
The song ended, but another ballad started, and students headed to the dance floor in pairs.
Masen offered me his hand. “Wanna dance?”
“You don’t even have to ask.”
He led me to the dance floor. We stopped next to Sarah and Hayden.
“Congratulations, you two,” Masen told them. “You look so good together.”
Hayden smiled, dancing in sync with Sar. “Thanks, man. You two look good together, too.” He raised his thumb at us. “You have our stamp of approval.”
I rolled my eyes, while Sar and Masen laughed. “Now that I’ve heard that, my heart is full. I can finally poop in peace,” I said with the finest tone of sarcasm I could muster.
Jess, Blake, Marcus, and Kev joined us on the dance floor. I spotted Shreya and Mateo dancing at the edge of the dance floor. He couldn’t tear his gaze off her. I waved at Shreya. She waved back at me, looking the happiest possible.
Something warm flickered in my chest. Yep. It was good I’d come. I could imagine Steven standing close by, smirking with approval, and I smiled. I would probably carry the guilt of his death for a long time, but I would try my damnedest to be the best person I could be. I wasn’t going to judge quickly or try to control everything. I was going to listen.
“What are you thinking about?” Masen asked, moving languidly with me.
I glanced at my friends, and my lips curved into a grin. We’d all come a long way, growing up through obstacles and ups and downs. It had been a year of many disappointments, but also victories, and all of them had made us who we were today.
I returned Masen’s gaze. I felt happier than ever. “About many sappy things, but most of all . . . how our initials match.” I gave him a deadpan look. “MB and MB? I mean, seriously?”
He grinned and cradled my head with his hands. “I’ll quote you and say: it’s a sign from the mighty universe.”
“That we’re—what? Going to kill each other in the most epic way, and the most gruesome horror movie ever will be made about us?”
He leaned his forehead against mine, only inches separating our lips. “Or maybe we’re going to love each other in the most epic way, and the most romantic romance movie ever will be made about us.”
“Ugh, no. That’s too corny. Even for you.”
His lips brushed against mine. “Too bad, because you still like me.”
I pouted. “Not for long if you keep that up.”
His lips were only an inch away from mine. “Who’s delusional now?”
He kissed me before I could reply, completely shutting me up, taking me away on a journey away from the rest of the world. And it was a journey of new beginnings.
Of new memories.
Of new smiles.
Of new reasons to be happy.
Of a whole life waiting for us to figure it out little by little, and that was all right, because I’d learned an important lesson.
No matter how far we were down, no matter how hard it got, no matter how dark it could get . . . we were going to stand up and win. We were going to shine through and be stronger than ever.
We were going to survive, because we were resilient. We were much more than we gave ourselves credit for.
And we would find true happiness.
Sooner or later.
When I began the Bullied series in 2016, I couldn’t even dream what a journey it would be. It was a journey filled with learning, fun, and growth, and it feels incredible thinking back to all those days of planning, outlining, drafting . . . It’s a lot easier to figure out you want to make a five-book series, but to actually do it is a whole other thing. There’s so much that goes into writing a book, and you, dear readers, made every step of the way so much easier with your enthusiasm and support. I’ll always be grateful to you.
Just like the rest of the series, Scarred is about becoming a better person and finding strength and happiness in times of adversity, and this is depicted through two broken individuals who manage to find their way to each other despite their flaws, misconceptions, and prejudices.
Scarred is also a story about loss, which, coincidentally, I wrote during a time of a personal loss. Originally, I’d planned for Eli to have a squirrel as a pet, and I even included it in the outline and named the squirrel Grumpy. However, because I had a beloved pet rabbit named Pigi, I thought I would be able to more accurately write about Eli’s pet if I drew from personal experience. And so, I changed the squirrel to a rabbit and wrote about a sassy, black female bunny called Tarantula. But then on August 2, 2019, Pigi died, and it was heartbreaking and surreal. Our home felt empty without him, and it was as if he took a huge chunk of our hearts with him when he left. It was in those days that I decided to insert him into Scarred as Eli’s pet, so he would live on through my writing forever. Even now, a few years later, it’s not easy to read about him in my own novel, but at the same time, those scenes bring me warm memories of a creature so full of trust and love—of a creature who brightened all of our days. This story is dedicated to him.
As Mel found out in the end, even in the darkest of places we can find light, and that is why I’ll conclude this afterword with her words, which also carry the most important message of the Bullied series:
“No matter how far we were down, no matter how hard it got, no matter how dark it could get . . . we were going to stand up and win. We were going to shine through and be stronger than ever. We were going to survive, because we were resilient. We were much more than we gave ourselves credit for. And we would find true happiness. Sooner or later.”
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This has been one long journey. From writing of the first draft of Bullied on Wattpad in 2016 to the publishing of Scarred in 2021, it feels like such a long time, but at the same time, it has passed all too quickly. I’ve met a lot of people along the way who helped me in one way or another, and I want to thank each and every one of you. Thank you for giving my books a chance and for recommending them to others. Thank you for your kind messages. Thank you for helping me make writing my career. Thank you for everything.
Special thanks go to all bloggers, reviewers, and bookstagrammers—you’re helping me spread the word about the series, and I’m immensely grateful to you for that. You’re an integral part of one author’s journey. Thank you for all your edits and lovely reviews.
Catreena—thank you for always sharing my books, and for all your edits. You’re getting the gold medal for being the greatest superhero.
Jo, Kylie, and everyone else from Give Me Books promotions—thank you for always being so nice and helpful. It’s a pleasure to work with you.
Stacey from Champagne Book Design—thank you for your wonderful designs. You’re awesome!
To my editor, Emily—thank you for your great work. Such attention to detail!
Casey—you’re simply wonderful. Your support is out of this world. Thank you <3
To Leila—thank you for giving my books a chance. You’re an amazing writer and inspiration.
Rim Sellami—thank you for your enthusiasm and for your awesome Scarred memes. You made me laugh so much.
Aashima, Tringa, Kaylie, Deidre, Rachel, Jean, and Mehvish—thank you for beta reading Scarred. Your feedback has been very useful and helped me polish the story.
Huge thanks to my ARC team—you ladies are amazing, and I appreciate you so much.
My FB reading group Vera’s Evil Bunnies—you’re a great bunch. Thank you!!
And to Rasha—thank you for always being so supportive. You’re the light everyone needs in their life.
Vera Hollins is the author of the Bullied series, which has amassed over 40 million reads online since 2016. She loves writing emotional, dark, and angsty love sto
ries that deal with heartbreak, mental and social issues, and finding light in darkness.
She’s been writing since she was nine, and before she knew it, it became her passion and life. She particularly likes coffee, bunnies, angsty romance, and anti-heroes. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, plotting her next book with as many twists as possible, and watching YouTube.
Read more at www.verahollins.com.