all i've done defeats me //rooftops with miles// [sequel to brown haired boy] friday, may 1st: #2 in short story

Martin "Marty" McGill loves his job. It's not exactly the most pleasant job. It's not the most legal job, either. But it's easily the most homicidal of them all. ( warning: there is violence in this book. a lot. like, A LOT. ) #60 in Mystery/Thriller - 23/4/15

Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. *** Claire is lost and scared and utterly alone. Her family is in shambles after the death of her older sister Ina, and she's left to pick up the broken pieces of herself as her life heads into a downwards spiral of loneliness. Her heart leads her to 5:48, a little cafe by 33rd street, where she finds her new home. With a broken heart and a speech disability, Jasper has his heart and mouth sewn shut by the winding threads of hurt and fear. Painting and serving coffee in cafe 5:48 are one of his last few saving graces, but the smile he's been painting on himself will soon fade away as everything he's ever held dear slips away from his grasp. Ezra is out-of-sync and oddly cold by the way life has treated his young self. Abandoned by his single mother at an early age, he has grown up thinking that he is a mistake. His constant shaking hands are a reflection of what he often thinks of himself, but the delightful pastries he bakes for 5:48's customers are a reflection of what others see of him. Drew is a quirky rarity. He is a dash of loud, a pinch of exuberant, and a cup of eccentric - just like the meals he serves in the cafe as the only chef there. Behind his playful grins and outlandish clothes, however, are his jutting ribs, hollowed cheeks, and too-thin arms. Sometimes he cannot stomach being in his own skin as much as he cannot stomach food. This family has gone a long way from finding each other, and they'll be going a long way together too as reality comes catching up to them, threatening the newfound happiness they've found with each other. Secrets are revealed, pasts become presents, and lives are changed. Slowly but surely, they find their way back home. *** NOTE AS OF 08/2026: This is the old version of the story from 2012, posted in FULL. Another story that will be considered a reprise of this old version is in the works, and will be posted under the name "Hiraya House."

They reminded me of Peter Pan's Lost Boys, wild and rebellious, but all grown up in a way that could only be described in one word: sexy.

It started out as a game. She's everything a girl wants to be. He's everything a girl wants. As head cheerleader and quarterback, Kody Taylor and Austin Collins would normally be expected to be together with them being the schools Mr. and Ms. Perfect. Lucky for all the single boys and girls in their school, it'll never happen. They hate each other and they aren't afraid to show it. Not like it'll ruin their reputations anyway. If anything, it makes it better beacause people seem to enjoy the show. Will things change when they have to work together to keep their positions as head cheerleader and football captain? All their lives, everything between them has been just a competition. A challenge. A game. But what happens when it isn't just a game anymore?