#special-blog-post — Public Fediverse posts

Goodbye, August and Hello September

Hey, guys. Long time, but no see.

I wanna tell you that I’m going to order my new wireless keyboard tomorrow when my check drops. And by next week I will be able to work on my novels and finish them by the end of the year. And the first story on my list to compete is “Nacirema Requiem” as I plan on reaching 40 chapters and the epilogue. I’ll also work on “Of Couture and Supers” as well as “The Passion of Sean Gillain.” So as we’re saying farewell to August, we will be welcoming September’s sensational allure.

The drama is ALWAYS on at the House of Evers, friends, and I intend to shut things down for the rest of 2026! Thanks for being patient with me as I deal with my day job and all. I love you and I hope guys are living life like it’s golden! See you later!

“Edge of Seventeen” Final Sneak Preview and Planning a Sequel

Skylar’s POV

Homecoming week, day three…

As expected, my cousins and I were with Tiana, Israel, Jinyao, and Thierry at their usual Wild-Card table for lunch the following day after I spent it with being involved with setting up the tables in the library for the Chess Club’s intramural championship, getting with the AV Club for the concert band’s November concert, and dealing with the usual pre-midterm preparations. And the topic, of course, was about myself and the ongoing Greenlee/Enrique/Jorge affair. “Skylar, we’ve been meeting with Jason regarding the mess with Jorge and Enrique as well as Greenlee and her gang,” Jinyao said as she finished her bite of beet-green salad. “And we’ve been noticing the students and teachers forming this unwarranted great divide as all eyes will be on you to make your choice.”

Sure enough, half of the lunchroom were all for “Team O’Pinero (with ribbons and wristbands in the colors of gold and green)” and the other half were for “Team O’Fernandez (with the colors of gold and red).” Even a few of the lunch ladies were choosing a side. Those who weren’t were mainly the janitors and the stoners with the latter group being too high to care who’d I pick.

“Of course, you know that you can’t afford to risk failing the year-long school project by announcing to drop out of the Homecoming festivities or making requests to change partners,” Israel added, my attention back on the Afro-Chilean teenager. “Still, we Wild-Cards here know that we don’t get involved in these matters because we’re nonpartisan to the matter or any other faction. The only time we can interfere is when things stat getting more drastic and reckless. And I fear that it’ll happen as soon as either tomorrow or Friday.”

“So what can I do?” I asked.

“Right now, you prepare for all scenarios,” Tiana replied. “Whether you choose to be with Pinero or Fernandez, you know that there’s going to be a major fallout centering around you. Half of the senior-only teachers will turn on you while the other half will rally for your cause. Some of the other jocks won’t be as friendly as they’re strained to be around you because they’re friends with either guy. And the cheerleaders and female students will be ready to throw a lot of dirt on your reputation.”

Thanks for the reminder of a planned apocalypse that’s aimed my way…NOT!

“And regarding your family, we wish we could say that there’s not going to me much drama on that front,” Thierry stated. “But you know that’s not true. And your godparents as well as Enrique’s will be at odds with you and your family.”

“That’s all fine and all, but our cousin needs some advice since Homecoming is not far along,” Andretta said as she sat down her taco. To me, “What’s really on your mind on whom you’re choosing, Sky?”

I sighed. “Not much except that I don’t want to hurt either guy,” I admitted. “And I’m afraid. I’m so afraid of losing everyone’s respect and support because I don’t want to play bad-guy and yet-“

Thierry’s phone started buzzing, as did Jinyao’s, Israel’s, and Tiana’s. “What? What’s going on?” I asked as more phones in the cafeteria began buzzing and the usual chatter began to simmer down.

Jinyao picked up her phone and glanced at the screen, a look of pure shock and horror in her eyes before she began cursing in her native tongue.

“Uh, something tells me that whatever the hell is going on is not good,” Andelle remarked uneasily just as her and her twin’s phone began buzzing while a harried Principal Lewis and his wife raced to our table. “Excuse us, but now is not the time or-“

“Andelle and Andretta, are your parents at work or anything?” Vice-Principal Lewis interrupted.

Andretta frowned. “No, ma’am. They got the day off. Why?”

“We’re going to need you girls to spend time with Skylar for the rest of the day,” the principal muttered as he shot me a sad glance. “Skylar, you’re to take your midterms at home tomorrow and Friday and you’re exempt from the Homecoming festivities. Your parents, grandparents, and the teachers have been notified.”

I didn’t like where this was going. “Principal Lewis, what is going on?”

