The Clay Connection
“…I’m the only one who gets to treat you like that, Pearce. You are mine, and I do not take too kindly to those who want to share in what’s mine…”
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Anthony Pearce and Blake Lindell have been locked in a feud for as long as they can remember. The spark that ignited their rivalry? Well, that depends on which side of the clay you ask. You’d think their parents’ constant meddling or the time they spend together on the basketball court would help smooth things over, but nope—this relationship remains stubbornly unshaped.
Everything changes, though, when Blake is forced to ditch the court and take up pottery—Anthony’s territory, where he’s the undisputed “King of Clay.” Now, tasked with the mission of getting Blake up to speed before graduation, Anthony has to spend even more time in close quarters with his rival.
Will they be able to sculpt their fractured friendship back into a masterpiece, or is their bond too cracked and brittle to repair? And when a buried secret surfaces about the rumor that shattered Anthony’s ninth-grade year, will it soften their hardened hearts or leave them shattered beyond the kiln’s fix? One thing’s for sure—things are about to get messy.
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Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREEANTHONY’S POV“Did you know Blake had a new girlfriend?”I choked on my saliva as soon as the words left Anderson’s mouth. With my eyes wide and my hand stuck midair as I was pulling out my textbook, I stared at him.“What? Where did you hear that from?”“Him.”“Him? As in, Blake himself?” Anderson nodded and inched closer to me. I didn’t notice it at first because of the initial shock of the information he presented me with, but he looked a little frantic. Almost livid.“Did you know about it? I thought he broke up with your sister? Are they secretly dating? Is that the new girlfriend he was referring to?”“Well, if he’s secretly dating my sister, then there’s no way I’d know about it since it’s a secret and they’re obviously doing a good job about hiding it. But if he said that he had a new girlfriend…” I trailed off here because I no idea what to say about that. I was still trying to wrap my head around the reason behind Blake’s sudden confession when he appeared behind Anderson, a
Last Updated: 2025-09-01
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWOBLAKE’S POV“You have got to be kidding me!” Tony spat. “I leave you alone for one second and you are already out there, frolicking with all the girls at NCH.”“Okay, now that’s a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?” He did not like my choice of words. I was used to seeing Tony mad – I made him so for a really long time – but seeing him downright furious was something I was not used to. His eyes were bulging out of his sockets and his face was so red, I figured water would sizzle if I poured it on him.“Sweetie…”“Don’t ‘sweetie’ me you philandering piece of shit!”We were both taken aback by his outburst, him more than me though, but he managed to maintain his air of anger and fury at my actions. I realized all too soon that being all coy and cheeky will not get me out of this one.“Tony, I was wrong, okay? It’s my fault that you’re angry and I shouldn’t have done what I did.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes.“You were supposed to be brainstorming your project with Anderson
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONEBLAKE’S POVThere was something wrong.The way she moved. The way she spoke. Even the way she looked! But most importantly, the way she held the clay.Clara was angry, everyone could tell that, but what was surprising was how she held the clay in her hands that she was using to demonstrate how to burnish after molding. The sides of the almost hardened clay were beginning to crack from the pressure her palms exerted on them. All of us were deathly quiet probably to know if we could hear the bowl crack, but mostly so our heads wouldn’t be next in line.“I am going to need you guys to come together again and make something that would be worthy to be in our local museum. I’m not going to tell you what to make, you’re going to have to come up with it. This time around you’ll have a longer time period to get on with it because I want your pieces to go through the whole process. If you cannot paint by now, I suggest you learn how.” She glared at me when she said that last part and for the fi
Last Updated: 2025-07-29
