Stories

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.

A story about a high school boy—a free spirit and an outgoing soul—who is forced into tutoring sessions with someone he’s never met. At first, he’s completely against the idea, but then Cupid strikes, and an arrow pierces straight through his heart. He falls in love instantly and is determined to do whatever it takes to win over the charming college kid everyone’s been talking about.

To survive the wedding of their ex-partners (who are marrying each other!), chaotic Dylan and obsessive perfectionist Jonas agree to the perfect plan: they'll pretend to be boyfriends. Jonas has it all figured out, complete with a color-coded binder of their entire fake history. The goal is simple: show everyone they're not just fine, they're thriving. But between chaotic rehearsals, one structurally unsound bookshelf, and a perfectly timed kiss that feels way too real, the line between their fake romance and forever starts to blur.

Sam, a biology major, is about to discover a whole new meaning to the simple bear necessities of life.