Just Some Pics...

Here are some pics I took while I was in the Square. I hope you enjoy!

Book One in New Series: Never Will I Ever (Springhill Heights)

Due to come out on e-book in 2014!

   It's the summer before their senior year when Mr. McKinney offers six teens a chance of a lifetime:
   90 days to play his version of Never Have I Ever. He dares them to do things they've never done before.
   So, Tessa, Paige, Gabe, Zoey, Noah, and Waylon take him up on his offer. This offer includes three rules. They follow the rules, they get the prize. 
   Easy, right?
   Well... then there's the unsaid Rules of Morality - the basic 'brotherly and sisterly love' bit. 
   And that's where things get interesting.

    Welcome to the new Truth or Dare.

                                                                *****

Noah -

I walk into Mark's Bait Shop. Mr. Mckinney called this morning asking if I wanted to do something this summer. I thought I was. But,then again, football, baseball, and track get boring when played everyday. Actually, that's not entirely true, but I was ready for a change in scenery.

He sounded like he was offering. Which, possibly includes him paying. And who was I to argue?

The bell jingles and a man in his fifties with a full, red beard and red mustache with white streaks and twinkling eyes comes around the counter, wiping his hands off on his apron. As if that'll help. The guy reeks of fish.

"Mornin', son. Decide to take me up on my offer?"

I grin and walk over to Mr. McKinney swinging my lanyard around my finger lazily. "That depends. What are you of offering?"

He turns to clean a fillet knife. "Wait'll ‘til the others get here. Then, I'll explain."

I wrinkled my nose. "What others?"

I hear the door jingle and I turn around to see a girl with long, wavy brown hair and chocolate eyes walk in. I'd seen her a couple of times in passing in the hallways at school, but I didn't know who she was.

She comes to stand by me, facing Mr. McKinney, and barely comes up to my chin. I take a subtle whiff of her scent - lavender. I know, because my mom is obsessed with that scent. I close my eyes and inhale, then snap them open when I realize what I'm doing. I sneak a peek at Mr. McKinney to see if he noticed,but he was talking to the girl beside me.

Then, I hear someone say my name. "Huh?"

"Noah, this is Zoey Farrol. Zoey, Noah VanCamp. You two are just a couple of the young 'uns I've invited for this surprise," Mr. Mckinney says as he gestures between Zoey and I.

" 'Sup."

"Hi."

She barely spares me a glance. That fact kind of prices my skin.it shouldn't, but it does. However, it does give me a chance to study her. The way her eyes are like melted chocolate - soft and warm. The way her tiny pixie nose wrinkles when she's annoyed...

"Are you checking me out?" she snaps.

Oh, crap. I flush. Was I that obvious? I guess I was staring, but she wasn't even looking at me! I decided to play it cool. Without missing a beat, I say, "Why? Do you want me to?"

She spins to face me, face beet red, nostrils flaring.

Yeah, she might've been a little ticked. But, she was adorable.

"You're incorrigible!"

"Thank... you?"

She lets out a growl and throws her hands in the air. "Impossible," she mutters under her breath as she storms off.

Whew. What's her problem?

Just then, one of my buddies from football comes in. Gabe. I greet him with the usual. "Hey! Man, wassup?"

I give him a high five, then pull him in for a man hug. "Nothing much. Came here to see what all the fuss over the summer is."

"You too? Dude, I can't wait! Throwing passes to my kid sister gets old real  fast. And everyone else is on vacation." Gabe makes a face. His parents were saving up for his senior trip to Europe, so they weren't vacationing this summer.

"I know what you mean. The parks fun, but..."

Just then, the door jingles and in walks Tessa, a girl I see hanging with Gabe a lot, and another girl I recognize from youth group.

"Hey,guys. Started the party without me, I see." Tessa smirks and Gabe rolls his eyes.

"Oh, please, Tess. We're the ones waiting on you."