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTYANTHONY’S POVFamily meetings. Or, in this case, families meeting.Blake’s parents had insisted that we all got together to celebrate his getting into Duke and also to try and patch things up. We all knew he was going to get in, what with the fact that he was scouted by them and his parents were alumni, but I guess the main reason they wanted to get us all together was to make up.It was very awkward and uncomfortable to be sitting across my parents and sister on one of the big round tables in the VIP lounge of Sterling Hotel where Blake and Stella caught me spying on him. My palms were sweaty and my heart was thumping maniacally. Blake seemed to be at ease as he sat beside me, but I couldn’t really tell what he was thinking. Unlike me, he had perfected the art of keeping his emotions away from the surface unless he wanted you to see it, and right now, despite the tension and awkwardness in the room, he looked unbothered and unperturbed by it.“Thank you guys so much for honoring our
Last Updated: 2025-07-19
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINEBLAKE’S POV“Care explaining what coach Gremicks said to me in school today?”My mother looked at anything but me, sensing that I was pissed at her. My father sat over at the table, munching away at an apple.“What? I just thought you’d like to be back on the team,” she said defensively.My mom had no idea, but she had put me in the tightest spot ever. My mind has been in chaos ever since I left school to come over to her hotel room. Coupled with the fact that the whole team may turn against my boyfriend now that I was back, there was also this little issue about my college application that I was hoping I’d put on hold till after graduation. Now that I was playing again, there was no way I could avoid that topic especially when scouts were coming in to watch the game.“I was kicked off the team, not put on probation. You can’t just do things the way you want to do them. I didn’t want to be kicked off the team, but you had that happen and I was put in pottery class. I like it there and
Last Updated: 2025-07-13
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHTANTHONY’S POVAs soon as we – Blake, Claire, Dante and I – stepped inside school the next day, I could tell that there was a dynamic shift in the way things used to be. Dante, Luke and Blake walked like they didn’t care about the stares that people were giving them. Claire was texting furiously on her phone, completely unaware of the environment she just walked into. I seemed to be the only one who was anxious and worried about the kind of backlash Blake and his crew were sure to get for humiliating the guys on the team by not showing up to their party.It was all over the students’ forum, how Blake ditched the party in favor of the arcade. I had no idea who took the picture, but there was a colored photograph of all of us in Playmates, the arcade close to the amusement park that Claire liked to go to. Their gazes said it all; Blake Lindell has forsaken the basketball team.“Frustrating piece of shit!” Claire’s rage filled but tiny outburst distracted me from the faces of the students
Last Updated: 2025-07-09
Play it Straight
“Rule #1: Don’t fall for the roommate. Rule #2: Seriously, don’t fall for the roommate.”
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After an incident that shattered her confidence, Phoenix wants nothing more than to disappear. So, when her twin brother makes her a crazy, bizarre but deliciously sinful offer, she slips on a uniform and takes her place as his twin ‘brother’ at Harrison Park Academy — a chance to restart and feel in control, just until she feels okay again.
But HPA has its own rules—and none of them account for bathroom phobias, shared dorms, or accidentally locking eyes with your ridiculously attractive new roommate.
Justice is intense, loyal, and way too perceptive for her comfort. Worst of all? He’s the one person she can’t seem to avoid… or stop thinking about. He’s just irritating enough to make her blood boil. But he’s also kind in the quietest ways, and she’s falling, fast.
Now Phoenix is navigating locker room close calls, midnight showers, secret crushes, late-night parties with their sister all-girls’ school across the lake and an escalating rivalry between the athletes and the academic elite. Her lies are stacking higher than her jump shots, and with each game, the stakes get heavier.
Everyone thinks she’s just another boy chasing a spot on the team. But she’s playing for more than victory.
She’s playing to feel like herself again.
She’s playing to forget what happened last year.
And if anyone finds out who she really is, it won’t just be her cover that’s blown— it’ll be her entire world.
Phoenix is one step away from getting exposed. And when you’re living a lie?
One wrong move is all it takes to lose the game.
How long can she keep playing it straight?
