California Stories

Callie Mae Jefferson; born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana. Until one day her family locks up and moves up to Gary. She ends up becoming the one and only childhood best friend of the one and only Michael Jackson. To the world, he was the King of Pop. He was the most famous man in the world. But to Callie, he was just Michael. He was the boy she grew up down the street from. The only girl whose family was allowed over for dinner, the only girl who captured his heart as they grew up. To Michael, she was the light in his life that motivated him to keep doing one thing. Live. As they grow up, the Jackson family moves to LA to work with Motown, but Michael and Callie always kept in touch. Until one day, she moved to California to see what the world had to offer. Will she be able to compete with the fame that follows Michael wherever he goes? Will she be able to fit right in? Or will it come crashing down on them both, and rip them apart forever, ripping them away from a most special and almost spiritual bond? In an alternate universe where the King of Pop had a long time love. A love he needed. A love he deserved. In this world, she is the muse of some of his most iconic songs, but also she is the one who keeps him grounded. Keeps him happy. Keeps him alive. In this world, no one would ever know what it's like to not have Michael Jackson living in it.

Harlow Spencer is not just Grayson's little sister. After years of dealing with her overprotective brother, Harlow is finally free to live the life she wants once he leaves for college. Or so she thinks. Enter Corey Michaels, her brother's best friend. She's afraid he's going to be Grayson 2.0, but the more time she spends with him, the more he surprises her. Corey isn't as overbearing as her brother and she decides to use that to her advantage by enlisting his help to find her a boyfriend. Harlow believes the perfect life she wants starts with having the perfect boyfriend, but maybe what she really needs is standing right in front of her.

Nanditha thought she had buried the past long ago. But when anonymous gifts, unsettling notes, and the feeling of being constantly watched begin disrupting her carefully built life, the last person she expects to meet is Nolan - a cold tech company owner who sees through her far too easily. At the same time, someone from her past slowly starts finding their way back into her life after ten years of silence. Now trapped between old memories, dangerous attraction, and a stalker who seems to know her too well, Nanditha realizes some stories never truly end. Especially the ones tied to: 10 March 2015. ~ read the story to know more 🌟 · · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·· · ─ #1 in reluctant (28/6/26) #1 in unresolved past (26/6/26) #1 in echoes of us (22/6/26) #1 in dislike to lovers (01/8/26)

❝ i'm about to do something crazy. ❞ after meeting a random guy in the pit at a tame impala concert, jane peck goes home thinking she'll probably never see him again. that is, until a few days later when she runs into him at a flea market and realizes her mystery concert guy isn't exactly a stranger after all. fem!oc x joe keery lowercase intended august 8th - ongoing

Allison Cooper thought she knew exactly what her summer in Malibu would look like. She was wrong. Between sun-soaked afternoons, crowded beach days, and a house full of cousins, Allison is ready for the kind of summer she'll never want to forget. What she isn't ready for is Max Bennet. Quiet, guarded, and impossible to read, Max has a way of getting under her skin from the moment they meet. And the more Allison tries to figure him out, the harder it becomes to ignore the pull between them. Somewhere between stolen glances, unexpected conversations, and long California nights, an ordinary summer begins to feel like something else entirely. A sweet, emotional summer romance about first love, family, friendship, and the moments that change everything.

"ˢᵃʸᵒⁿᵃʳᵃ ⁱˢ ᵒⁿᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵃᵈᵈᵉˢᵗ ʷᵒʳᵈˢ ⁱⁿ ᴶᵃᵖᵃⁿᵉˢᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉ; ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵐᵉᵃⁿˢ ᵍᵒⁱⁿᵍ ᵃʷᵃʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵐᵉᵃⁿˢ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ. ᴵ'ˡˡ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ᴵ'ᵛᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ ᴵ'ᵛᵉ ᵐᵉᵗ." - ᴷᵃᶻᵘʸᵃ ᴼᵏᵘᵐᵘʳᵃ Aslan Jade Callenreese, known as Ash Lynx, was a runaway picked off the streets of New York City and raised by the infamous godfather of the mafia, Dino Golzine. Now 17 years old and the boss of his own gang, Ash begins investigating the mysterious "Banana Fish"; the same two words his older brother Griffin, has muttered since his return from the Iraq War. Soon he meets Shunichi Ibe, Eiji Okumura, and Kazuya Okumura; Eiji's twin sister. ⚡️____________+_____________⚡️ Kazuya Okumura: Eiji's no-nonsense twin sister wants to get out of Japan for something new, and she's ready to turn things around from her traumatic childhood events. Her and Eiji have always stuck together, through thick and thin. So when Ibe brings her and her brother along to "America's City, The City that Never Sleeps" also known as New York City, she's thrilled to be in another country for a fresh start; where no one pities her for what happened during her youth. She can't wait to meet the locals and experience American life. However, shortly after arriving Eiji, Ash, and her get wrapped into a war with a Mafia and fighting for their lives to put an end to Banana Fish, once and for all. *!! I don't own BANANA FISH nor it's plot or characters I only own Kazuya and the plot points i make !!* ⚠️this story will contain blood, and some other triggering stuff⚠️

