Dex makes it to the academy. Hope everyone survives his arrival.
“…how glad I was to get your mother’s call, Dex.”
Proctor James Lake led me around the campus of the Markwith School. The place was enormous, with just under seventeen thousand acres in Oregon. In the two weeks since I left home, I’d gotten my introduction, signed the requisite forms, met with the counselor, and been accepted into the program. During that time, Huey was conspicuously absent at night when I went home, and my heart ached every evening when I curled up in my bed, the house completely silent, and I fell asleep.
(Sorry for the delay. I’ve been in chat with the provider trying to get into the site.)
How strong IS Dex? He’s about to find out.
There was a cab stand near the restaurant, and I was able to get one right away. I had the driver take me to my parent’s house. She was already there, kneeling in her garden, her hands buried up to her wrists in the dirt. My palms sweated at the thought I’d ruined our relationship. I tossed twenty to the driver, told him to keep the change, then hurried for the door.
As I approached, she sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Tell me what’s going on, Mom. You’ve never acted like that before.”
She pulled her hands out of the earth, the granules sliding off as though her skin was teflon. She turned, and I could see the sheen in her eyes. “Huey’s not for you, Dex. He’s going to hurt you even more than he already does, and I can’t stand by and watch it happen.”
That anger from earlier surged up again. “Isn’t that my choice? I know it’s more than likely Huey will never feel for me what I do for him, but that’s up to me to decide, not you. Why are you and Dad so set against Huey? He’s never been anything but polite to you.”
Her lip wobbled a bit. “We want you to go out and live, and you can’t do that with Huey around. I wish… I wish he’d move away and let you get on with your life.”
Thank you for joining us for this serialized story. I’ll be posting one chapter every week until it’s done. This hasn’t been professionally edited, so keep that mind!
A Stone Heart by Parker Williams
Chapter One
I sat at the small table, dozens of bottles, tubes, stoppers, stirring rods, and more sitting in front of me, as I mixed my latest concoction. Without a doubt, this one would be the best yet. Across from me sat my best friend, Huey Daystar. We were at opposite ends of the cool scale, with me being small, twink-like, and queer as a three dollar bill, as my gran used to say. Huey, on the other hand, was big, sort of like a mountain—all six foot eight of him. His body wasn’t ripped or buff, it was just…big. When I met him at the tender age of six, he stood guard over me while I played with a doll that I’d brought to show and tell. The other guys laughed and said some words I didn’t understand. Huey did, though. He snarled at them, and they stepped back.
“Who’re you?” I’d demanded.
“Huey Daystar,” came the reply and a brilliant smile.
At first there was Olly, and things were good. Then came Joe, Heath, The Wyverns, Lysander Brock, Lucien and Benedict… Well, the world continued to grow. With each book, LM Somerton created new and fascinating characters. When she introduced Jed and Jonty, though, her stock skyrocketed. (For those not in the know who these characters are, lemme fill you in quick.
Joe, Heath, Olly: The Edge series
Lysander Brock: Testing Lysander and Picturing Lysander
The Wyverns: A motorcycle club featuring Orlando, a sassy little sub who rules the roost
Lucien and Benedict: Stroke Rate (not what you think, pervs! Oh, wait. It is what you think. Never mind.)
Jed and Jonty: Owned by the Sea
And she has many other books that excite, titillate, and can get you a wee bit hot under the collar.
But, amazing books aside, LM Somerton is my favorite for another reason. She’s even-tempered, encouraging, inspiring, and she’s got a heart as big as England (which is an odd coincidence, since that’s where she hails from).
The two of us share bits of books (mostly me, because she has a job and a family and apparently my needs are secondary to theirs, go figure) when we’re writing, and she never fails to offer constructive criticism or heap lavish praise (though I think that’s just the polite English woman in her).
She’s talented beyond measure. She can always make me smile, and has brought me to tears with her words more than once. LM has created worlds I’d like to live in, characters I would love to have as friends, and men I would love to… (cough) Anyway…
She’s one of the most giving people I know, and that, dear friends, is why LM Somerton is one of my favorites.