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Chapter: RACKS AND BANDAGESPHOENIX’S POVMy head felt light when I finally opened my eyes. I sat up straight and noticed the rows of neatly made beds separated by sliding curtains, each with crisp sheets and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.“You’re up.”I jumped at the sound of Marlow’s voice. He looked different – carefree and giddy, with a very suspicious teasing grin on his face. I looked around me and saw no one else, just Marlow leaning against the pole holding up my curtain, grinning his face off silly. It was the first time I was seeing him like this – happy and so full of life. There was not an ounce of sleep in his eyes and his messy hair gave him a very cute boy-next-door look.“What’s going on? What am I doing here?”“That’s the same question I wanted to ask you.” He moved closer, his steps swift and eager, and plopped down on the stool beside me. He gave me a once over, his smile never once leaving his face.“You passed out during practice. Luckily, the guys and I were there to watch you so Mi
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
Chapter: YOU BREAK ONE CURSE, ANOTHER FOLLOWS YOUJUSTICE’S POV“What the hell did you think you were doing making Christopher a part of the tryout process?”I winced at Harry’s sharp voice. I was still trying to decide what to wear for the private room match – my favorite jersey that I got from Jackson or the ones the school gave me when I became assistant captain.“Harry, Chris is a key player in the team. Of course he should be part of the tryout process. How else would we be able to choose great new players to be on the team?” I patted his shoulder and he groaned loudly in frustration.“Do you have a death wish, Justice? Is that it? Is Jackson’s absence beginning to eat you from the inside out?” I pretended to brush off imaginary dust from my sneakers before putting them on. Harry found this to be irritating since I had done it in his general direction.“Christopher is one of the best players we have on the team. He is a vital player and his input during this recruiting session will be invaluable. Why on earth do you think it was
Last Updated: 2025-08-30
Chapter: THE FINE ART OF NUTMEGGING A STAR PLAYERPHOENIX’S POV“Okay, so I asked around and the person you need to impress today is Cristopher, not Justice.”Zeke was pulling stuff out of the duffel bag that he brought with him. He had packed a bottle of water, a towel, protein bars and fresh set of clothes. One would think that he got all that for me to use after tryouts, but they were actually for him. He claimed that being near these many athletic guys would make him lose his cool and he’d need to be hydrated to continuing functioning like a normal human being.“By ‘asked around’ you mean you flirted with someone on the team,” Miles stated and Zeke replied with a cheeky grin.“Zeke, not to sound like the most righteous amongst us, but don’t you have a girlfriend? You’ve been flirting around lately.”Zeke’s face contorted into a frown while Marlow and Miles smiled. Something happened, and they knew about it while I didn’t.“Zeke?” I probed. “Did you break up with your girlfriend?”“As a matter of fact, he did.’ There was a smugness
Last Updated: 2025-08-25
Chapter: I WILL NOT TAKE OFF MY SHIRT!PHOENIX’S POV“I thought I’d lost you.”A groan escaped my lips when I saw Trevor shimmy beside me with a stupid grin on his face. I had managed to avoid him during the first race of the day, but he caught up to me.Saturday was gym day for the academic elite and those whose Monday-Friday curriculum didn’t allow for sporting activities. It was surprising how many of these guys who looked like they lived in the gym could not run for a minute without gasping for air and holding their chests.“Go away,” I said through gritted teeth.“You smell really good by the way.” My frown deepened as I remembered him accosting me with his goons and almost stripping me naked and revealing my identity. Oh, I hated Trevor Reed with a burning passion.“Get lost, Trevor. I’m warning you.”“You gonna send Justice to rescue you again?” I didn’t answer him but focused on stretching my limbs. We were about to do the beep test and the gym at HPA was bigger than most high school gyms. I was sweating, my binder
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: I BROKE A CURSE AND GOT A PRIVATE ROOMPHOENIX’S POV“You look different,” Zeke stated as soon as I sat down on our table. He was frowning slightly, tying to figure out what was new about me.“He showered,” Miles said proudly. When he came back last night and didn’t see me, he started to freak out, thinking that I’d been caught. He called me thirty-six times before finally deciding that he’d stay up instead since he couldn’t go out again because of ARCHIE. When I strolled back in wearing Justice’s clothes, smiling like I had won the lottery and smelling like I just came from a scent shop, he sighed in relief, hopped on his bed and was fast asleep before I could even tell him what happened. He heard the full gist this morning when he woke up. Words could not describe how pleased he was about me not stinking up the whole place anymore.“Really? What happened to your allergy?”A smile instantly appeared on my face at the thought of Justice. “A very sweet soul gave me his antihistamine.”“I didn’t know there was someone with a
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
Chapter: I WONDER...JUSTICE’S POVI couldn’t sleep.Harry was snoring loudly, and usually that wouldn’t have bothered me at all, but I kept thinking about what happened last semester and how mad Jackson was.My mind went to his brother, Phoenix. I wouldn’t lie I was a bit surprised when I first saw him. he looked a lot like Fiona. Maybe it was because I was thinking of her when I saw him then. They all looked alike; Jackson, Phoenix and Fiona. I wonder why he never told me about his brother and his baby sister. He made it sound like it was just he and Fiona that existed.My head started to ache like it usually did whenever I thought of Jackson and his sister and the events of last semester. He didn’t tell his brother what happened between us. If he had, he wouldn’t have spoken to me and been all nice. Or maybe it was because he was new and needed help and there was no one else to guide him. There’s no way Jackson didn’t tell his siblings what happened, especially Fiona. He was closer to her than he was w
Last Updated: 2025-07-27
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