Dad’s Restaurant My dad puts everything he loves into his food. I wonder sometimes if that’s why he has nothing left to put into conversations. Carmen || Family || Restaurant || Home Tuesday nights I worked the dinner service at Reyes. Not because Dad made me — he had never once told me I had to, … Read more
Jamie The most dangerous thing about Jamie Okafor is that they make you want to stop pretending. Jamie || First Meeting || Debate || Character Our first official partner meeting was on a Tuesday, in the library, at a table in the back corner that Jamie had apparently already claimed because they were sitting there … Read more
The Boy With the Index Cards My whole life fits on index cards. The parts I show people, anyway. Alex || Debate || Identity || Opening Ihave a system. Every morning before school I lay out three index cards on my desk — one for the thing I need to accomplish, one for the thing … Read more
“The bravest thing I ever did was decide that the truth of who I am was worth the cost of telling it.” Portland, Oregon. Junior year. Alex Reyes has a plan: keep his head down, win the state debate championship, get into a good college, and never, ever let anyone see the part of him he has … Read more
Years After the Story Ended Five years later, rain still reminded Lucas Reed of college. Not because of heartbreak anymore. Not because of confusion. Just memory. Warm memory. The kind that settled quietly inside a person long after life moved forward. Outside the apartment windows, rain drifted softly across the city while distant traffic lights … Read more
The Last Chapter Two years later, the city still looked beautiful at night from the library rooftop. Spring wind moved softly across Blackwood University while lights from downtown buildings shimmered beyond the campus skyline. Music echoed faintly from a nearby dorm party, blending into the distant sounds of traffic and laughter drifting through the warm … Read more
The Things That Stayed Spring arrived slowly after winter finally loosened its grip on the city. Snow disappeared first, melting quietly into rain-soaked sidewalks while trees around Blackwood University gradually turned green again. Students returned from break louder than before, filling the campus with music, conversations, and the familiar chaos of college life. And somehow, … Read more
The City Lights Below Them By the time January arrived, Blackwood University felt quieter. Most students returned home during the short winter break, leaving campus half-empty beneath cold skies and endless snow-covered sidewalks. The city beyond the university glowed softly every evening, lights reflecting against frozen streets while distant traffic echoed through the winter air. … Read more
The Winter Between Them Winter settled fully over the city after that. Snow covered the sidewalks around Blackwood University almost every morning now, while cold air turned conversations into soft clouds beneath streetlights and students rushed between buildings wearing thick coats and exhaustion from final exams. And quietly, steadily, life kept moving forward. Lucas Reed … Read more
The Place Love Left Behind After the rooftop conversation with Hailey Brooks, snow continued falling softly across Blackwood University while Lucas Reed walked back toward the dorm buildings alone. The photograph remained carefully tucked inside his coat pocket beside his hand. And honestly? His chest hurt in ways he couldn’t fully explain. Not because he … Read more
