[ A COMPLETED 2020 ONE-SHOT SHORT STORY ] A musician's first death is when the last note hits the last heartbeat. *** She is bounded by a promise she made to the stranger she met decades ago. And it is only at her last breath that she decides; she can't run away from it anymore. When they come together to heed their last promise, they come back to the moment they captured: a love dream.

Jane Joyce is a "serious vocalist" who's far too busy stressing about her choir dreams and her ex-boyfriend to have time to worry about the chaotic new girl who looks like she might just about ruin Jane's one chance to show her tiny little town just how far she'll go to surpass expectations. *** Jane Joyce is anal when it comes to music - specifically, vocal music. Her technique is flawless, she knows her theory and her composers, and she knows how to make things work. She's a naturally talented musician, and years of hard work have made her somewhat exceptional. Kierra Hyde, on the other hand, likes to sing because it's always felt natural to her. It's nice to have something she's good at - and Kierra? Kierra is amazing, regardless of how little she appears to care or how her vowel placement is a little too Idina Menzel at times. The both of them are too talented for their own good. When the two collide their school's vocal jazz choir, they have competition for the first time. Things aren't looking great - Jane hates Kierra's chaos; Kierra seems to hate Jane's lust for perfection. But when Jane is to perform an original composition at their school's winter choir concert, for better or worse, there's only one person she's confident in the ability of: Kierra.

"Go ahead," I said, backing up against the pink wall of the shop. "Do something other than glare at me." I waited. One, two, three seconds... and nothing. I raised my chin at him. "You're boring me, mute boy." He stepped closer. Leaned toward me as his gaze burned into mine. Then... ❀ ❀ ❀ After three months in juvenile detention, it's time for Romy Pereira to help out with her family's flower shop. And it's not all bad... until they hire Jack Michel to work beside her. He doesn't speak, communicating with glares and scowls instead of words, and seems to be more interested in literal rocks than other human beings. And with an ex-convict mother, her friends drifting away, and the flower shop falling apart, the last thing Romy wants to deal with is Jack's attitude. She'll forever praise the day he screws up big time and gets himself fired, but until that day comes, it's mostly one cold-hearted girl, her silent (but still infuriating) coworker, and a whole lot flowers. [word count: 100k] [originally written in 2014-2015; re-write completed 2020-2021] ❀ Rankings ❀ #1 in #badgirl #1 in #goodboy #1 in #flowershop #1 in #sociopath

Sanders Rush has a routine. His routine every morning before breakfast has been the same for two, going on three years: pray, take a shower, jog around the block, drop by the convenience store to buy almond milk, wake up Becks, and tell her he loves her. Sanders has a routine. But when Maxon Finlay, Becks's first and unrequited love for four years and counting, apparently, walks in with his swagger and ruins it, Sanders can't help but resent the guy. Sanders is suddenly fighting someone else for Becks's attention. He's never had to before. And he might be on the losing team, but his moms didn't raise a quitter.

For Eloise Park, the lines of glittering love and golden jupiter always seem to blurred. Maybe Jonah Kim can help find what's missing before it's too late.