Letting Go Bloghop

When I was young, my family moved around a lot. By the time I turned 16, I had been through eight moves through five states. I learned not to get too attached because we'd soon be moving on. I had to learn to let go because I could only bring my own stuff with me. My friends had to stay. The house that I thought was my home had to stay. What I could box up was all that was coming with me. And with each move, each new house and another lost home, I threw a few more things away.

My father was climbing the corporate ladder, which I can understand now. But at twelve years old, I didn't understand why I had to keep changing schools and making new friends. Everyone else got to stay. Why couldn't we? Why couldn't he just get a new job nearby like everyone else's dad? I didn't want to move across the country, to California. That's where all the crazy people lived.

But we ended up in California, nonetheless. And two years came a went. It was time to move again, but we weren't moving. I felt the urge to keep my distance and not get too attached, in order to make it easier when the news would inevitably come. But it didn't this time. We stayed, and as I grew older and moved out, I stayed. Now I've been in southern California for nearly twenty years, started a family, and can finally say that I am home.

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Kyra Lennon's novella, If I Let You Go, is currently available on Amazon. And as a special promotion, it is free to download today!

Goodreads blurb of If I Let You Go:

Madison Connor is about to lose it. Her job, that is. For three years, she’s taken care of Dominic Hartley’s five year old daughter, Tilly, but her world is flipped on its head when Dominic tells her his latest promotion is taking him to New York. With Tilly having a meltdown over the move, Madison and Dominic get into a fight that changes the entire nature of their relationship, causing Madison to ask herself a big question. Can she let him go?

Add to you TBR list.
Download your copy from Amazon.
Visit Kyra on her blog.

Thank you, Krya, for organizing this bloghop!

First Fight!

Thank you to Jackie: Bouquet of Books and Dani: Entertaining Interests for hosting the First Fight / First Kiss Blogfest! Today is First Fight. The scene below is from Provex City, Oliver's first fight at school against the king bully, Sasha. Enjoy!

We walked past the science building and through the quad. Along the way I noticed the three guys from gym class. They sat with a larger group of guys and girls. Just the sight of them brought back the fury of the incident in the locker room. I tried not to look at them, but I couldn’t help glancing over.

“Hey, Nut Grain!” one of them yelled. “Who’s your girlfriend?”

“She’s a little out of your league, don’t you think?”

Desiree and I kept walking, and I tried my best to ignore them. I had a hard enough time dealing with them when there were only three, and now the group contained eight or more.

“Who are they?” Desiree asked. We were almost across the quad.

“Some guys in my gym class,” I said, clenching my fists.

“Nut Grain! Aren’t you gonna introduce us?”

Desiree turned and shouted back, “Shut up, jerks!”

Everyone in the group laughed and the verbal assaults continued. “Now we know who wears the pants in the relationship. And it sure ain’t you, Nut Grain.”

I stopped. My nails were digging into my palms. We had almost reached the humanities building. The doors were in sight. Desiree tugged at my arm, pleading with me to take those last few steps.

“Listen to your girlfriend. Keep walking and show us how scared Newbie really is.”

Apprehensively, I turned to face my aggressors. It was Sasha doing most of the talking. He stood in front of his group, staring me down. Students from other groups began to tune in to the escalating conflict.

“What are you gonna do?” he asked, not laughing anymore.

I was sweating under my clothes and my knees shook, which hopefully didn’t show. Desiree continued to tug at my arm.

“Watch out, he might trip and fall into you,” Greg shouted, looking as menacing as ever with his shaved head. That got people in the group laughing again, but not Sasha. He was dead serious.

I took a step forward, despite Desiree’s efforts and the screaming in my head that I should turn around. What are you doing?!

The group quieted, anticipating my next step.

I had no idea what I was going to do. I had never been in a fight before, but I saw one unfolding before me. I was afraid to move forward, but terrified of backing down. What are you doing, stupid?!

“What’s your problem with me?” I said, taking another step, then another, and another, until I found myself purposefully walking toward him, breaking through my petrified state.

He shrugged. “Does it really matter? Maybe I want to see if you have what it takes to shoot yourself in the face.”

“It’s not gonna happen.” I stopped at an arm’s length away from him. The rest of his group stood up and encircled us. I now wished I had just turned away, the fear and claustrophobia became overwhelming.

“I believe in you, Newbie,” he said with a smirk and, before I even knew what was happening, he punched me just below the breastplate.

I sank to my knees, coughing and wheezing, and gasping for air. My eyes welled up and I couldn’t catch my breath. A stabbing pain resonated throughout my abdomen.

“Get up! Get up, Nut Grain!” Sasha yelled. The group surrounding us cheered and laughed.

Someone yelled, “Fight…fight!” and more students came running.

Sasha paced around my crumpled body. “Get up, Boy!”

My eyes cleared and some strength returned to my legs. There were cheers coming from all around—there must have been dozens of students surrounding us now. I heard the cries of Desiree from somewhere behind me, as she tried to break into the circle. But the front ring of guys held her back.

I stood up, tried to forget about the humiliation, and looked at my attacker with a fury I had never felt before. I clenched my fists together and took a wild swing, scraping only air. Sasha kicked at my knees and they buckled, dropping me to the ground again. I grabbed his leg and tried to yank him down, but he broke free and kicked me in the stomach while I was still knelt over. Again, I fought through a fit of coughing and wheezing. Desiree yelled from the background, trying desperately to stop the fight. I was losing strength fast. I probably wouldn’t even be able to stand. I was weak and losing. Sasha was bigger, stronger, and obviously more experienced.

I stood up again, a little dizzy and nauseous, swaying on my feet. Desiree continued to yell for help, but no one seemed to be coming. I was scared; my whole body hurt and throbbed. All I had was myself. I had to do something.

And I did.

Sasha stood in front of me with a confident grin. I threw him off guard by suddenly lunging at him, taking us both to the ground and breaking open the circle. Due to some screaming and swearing, I think we knocked down a few other students, but I couldn’t make out what was happening. I had my hands locked around his body and accidently head-butted him in the face as we hit the ground. Sasha tried to grapple me into a headlock with one arm and threw punches with the other. I released my hold to defend myself and threw some punches of my own. We rolled around as a mass of flailing limbs. I felt pain from the punches I received and the punches I threw, some finding him and others finding the ground. There was no constraint or strategy at this point, just feral attacks by any means necessary.

The crowd cheered and chanted, now sounding muffled and distant. I was fighting for my life and had no idea whether I was winning or losing.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the handle of my backpack and pulled me off Sasha with inexplicable force. I was practically yanked off the ground and landed on unstable feet, with my arms still flailing out in front of me. Tears and blood ran down my face and my eyes were shut tight.

“Break it up!” a familiar voice yelled.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed I wasn’t fighting Sasha anymore. He was still on the ground with rips in his shirt and blood on his arms and face, propped up on his elbows. He looked furious, but didn’t move.

“Everyone, get out of here! Go back to your lunches!”

I turned to see who was still grasping my backpack and saw the welcoming face of Mr. Gordon.

Thanks for reading! Now, be sure to check out these other blogs participating in First Fight / First Kiss.