by Emily Snow
The photograph had been sandwiched by a piece of folded looseleaf notebook paper, and I recognized what I was holding immediately. I couldn’t believe that I’d finally gotten my hands on Trip’s Mind Ramble from our very first week in English class together.
I put the picture across my lap and unfolded his note.
Hey Dummy. What are you working on in art class? You missed Rymer blow Coke out his nose at lunch today. Although, something tells me that’s not the first time that’s ever happened.
Shit. Mason wants a mind ramble.
Romeo was a complete tool who had no balls. Which is it? Rosaline or Juliet? Make up your mind dude.
Okay forget this. I can’t write about stupid Shakespeare when you’re sitting two inches away from me and I can smell your hair. Coconut? Smells like summer. Okay so I just caught the look you shot me over your shoulder and you need to know that I can’t even breathe right now. I haven’t even known you that long but from the first time I saw you, I’ve been knocked out by how hot you are. No. You know what? Not just hot.
You’re beautiful.
The kind of beautiful that doesn’t go away. Do you even know how beautiful you are? Christ. Stop looking at me! Killing me. Do you know what that does to me? Seeing you look at me like you’re half in love with me? Are you? If I write it does it make it true? So let it be written, so let it be done. Haha.
Anyway, mind ramble mind ramble mind ramble.
The only thing rambling through my mind is how much I want to grab you out of that chair and kiss you right now. Kiss you the way you need to be kissed- and kiss you often.
Oh God I must sound like such a loser. By the way, if anyone’s reading this, I should state right here that MY NAME IS SONNY AETINE. There. Nothing to hide.
Nothing to hide? Okay fine. Here it is.
I could be in love with you.
There it is. I wrote it.
I’ll write it again.
I really think I could be in love with you.
Oh man, I’m going to have to burn this thing so no one gets their hands on it. Especially those wiseguy friends of yours. That Cooper guy seems like he’s ready to murder me whenever you look my way. No way I’m going to get on THAT guy’s bad side my first week in town.
Guess I’ll wait it out.
The letter ended there along with the last grip on my life as I knew it.
Trip loved me.
I held the paper to my chest, expecting a sobbing fit to come again, waiting for an all-consuming blubbering outburst to overtake my wasted soul. I’d shed more tears in the past weeks than I had in my entire life, but there was nothing left to cry about.
I thought about the people that I had loved in my life and the never-ending list of people that had left it. Everyone both here and gone... from my mother, to my family, to my friends.
I thought about Cooper, who’d loved me unconditionally, practically from the day that we had met. Who cured my hurts and built me up and never asked for anything in return.
I thought about Lisa, probably somewhere in Ohio by then, striking out and starting over with Pickford in a place so very far away. Lisa, who I shared everything with, who’d been in my life for so long, I could hardly remember a time before her. Lisa; my partner in crime, my role model, my sister, my friend.
I thought about Trip; my beautiful, blue-eyed, golden-haired god, getting ready to hop a plane to who knows, living a life of adventure, and taking me with him wherever he went in the world.
I carved out little spaces within my heart; little, lovely mausoleums where I could lock each and every one of them away inside, keep the memories safe and close to me forever.
And then it was time to go.
THE END
About the Author
T. Torrest is the author of many books, although she prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. She was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik’s Cube for a laptop, and her catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. Ms. Torrest is a lifelong Jersey Girl... She currently resides there with her husband and two boys.
A Note from the Author
I want to thank you for reading my story! You can continue reading about Trip and Layla in “Remember When II: the Sequel”, which was released in June 2013
If you enjoyed this book, I ask that you tell your friends, loan it out, and please, please leave a review.
Friend me on facebook or follow me on goodreads.com
I love hearing from readers and am curious about your book club discussions! Lastly, if you’d like to drop me a personal message, my email is: [email protected] I always do my best to write back!
Thank you.
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Were you surprised by the ending? Do you think Layla and Trip should have ridden off into the sunset together?
How do you think Layla’s mother’s abandonment affected her? Were you able to notice anything interesting about the way Layla referred to her? Do you agree with Layla’s opinion that her mother was manic-depressive?
