Sideways

Chapter 43 My Name Is

Authors note and Trigger Warnings:

Today marks Sideways' second anniversary, and as a thank you to everyone, I have a few special things planned to share with you over the next few months. So, keep an eye out.

First, I want to thank you all for sharing this journey with me. I honestly can't believe the support this story has received.

Sideways was the first fanfic I ever wrote, and the fact that people are still finding it two years later is mind-blowing to me. I have no plans to stop writing this story any time soon. In fact, I have seven Acts outlined after this one.
That said, you are about to dive a little deeper into my world. Wes and Cole are incredibly important to me, and I am excited to give you a look into their backgrounds.

I've hinted at Wes's traumatic backstory, and it is very much so. I want to get this out of the way now. There will be massive triggers in this Act. Wes has been through it.

The Act will be tagged with the proper warnings, but I will probably not add triggers for each chapter as they go up. If you see a trigger warning at the start of a chapter, it is because something incredibly traumatic happens.

Please take care of yourself when you are reading. This part of the story will cover themes of bullying, harassment, stalking, manipulation, and assault. Other triggers will include domestic violence and child abuse, both mentally and physically. Kidnapping, forced medical procedures, human experimentation, and multiple murders, along with religious trauma, fanaticism, and zealots. There is a critical part of Wes's story that takes place in the middle of a terrorist attack; that chapter will have its own foreword(Chapter 5). There is also a reference to off-screen sexual coercion and assault. This does not happen to a main character, but it will have a traumatic impact on one.

With that being said, Wes' past is not all dark. There are incredibly soft and sweet moments, as well as some epic pining and obliviousness. Things will get spicy and smutty later between Wes and Cole. In typical Wes fashion, there will be some epic badass moments.

Be ready to laugh, cry, and cheer. Expect to meet a few other people from Wes's life who will have more prominent roles going forward and one of the evilest characters in this little universe of mine. (If you already dislike Jessie, wait until you meet Mac.)

Regarding the posting schedule, you can expect a new chapter every few days, as I will allow a little breathing between some of the more traumatic chapters. Wes's Begins is told over the next 10 chapters. 1-2 are going up today, and 3-6 are going through final revisions. 7-10 will be shipped to beta readers in the next weekish. Chapter lengths will vary, with the shortest being 2,600ish words, a few between 10-18k words, and the longest 30+ words. It's already well over 100k words, and I'm still fiddling with chapters 7-10.

Last but not least, thank you, Aaron, Bree, Jace, and Mark, for beta-reading and keeping me motivated. Hearing your theories and questions about plot points has been incredibly entertaining. The devil is always in the details!

Wes

"Hold on now." Athena sighs. She holds her hand out as if it will halt Wes from spilling his guts and telling his story. He examines her and smiles, having already expected her question before she even asked, "Athena, ask what you want to. I'll let you know if I need a break or if there's anything I need to hold back on."

"I won't push; I just need to know where to draw the line," Athena interjects while searching her purse and grabbing a small notepad and a pen.

Wes chuckles, seeing she seems eager to learn more about him and his past. He can't even say that he's surprised. He has often wondered why she never went the detective or special investigator route with the LAPD or even branched out to the FBI or another agency. While he knows she reads people like they are open books, there must be a reason she never pursued it further. But Athena's career decisions aren't what they are here for today. This is about Wes letting his friends in, which is something he has struggled with in the past.