Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! For the ENTIRE month of December, we'll be seeing content like this from both myself, and from the Featured Authors (going all the way back to the beginning!). Along with each of us sharing first chapters from our novels (all on, or soon to be on, Wattpad!), we'll also be getting an inside look into everyone's writing process, book reviews, and even better - getting to know the contestants trying for Featured Author of The Year 2019! Stick around for the fun!
Before I react to my first ever story - I thought I would set the scene a little.
Imagine, it's January 1st (or 2nd I honestly have no recollection) of the year 2014; a fresh little baby faced Shaylin Spencer (last name has been redacted for the sheer mystery of it all) has been reading fanfiction nonstop for almost exactly a year. Though she had seen people, like her now wonderful friend Alice (@360crush), living their fanfic dreams on fanfiction.net or on Wattpad, she's never had the gumption to try it herself.
At the time, this sixteen year old loved few things - one of which being her family-
-her crazy ping-pong-table-loving cat included. But something was missing.
Enter the morning of January 3rd, 2014 - and this is where it all changes - though this little nerd had been concocting stories in her head for quite some time, she's finally decided to do something about it. That morning, she wakes up and has a thought, "you know what would be cool? If I wrote a fanfic."
From that point forward, she went on to write and only stopped when she had written so much that she just about blew out her damn wrist.
Below we will once more enter the mind of my 2014 self - but to do this we will need to read, or rather cringe/fall in love with, Love At Mission Creek Mall. This story follows the characters of the Disney XD show Lab Rats as the two main characters work for rival shops in their local mall; a very Romeo+Juliet type story.
I believe, at the time, you all refereed to me as Smilie and remembered me by my iconic icon -
-and before you ask, yes, I did make this myself on my first ever iPod touch (4th Gen).
I hope you all enjoy :D
Original Text | My Thoughts
━━━━━━━━
Chapter 1
━━━━━━━━
(POV) Bree
"Thank you for shopping at cupcake city*." Bree said as she handed the box to the last shopper of the day. The shopper smiled and walked out into the main way. Bree began to pack up the store.
As she switched the sign to closed, she let her eyes wander over to the boy working at Muffin Mania*. Bree went to school with him at Mission Creek High. He was always on the honor roll. Bree could tell from the many times she had seen his name listed on the wall by the office. He seemed extremely smart, but, he could get to be a little full of himself. Bree had to admit, she definitely, along with every other girl in the junior class, thought he was cute. But, that could never happen. For one thing, he didn't even know she existed. For another, they were on opposite ends of the social ladder. And to top it all off, they worked at rival shops in the mall. It was like the world was telling them that they shouldn't be together.
•Chase's POV•
Chase looked up to see Bree staring at him while he packed up the unused boxes. His boss turned the corner just as he smiled back at Bree.
For starters, why did I switch point of view's so quick? You barely get to see Bree before I go running across the mall to check in with this so called 'always on the honor roll, extremely smart but full of himself' little fellow. Also, for those that didn't write fanfics in 2014, the * indicates I was referencing something that I didn't 'own', not that literally anyone would have noticed. Cupcake City is a reference to another Disney show, Austin and Ally, while Muffin Mania is an actual place out in California, apparently.
"Chase!"
"Yes sir?"
"Did I just see you smiling at the girl who works at Cupcake City? Things like that can't happen, Chase. Didn't I tell you about the last time something like this happened?" The boss ranted on.
I'm legit reading this in Hal Sparks' voice, like Chase has no distinct characterization in my mind at the moment.
Chase sighed before answering."Yes. They fell in love, then they ran away together. Eventually they broke up which left them out on the streets without money," Chase paused before continuing with the tragic story. "Then the boy got hit by a car, and when the girl found out, she killed herself."
Apparently we're getting right to it - murder/suicide to get things going in the right direction?
Chase looked across the way at Bree again who was also talking to her boss. Chase could only imagine that Bree was retelling the same story they had each heard countless times. Although their bosses thought this story taught a good lesson, it didn't. All it did was remind them of what could never happen if Bree and Chase were to even talk in the first place.
"A tragic end for us all. They fell in love, only to die because of it. And both Muffin Mania and Cupcake City were missing their best workers."