We don’t get to hear too much about Layla’s dad. What’s your take on him?
How do you think Mr. Wilmington’s drinking affects Trip when it comes to his own alcohol use?
What did you think of Lisa and Pickford’s decision to move to California together?
How do you view Layla’s friendship with Lisa? Was their relationship realistic?
Every chapter in RW is the title of a movie from 1990 or 91 and there were a ton of other eighties/nineties references. Which ones stood out for you?
It’s hard to ignore the running Shakespeare theme throughout the story. What did you think of Trip and Layla’s “balcony scene”? Can you guess what Shakespeare work Trip’s “Mind Ramble” was based on?
Popularity is also an issue that gets addressed repeatedly throughout RW. How did you feel about Layla’s evolving thoughts on the matter? What group were you a part of in high school?
Let’s discuss Cooper, shall we?
Who did you envison as Trip? Was it your high school crush or someone famous?
Casting call! Who would you like to see in the movie version of Remember When?
Acknowledgements
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank some very important people who, whether they know it or not, helped to turn the mere idea of this book into a reality.
To my parents, thanks for always encouraging me (and for not weirding out over the more graphic scenes in this story!). I am the person I am today because of you. I hope that’s a compliment.
To my sister, who, after reading one of my short stories years ago, stunned me with her flattery by saying, “Wow. You need to find something to write about and write.” Welp. I finally did it. Here ya go.
To my high school girls: I am amazed that we still tolerate each other after all these years. The teenaged characters in this story are compiled entirely from little bits of each and every one of you.
To my high school guys: Ditto.
Lastly, I of course want to thank my boys for their enduring patience. I love you bunches. Now that the computer has finally been surgically removed from my lap, let’s go play.
To Michael, my super understanding, rock star husband: That goes double for you. ;)
Bad Boys of Summer Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the authors, Emily Snow, Erin Noelle, J.S. Cooper, Michelle Lynn & Nevaeh Lee, Selena Laurence, Shanora Williams and T. Torrest, for donating their work to this anthology. This project means so much to us and it will mean a lot to many children as well. Without all of your generosity it would not be possible. Thank you for allowing us to share in this with you!
Brandi, Heather, & Selene
Bad Boys of Summer
Cover Art by Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design
Savor You
Emily Snow
Copyright Emily Snow 2013
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher in writing.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Metamorphosis
Published By Erin Noelle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the author/ publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each participant.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Crazy Beautiful Love
Copyright © 2013 by J. S. Cooper
Copyediting by : Carolyn Pinard - carolynpinardconsults.wordpress.com/
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Collaboration
Copyright ©2014 by Michelle Lynn and Nevaeh Lee
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
This story contains strong language and sexual interactions. We recommend and encourage only mature audiences of 18+ read this book.
Editor: S.G. Thomas
Cover photo: @istockphoto.com; shutterstock.com
Cover Design: Sommer Stein at Perfect Pear Creative Covers
A Lush Betrayal
Published by C.P. Writes, LLC
Copyright 2014 © Selena Laurence
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9895391-5-9
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Proofreading by Mickey Reed.
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, products, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in encouraging piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase and read only authorized editions.
For permission to use any portion of this material please contact the author at: author@ selenalaurence.com
Who He Is
© Shanora Williams, 2013
Edited by Cassie McCown of Gathering Leaves Editing
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This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights. You are not permitted to give or sell this book to anyone else. Any trademarks, product names, service marks, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. All rights are reserved.
The names, events, and character depictions in this novel are not based on anyone or anything else, fictional or non-fictional.
Remember When
T. Torrest
Copyright © 2012
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters and places in this book are the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance or similarities to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Savor You
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Playlist
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Metamorphosis
Quote
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Crazy Beautiful Love
Thank you for purchasing a J. S. Cooper book.
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Thank You
Collaboration
Quote
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Find Us
A Lush Betrayal (Lush No. 1)
Other Books
by Selena Laurence
Quote
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
WHO HE IS
DEDICATION
QUOTE
PROLOGUE
FUDGE SUNDAE
GRENDEL THE FLIRT
CONFIDENCE
DUO DANCE