Then my phone rang, causing everyone to gasp in alarm. “Skylar, you really don’t need to open that text,” Jinyao said, voice laced with sadness. “Please, don’t.”

But curiosity got the better of me as I grabbed my phone and saw that it was from Greenlee. Sorry for this, Sky, the message read, but you should’ve known better.

Attached to the message was a link to an image. And despite the growing dread in my stomach, I knew that I had to open the link. I pressed the “Open Image” link, inhaling sharply as I braced myself for the worst.

But what I got…was worse than the worst. All I remembered was my cousins racing to my side as the room spun around and around.

“Oh, fuck…an ambulance…”

“…did his ass dirty…”

“…not going…away with this…”

And then the blackness consumed me. And this felt worse than being ganged up by Greenlee’s goons.

Because betrayal always feels worse than any form of physical torture.

The last six chapters will be up this week regarding “Edge of Seventeen,” but there will be NO MORE previews after today. You’ll never forget the first time! Available EXCLUSIVELY on Wattpad! Don’t miss it! And there WILL be a sequel beginning next year! Details to be announced! 

“Edge of Seventeen” Sneak Preview (Grand-Finale Week)

“Skylar, did you have fun tonight with Jorge?” Dad asked me upon my entrance inside the house after two hours spent at the upscale diner and a matinee at the movies. And now, both my parents were waiting up for me in the living room with expecting looks on their faces.

“We did, but remembered that we had school tomorrow,” I replied as I took off my jacket. “Jorge gave me his undivided attention and I did the same for him.”

“And are you excited for this Wednesday when you’ll see him again?” Mom asked eagerly.

I inhaled sharply. “I am, but-“

“Ah-ah, no ‘buts.’ This is a week dedicated to you and you alone, Skylar, as your peers are hoping that you’ll make the right choice,” Dad cut me off. “Don’t you think that you deserve to have a bit of happiness of your own, especially with a boy like Jorge who grew up with you?”

“Enrique grew up with me back in the day as well,” I replied meekly.

Mom scoffed, rolling her eyes as she motioned to sit in between her and Dad on the sofa, the TV playing some reality show on mute. “Enrique Pinero’s your grandparents’ favorite, not ours,” she stated. “Yes, his family is well-to-do and they have their connections as well, but the boy is too enigmatic for my and your father’s tastes. That, and I heard that he’s too deep with that Simmons huzzy and her friends. No, Skylar. You and Jorge are meant to be together. Fate is binding you two, and everyone believes that you two need to make it official.”

But not everyone thinks the same way, I wanted to shoot back. “Well, Jorge did say that he wants to continue fighting for me as long as possible,” I replied before giving my parents a recap of what’s been said at the restaurant.

“Sounds like Jorge knows what he wants, and it’s not Simmons,” Dad intoned. “And he’s right with you needing to make the best choice for everyone, even when it means making everyone else unhappy. But your mother and I will not be so forgiving if you choose that Pinero boy or not choose at all. That year-long project is still in effect, and you can’t afford to fail senior year. Not when everything that you dreamed of is in close range for you to touch.”

“And think about the opportunities you’ll enjoy if you choose wisely- and I mean, if you choose Jorge,” Mom added. “You being given a place at the Fernandez table, being the favorite in all the students’ eyes and given many passes by the teachers, being voted ‘Cutest Couple’ in the school yearbook by your classmates. All of that and more can be yours, but not if you make the wrong choice.”

“And what about Greenlee?”

“Forget her for a moment, boy, and think about what you’ll leave behind if you don’t do what’s best for everyone,” Dad admonished me sternly. “As long as she doesn’t try anything reckless or put you in harm’s way, you won’t have to fear her. All you need to do is the right thing.”

All I could do is just nod. They just didn’t get it because they didn’t have it bad growing up like I did as a queer kid in a very conservative state in the Deep South. Or maybe they didn’t want to get it at all or just don’t care about the consequences…

You’ll never forget the first time! “Edge of Seventeen” is reaching the final several chapters all this week, available EXCLUSIVELY on Wattpad! Don’t miss it! 

“Ry’Mir’s Dive” Sneak Preview and the Next Book of the Series

Dr. Tucker’s office, the following day…

Sure enough, my usual teammates (Dioncel, Tre’Von, and Andre), Coach Langley, Chi’Anna & Ra’Nada (representing the Vogues with the former’s dad also in tow), Enrique (representing the Denzels),and I were in the good therapist’s office. Colton was also there with me, knowing that the final stage of this confessional was going to be mandatory if I was to not only gain closure with my past but also prepare me with the football and cheerleading teams, Dean DeGrawue, and “The Devil of the Pool.”

