Novels by Joanna Shepherd

“We have a problem.” Paige announced once they were all inside. Then, without further ado, she walked towards the en-suite door, unlocked it and opened it. The en-suite was almost absurdly spacious for a bathroom, a fact not entirely surprising considering which part of the city they were currently in. The walls and floors were a soothing color of pastel pink marble. The bathroom was large enough to hold a bathtub, shower, and Jacuzzi and still leave loads of empty space. All the other furnishings were a blinding white with gilded gold. Knowing who Christopher’s parents were and the kind of wealth they had, it might have been was actual gold and not just gold colored. Paige gestured towards the furthest corner of the bathroom in vague annoyance. And that was when Asteria noticed it. Or rather, them. Four freshmen were sitting cross-legged on the tile in a tight, miserable cluster, looking exactly what they were: caught and ashamed. And one of them, unmistakably, was Matthew. Aste

“Hi guys.” Misty’s quiet voice said apologetically. At large parties like this, Misty normally wouldn’t have gotten an invite, but Christopher wasn’t a social snob. And Paige had made it clear ages ago that anyone who invited her anywhere would have to be fine with Misty also showing up. She’d made an effort from her usual more casual and laid-back look. Her usual oversized sweater was traded for a fitted black top and a pair of dark-wash jeans. Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. A small collection of rhinestone freckles littered the bridge of her nose. It was both adorable and creative. Because she had worn sneakers and not heels, she didn’t have to do the weird hobble walk to move on the grass like the other girls who had worn heels that kept sinking into the soil. Now, Misty bore the awkward posture of someone who very much didn’t want to be caught up in… whatever it was that Asteria and Damian had going on. “Sorry to interrupt whatever… this is.” She gestur

By the time Asteria caught up with him, Damian had already found Marcus. He was outside, standing by the drink table, laughing at a story another guy was telling him. His posture was light and easy, a red solo cup in his hand. He had absolutely no idea what was coming. Damian did not announce himself or his intention. It wasn’t like in the movies where people would call out or shout before taking the first swing. He just walked up, grabbed a fistful of Marcus’ shirt, and slammed him back against the side of the house hard enough that the string lights above them rattled. “What the fuck did you do to Asteria?!” He asked. “All I did was…” The first punch landed before Marcus finished the sentence. Marcus’ head snapped sideways and slammed into the wall of the house. Ironically, it ricocheted off the wall and then forward, where Damian’s fist was up and ready for the second punch to land. It had none of the back-and-forth dynamics of an actual fight. Marcus got maybe one or two swi

Christopher Neil’s house looked exactly like the kind of place legendary high school parties were thrown. The house was big and open, with a modern floor plan that made it the perfect setting for Friday night parties and other forms of teenage debauchery. The party was in full swing by the time the girls got there, as evidenced by the bass thumping through the windows and the members of the student body already loitering outside on the front lawn. Maya was out of the car before it had fully stopped moving. Throughout the ride there, she had been thankfully more occupied with texting on her phone than trying to get under Asteria’s skin. On her own end, Asteria texted Damian and Oliver, letting them know that she was close to the party venue and would meet them inside. “Oakley and Gemma are inside and waiting for me.” She announced. “I may or may not need you to be my ride back home, but worst-case scenario, I’ll just get a cab back home, or I’ll ask one of the girls to drive me

Tammy’s house was warm and a little chaotic in the way houses were when they had three younger siblings running through them. Her bedroom, by contrast, was almost aggressively organized: cream colored walls, a meticulously made vision board in the form of a corkboard covered in magazine cutouts, and neatly arranged stuffed toys. “Well, the two of you have been here before, so you both know where the bathroom is if you need it.” Tammy said, dropping her bag at the foot of her bed. “Help yourself to snacks in the kitchen, but if either of you get crumbs in my bed, I’m literally going to wring your necks with my bare hands.” “I took an everything shower in preparation for tonight’s party. I’m not going to spoil it by bloating myself with snacks.” Maya said, letting the last word slip out of her like she found it vile. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to raid your closet; you literally have the best shoes.” And with that, she disappeared into said closet. With Maya out of the way, T

The first week of school had dragged on with the usual mix of classes, dramatic reunions, and Asteria’s growing anxiety about the secret she still hadn’t told Damian. The issue was that she barely got any alone time with him since school started. As a star player of the school’s football team and Blackwell Academy’s most eligible bachelor, Damian was rarely ever alone. It wasn’t the kind of conversation she wanted to have with other people around. And whenever he was, it wasn’t the time for that kind of conversation. By the time Friday rolled around, word had spread about a party being held to celebrate the end of the first week of school. Granted, it wasn’t something significant that was worth celebrating but they were teenagers, and they would take any chance they got to throw and/or attend a party. The party was going to be held at Christopher Neil’s house. Chris was the wide receiver for the Wolves, Blackwell Academy’s football team. And he was a pretty decent player until a sk