Three years after everything fell apart, Jake is still learning how to live with what remains. A sequel to J.A.T.A. - Down to Ashes, Within The Ashes follows Jacob Achike Nweke at twenty-two as he navigates life after losing two of the people who once made up his entire world. Amy is gone. Ayee is gone. And Tia-the girl who has been his best friend for as long as he can remember-is thousands of miles away. But Jake has found his own way of keeping Amy close. Almost every day, he visits her grave. He brings flowers. He tells her about work, family, the little things that happened during his day. He jokes with her, remembers their childhood, complains about chocolate, and talks to her as though she is still his Twinnie sitting beside him. But life does not stop because Jake is grieving. While working at a bakery, he meets Katy after an embarrassing incident at a shopping mall. What begins as a simple act of kindness gradually becomes an unexpected friendship and, eventually, something more. Yet Katy is not a replacement for Amy, nor is Jake's story suddenly transformed into a love story. It is a story about Jake. About the boy who lost his friends and had to grow into the man who remained. About the friendship with Tia that has survived distance, anger, grief, and everything they have never been able to say to each other. About the memories of Ayee and Amy that continue to shape him. And about discovering that grief does not have to be the end of a person's story. Because healing isn't forgetting. It isn't replacing the people you lost. And it isn't pretending that the ashes never existed. Sometimes, healing is learning how to build something new from what remains.

Samantha Atwood comes from a tough place. Though when she gets a way out, she decides to take it. Even if it means end coming between two sisters. It can't be worse than Chino, right?

A baby is born and grows up living with obstacles throughout milestones. Year: 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2012 Part 1 of Despite All Obstacles. The clean or censored version.

You left California five years ago when you were thirteen, you were best friends with Cameron, Dylan, Mason, and Ethan. You were especially close with Cameron since you two are the same age, your guys's parents would love to tease you guys and joke around about you two liking each other. Though after you left, you lost contact with them because your parents didn't know if you were ever gonna see them again. In Michigan, you experienced new things and made new friends, but now you're moving back to California. Maybe you'll be able to reconnect with your old friends.

Book One of the "Song Series" "I like me better when I'm with you..." Avalon Wilde didn't come to NYU looking for love but Will Hunter wasn't part of the plan. He's charming, British, and a little too good at making her forget her walls. What starts as a chance encounter turns into late-night messages, stolen moments, and a connection Avalon doesn't know how to handle. But when secrets from Will's past resurface, ones that hit closer to home than she expected, Avalon has to decide if love is worth the risk... or if protecting her heart means letting go.

AU. A collection of ficlets featuring a young Buffy Summers with the ethical daywalking vampire trio of Eli 'Hawk' Moskowitz, Demetri Alexopoulos, and Kyler Park.. **************************************** Disclaimer: Geniuses Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg own Cobra Kai, and Joss Whedon (also a genius) owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I own the fanfics I cook up from time to time.

Salacious scandals, uneven power dynamics, female friendships, and loyalties stretch Melody Atkins thin as she struggles to navigate the tempestuous waters of her college years. When formerly homeschooled Melody arrives at Southern Oak University in glistening Los Angeles to chase fortune and fame as a filmmaker, the ingénue finds herself inducted into the world of the entitled and morally flawed. There's Chelsea, a stunningly beautiful versatile Communications major from London; Ignacia, an enigmatic well-travelled Business major from Spain; Ezra, the seemingly innocent wide-eyed boy from California; Sadie, an all-American surfer from the Pacific Palisades; Astrid, an agreeable opponent; and, Nadine, the simple day student from a trying family. Melody will have to confront her insecurities and develop convictions at the treacherous hands of academic cheating allegations, roommate disputes, ill-intentioned boyfriends, internship disasters, and study abroad challenges. In this overall guide to surviving college years, will Melody learn the right lessons it takes to become the woman she wants to be? This is a serialized college drama about friendship, ambition, betrayal, and growing up...

When Sebastian Smith transfers to SDSU, his reputation as a playboy follows him; charming, reckless, and impossible to ignore. Dani Harper knows better than to get close, especially when she already has the perfect, loving boyfriend. But the more time she spends with Sebastian, the more something stirs inside her that she can't ignore. Through his eyes, she begins to see the version of herself she's always wanted to be.