I like how he considers it a personal failure for himself. Also there's the fact that these two teenagers have to listen to this super tragic story on a daily basis. "It's a good lesson".
Chase started to wonder what his boss considered tragic, the love story, or the whole business end of it.
Got to agree with good ole Chase on this one.
The boss' face lit up as he remembered the time, he couldn't keep a teenager working this late.
"Alright, you better get going. It's Nine o' Clock. But," The boss stopped Chase before he walked away, "Take the back entrance. We wouldn't want you running into Bree, now would we?" He warned, a leading tone to his voice.
"No sir." Chase said as he saw Bree walking out their back entrance, as well. Looks like they both got the same speech. Guess they can't have another slip up. But what their bosses didn't know, is that the two have never talked before. They were completely different. Chase was generally popular, while Bree (as far as he can tell), only had a few friends.
I'm dying, he's like, yeah she's cute, but at what cost? Considering my obvious social status and whatnot.
Chase was in all AP classes, while she had honors. Now before you ask just how he found out all this, Chase may, or may not, have a small crush on Bree. It's nothing really. Chase walked out the back entrance.
"If only we could be friends... or something more." Chase thought as he walked to his car. But little did he know, things were about to change between he and the girl at Cupcake City.
Chase is a stalker. Plot freakin twist.
━━━━━━━━━
Chapter 2
━━━━━━━━━
(POV) Bree
"Bree, it broke my heart years ago when both our store, and Muffin Mania, lost their workers, and I will not let this happen to you, too." Bree's boss cried. Bree sighed as she placed her hand on her boss' shoulder, trying to calm her down. Bree knew how upsetting this was for her. By the looks of it, Chase's boss didn't even feel anything towards this particular situation.
So apparently they're both equally upset about the loss of labor.
Bree looked up at the women. Secretly Bree knew she wasn't crying about the story, she was crying about her own forgotten romance. The owners/ Bree and Chase's bosses had been madly in love while they were in high school. It ended very abruptly after they each took over the new-found family businesses (Cupcake City and Muffin Mania). Bree's boss, Tasha, was still in love with Chase's boss, Donald Davenport.
There are so many levels to this plot I don't even know how I kept track while writing. *she says before remembering she wrote the whole thing in like four days*
Even though Tasha was still in love with Donald Davenport, she had still married another man right after she took over the business. Tasha and her husband, Douglas, had two sons, Adam and Leo. Tasha and Douglas had just gotten divorced a few months ago and she was training Bree to take over the business, while Donald, was doing the same with Chase.
"Don't worry about it, Tasha. There is, and never will be, anything between Chase and I. We've never even talked before." Bree sighed as she looked over to see Chase probably getting the same lecture as her. If only they could speak to each other. Bree knew somewhere deep down that Chase felt the same. She couldn't help but wonder what things would be like if they weren't in this situation.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I had no idea. I just don't want you to go through the same thing I had to go through. Especially since your life has been hard enough, already. Now, pack up and let's get home." Tasha said as Bree started to grab her bag.
Bree let her thoughts fall to her mother and father. Her mother had died of cancer when Bree was 6. She didn't remember much of her mother but she did remember how caring she was. Then, when Bree was 13, her father was convicted of murder.
WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THE MURDER also why has no one commented on this - this story has been up for five years. I've never once had anyone question the vast amount of death.
Bree never thought of him as a father after that. He killed Bree's younger brother, Marcus. No one ever knew why.
I guess we're just going to leave everyone hanging? 'No one ever knew why'. Like I remember making up this super intense scene in my head of this guy taking his kids up to a secluded cabin and just slaughtering this Marcus kid in front of Bree and her somehow getting a hold of the cops who just miraculously show up to save her? Never explained that one to you guys.
Bree had just started working at Cupcake City when this happened. So Tasha took Bree in. Bree always wondered if her father had been let out of jail or not, but Tasha always reminded her that this could never happen. Bree was safe with Tasha and her two new adoptive brothers.
"He's never getting out of jail because he brutally murdered your brother Bree," Tasha says soothingly as she tucks the sixteen year old into bed at night.