And despite the waves of nerves threatening to crash me out, I had to see this through to the end.

“Ry’Mir, last night was a long night for you and Colton,” Dr. Tucker stated after a bit of small talk. “It wasn’t easy for you boys to go beyond your comfort zone despite the consequences if you didn’t attend those gridiron boys’ party. How are you feeling at the moment?”

I inhaled deeply. “Honestly? I’m a mixed bag of emotions,” I admitted. “Mad because I was far from prepared despite all that we could do. Scared because ‘The Devil of the Pool’ could be watching and listening in on this without warning. And yet, I’m also feeling tired of having to run away from the past and ready because I want to be able to control my story from my point of view without being threatened with exiled or seen in a bad way. I just want this over and done, you know?”

“Including this session about Costello?” Tre’Von asked.

“Especially that.”

Dr. Tucker went into therapist mode as she grabbed her notes and pen. “Then let’s get started,” she said. “The days leading up to the eventual arrest of Costello, how was your mindset and headspace?”

With a nod from Coach, I dove right in. “Me having to play the games of survival with a man who can ruin your reputation if you didn’t warm his bed was like…it was like I was diving into the deeper parts of an inactive volcano,” I began. “I didn’t want to let him taint my body any more than he already had, but I also didn’t want to be sent to one of the state-run group run homes where kids like me were either beaten or left for themselves. So, I had to play the role of his young lover, let him take me into his pool house after coaching me on my diving techniques or when I had a meet for my school’s team or that in the YMCA.”

“Did your foster parents have any clue on what was going on?” Coach asked gently.

“If they did, I didn’t notice anything and I was wise enough to not let it show how I was hurting when I sat down. The man meant every word- if I didn’t comply or thought about telling Joel or Lois, he’d spin it to make them think that I came on to him and send me away without a fair chance,” I answered. “But on that fateful day, you can pretty much guess that things were about to go down south. Not for me, but for him…”

*********

FLASHBACK (The Day of Reckoning)…

The good news was that Joel and Lois had themselves an off day from their restaurant, allowing themselves time to step back and let loose.

The bad news was that they decided to go to the movies while believing that I needed someone to look after me while they were gone. And that someone, which was the worst news, was Costello because Joel thought that he could use some time away from his home and more time in theirs. “Plus, we know that he’s protective of you and says that you give him no trouble at all,” Lois said as she and her husband were on their way out the door. “So make sure to mind him and give him your undivided attention, Ry’Mir.”

As if I had any choice.

Soon after I came from a relaxing shower after a grueling workout session and a swim at the YMCA, the man was at the door with his shirt removed and his eyes were full of lust. “Such a pretty boy for me,” he said as he climbed on top of my naked body and started kissing my stomach and chest. “My, Lois and Joel are lucky enough to have you in their home.”

“Please stop,” I whimpered. “I’ll tell if you-“

“If you do open your mouth, no one’s going to believe you since you’ll be seen as a jealous liar and a little boy-slut,” he hissed in a seductive yet threatening manner. “You don’t want to make them mad at you, do you?”

I shook my head no, knowing that he was right. If I even dared to tell anyone about him grooming and molesting me, he’d paint me as the bad guy while he would get away with everything.

“Then you’ll play ball with me and I’ll make sure that you’ll be rewarded for your silence,” he said as he reached into his discarded jeans and grabbed some condoms. “Not only that, I’ll make sure that you’ll remember me as your first time. And I can be very generous to little pretty boys like you.“

All I could do was steel my tears from falling down my face as I let him place my legs on his shoulders before sheathing himself with the condom.

“Make this go away, God,” I thought to myself as he entered himself into me. “Let this nightmare end because I-“

“Oh, my Lord! Ry’Mir!”

My stomach dropped low to see a stunned Lois and her furious husband at the doorway, the latter ready to punch his friend in the nose. Only the man didn’t bother slowing down his pace as he ravished me. “J-Joel. Lois,” I whimpered.

It all happened so fast. One moment, Costello was continuously enjoying himself while I had to take it. The next moment, the man was thrown off of me while Lois wrapped me in a towel before sirens filled the air outside. “He liked it, you know?! Your little boy-slut was asking for it,” the disgraced man sneered as he was led away in handcuffs, Joel fighting the urge to knock the man out again as onlookers took in the sight outside.

