Mabel's life is falling apart. Between her long-time situationship who wants to be more than friends now, her rapidly deteriorating grades, and a group of friends who've been conveniently excluding her from their plans lately, nothing is going her way, and the pressure keeps building up from all sides. That's when Katie comes along, a brilliant new student who is quickly arranged to be her tutor. She seems like everything Mabel could never be. And yet, she understands her better than anyone ever did before. As the two start spending more time together, and Mabel's life becomes increasingly messier day after day, Katie will add another problem onto Mabel's plate-one that, if not handled properly, could leave a bitter taste in their mouths... and hearts. ~ 🍋 ~ Entry written for Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompts: 126, 118, 134, 69 Genre(s): Contemporary YA Romance PUBLISHED: 2/1/2025 COMPLETED: TBA

Nini has always dreamed of a life straight out of a romance book. Except her teenage years were filled with anxious thoughts about crushes who seemed to be more interested in getting in her friends' pants than talking to her, growing insecurities regarding her appearance, and date after date where the guys would always find an excuse to never text back. Then came adulthood, when Nini realized whenever she was in the room, love seemed to run the opposite way. So she accepted it wasn't for her and made a promise to forget everything about fairytales and focus solely on getting her shit together after a bad start to her adult life. If you were to ask, she'd say she was doing a pretty good job. Until the day a newfound attraction towards women sparks, and Nini decides to check out some stories on an online book platform she used to be addicted as a teenager. There, she makes the huge mistake of reading the comments section where, under a really funny line, she finds a girl way too interesting to ignore. Her second biggest mistake is to hit the follow button. Then the girl not only follows back, but also sends a text message that becomes the prelude to a series of mistakes that will lead Nini to a situation of figuring out how to keep her "I'll never fall in love again" campaign alive before it's too late. She can't afford to have her heart broken again. Therefore, she must find a way to keep it safe. If only this girl would stop breaking every single wall she's spent years carefully crafting...

A short story of two old friends who fell in love in the season of giving. Katelyn never believed that as a woman, she was raised just to be someone's wife and mother. She wanted more from life. She wanted to explore the world and pursue a career outside of ranching. So, she left Darwin the first chance she got, leaving everyone and everything behind. Daisy's whole life is in Darwin. She loves her father's old ranch and everything that comes with it. She's happy with everything she's gained in her small town and couldn't ask for anything more. That is, until her high school crush, Katelyn Roque, returned to Darwin for the Christmas holiday away from the glamorous life she once sought. Daisy now finds herself confronted by feelings she thought had been long gone and Katelyn learns that not everything that glitters is gold. **** There is NO smut so do not waste your time if you are after that!!!

When Elle Nilsen travels to Oregon to be her best friend Morgan's Maid of Honor at her wedding right after getting dumped, she resolves to find a fun fling to take her mind off of it. She had no intentions of ever settling down, especially having one failed relationship after another. But when she has an instant connection with the Best Woman, Avery Pacer, she finds that what was supposed to be a one-night fling turns into a connection impossible to ignore. But Avery's pushy attitude and past behavior causes Elle to face some demons from her past that she isn't ready for. When family tragedy strikes, Avery is there to save the day. But will her pushy attitude help Elle navigate the feelings she's been hiding from, or will Avery just push her away?

Reese Peyton has it all - she's the popular kid running for school president, captain of the varsity team, and gunning for the Ivy League. Her life is perfectly planned, leaving no room for distractions. Enter Kris Jones, the new girl from a tough background. With a sick mom and family issues, she just wants to blend in at her fancy new school. The last thing she needs is to get mixed up with Little Miss Perfect. But as luck would have it, Reese and Kris keep crossing paths. Despite their differences, they start to click in ways neither expected. Soon, sparks are flying and they're falling hard for each other. There's just one problem - a relationship could mess up everything they've worked for. With pressure coming from all sides, Reese and Kris have to figure out if their connection is worth the risk. Can these two girls from different worlds find a way to be together, or will they let their fears tear them apart?

[Short Story] When Robin Park is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, her entire world seems to change. Her only constant is the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary-- a tool that comes in handy whenever she needs to define things like complex human emotions. Until she meets Vana, that is. Now it seems the dictionary isn't helping her much at all. 🏆Featured in Short Story's Puppy Love reading list.🏆 🏆Featured in LGBTQ+'s GirlxGirl Teen Fiction reading list.🏆 [©2017-2018. All rights reserved.]

𝗔 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸. One, scarred by heartbreak so deep it reshaped her entire being. They call her Ms. Cold Stone. Thirty-three, cold hearted, distant, a quiet storm of confidence and tireless work. The other, a soul who learned to smile through the echoes of yesterday's bruises. Twenty-eight, an extroverted vessel of joy. Yet beneath the glow, imperfections linger, because perfection has never been the truth of anyone, has it? They stand as opposites, yet mirrors in subtle ways. What unfolds when two worlds collide? ------ "𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴" "𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵" "𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵" "𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨"

Imani was just supposed to make sure that the lost dog got home safely, come back, and pretend like the mere thought of the owner with doe eyes and an armful of tattoos didn't make her question her entire belief system. Sounds simple enough...right? It isn't. (onc prompt #69 | when music becomes a way to communicate no words could compare)

Cindy and Summer thought their bitter high school rivalry was finally behind them- until they both end up at the same college. To their horror, they're not only on the same campus but sharing the same dorm room.

Anna Scott comes from a rich family who run their own clothing brand. What happens when her therapist forces her to take a break from her work and classes for the summer? Does she find the love of her life or is it just a summer fling?