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Sydney LaShae: For readers who believe love can be found anywhere
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Theo
Growing up across the way from Jamie was never easy. He’s angry, emotional, and disrespectful. I spent half my life without utilities, while he had everything he’s always wanted. Loving parents. Electricity and water. He played sports. He had friends. And for some reason, since the moment we met, he’s never liked me. As a kid, it hurt. But as an adult, the feeling is mutual. When he’s in town, I do my best to avoid him. Instead of only being here for a few days, he’s here for a few months this time. Avoiding him isn’t as easy as it used to be.
Jamie
Theodore. Darling Theodore. Walk into my life and take everything. Childish, with a cat named something stupid, and did I mention annoying? He’s been there at every corner. Every turn. Every decision in my childhood revolved around Theo and his parents. That clearly wasn’t enough, because he pretty much took mine, too. As soon as I was able to leave home, I did. On the rare occasion I go back home, we avoid each other. He usually stays on his side of the street, and I stay on mine. But this time around, without my father, my mother has more time to meddle than she used to.
Alex
I have this problem of opening my big mouth without thinking of the logistics of…well, anything. Mom drags me to the hospital to volunteer, and I somehow end up helping illustrate superhero books for terminally ill children. I only have a few months to get them done, and despite my ability to flesh out a comic, children’s books turn out to be my biggest enemy. I reach out to my good friend, an author and agent. She sets me up with an author willing to volunteer his time, and we get to work. The second I meet Finn, it goes downhill. He’s quiet, reserved, and grumpy. Everything I do irritates him.
Still, there’s this obsessive need inside of me to see how far I can go.
Finn
Leaving the city for my small hometown was never on my list of things to do. In fact, it was on the “hell no” list. But when writer's block has me in a chokehold for over a year, I’m desperate. I return home with my tail between my legs and hope seeing my family can get me out of whatever funk I’m in. It isn’t until my agent asks me to take a break and work with an illustrator for a charity project that I’m forced outside of my comfort zone. He’s the most annoying, childish, and irresponsible person I’ve ever met.
He’s also the only thing that makes inspiration strike.
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