Did you catch Monday's blog featuring Sara Alva's coming of age short story, No Strings? If you're a fan of her story, don't forget to download the signature graphic to share it through the month. If you haven't read the story yet, maybe this excerpt will help change your mind! 

I chose this except because it tells you a lot about the story. Yes, it gives away a bit of the "BIG EVENT" but the true insights you get are into the characters. Sara has a knack for bringing them to life in amazing ways, with so little information shared about the actual characters. Instead, we learn about them as they're facing whatever trials and tribulations stand in their way... even a best friend who is making you her reluctant wingman in a bid to get her laid. 

I turned around, and her eyes had another message. Gotta talk to you.

“No problem, I got this,” Brennan said.

Kristina and I took off down the path, and within a few seconds she was grabbing my hand and skipping. “I can’t believe it’s finally going to happen! I can’t believe it!”

“Easy, there.” I forced a chuckle “You sure you don’t wanna . . . take it a little slower? I mean, we could . . . we could always go camping again another time.”

She stopped skipping. Stopped moving entirely. “What?”

“I just mean, uh . . . maybe you and he really hit it off tonight. Maybe you might . . . you might want some strings, after all.”

“Josh.” She shook her head. “You know that’s not what this is about. I don’t want Brennan to be my boyfriend. I just want the experience.”

My uneasiness was bubbling closer to the surface. Which was weird, because Brennan actually seemed a lot nicer than I was expecting. So I really should’ve been more at ease with this whole thing.

But I wasn’t.

“You say that now, Kris. But . . . you might not feel that way afterward, and then it’ll be too late. Like, it’s not something you can ever get back. Don’t you want your first time to be…something special?”

She crossed her arms, and her eyes narrowed. I winced.

“Something special,” she repeated. “Something magical. Like, with rainbows and unicorns, maybe? Maybe they’ll spring right out of me when I open my legs for . . . Prince Charming, right? When he rides up on his white stallion?”

“Kristina . . .”

“No, Josh.” Her scowl deepened. “You’re trying to make me feel guilty about this now?”

I crossed my arms, too, so we were at a standoff.

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