MEET CALISE

As I held my arms and rubbed 

them, I figured being alone would be most useful tonight. On the bright side, it was an opportune time to investigate. I wanted to revisit the portrait in Chris's bedroom and find out why that interesting face kept popping up, reappearing in my mind like an unending daydream.

But when I got to his room, the double doors were locked. 

A small device was cleverly camouflaged in the limber of the door, a sort of electronic pad that required a pass code. I bit my lip. There were too many storage facilities and too many banks in America for someone's room to be bolted up like this.

If something was that valuable, it should've been placed in a facility that specialized in locking things up, not systematically buried in his bedroom. Leaving the hall, I wanted to laugh at his request for me to 'stay out of things' as though I had any choice in the matter; he'd already made certain I couldn't get inside his room.

CALISE'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

He was my hero, my friend, and my coach. He was also someone I trusted with my whole heart. When he told me they were never romantically involved, I believed him. Bottom line. He couldn’t possibly be the one responsible for writing these love letters to Jennifer. Sure, they were poetic and sweet at first, but the last letter sounded threatening and possessive, like the mysterious author could've gone to drastic measures to keep Jennifer to himself. I knew from experience, Chris wasn’t the possessive type.

CALISE'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

I'd been under the impression our relationship would only be a

professional one. The day he asked me what I wanted, I tried to 

play it cool. I hadn't admitted how I really felt. Good thing my 

feelings overrode my lame attempt to be cool.

TTSP Novel Sneak Peak

         A curl fell over my eye as I stood directly in front of him,  

dropping my bag. “I missed you."

This time he gaped at my lips as though they were edible and made for him alone. "Me?" 

Being with the crew today was like having vegetables before dessert, and somehow hanging out with them was preparing me for something far more delicious . . . like Chris was always the prize, lingering inside everything I did. “Even when you're somewhere else, it feels like we're together. Thanks for letting me meet Melissa, by the way,” I added. “She's really pretty.”

This amused him somewhat. “Hmm." Folding his arms slowly, he added, “She's my cousin.”

Out of surprise, I covered my mouth and asked, “Your cousin is here?” No one even mentioned their relation to each other. Somehow I must've missed this one small (important) detail. Now, as I searched his profile, I realized they both looked noticeably similar. “Wow. It must be cool having your cousin here. I thought family members weren't allowed." 

He nodded and replied plainly, “She's an exception. She turned a few years ago. It rarely happens, but it's nice having a piece of my old life, something to remember my old city by.” At the mention of his old city, he stood a bit taller than usual, rounding his shoulders.

“Where's your old city?” I was interested to know where a person of his caliber emerged from.

“D.C.” His gaze was openly inquisitive, searching through mine. “Tonight, I never left the ceremony," he admitted solemnly. "I ended up watching you until it was over. I couldn't stop looking at your sweet face.” The back of his hand found its way on my belly, making it tremble from the sudden collision of his touch. “I have something for you,” he uttered.

“You could've come out the shadows and danced with me,” I finally said.

"I don't think so," he replied. Then he whispered underneath my hair, "You were my star tonight." 

MEET CHRIS

Slowly, he knelt to the ground, pulling me closer. His jaw was flexed and determined with my waist clutched between his hands. He warned, “I'm going to kiss every inch of you." While he rubbed the tips of his face across my stomach, circling my naval, air escaped from the groan in my heart, until it felt like I couldn't breathe. The base of my neck titled toward the ceiling, as he kept his promise, one caress after another. And when my eyes closed, the umbra of silence crackled between us. There was no rush in him. Nothing holding either of us back. Complete ataraxia overtook my body, and an unexpected tremble pulsed through the seat of my spine, even though he hardly touched me. Sensations spread, heating up the hallow of my stomach. The way he grazed over my skin was incredible. His mouth parted like gentle feathers, tickling, igniting my wild. As much as I wanted to escalate, to ravish him, he wouldn't let me. He took complete control of our sweet rhythm together.

CHRIS'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

He pressed a button on the wall, which allowed the

ceiling to open wide. The night was strikingly boundless, 

twinkling in every direction. My gaze drowned in its luster . . . its 

perplexing formation. For several moments, I was in awe of 

the rainbow of darkness, exuding from the array of diamonds, 

which sprouted from the very ground we stood on. 

