California Blue

By Charlotte Copper

Halen Stone’s family moved to California just as she’s starting her junior year in high school, and while she’s excited at the prospects of starting over, one classmate—the buff, handsome, outgoing Austin Caldwell—will turn her world completely upside down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781944262198

Book preview

Halen Stone’s family moved to California just as she’s starting her junior year in high school, and while she’s excited at the prospects of starting over, one classmate—the buff, handsome, outgoing Austin Caldwell—will turn her world completely upside down.

CALIFORNIA BLUE

Charlotte Copper

www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

CALIFORNIA BLUE

Copyright © 2016 Charlotte Copper

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

ISBN 978-1-944262-19-8

To Lauryn, Kathryn and Victoria…Never quit your daydreams

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’d like to thank my critique partner, J.C.McKenzie (author of The Carus Novels). Simply put…you rock!

I’d like to thank the small publishers out there, especially Boroughs Publishing Group, who have faith in the little writers and who encourage us to dream big.

And to my family…you are my everything.

CONTENTS

Monday, Week 1

Thursday, Week 1

Friday, Week 1

Saturday, Week 1

Monday, Week 2

Wednesday, Week 2

Saturday, Week 2

Sunday, Week 3

Wednesday, Week 3

Saturday, Week 3

Sunday, Week 4

Wednesday, Week 4

Friday, Week 4

About the Author

CALIFORNIA BLUE

MONDAY

Week One

Halen reached for glasses no longer sitting on her night table. Drawing back her empty hand, she squinted at the bright red numbers on the clock.

New day. New house. New…ugh!

Pulling the covers up to her chin, she released a heavy sigh. Nervousness wrestled with excited anticipation as she considered all the pros and cons of starting again in a new place. Soon the sunlight would spill through the half-open blinds, adding an extra dimension to the busy floral wallpaper and calling a start to the day. She stretched her arms overhead and pushed the sheets down to the bottom of the bed with her legs.

She could do this. Just another day.

Slipping out of bed, she exchanged her pajamas for shorts, a faded tee-shirt, and her running shoes. Watch? Check. Ponytail? Done. She peeked into the hall where her brother’s door stood slightly ajar. Trying not to make noise, she tiptoed across the hall to the bathroom before heading downstairs.

The dawn sun peeked over the houses, and the air, tinged with the distant smell of the ocean, already hinted at a hot day ahead. As she stretched, she recalled her mother’s answer as to why Halen’s parents decided to move back to the west coast: California blue.

Blue skies and blue ocean. Fluffy white clouds over variegated blue water. Long walks on the beach with the warm sand tickling her toes. And sunshine yellow. Beautiful sunrises and marvelous sunsets. Golden rays shining down, bringing warmth to head and heart. Her mother hated the cold and the snow, hated the color grey. What could anyone say about grey that gave the same feelings of warmth that radiated from California blue?

It was exactly the kind of romantic explanation a teenage girl like Halen could buy into.

Starting her run, she made a right onto Cherry, and went past the street that led to Auntie Anne and Uncle Joe’s. Another right, this time onto Oak, took her past her new school and the last street of her journey before she would turn back up Peachtree