Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.

WARNING! Please be advised that this is not a bedtime story about sparkly fairies and pink unicorns. This book may contain graphic descriptions of poisoned apples and witches' ovens. It is not appropriate for supernatural beings under the age of 377 (excluding vampires and werewolves). DISCLAIMER: Wicked Witches Inc. and Evil Stepmother Enterprises are not responsible for any maiming, mass murder or permanent insanity resulting from the reading of this book.

Connecting to Video Chat... "Hi!" "Oh. Oh my god. Oh god." "What?" "I thought you were a boy." --- all characters and situations in "i thought you were a boy" are works of fiction. highest rankings: #2 in Short Story (07/15/17) #1 in "girlxgirl" (06/11/17) #1 in "freethelgbt" (09/06/17) #1 in LGBT+ (06/15/17) #1 in "shortstorycollection" (09/30/18) #22 in "story" (10/06/18)

[THIS IS A SAMPLE] Read the full story on Radish fiction. The link is in my Wattpad Bio. ---- Alexander isn't your typical nerd. He'll say what he wants, do what he wants, and verbally bash you while doing it. That's what Travis, a soccer player assigned to be tutored by Alexander, hates most about him. Confusing feelings, a drunken party, and a month of tutoring was all it took to get Travis to realize he was head over heels for the sharp-tongued Alex. Now, if only he knew where Alex's sarcasm switch was.

Alejandro is what you would call a prodigy, a musical genius. Growing up as a blind student of the piano had always been hard. He'd had to prove time and time again that he was worth the effort and eventually clawed his way to the top. But his handicap threatens to shatter his future dreams and aspirations. How on earth is he supposed to play in a symphony if he can't read music? There comes help, there comes hope, and there comes the biggest compromise in the form of love from another man. - Cover by @Anzella