the story of two teens who kill time. short story; #175 (22nd April 2014) (2014, 2015, 2017)

Thirty-year-old Elise Andrews couldn’t bring herself to marry Griffin, her childhood friend-turned-sweetheart, so she let him walk away. Eight months after their break-up, she arrives in her hometown of Chicago on Christmas Eve and hears a voice from the past calling her name in the grocery store. It’s Griffin’s mother Janice, who invites Elise over for a neighborhood gathering of eggnog and carols.Walking into Janice’s house sends Elise tumbling headlong into memories of her relationship with Griffin — and with Janice, who exudes the kind of warmth Elise ached for after her own mom passed away when she was six. But Griffin has moved on, and suddenly Elise doubts her decision to give him up, and lose her chance at being folded into his wonderful family. Confused and reeling, she goes in search of an answer to a universal question: How do we say good-bye to people we’ve loved without losing everything they’ve meant to us? Heartwarming and witty, All Is Bright is a charming story about coming home for the holidays — and finding gifts in the most unexpected of places.

This collection tells of life, pain, suffering, and sometimes even happiness. I hope you will enjoy. Thanks to @wendythestoryteller , a super talented writer and artist, for making this brilliant cover! Highest rank: #3 IN VIGNETTE! Featured on @flashfic 's The BreakRoom reading list. Part of the Wattpad Block Party 2017. RtL was a Wattpad featured story. My piece, Breaking Up With Anne, was published in the anthology Conversations by Kingston University Press. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KUPress/popular © Christine Bottas. All rights reserved 2015-2020.

"Mirrors are just glass and copper. You are more than that."

Ambrose. The name is not only feared, but shunned and reviled. He's a monster sentenced to a life of desolation and loneliness, and no one but his tormentor knows his whereabouts - at the bottom of the ocean. A creature of the sea cursed because of one simple mistake... Mari. Her life was a small happy bubble until it's popped by the finding out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her - just as the cruise ship she's on starts to sink! She's sure that death is near until she drowns upon an underwater cave...and a hulking man with swirling eyes. Seeing a chance to escape, Ambrose forces the terrified Mari to help them both, but not before ultimately changing her life...and her legs. Their worlds turning upside in the matter of minutes, Ambrose is on a mission to clear his name and Mari's on a mission to return to land. But how can she do that when she slowly starts to fall for the dangerous, damaged man who only wants to be free...and heal her own heart in the process? THIS IS A FREE SAMPLE

One bridge. Two guys. Three secrets. Four therapists. Five attempts. Six months. Seven bad habits. Eight family meetings. Nine visits. Ten cuts. One death. Spiritual #4

"This time I'm ready to run, escape from the city and follow the sun." "Well, I should probably get going." He said. "Me too." She hummed along in agreement. "Where are you off to?" "I'm going on a road trip." He grinned. "And you?" "My wedding." © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, contact _HakunaMatata_ on Wattpad.com.

[sequel to teen helpline] ❝Hello, this is the Breakup Helpline, designed and manufactured to cater to your brokenhearted needs. How may I help you?❞ ❝My girlfriend...just cheated on me. With my best friend.❞ ❝Um..uh, hold on...oh, fuck! There's nothing on how to respond to that in these answer sheets!❞ ___________________________________________________________________ When happy-go-lucky Theo Hastings discovers his best friend has been fucking his girlfriend behind his back for the last six months, Theo's whole life has been careening on the rocks- until his cousin, Damien Carson, forces him to look for help on a helpline- a particular helpline call the 'Breakup Helpline' and there he meets sarcastic, cynical realist Serena Adams, who doesn't believe in love at all. And maybe, just maybe, Theo can change her mind. this is a tale about the hopeless romantic and the skeptical non-believer, the idealistic sentimentalist and the bitter soul, and how fate brings them together.

This is the one where the principal gets his jollies by recruiting two stubborn violent know-it-alls for an assignment that ends up in...well, you know. But before we go there, you also need to know that: (1) Jake Kincaid harbors a completely rational, completely justified amount of dislike towards Kayla Jackson. (2) She hates him because he's being mean. Now, if only them teenage hormones got that.

He put flowers on her doorstep for her birthday. Too bad Nina was allergic to pollen. [ cover made by @incendia- ]