Tessa smirks sarcastically. "Cool story, bro. Tell it again."

I speak up. "Actually, we're still waiting on someone. He's supposed to be here by-"

The now familiar jingle rings again and ten eyes turn to watch a kid my age walk in. I recognize him from youth group and my science class. "Hey, Waylon."

"Hey." He gives a half smile, but that immediately wavers as soon as he spots the girl with Tessa. "Hey, Paige,” he says tentatively.

Paige levels him with a glare. "What are you doing here?"

Waylon shrugs. "Mr. McKinney called me."

Paige purses her lips, but says nothing and plops into the chair next to Tessa. I actually feel a bit sorry for the guy to have a girl like Paige hate him so much. But, it's none of my business.

Mr. McKinney choses that moment to come out of the back. "Well, looks like ya'll're here; let's get down to business."

Chairs scrape and squeal as everyone takes a seat and we watch as Mr. McKinney leans against the counter, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. "Whaddya kids say to goin' on a road trip for the summer?"

Murmurs start to ripple across the room. Paige, is the first to answer.

"Sure!"

I give her a sidelong glance. "What kind of road trip?"

Mr. McKinney smiles. "Ah, I always knew you were a bright boy. Well, you see, this trip is somewhat of a scavenger hunt."

Gabe looks around the room, then back to Mr. McKinney. "A scavenger hunt?" Although, he words it more like a skeptical statement.

Mr. McKinney' s smile brightens and he nods. Now, I'm getting wary. All the times Mr. McKinney used... well, unorthodox methods of teaching Sunday school flit through my mind and I wonder what it is this time. "Well, you see, there's this game you have to play on the trip. My daughter calls it Never Have I Ever."

That's when the bait shop erupts.

"Dude! No way!"

"That's a girl's game!"

"Sweet!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"I'm in!"

“That's a great idea!"

"Are you mental?"

It takes Mr. McKinney a full minute before everyone calms down. The only one who hasn't said a word this whole time is Zoey. She's watching everything with an attentive expression and I wonder what's going through that pretty head of hers.

Mr. McKinney speaks up. "Kids, I have modified some rules and, if you'll let me, I'll tell you how this trip is going to take place."

We settle down and focus our attention on the retired Sunday school teacher; for some reason, I have a feeling I know what's coming. "Now, each one of you have wandered into my shop more than twice this summer looking absolutely bored. So, as much as I enjoy your company, I'm giving y'all something to do. I'm sending you six on a two month long road trip to visit as many places as you can in a car. But, you have to play my version of Never Have I Ever." He cocked an eyebrow as if daring anyone to make fun of what he was about to say. "Its called Never Will I Ever."

He pushed himself off the counter, pulled out one of his chairs, and sat backwards in it, propping his elbows on the back and letting his hands hang limp. "You have three rules to this game: one, every time someone says "Never Have I Ever" - which you'll take turns doing after each step is done - it is your job as a group to fulfill that Never Have I Ever and make it so they have done it." He immediately puts his hand up, apparently seeing the wicked gleam in the eyes of Gabe and I. "However, what you say has to be within reason. I'm going to trust you to set those boundaries because you are young adults and should be able to be responsible." He gives us a stern look. "Am I right?"

We nod solemnly. Our version of "proper boundaries" definitely varies. But, I'm smart enough to know what he means.

"Good. Now, feel free to take videos and pictures to your heart's delight. I'm going you a camera so you can document this..." He smirks. "Adventure."

He pauses and reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper and unfolds it before continuing. "Two," he reads. "Every person has one chance to say 'Never Will I Ever'. You use this when announcing things you vow to never do. With. In. Reason. The goal of the game is to get others to do something they never thought they'd do. If you say you won't do something, then the group gets you to do it, you lose."

We think about that for a few minutes. That's it? Those are the rules? "That's easy," I say. "Where are we going?"

Mr. McKinney smirks and hands me a credit card. "Wherever in the good ole USA you want."