Hilarina and the Ogre

Hilary knows what it means to be the wrong kind of different. Bullied at his old school as "Hilarina Ballerina" for his love of ballet and delicate looks, he’s determined to reinvent himself at his new school—no more dancing, no more vulnerability. He trades his true self for a popular girlfriend and fake friends, desperate to belong.

Then he meets Trenton, the school’s outcast—a quiet, hulking boy who dresses as an ogre for the Halloween party and speaks in a monotone. Unlike everyone else, Trenton seems to see Hilary’s fear, and worse, tries to make him fight it. But choosing Trenton over his carefully constructed facade is social suicide, and the backlash is brutal. Still, for the first time, Hilary wants to be brave, even if the cost is higher than he ever imagined it might be.

Tragedy strikes when an attack leaves Trenton with no memory of their past. This isn’t a fresh start—it’s a fracture. As Hilary fights to protect Trenton from his own fears and fragmented mind, he’s forced to Can love be built on trauma? And how far can you chase someone before you become just another thing they’re running from?

A poignant second-chance romance, Hilarina and the Ogre spans past and present, exploring the scars of youth, the weight of memory, and the fragile hope of rebuilding what was lost.