What are we without flesh and blood? Are we nothing but a beating heart in a ribcage, a marching soul inevitably leading to our demise? Or are we here as a test of loyalty to our God, a God we do not know but must trust? And without this trust, we will be punished indefinitely for questioning his divinity. And what is a sheep without his shepherd? Without God, are we nothing but sheep led astray? How will we be guided to the light without a shepherd on earth? Should we trust our shepherd to tell us the truth? Or will we be covered in the blood of the lamb? A shepherd with blood on his hands could infect his flock with poison. And with this poison, he has control. And to Luke, this poison is all he knows. His seventeen years of life have been devoted to nothing else but God. He wakes up, goes to school or church, and sleeps; rinse and repeat. There is no place or time for anything else in his life, such as television, going out with friends, or discovering new hobbies. His father, Pastor Ivy, ensures this. His life purpose will be to serve the Lord and nothing else. A purpose that Luke believes is the right way. What else would there be to life? He hadn't questioned this until he met Gabriel, a man who was the complete opposite of him. A man who was strong in his sense of self. A man who didn't bow to anyone or anything and stood firm in his beliefs in The Church of Satan. A man who Luke feared. But also a man who felt like home to him.

Lucas Sawyer has gotten used to being forgotten. His twin brother Mark, captain and star quarterback, everyone's favorite, gets the spotlight. Lucas doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't go to parties. His life is safe and logical, and that's exactly how he likes it. But when his brother's football rival and worst enemy, Damien Castillo, starts work at the same small bakery, everything changes. Damien is Lucas' worst nightmare: an arrogant heartbreaker with a bad reputation, who threatens to ruin all his careful plans. Lucas hates him. Right? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This story was inspired by @hipstateasee's "Knight", and I have her permission. All credit to her for the great premise!

a story about two boys who end up in detention, and it somehow brings them closer. lowercase intended

|| Featured FREE story with exclusive paid chapters - previously a paid story || When Haley discovers the truth behind Xavier, whose silence holds a deeper meaning, she sets her mind on making his life better one small step at a time. ***** Haley Rosamond is happy with her simple life, content under the wing of her father. Well-protected, she has no idea of the darkness surrounding Xavier Hunt, with his all-black attire and infrequent presence in school-accompanied by his bruises and scars. That is, until Haley catches a glimpse of Xavier's reality and is made to question everything she knows about family and life in general. The truth, she realizes, couldn't be more different from everything she has heard. Supported by her father, Haley sets her mind on helping Xavier any way she can, and what begins with tutoring sessions, free food, and random acts of kindness blooms into friendship and something a little more. But when Haley's admission into her dream college and another tragedy in Xavier's life threaten to undo everything she has worked for, Haley needs to decide if she'll stick by Xavier or simply be another person in his life that disappears. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston

"... Isn't that... My shirt?" "Huh?! Then how did it end up in my locker?!" We both froze, my face turning red as I looked down at the baggy material. How could I not have noticed? And why did he have to walk in just now? Christian watched me, his face slightly red as he moved closer. I closed my eyes, waiting for the punch, the kick, the pain... But it never came. Instead, I felt something different. Soft lips on top of mine, moving slowly and sweetly. I opened my eyes. Christian Nelson, the most popular jock in the school, was currently making out with me in a gym locker room.

I just smirked at the way they all looked down on me. The way they all try to trip me down and glare like they can kill me with one look. I could easily laugh their stupidity and small minds as I make it through the day the way I've always done it. By myself. With no friends. No family. I don't cry myself to sleep hoping that my prince will come and save me... I don't beg those dimwitted jocks to stop giving me a hard time whenever they get the chance. I don't try to fit in when the person I'll hurt the most is myself by lying. I don't wish that my dead parents will come back when I know they won't. I don't do this because I, Carter Summers, am a strong willed person that knows the sad fact that this.... This... is my reality..... When Carter gets a small request from a teacher for his creative way of writing. He temporarily joins the newspaper club to gain extra credit to assure his scholarship. His job is to answer questions from the entire Newton High's students and give them advice. But since the entire population hates him for being homosexual, he does this in secret by answering within the papers, and goes by the name of... Reality. ***Cover by RougeHopes*** #19 in Teen Fiction

Keegan is a boy who loves affection. He's usually quite peppy and excitable, but everything in life has turned against him. He ends up locking away his emotions and making himself distant from the world, trying to avoid further suffering. He's left a shell of his former self, struggling to get through life. He decides to take time away from his abusive life by going on a week long school trip to collect his thoughts. He is placed in situations he couldn't have imagined. Theo is a laid back jock. He can come off as aggressive and bossy, usually around his friends, though he has a heart and can be quite kind. His life is hectic and full of annoying people. His parents are inconsiderate, his friends are clingy and loud, and the rest of the school sucks up to him, which he doesn't received well. He just wants to be left alone. After deceiving his clingy friends he snuck away on the school trip, hoping he could finally get some peace and quiet. This trip would hold some surprises for him, and maybe even change his life. What future will await these two? Are they destined for greatness, or despair?

Levi wasn't the kind of guy to go around kissing strangers, least of all the insufferable princes these events tended to attract. But something about Prince Charles made him feel a little stupid -- almost stupid enough to believe in love at first sight. ~~~ When Levi, the youngest prince of Arthur Island, is forced by his parents to attend a performative "good relations" ball in their rival country, he can't wait for the night to end. That is, until he meets Prince Charles, the charming heir to the Elizabethan throne. Love is in the air, so palpable they can't seem to escape it no matter how hard they try. As if navigating seventeen-year-old emotions isn't hard enough already, their families drop a bomb that will only make it harder: In the name of permanent peace, Prince Charles is to marry Arthur's youngest royal. No, not Levi. His twin sister, Amelia.

Chip Honeycutt has a girly name. That's not the problem; his real problem is hiding the fact that his family owns a bakery. And that he loves to bake. What will happen when a new guy comes along and finds out his secret? Will he tell everyone? Or will he keep it? © 2015 by theCuppedCake. All rights reserved.

When Desmond Mellow transfers to an elite all-boys high school, he immediately gets a bad impression of his new deskmate, Ivan Moonrich. Gorgeous, mysterious, and menacing, Ivan is exactly what Desmond doesn't need in his life - or so he thinks... ***** After causing trouble in his previous high school, Desmond is struggling to adapt to his new environment at Ivory High and to stop living in the shadow of his perfect older brother. As usual, trouble follows Desmond wherever he goes and nothing is going well. To make matters worse, he seems to have attracted the attention of The Class Prince, aka the infamous Ivan Moonrich. But despite their rocky start, Desmond begins to grow feelings for Ivan, discovering a new side of his identity that he never thought to experience. [[word count: 50,000 - 60,000]] Cover designed by Joe Resch