Category: Young Adult

Richard Denton had always thought of summer as a time for freedom. Long days spent biking through the quiet streets of his small town, late nights playing video games with his best friends, and endless hours at the community pool where the air smelled like sunscreen and chlorine. But this summer was different. For one,…

The summer heat shimmered over Frisco’s suburban landscape as Amanda Diaz and Lucas Hoppe sat on the back deck, their usual strategic planning session in full swing. At seventeen, they were more like siblings than best friends, having known each other since elementary school when their single parents first moved into the same neighborhood. Amanda,…

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across Oak Meade High School’s deserted parking lot. Sixteen-year-old Junip Chung and her best friend, Zoe Fuente, were the last students lingering after drama club rehearsal. As they walked towards Junip’s beat-up Corolla, Zoe’s foot caught on something, nearly sending him sprawling. “What the––” Zoe muttered, regaining his…

For Nolan Suart, senior year of high school was all about one thing: saving up for college. While his friends spent their evenings glued to video games or lounging at fast food joints, Nolan worked. But not at the mall or a coffee shop like everyone else thought he should. No, Nolan was a babysitter….

The rain fell in steady sheets, drumming against the windowpane of the small attic room where seventeen-year-old Kennedy sat cross-legged on her bed. Her heart raced as she folded the map one last time, smoothing the creases with trembling fingers. She had spent hours perfecting it, marking every twist and turn, every landmark that would…