"You need to know," James says while he pulls on his hoodie, "that I'm not interested in a relationship." He swallows, staring at the wall as if there's something hidden inside of it. He turns back to me, "I just want a friend." Tara Williams wants to leave. She wants to get out of little Queensland, Alabama. Get away from all the pressure and expectations that fall upon her thanks to her older, more successful siblings. And James Braxton is just the guy to help her with that.

Because, without you, my life fell apart. Because, without you, I realized my life had only just begun.

Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. * * * Being re-written completely as of May 14, 2021

BOOK ONE Coming out was supposed to set Julian free. Instead, it left him with a broken arm, a mother who won't stop preaching, and a silence that grows heavier every day. High school feels like a cage, and Julian is certain he doesn't belong anywhere-until Paul crashes into his world. With his inked skin, effortless charm, and a following that makes him untouchable, Paul should be the last person Julian lets close. But in Paul's arms, Julian feels something he's never known before: safe. As their connection deepens, so does the danger. Loving Paul means risking exposure, rejection, and heartbreak all over again. Worse, it means facing the cruelest voice of all-the one inside Julian's own head. Tender, raw, and unflinching, Open is a story about first love, first heartbreak, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of both. ::: I could feel it when his body finally went slack, when he'd fallen asleep and soft snores emitted. And I thought I was getting better at this breaking down thing... I honestly did but when I was alone, I seemed to fall apart. Endless serenades of how worthless I'd been and how destructive I was; I was a disappointment to literally everyone and I hated it. My breathing became shallow as I cried for the second time that day, finally feeling content being immersed in guilt. A shudder wracked through my body, tears escaping and Paul pulled me closer as he woke silently. Mumbling soft nothings against my skin and kissing it to slow my breathing, he tried to lull me to sleep, "It's okay, you're okay." Refusing to speak -my voice failing me- his arm came up to wrap around my shoulder and I held him there, placing a small kiss to his tattooed skin in a broken sign of gratitude, I must've run out of tears. And I felt at ease.

When sixteen year old Noëlle's dreams of a perfect Christmas become too much to handle, she decides to go a different route, planning a holiday trip that no one can forget. But when things don't go as planned and they get snowed in for their Christmas holiday, Noëlle can't help but wonder if things will ever go back to the way they used to. Especially when things heat up between her and her crush. Cover made by @retrobunny

Julia (@rigor_samsa) and Poppy (@afterthinking) can't cook for shit. So obviously, they must put in the extra time and end the year with an A plus.

Henry's grumpy. Isaac's lonely. And then Isaac rings the cereal helpline Henry works at, and things get a lot more complicated. [short story - #48, 1st october 2014] [teen fiction - #226, 1st october 2014] PLEASE NOTE: this story is currently being converted from all lower case to sentence case. this might take some time.

One summer, five kids: a fragile dreamer, a moody pessimist, an aggressive feminist, a closet homosexual, and a modern-day aristocrat. © crewneck sept. 24, 2014 - adventure #120 nov. 30, 2014 - teen fiction #334

Ellie loved the idea of living in a beach house for the entire summer. Her city girl mother, however, did not. When her dad's business requires them to leave their cushy Brooklyn life for the beachy ways of a small town on the edge of Georgia, Ellie adjusts to the smaller lifestyle quickly. Soon she's spending her summer days in the glorious ice cream palor on the docks, making fast friends with the quirky staff and funloving manager. Add in crushing customers, late night bonfires, and a gorgeous beach, and it may just be the best summer ever. But when her mother doesn't agree with her easy adaption, her new life on the docks gets a little rocky. Will Ellie be able to make her mother see past the end of her own nose, or will this problem need a bigger solution than handmade sundaes? Copyright © 2014 chokingcrayons

in which a boy is turned on by testosterone, and valentine's day is celebrated a #taygetsthegay one shot [special mention yay]