One more thing - how long ago did the murder happen? Cause I said that she had just started working for this muffin place so she had to be at least 15 or something (cause of all the child labor laws but whatever) - but also let us remember I mentioned that she was 13????
Bree climbed into the car as Tasha started the car.
"What do you want to do this weekend?" Tasha asked as they pulled into the driveway. Bree sighed as she thought the ought her unscheduled weekend days.
Side note that I always based Bree on myself and I absolutely hated social interaction. She got no plans Tasha.
"Well, I have school tomorrow, and then it's the weekend. Then I have a big test on Monday... So I'll probably be studying." Bree thought aloud and then looked to Tasha.
"Oh, okay. Do you want to have any of your friends over to study with?" Tasha asked hopefully. She had only ever let her "mother" meet Caitlyn, who was her only friend other than Leo and Adam.
"I don't know. I'll think about it." Bree replied as Tasha nodded. They walked into the house and Tasha made her way over to the kitchen to make a late dinner. Leo turned to them the second he heard the door open.
"Hey mom." Leo called while he made his way to the counter to wait for dinner. Tasha smiled down at her son.
"Oh... Mom's home. Thank god! I am so hungry." Adam yelled from the couch. He joined Leo at the counter and sat on the barstool by him.
I get it, they're lazy teenage boys but these lovely career driven women have been baking muffins for the health food people of the world, would it kill them to make a frozen dinner?
Scratch the word kill - we've seen far too much death since the beginning of the story. It's like an episode of Supernatural up in here.
Bree just laughed at her brothers before they each looked over at her.
"Hey, Bree. I haven't seen you since this morning." Leo commented as he stood up to hug his sister. Bree smiled and pulled away before answering.
"I know, I'm sorry. I had to stay after school and then mom and I had work." Bree explained as she made her way to hug Adam. Adam stood up and took Bree over by the stairs. Bree frowned as Leo and Tasha just ignored it, knowing Adam probably had something to tell her.
I like how I felt the need to make it clear that Tasha was totally cool with her kids being super shady over by the stairs and whispering about something.
"Look, I know that mom is upset about those two Muffin Mania guys. I know that you know the story. The story about Mom and Davenport before they took over the businesses." Adam stated quietly, knowing his mom would kill him if she heard he had found out even a little piece of the story.
Guys I messed up - Bree and Tasha make the cupcakes not muffins. Also Adam's like a psychic or something.
Bree looked over her shoulder at her adoptive mother, then back to Adam. How did he even find out about all of this?
"Yeah, so? Why do you need to know?" Bree said, getting a little defensive. She knew Tasha had told her never to tell anyone. Tasha finally had a daughter to share her life stories with. Bree was happy she was trusted with this information, and she didn't want to wreck that just because Adam was pressing her for information.
"Well, you know how it involves that Davenport guy, which then leads back to Chase..." Adam left off as he mentioned Chase. Adam and Chase were best friends, and Adam knew how Bree had feelings, even though she may not admit it, towards Chase.
So Adam, Tasha's biological son, is perfectly okay to hang out with the enemy but if Bree, her brand new adoptive daughter, even looks at the damn kid she's gonna be grounded or something?
"And?" Bree asked, feeling annoyed that Adam may know how she felt.
"Chase wants to know." Adam finished.
Of course he does - I WANT to know too.
From here I remember *easing* them into this relationship and then like the next morning he was proclaiming his love for her - to which there are about a million comments telling me they cried when these two lovebugs finally got married at the end (spoilers!), so I guess this wasn't a total fail of a first book. Everyone seemed to enjoy it :D
I hope everyone enjoyed! I might do this again with More Than His Assistant and The Buddies Rule in January! Actually, you know what, I will be reacting to TBR because 'they're love is just so magical' and I will die laughing at my old humor. So we've got that to look forward to.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go finished Love At MCM and maybe I'll finally understand what kind of feels all these fans have been referring to in the dreaded chapter 18... Yep it's chapter 18, the one with the ring as the thumbnail for the chapter. Bye!
Tomorrow we'll get to know the authors competing for the Featured Author of The Year spot! Stick around guys, this get together is just heating up!
Click the heart below to show me if you want more posts like this in the future, or leave a comment below!