Stories

Set against a backdrop of dial-up modems and Y2K paranoia, this story is a deep dive into pure 90s nostalgia. On the final Spring Break of the millennium, music snob Leo believes a CD-ROM playlist from his best friend Caleb is a nerdy ark designed to save their decade's music from the apocalypse. He champions its eclectic mix as genius, until a single 80s song shatters his theory. Leo is forced to realize the playlist isn't a museum, but a love letter — the culmination of a decade of unheard confessions hidden in the B-sides of every mixtape Caleb has ever made, forcing him to finally stop analyzing and start listening.

When a voicemail arrives, Simon is forced to confront not only the wreckage of a love that lit up his world and nearly destroyed it, but he must also confront his own sins born from his inability to come to terms.

What follows is a haunting, intimate descent through denial, addiction, and the lies we cling to when there's nothing else left. And the brutal strength it takes to finally let go.

This isn't a love story. It's a story of what survives after.

Everyone who comes out has a different story to tell: with some, it comes with a sudden flash of revelation; with others it may have been a long, slow, sometimes painful process of unwinding internalized constraints. For some, it is a matter of recognizing what they have always enjoyed; for others, it is an entry into entirely new experiences. As college seniors in the mid-70’s, Robert and his best friend Paul come out, each with a different story.

Originally a throwaway parody in The Straightest Lies We Tell Ourselves, this story lassos the cowboy trope of a city boy in search of himself and drags it straight, or not so straight, into a cowboy crisis.

To secure his inheritance, Zayn hires River to play the role of his perfect boyfriend. It’s supposed to be simple—smiles for the family, a little hand-holding, and then part ways. But the longer they pretend, the more real their connection begins to feel.

Soon, Zayn and River discover that faking love is far easier than protecting their hearts. Will their deal end with both getting what they wanted—or will one of them lose something far more precious?

Let's see what happens when Pete, a University Student goes out to lunch.

Benjamin Amber is an ordinary boy… mostly. He attends high school, works part-time, and has typical teenage interests, like high fantasy. However, Ben’s life takes an unexpected turn when he's suddenly transported to a new world through his very own bathtub. But in a world filled with magic, monsters, and countless dangers, the only thing Ben can't seem to wrap his head around is how on earth he's supposed to keep himself from falling in love with Nari, the cutest boy around. Little does Ben know, a grand adventure that will shape the very fate of this magical world is about to begin, threatening more than just his own precarious love life!

We first met Nate and Danny in The Seventeenth Summer. Best friends forever, but then Danny fell in love a year ago, and left Nate behind.

Nate couldn't blame him; after all, who wouldn't want to escape Thompsonville, but that didn't change his feelings. One year on, it's Nate's turn to escape, but first he needs to see Danny, perhaps for the last time. Can he finally tell his best friends how he really feels? Or is it time to finally spread his own wings and experience life for himself? Or perhaps, life has other things in store for him? The only way to find out, will be to find out what happens in Kandanga Falls.

Set in The Old West, we come upon Moss and Link, two men at a precipice in their young lives. Monsters, real or imagined, come in all forms. Perhaps the most dangerous kind are the real ones, people who believe they have the right, for whatever reason, to abuse and control through fear. When innocence is viciously taken, it can be a long road back to trusting, both yourself and others.

A haunted laptop. A sunshine biologist. A grumpy comp sci major who doesn’t believe in ghosts—until his computer starts talking back.
To fix the glitch, Elliot and Noah will have to merge science, superstition, and one very judgmental black cat named Nyx.