Stories

Tyler Scott can't wait to start his senior year. An agreement with his dad means he needs to get an A in Advanced Calculus. That might be an unachievable task as his math teacher takes pride in never giving out A's. And he might have to do one little thing that could be considered gay to fulfill a bet he lost to his best friend, Devin. As a result, Tyler begins to question his sexuality. The only person he can turn to for advice is Brandon Myers, an old friend he hasn't spoken to in three years since the boy came out freshmen year. Can Brandon help him comes to terms before Tyler's life falls apart?

Ben Gay just wanted to tell the truth and get his story straight.

That was his first mistake.

The second was thinking anyone would believe him.

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.

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?

For socially anxious Owen, the only safe space at a chaotic Halloween party is his best friend, Jasper, who is completely hidden inside a ridiculous furry werewolf costume. Fueled by suspicious green punch, Owen confesses his year-long crush on a guy named Elias. But his confession is met with an unexpectedly tender and heartfelt reaction, making him wonder... what secret is the werewolf hiding?

Chef Rowan's life is all about presentation. But when a disastrous "spite hike" leaves him injured and alone in the North Cascades, his perfectly curated world collapses. His rescuer isn't a park ranger, but Sam — a seven-foot-tall Sasquatch with a heart of gold and the culinary skills of a cement mixer. Trapped in a cozy den, Rowan's only companion is a gentle giant who believes a proper conversation sounds like a primetime news broadcast. As he stages a hostile takeover of the kitchen, Rowan discovers that the most authentic ingredient he's ever found might just be a cryptid who is more man than any he left behind.

Noah's plan for a cinematic Parisian romance goes spreadsheets-up when the city proves to be a nightmare. Resigned to a week of corporate training hell, he meets Matteo, an Italian who finds Paris just as disappointing. Together, they wage a sarcastic war on tourist traps and clichés. But in their quest to prove the City of Love is a scam, they find the one thing they weren't looking for: a genuine connection more real than any fantasy.

PT#84 (posted by aditus)
In order to avoid the pesky marriage-soon-trigger, Ash doesn’t date, officially. Amid plotting the most outrageous excuses to tell his family, he is greeted with a splash of the past.

This story is my very loose take on PT Prompt #301: Choose a sense and then describe something related to that sense to someone lacking that sense.