Small Town Secrets

Part 1: Chapter 1

POV: ALEXANDER THORNE (26)

After living in San Francisco for the majority of my life, traveling with my friends and family, enjoying the privilege of being unemployed but wealthy nonetheless due to my parent's businesses, and having the love of my life ripped from my arms by a demon named cancer, I decided that it was time for me to officially start over.

It's been three years since I lost her and I still haven't been able to get over it. My mother, being the zen goddess she is, took me to many retreats and wellness centers but nothing can ever make me forget the pain I felt the day she was taken from me.

She and I met on an island. Fiji. She was visiting with her family, I was visiting with mine.

We fell in love rather quickly and we flew home together. We lived and we loved, and I even thought about giving her my last name. Until she was on her deathbed, I didn't really know that it was all I ever wanted to do. To make her a part of my family. To become a part of hers.

I bought a ring. I put it on her finger. The next thing I knew, she was gone.

One of the last things she told me was to never give up on love. She wanted me to find what we had in someone else, but it had to be her peaceful mind talking. I know she wanted to go in good spirits, giving me good advice and telling me what the "right thing to do" was, but I always knew deep down in my heart that I'll never be able to move on from her. She was, and will always be, the love of my life. I don't intend to love anyone else the way I loved her. I don't think I can.

But I told her I would, just to see her smile one last time.

Three years later, my heart was still torn to shreds. Without telling my parents anything ahead of time, without saying goodbye to my friends, I went straight to the airport with my buddy Olly (a golden retriever that my love and I raised together) and I hopped on the first flight to wherever God wanted to take me. I didn't know where I was going until announcements were made.

Grafton, Vermont.

I couldn't face them, so I spoke to my parents after I landed. They didn't really agree with the fact that I just up and disappeared, but they understood which was all I could ever ask of them. I didn't want their money anymore. I wanted to do everything from there on out on my own. My father insisted on "at least" getting me a truck. He'd never been a small town guy, but he always imagined that every man who lived in a small town owned a truck. So that was my first purchase after the move.

Once that was done, I transferred all of the money over to them and for the first time in my life, I was free.

To eat, I had to work. To sleep, I had to afford a place to stay. To work, I needed a resume. At this point in my life, that's exactly what I needed. Honest work for an honest pay. I couldn't depend on anyone anymore. I couldn't think about her anymore.

I had to do this. On my own.

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POV: KHANDI MEYER (25)

Have you ever read that book called Chocolate Rain by Khandi Meyer? That's me. A black woman in the publishing industry, who lives in a small town with great northern air and plenty of coffee to get my writing juices flowing.

I grew up in New York City, but after publishing my first book at the age of 19 and landing an agent so early in my career, I decided to move somewhere quieter to help me focus on my writing.

My mother encouraged the move. Not because she was supportive of my career path, like a normal parent would be especially knowing that their kid is succeeding, but because she couldn't wait to see me go. My mother and my step-father (who helped raised me since I was five) kicked me out of the house at 18, though I feel like my mother had more to do with the decision than he did.

He was too focused on watching my boobs grow in and my mother noticed, so instead of leaving him, naturally she told me to go. After that, I roomed with a few strangers (because that was all I could afford) and I spent a year writing and promoting Chocolate Rain (which is basically about domestic violence in black households) until my agent got a hold of it and helped me reach a larger audience.

From there, my career took off and now I get to write whatever I want because there are people out there that always wait for me to publish my next book.

As far as my love life, I haven't had a boyfriend since high school. Our relationship wasn't anything serious. We were young and we did a lot of dumb things together, but I never believed that your first time is always something that sticks with you forever. Not everyone's first time is something special. I had my first kiss with him, I lost my virginity to him, and we had a lot of firsts together but I never really loved him. To be honest, I don't think he ever really loved me either.

I don't think about him today and I doubt he thinks about me.

But ever since he and I broke up and I moved out, I've only had a few hookups. Those weren't too special either. So I stopped hooking up with people and I started to respect myself. I haven't given myself to anyone else, especially if I knew I wouldn't have a future with them. Plus, I see the same people over and over again in Grafton. Small towns are like that.

It's good, though. Because I get to put all of my focus into my work which is extremely important to me. My work and my best friend, Nina, who was one of the first people I met when I moved out here. She's a blast. We do everything together. I can't imagine life without her.

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POV: NINA KENDRICK (25)

I'm the brokest bitch you'll ever meet. But it sucks because I'm so expensive and high maintenance. I want the most fashionable things, I want the biggest jewels and the brightest diamonds, but I just can't afford it. I pulled out every loan I could possibly get my hands on in order to afford college, and I got my degree in journalism which is something I've always wanted to do.

My dream is to publish magazines and tell stories or set the latest trends (because if I know how to do ANYTHING, it's dress baby). I'm so good at it too, even on a budget. No matter how much money is in my bank account (which can never reach $1000 for some reason), I always make sure I look good.

For now, until I can afford to move out of this lazy town and go to the city, I work at the local bar as a bartender. I get a lot of tips, which I've been saving to leave, but I can barely afford my day-to-day lifestyle. I hate asking for help, so I never go to my best friend Khandi no matter how well she does for herself. I want to do it on my own. I want to succeed on my own, and I will one day.

It's just hard to see that day in my near future because I keep having to take money out of my savings just to eat for the night or something. It's ridiculous.

Anyway, working at the bar has its benefits. I get to drink for free, I meet new people all of the time and I'm so familiar with the locals that I can tell when someone's new to town. Everyone knows my name over here, especially since I'm very social. I have to be social, and resilient since we always get a touchy asshole every once in a while. Some might say I have tough skin, but it's really just a tough shell. On the inside, I'm super sensitive and I cry way too much when I'm alone. It might be unhealthy.

As ashamed as I am to say it, I don't really have anything to lose.

I don't have much family and those that I do have, I hate. I blame them for driving my brother over the edge, leading him to take his own life because of the amount of pressure they put on him to be someone he's not. Their strict, traditional Asian standards literally killed him. I think about that every single day and I can't get myself to reconcile with my family, no matter how much I want to. He was my best friend and he's gone because of them. So, it's just me now. Me and Khandi, the only person I can talk to. The only person I can truly be myself around.

I value our friendship for that. She's my rock. I can't imagine life without her.

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Small Town Secrets: Kiss n Tell <3

Enjoy!