“Ry’Mir, how long did he take advantage of you like this?” Lois asked while officers were by her side in the living room. “I’m not mad at you, honey. I need to know the truth.”

It was time to come clean as I finally let the waterworks go into overdrive and I told them everything. “I’m so sorry,” I bawled as I was wrapped in a hug. “Please don’t send me away. I had to keep quiet because he could paint me as the bad guy.”

“Son, you have nothing to be sorry for,” one female officer said gently. “We had him on our radar for a while, and your testimony will ensure that he gets what he deserves.”

“I agreed,” Joel grunted as his glare softened when he faced me. “Ry’Mir, I am so sorry I trusted that shithead into your care. If I had known, I would’ve gladly ended him sooner. The worst fact is that Lois and I were blind to the whole thing and the man had his sadistic thrill with other boys before you. So you’ve saved your life as well as those other boys.”

I only let the tears fall as I was gradually led into a whirlwind of testimonies at trials, days spent in solitude thinking, and even a period where I had to take basic therapy sessions with other survivors of child/teen molestation. But the moment the man was convicted and sent to prison, I made a vow: I wanted to bury the past and only move forward by focusing on my diving competitions and academics.

It was time for me to go forward, but in my own way…

***********

PRESENT-DAY

I inhaled deeply, not caring if the tears were cascading from my eyes as I knew everyone else was doing the same. “Some days were better than others,” I finished. “And before coming here, I had a few nightmares that left me sleepless at times for days. But I had to push all my feelings down and lock them away if I wanted to keep my eyes forward.”

“My God, Ry’Mir,” Ra’Nada said, stifling a sob as she accepted a tissue from a stone-faced Andre. “This whole story is…wow.”

“But now, we gotta deal with these people who seem to know about Ry’Mir’s story and are planning to expose him at the next meet,” Dioncel stated, crossing his arms. “And that’s today as we’re facing off against Howard.”

To me, “I hate to suggest this, bro, but you need to sit that meet out for your safety. These football trolls and cheerleaders aren’t playing around, and neither is Dean DeGrawue.”

“Well, the meet’s postponed for today since they had a lockdown scare,” Coach Langley stated. “But they’re going to meet with us the week after next. And I disagree, Dioncel. Ry’Mir said that he wants to tell this story for himself and keep control of the matter by his own terms.”

“But what happens if Ry’Mir gets jumped?” Andre asked. “Or worse? And we still have no idea on who this ‘Devil of the Pool’ is. Incredible!”

“Then that’s the chance I’ll have to make,” I stated. To my coach, “Can you get me that appointment with the school’s president?”

“Already done,” Enrique interjected. “He actually wants to see you for some reason, Ry’Mir. And I warned him that if he turns on you just because of your past, he’ll be answering to me and all the Denzels and Vogues.”

“That goes double for me,” Dr. Tucker said. “And yes, he knows about these therapy settings with you, Tre’Von, Dioncel, and Andre. And I told him that things are getting serious with your situation. So he’ll want to talk to you over tea. When is it?”

“Tomorrow. His private quarters, which isn’t far from the natatorium. You’ll be there after practice tomorrow.”

I nodded. “I don’t know how things will go after tomorrow, you guys, but I’m done running away from the storm. This time, I’m going to go into it.”

And that was the truth.

You’ll never forget the first time! We’re approaching the final ten chapters of ” Ry’Mir’s Dive (book one of “The Aqua Men of Harvick University” series),” available EXCLUSIVELY on Wattpad! This marks the start of the grand-finale extravaganza. Don’t miss it! 

And Coming January 2027… Dioncel’s Story is Told! “Dioncel’s Winter” is Book Two of the Series.

“The Guardian of Couture” Teaser Promo, Part One

Couture Magazine isn’t just a fashion bible — it’s a battleground. Behind the glossy covers and celebrity spreads lies a world where interns are tested beyond coffee runs and copy machines. From clogged toilets to 24/7 on-call chaos, survival means shedding illusions and stepping into the fire.

But the real test? The Primal Premiere. That’s when the staff — those impossibly beautiful, retro-glasses-wearing editors — reveal their true selves. And if you’re not ready for what’s underneath, you’re not ready for Couture.

I should know. I lived it.

My name is Alcide Lancaster. I survived the summer internship that changed everything — spandex, secrets, Fashion Week madness, and the September Issue. I uncovered a legacy my grandparents once protected, one my family rejected. But I embraced it, with allies, love, and legends by my side.

This is my story.

You’ll never forget the first time.
Exclusively on Wattpad, hitting the runway May 2026. Don’t miss it!