This excerpt is taken from the first time collaboration between authors Ran Walker and Sabin Prentis. The original collection of short stories explores the lives of four people who occupy a brownstone in a heavily gentrified neighborhood in the city of New Hollis. Each of the stories in Floor Floors examine the intersection of gentrification, hip-hop, love, life, and how to make sense of it all. This excerpt is about a former DJ who is finding a new life after parole. This excerpt is featured with permission from Caps & Sneakers Studios in conjunction with Fielding Books.

Average Renee Jones; Average is just a girl that wants to make it through her senior year with no drama. But the summer before she can even make it into the school year things get a lot more interesting and it not just because of the bad news the doctor gave her. Kenneth Alonso Scott is a 19 year old 'business man' who never thought he could put anything, but money and his family first in his life. That is until he met Average.

Part 1 (Lost In Love) Lost In Love is a story of four teenage girls all battling with love. When they spark new love interests will they become lost? Read through the lives of these girls and find out why they are lost in love.

Take a look inside the ups and downs of the lives of Tanya Wilson, an average highschool student, and David 'Smoke' Jackson, the neighborhood kingpin.

BOOK 2 *READ 'HIS LIL BABY' FIRST*

COMPLETED *FOLLOW ME, SOME CHAPTERS MAY BE PRIVATE*

Don't think that my life is so typical because I once thought that and then everything changed for me. Don't ask me how either because I don't know. I mean.. you could see for yourself. And then you could give me an answer because I obviously don't have one. BOOK ONE COPYRIGHT | I DO NOT OWN ANY PICTURES.

"If you asked me three months ago what heartbreak was, I would tell you it's losing somebody close to you due to unspeakable circumstances. But right now, in this moment, I would say it's you. I would say it's the feeling I got in my chest when I realized I was out of time. When I stood in the rain and yelled for you to stay, but all I saw was your back. I would say heartbreak is lying in bed at two in the morning, watching my ceiling fan go around and around, wondering why you couldn't stop to listen. Two seconds. All I needed was two seconds to say the words. All I needed was to seconds for me to tell you I was in love with you. With everything about you. With the way you move, and the feeling of your arms around me. With the feeling of your chest vibrating as you laugh. Heartbreak is falling in love with everything about you, but having the words permanently stuck in my throat." _____ Gracelyn Levinsky grew up with Daniel Grey. She has always looked to him as a brother, but when she escapes from her abusive Mom and moves to the same town Danny moved to when he was ten, she finds out that he's in love with her. After countless attempts to get her to feel the same, Danny gives up. But when Grace realizes just how much she does love Danny, words can't help her because he shut her out of his life completely. How do you tell somebody who you can't talk to that you're in love with them? Simple. You force them to listen. WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES THE VERY ATTRACTIVE DANIEL GREY WHO REMINDS ME AND EVERYONE WITH OVARIES OF A SOFT GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPY THAT IS SLEEPING ON YOUR CHEST SO PLEASE BEWARE THAT YOUR OVARIES WILL EXPLODE WHILE READING THIS STORY! AN: please don't steal this story. I'm working/have worked really hard to create this and develop the characters and story line. This is solely made up out of my mind. The cover was made by @nerdfpiper and I highly recommend her!

*WARNING: Written in 2008, some content may be offensive* Stasee is your typical shy, quiet teenage girl until the night her brother's best friend Damen Hurtz decides to finally acknowledge her existence. In a desperate attempt to gain his acceptance she allows him to take the one thing every girl values most...her virginity. After that night, Damen constantly begins accepting her while they're alone and then rejecting her in front of his peers. Stasee's frustration and confusion continues to grow, as do her feeling toward the man who continues to break her heart. He claims that he cares for her, but will his need for his peer's acceptance prevent him from ever treating Stasee the way he should? And if he finally realizes the stupidity of popularity over love, will Stasee still be waiting for him?