In the late nineties asexuality is all but ignored as an orientation. Jess doesn't understand her complex array of emotions or why she finds it so hard to relate to her fellow classmates. Catholic high schools and churches simply don't address the issue, and the internet is still nascent. Jess can't tell anyone the truth. Not even her best friend Care. Instead, she hides behind the guise of faith. Behind a mask of celibacy. Until she meets Eric, that is. He lets slip that he's asexual, and Jess wants to learn more. --- Watty Winner 2021 for best cover, best YA, and the Wattpad Books prize! --- Status: completed and unedited Rating: PG-15 for moderate language and frank discussions about sexuality Genre: teen fiction romance featuring two heteroromantic ace characters --- Cover designed using Canva Pro August 2020 --- Please note: This work is a teen fiction novelization of my multimedia novella "Mask of Celibacy".

High school senior Jess Smith meets Ace of Spades, an online friend who helps her question her mask of celibacy and recognize her true asexuality. Except that their friendship begins to develop into something more. [Featured April and May 2020 under Love and Heartbreak and June 2020 under #PrideatWattpad] ___ It's the last year of high school. Everything's in full swing for academic awards, prom, and graduation. Everyone knows their place. Everyone fits in their neat little boxes. Everyone except for Jess Smith. Join Jess as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In 1999, asexuality isn't widely known--even to her--or accepted as an orientation. With the help of Ace of Spades, she explores what asexuality means through her blog and conversations with family and friends. Can she embrace her true self, or will she keep wearing the mask of celibacy? ___ Status: completed Highest tag: #1 in blog | #1 in asexual Cover created using CANVA PRO June 1, 2023