"dear michael, you'll probably never get this letter..." ami and her friends wrote letters to their favorite members of the jackson 5 all the time. it was all fun and games; they knew they never read them. at least she thought, until one day she finds a letter in the mail addressed to her from none other than michael jackson... A JACKSON 5 ERA SHORT STORY ©️ yungmikesafro 2026 HIGHEST RANKINGS 🥇#1 in afro 🥈#2 in marsaimartin 🥉#14 in africanamerican

keep in mind this is my first story like this. Enjoy ------------------------ "Oh, oh my, Caroline.." {🎟️} ' ᴀʏᴅᴇɴ & ᴋʟᴏɪᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ; ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ, ꜱᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Qᴜɪᴇᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜʀɴ ꜱᴏ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛꜱʜɪɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟꜱᴇ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟᴀᴜɢʜꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ ꜰɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ꜱᴏ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴘᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɴᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ. ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ɢɪʀʟ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ. ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ "ʜɪꜱ ᴋʟᴏ" ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ, ʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴏɴ. ᴀꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢꜱ ᴏɴ ʀᴇᴘᴇᴀᴛ, ʟᴀᴛᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴀʀɢᴇᴛ ʀᴜɴꜱ, ʙɪᴋᴇ ʀɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ- ᴛʀɪᴘꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ, ᴅᴀʏʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴏʀ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴏɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ, ʙᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ.. ᴏʀ ᴄᴀɴ ɪᴛ ꜰɪɴᴅ ɪᴛꜱ ᴡᴀʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ? ' .

She trained her whole life for the deep end. She just didn't know it would be a war zone. Lauren D'Alessandro lives for the water. Between grueling 4:45 AM practices with her Saint Francis High School "Troubies" and battling for national cuts at the Speedo Junior Nationals, the pool is her sanctuary. Her goal for 2026 is simple: drop her 500-free time at the CIF State Championships and earn a college scholarship. Half a world away, SSgt. Michael Nantz is counting down his final months in the Marine Corps. Twenty years of service, countless deployments, and the weight of lost men he couldn't save. He's ready for retirement. Then the meteors stop being meteors. When an alien force descends on California to harvest the Earth's water, Lauren's world floods with chaos. Separated from her family during the Sacramento evacuation, she finds herself trapped behind enemy lines. Her swimmer's lungs and iron endurance are no longer just for medals-they are her only weapons. Thrown into the path of Nantz and his battered Marine platoon, Lauren must trade her swim cap for survival gear. As the Marines plan a desperate strike against the alien command center, they realize their secret weapon might just be a teenage girl who can hold her breath longer than anyone else on the battlefield. They don't need a soldier. They need a swimmer. In a race where the finish line is survival, every lap is a fight for humanity. Note: I don't own any of the characters from Battle: Los Angeles except my own.

When Anthony's brother gets into UCLA and his parents get a promotion in California, he's forced to move along with them to Los Angeles. His plan was to finish high school and get into NYU with his best friend, Vicky. But life seemed to have other plans when he met Sofia. Sofia was living her dream as an influencer. She had everything she could ever want: money, friends, and popularity. That was until everything was gone in an instant. Her grades started going down, she was afraid of losing the only friends she had now, and she had given up on the whole influencer thing. They've both never been in love, but when their paths lead them to each other, a spark ignites. If you love a good slow burn, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, along with a little bit of bantering and teasing then Books and Bows is a must read! Rankings: #1 teenlove

What would you do if you met your celebrity crush? Alyssa meets Leonardo DiCaprio while she is working as a waitress at a restaurant. Their lives cross again several years later, and a friendship develops. Alyssa meets the real Leo as well as wonders if he is the right guy. She also has to deal with the cameras and everything that comes with being around a celebrity.

***THIS STORY WILL BECOME FREE ON JULY 15t!*** Kelsey Harris, a young chef moving to LA, struggles with work, the glamour of the hollywood scene, and a new romance with mega-celebrity Ethan Glenn. ***** Kelsey Harris is heading to LA to begin her new career as a sous chef, and she's excited to work under a prestigious mentor and feed fabulous celebrities. She also meets Ethan Glenn, a movie star with doubts about his career, on the plane. But when she settles in, she learns that her new job is more intense than she expected, and her roommate is acting strange. When they happen to be on the same movie set, Ethan and Kelsey begin to grow close, though their friendship is immediately put under scrutiny by friends and the media. A romance begins, but the delicate facade of Hollywood is slipping, and Kelsey has to decide if she wants to escape the photographers and screaming fans, or if she wants to be with Ethan and put up with the consequences. [[Wattys 2018 Shortlist]] [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]