“We don't keep the stars in our pockets,” Chris uttered. “We 

look in the sky and stare at them.”

*

CHRIS 

Sweat, metal, and the scent of blood. The sound of water dripping.

I wasn't the first one to see these black walls. 

TTSP Novel Sneak Peak

Chatoyant vases and pottery equipment were scattered on the floor, the same way it’d been in the attic. Scraps of old yellow wallpaper, once expressive and bright, were now muddied, stained, and shriveled. Jennifer had obviously attempted to make this place look cheerful, but the room reeked of death. Burnt decay was trapped between the walls, etched in the remains. Because the roof was missing and the ground was cluttered with scorched items, there wasn’t much room left to move around in. I noticed the shoe prints were gone too, so I imagined them leading towards the table where the pie had been . . . where Jennifer’s body had deteriorated in my dream. From where I stood, I could see the edges of the table tucked behind the living room sofa. Stumbling back, I caught myself on the nearest wall.

“Are you alright?” Chris asked.

For a moment, I closed my eyes. The dream was real. There was no more blaming the pills for my hallucinations. These so-called coincidences had proven themselves valid: the crow statue, the key-locket, the scarf, and the mysterious letters were leading me closer and closer to her. Missy knew it. I knew it. And Chris knew it.

“I'm here for you,” he said. 

 I nodded, getting the chills across my arms. “This is where she died.”

MEET JACK

"The ungrateful twat won't last a second without my money." 

"You've worked with me for a long time, Chris. You've become like a son to me. If you asked for the sky, I would give it to you on a plate. Most of what I've built at the Cove is because you've been at my side, like a loyal prodigy. You've amazed me, up until now. I was about to give you my world. Which is why it's such a shame to see it go to waste because of your weakness for something you can't have. You my boy don't have what it takes to be with Calise. Would you let go of this inheritance, this fortune of taking my place, all for some childish fantasy that's already forbidden?

And you know it's forbidden."

Rest in peace DAVID BOWIE
January 8th 1947 - January 10th 2016

MEET TRE

“It’s not about getting the bags,” he explained. “It’s about not getting caught. Missy’s job, her whole mission in life is to snatch this flag off your pocket. If she’s successful, if you can’t outrun her, you lose. It doesn’t matter if you come back empty-handed as long as this rag is still hanging from your ass.” He pointed to the five trees I’d be climbing; each one held a 

small black pouch. "Capiche?"

*

How you move your body is not as

important as the feeling. You should know this.

INVINCIBLE

My friends were part of me, and it was natural for me to stick up for them. No matter what, I was going to defend them, because I knew who we really were. Blue was not a criminal. Neither was Tre, or Kevin, or Chris. Or me.

We were supernatural. We were invincible.

With this realization, the back of my neck burned, and I started reading the actual words on the sheet. Sure enough, they were building a case against my crew for multiple counts of identity theft and robbery. Charlie’s brother had definitely spied on them and taken their photos. The center of my world sharpened. Like a pencil point, I was focused on everything around me, and I sat there, keeping a straight face. There was no point in giving Charlie the slightest satisfaction of thinking he had a case, because he didn't. I knew the truth, and there was no accusation in the world that could shake me down.

 “Is that all?”

He studied me with a squint in his eye, as though calculating my tension level. Which was zero to none. “You're calling these people your friends. But really, they're crooks. It's simple. Either they're hiding the truth from you.” He sounded like he’d spent most of him time imagining they were guilty. “Or you're in on it.” He smiled, fully assured he was right. He'd given me a mouthful of something he didn't completely understand.

As I put the folder down, I was ready to enlighten him; to give him an honest piece of my mind, so he could remember this conversation for the rest of his life. In a low soft voice, I finally replied, “You're wrong.” 

Keeping my voice low was important, because I was absolutely right about his wrongness. Nothing in this folder could shame or take away the true spirit of who these people were. “This is crazy talk. Complete rubbish. I don't believe you would bring me here and accuse my friends, and myself, of being crooks. It's not true.” 

MEET BLUE & KEVIN

"Oh brother. So what. Are you guys like a thing now? Great. Absolutely perfect. 

