Saving Sally

As a high school sophomore, Marty is bullied daily. Sally intervenes and helps him publicly shame the bully, turning a moment of fear into solidarity. From that moment they become inseparable friends, and Marty starts developing feelings for Sally that remain unreciprocated for years.

Marty and Sally grow closer, while Sally's home life remains tense under strict adoptive parents. They devise a private system to talk beyond adult oversight—a shared telescope and a coded wardrobe that carries messages. The arrangement cements their bond as they navigate secrecy and trust.

After finishing high school, they enroll in the same college and pursue fine arts. The shared dream of art school marks a new chapter and keeps their bond alive as they confront new pressures. Their relationship evolves in the campus world, separated from earlier childhood chaos.

Marty receives a call from Renegade Komiks inviting him to pitch a storyline to Toto, the editor. He struggles with an initial concept but pivots to a tale drawn from his feelings for Sally and the troubled dynamic with her family and Nick. The pitch begins to take shape around a personal, rebellious love story.

Marty's evolving concept centers on an astronomer who devotes life to saving a girl abducted by aliens, a narrative born from his real-life turmoil with Sally and her family. Toto is hesitant to publish a love story, yet the project survives and finds surprising success. The work becomes a lifeline linking their lives and publishing ambitions.

Nick invites Marty to a rave. Under neon lights, Marty is intoxicated and notices the girl Nick flirts with, while Nick appears eager to marry Sally someday. Sally asks Marty to fetch art supplies; he returns to find Nick with another woman, triggering a fierce confrontation over their unspoken feelings. Marty confesses his love, but Sally says she isn't ready for commitment.

Grief drives Marty into a solitary creative spell, and he compiles a 'Book of Sad' that catalogs his sorrow and love for Sally. He sends it to her in the hope of reaching her through art and shared memories. The act marks a turning point, as they drift apart while pursuing separate college relationships.

Time passes and they re-enter each other’s orbits at college; Sally approaches Marty to autograph a copy of his comics, hinting at plans to sell his work when he becomes famous. She confesses she had left Nick and that Marty's girlfriend emigrated to Australia. She sends a 'Book of Happy' to Marty—a pop-up book containing a hidden clue in a reversed codebook that signals her changed feelings.

The hidden clue suggests that Sally’s feelings toward Marty have shifted and that she now returns his love. Renewed hope drives Marty to rush to Sally's home to confess, carrying their shared history forward. This moment bridges their past heartbreak with a hopeful future.

Marty overhears Sally’s parents violently beating her; he refuses excuses and urges Sally to run away with him. They escape, hide in a dumpster, and Sally unveils her 'secret project'—a hidden hideout filled with gadgets and a rocket she once planned to use to escape. They realize they can build a life together rather than merely survive.

Back in the publishing world, Marty uses his Renegade Komiks earnings to support Sally’s new independence. He helps her rent an apartment, and she later pays him back with proceeds from a photo exhibit. Their relationship evolves into a practical partnership built on mutual support.

The couple graduates from college and continues their relationship with a concrete plan for the future. They are bound not just by shared history but by a pledge to support each other, free from past abuse and fear. The story ends with them choosing a life built together through art and collaboration.