Grievance: Episode 3

By Tetonia Blossom

Six Friends, Minus One Tragic Death, Equals A Senior Year Crissana High Will Never Forget.

Admiration always comes with a price. For THE SIX: Emmitt, Ellie, Hannah, Connor, Kristen, and Tristin, popularity in small town Crissana, Arizona came easy. The inseparable friends have been the envy of their classmates since third grade, and are expected to rule senior year as well. That is until Emmitt’s car is pushed over a cliff, with his twin sister, Ellie, asleep inside.

Now Ellie’s death is all anyone can talk about, while the remaining five begin senior year under an even brighter spotlight. Emmitt hasn’t been seen since the funeral. All eyes are on Kristen as she assumes the role of student body president. Connor has his hands full with an imploding relationship, while Tristin is questioning her sexuality, for the second time. At the center of it all is Hannah, whose boyfriend caused the accident. Everyone’s questioning why she continues to stand by him, especially her friends, and it’s Dax’s job, as Crissana’s anonymous Sun Vlogger, to find the answer.

Grievance explores tragedy, heartbreak, and the unexpected obstacles which can lead you to question who you are or hope to be. The story follows six young characters as they deal with mature situations, including domestic abuse, sexual identity, promiscuity, mental health, and religious beliefs in today’s high school setting. Grievance is a story of hope, honesty, and the power of true friendship—ones you know will last a lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tetonia Blossom
• Release date: Aug 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310666629

Tetonia Blossom

Tetonia Blossom graduated from the California State University, Northridge’s School of Cinema, Television, and Arts where she discovered that day dreaming could actually be a career. She’s a soon to be Sims 4 addict who enjoys popcorn for dinner and spends way too much time with her imaginary friends. In her opinion, a story worth writing has to contain the 3 H’s: Humor, Heat, and Honest Heroines. She lives in Maricopa, Arizona with her husband and rapidly growing hoard of romance and YA novels.Jingle My Way is her NaNoWriMo turned debut novel.For more information, please www.tromelblossom.com

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GRIEVANCE

Episode 3

Tetonia Blossom

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 Tetonia Blossom

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products or copyrighted material used throughout this work of fiction, including the following: Bratz Doll, Halo, Capri Sun. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

For information please visit:

www.GrievanceSeries.com

Cover Art by Irene Zeleskou

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Sneak Peak: Episode 4

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Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha

Chapter One

Tristin/Connor/Hannah

Hiding under her covers offered Tristin no escape from the memory of Brian’s touch. Even when she opened her eyes she could still feel his hands traveling up her thighs, his breath on her neck, and the crush of his lips against hers. She hadn’t talked to Chelsea in days. The whole school was giving her the evil eye, and Emmitt had been calling nonstop. If she had known hooking up with Brian would’ve caused this much trouble—nope—not even with all the fallout could she bring herself to regret it.

Emmitt obviously couldn’t wait to chew her out. It was six on the dot when his first text woke her. Then came the instant messages on her computer; he even sent her a Skype invite. There were so many chimes and bells going off, her room sounded like a slot machine.

Tristin checked the time on her phone while still hiding under the covers.

Seven-twenty two. I’ll kill him, she whispered, just as a pic of him covered in whipped cream appeared on her iPhone. She’d snapped it during last year’s county fair. Connor was always talking them into doing the cheesiest crap.

The person you are trying to reach is trying to sleep, Tristin answered.

Get your butt up, get over here, and bring some food. I’m starving.

Look, I know your little whoa-is-me act has been working on everyone else, but I’m not your errand girl.

You are today. Unless you want the Sun Vlogger to get that pic of you with your braces caught on my swim trunks.

News of her and Brian had already amped up the attention she got from boys. Anymore bad press would all but ensure Chelsea would never take her back. Tristin couldn’t think of a single moment of her life Emmitt didn’t know about, which meant he knew too much for her to ever piss him off. He had accepted she was gay before she even admitted it to herself, unlike Connor. Resorting to blackmail meant he really wanted to see her.

One, you should never have dived in after me. You’re lucky you didn’t give me a concussion. And two, you promised you’d never show that photo to anyone, Tristin said.

I changed my mind when you stopped answering my calls. Now hurry up. He was starting to sound like his normal, pushy self again, which Tristin could have appreciated if he weren’t barking orders at her. Arguing with him was no use since he always managed to persuade her anyway.

I’ll be there in an hour, she said with a huff.

You’ve got thirty minutes. And make sure my food’s still hot, he said before he hung up.

Maybe spending some time with Emmitt would do her good. He could help her find the screw loose in her head. She missed Chelsea like crazy, but no matter how hard she tried denying it, she wanted to be with Brian again.

There was a twenty-pound question on her shoulders, as if there was even a decision to make. Brian would never speak to her again, and even if he did, it wasn’t like he would feel the same way she did, if she even knew what that was. Tristin hoped hooking up with him would finally get him out of her head, but it did the opposite. All week she watched him staring at the walls as if he were lost. She wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid of what might come out, given her delusional confession of love and all. Chelsea was who she really loved and should have been the only one Tristin was thinking about. The whole situation gave her a migraine. She needed air and maybe an exorcist to get Brian out of her head.

***

Connor stood in the doorway watching Noelle assembling care packages at the church’s food bank. She had no idea how sexy she looked with her short hair pulled back and her ratty t-shirt half tucked into her shorts. He grinned, thinking how blessed he was to have someone so beautiful and giving. Their relationship wasn’t perfect, but there were plenty of perfect moments.

They were alone for the first time that morning and Connor decided to sneak up behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around