Should I say congratulations?"

“Aye, Coach. Would you tell this girl 

I’m as loyal as they come?” 

Dear Author? Do you believe the Time Stopping People exist?

Yes. Absolutely.

Magic is very real to me.

"Fireflies are really fairies in disguise.

Sometimes when you're not looking, they change into their natural form. But most of the time, they get to be these beautiful dancing creatures with green halos. So you better be good to them."

Dear Author, What religion are you?

I appreciate religion. I'm a spiritual person. I've been called a hippie girl, a Zen monk, a Buddhist, a Taoist . . . and many other things, probably because of my openness. But really, I'm thankful for whatever's around me. My life tends to speak for itself. For instance, when I wake up, I meditate and do yoga and dance, and I also prep young girls for gymnastics. Most of all, I love helping people. If I can do this without them knowing it, even better. This kind of lifestyle has probably influenced TTSP to some degree.

"Do whatever feels right."

Dear Author? Who is your daily inspiration?

AgapeLive.com

THE CEREMONY

By now, the effects of AJ were in full swing, taking over our lives. My elation was the dizzying evidence Porscha had been right about her favorite drink; our good time wasn't hard to miss. We weren't exactly 'messed up' in an unconscious kind of way; we were simply more sensitive to everything around us. Our senses were broader and heightened to the tenth degree. With the window rolled down, I drenched my nose with fresh air, helping to narrow my focus. Something was definitely going on with the apple juice which caused us to giggle exceedingly. No matter what we did, the more we tried to stop, the more we gave in. I'd never laughed so hard in my life about nothing at all. There were times we even hurled ourselves into a laughing frenzy, and crunched our stomachs at the end of every sentence, as though no one was watching. Our jokes became the life of the party. Now our faces were completely flushed from all the dancing. Our bodies sat exhausted. The music itself had been meritorious.

MEET THE AUTHOR

At home, celebrating my 30th birthday.

Born in Honolulu, HA like our former president Obama.

Most of my relatives reside in OHIO, so I'm originally an east coast girl.

Married to the person I'm in love with.

Today I reside in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I take long baths & run my own business.

I attended Talent Unlimited HS in New York, NY and took musical theater with my favorite teacher, Mr. Gallagher.

Won MVP for track and field in my freshman year.

Ran for president in 8th grade and won. 

Received acceptance letters from Spelman College & School of Visual Arts in New York for Film

HOWEVER,

I DID NOT GO TO COLLEGE

I wrote this book instead . . .

Dear Author: What are you reading?

One of my favorite authors! Lauren Oliver in the house.

Get your popcorn ready. The movie release date for BEFORE I FALL is MARCH 3rd 2017.

COUNTDOWN BEGINS NOW...

Check out Replica

Check out Before I Fall

Check out Lauren Oliver's website

                                     

"If you want to know my biggest secret, here it is: I know you’re supposed to wait to have sex with someone you love and all that, and I do love Rob—I mean, I’ve kind of been in love with him forever, so how could I not?—but that’s not why I decided to have sex with him tonight.

I decided to have sex with him because I want to get it over with, and because sex has always scared me and I don’t want to be scared of it anymore."

Dear Author: What do you want to tell producers interested in making this into a movie?

Dear Producers,

Thank you for making this possible and giving me the opportunity to share my vision with you!

* This is not a fast action film. Not Transformers. Not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Even though I like those movies. It's a slow-building, world-building, thrill ride, where all of the subtleties matter. Intimate and soft. Think REBECCA & THE HUNGER GAMES & THE LABYRINTH (David Bowie) & BEFORE I FALL.

* CHARACTERS are gritty. The grittier the better. CAST appearances don't matter, as long as the actor carries the essence and heart of the role they're playing, and they carry it well.

* Yes, this movie could be made into an oldie. Black & white classics are welcome. Think THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR

YOU ARE COMPLETELY WELCOME TO EXPERIMENT AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Dear Author: What are you listening to?

TTSP PASSAGE OF THE DAY

"When he finished, my mind was blown. I realized I could've listened to him talk this way forever. Every word he said was shinier than all the rubies in the world, all the gold, all the money. Just hearing him breathe right now was the crown of our wealth together."