Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Neutral Shades
    Neutral Shades
    Neutral Shades
    Ebook109 pages1 hour

    Neutral Shades

    By Xondra Day

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Forced to move and change schools just before his senior year, Greg Reese thinks his life is over until he meets handsome jock, Nick Anderson who is his dream guy in every way.

    Sparks fly between the two, but neither are out. When they're caught in a compromising situation, Greg quickly finds himself dumped.

    Moving on isn’t easy, but starting a summer job helps keep a devastated Greg occupied, along with forming a friendship with humorous and cute co-worker, Chris.

    Chris is out and makes no bones about it. Greg has an instant attraction to Chris, and coming out now seems to be an option. After all, you can't hide forever, right?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEvernight Teen
    Release dateFeb 2, 2018
    ISBN9781773395647
    Neutral Shades

    Read more from Xondra Day

    Related to Neutral Shades

    Related ebooks

    YA LGBTQIA+ For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Festival

      Sep 15, 2018

      My husband, who loved festivals, who was a great fan of festivals, wanted to get to the square in time for the first band at eleven o’clock. From bed, the dog and I watched him dress. He tried on various T-shirts, declaring some of them too tight and

      13 min read

    • Article

      Class ACT

      Mar 18, 2020

      Class ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      Kıds & Angles

      Jun 24, 2023

      Kıds & Angles
      4 min read

    • Article

      All By Myself

      Apr 28, 2020

      All By Myself
      6 min read

    • Article

      After “The End”

      Oct 10, 2022

      I walked down the road with a hunched back and a wet cigarette in my mouth—the fire had died a while back. My hands were tucked into the pockets of my jacket, and my hair fell over my face, limiting my sight. But I wasn’t really seeing where I was go

      10 min read

    • Article

      Counselor of Chippewa Cabin

      Jun 26, 2020

      Counselor of Chippewa Cabin
      5 min read

    • Article

      Here’s What I Don’t Say

      Jun 1, 2019

      Here’s What I Don’t Say
      13 min read

    • Article

      A Class ACT

      Dec 29, 2020

      A Class ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Space Between Us

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Space Between Us
      8 min read

    • Article

      Choosing the Flowers

      Oct 10, 2022

      Choosing the Flowers
      10 min read

    • Article

      FACING loneliness

      Oct 7, 2023

      FACING loneliness
      6 min read

    • Article

      Counter Waves

      Oct 23, 2020

      Counter Waves
      8 min read

    • Article

      Class Act

      Oct 27, 2020

      Class Act
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sally Dynevor

      Jan 24, 2022

      Sally Dynevor
      5 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    • Article

      Deborah Meaden

      Jul 10, 2023

      Deborah Meaden
      6 min read

    • Article

      Now That I’ve Arrived

      Dec 30, 2020

      Now That I’ve Arrived
      5 min read

    • Article

      Kids & Angels

      Jun 25, 2019

      Kids & Angels
      4 min read

    • Article

      Leaving Home

      Jan 12, 2021

      Leaving Home
      6 min read

    • Article

      Family PLANNING

      Jun 6, 2021

      Family PLANNING
      3 min read

    • Article

      60 Seconds That Changed My Life

      Feb 5, 2023

      DATE: December 2D, 1999, 8:15pm EVENT: Writer and broadcaster BENJAMIN LAW comes out to his mum about his sexuality. I GREW UP on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, the last mainland state in Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. That meant for a

      3 min read

    • Article

      60 Seconds That Changed My Life

      Feb 5, 2023

      DATE: December 2D, 1999, 8:15pm EVENT: Writer and broadcaster BENJAMIN LAW comes out to his mum about his sexuality. I GREW UP on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, the last mainland state in Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. That meant for a

      3 min read

    • Article

      Leaving HOME

      Feb 26, 2020

      Leaving HOME
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Problem with My Dachshund

      Dec 11, 2019

      The Problem with My Dachshund
      10 min read

    • Article

      Alan Cumming

      Nov 1, 2021

      Alan Cumming
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Physics Of Connection

      Sep 1, 2020

      IF I HELD A HAMMER CORRECTLY, the way my father taught me, and then swung it down on a rock, the rock would break. I would have caused that to happen. I would have transferred kinetic energy from my arm to the hammer’s handle and then to the hammer’s

      6 min read

    • Article

      Mom’s Plan

      Sep 24, 2022

      Mom’s Plan
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Neutral Shades

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Neutral Shades - Xondra Day

      Published by Evernight Teen ® at Smashwords

      www.evernightteen.com

      Copyright© 2018 Xondra Day

      ISBN: 978-1-77339-564-7

      Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

      Editor: JC Chute

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

      WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

      This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      NEUTRAL SHADES

      Xondra Day

      Copyright © 2018

      Chapter One

      The first thing I noticed when I woke in the morning was the crack running across the ceiling over my bed. It had started small, but now extended its way over to the wall farthest away from where I lay. Dad wasn’t going to like that. He hadn’t wanted to move back to the town where he and Mom had grown up. But she’d insisted, and he’d quickly caved in like he always did.

      What brought us here was an inheritance from Mom’s aunt, Sylvia, that included a large sum of money plus this house. Dad had been made redundant at his job. He walked away with a ‘package settlement’ as he called it, and the rest became our history. Mom had started her own jewelry business which was based online, so relocating for her was an easy choice. Heading back home, as she’d stated many times, was a dream come true. For her, at least. For me and Dad, not so much.

      Not that I was opposed to moving, but I was soon to be a senior in high school and while I wasn’t the most popular guy, I did have some friends who I didn’t want to leave behind.

      Sitting up, I stretched before sliding my legs over the side of the bed. Cabbage rose wallpaper greeted me as I stared at the walls surrounding me. Mom promised to get rid of it as soon as possible. I had already picked out the color I wanted the room painted. Straying as far from this pink floral nightmare as I could, I picked out the most neutral shade of beige I could find. Mom was satisfied with that, as she commented it would go with anything. That was me in a nutshell, neutral in so many ways. I never stirred the pot or shook things up. I was always the good kid who got good grades and did as he was told.

      Up, Greg, Mom said. She knocked on the door twice before saying my name again.

      I am, I replied, stifling back a yawn. I didn’t know what the big deal was about being up early, but even in the summer she insisted I didn’t stay in bed all morning. I glanced at the clock radio at my bedside. It was a little after eight. All I wanted to do was flop back for another hour. That was not going to happen. From previous experience, I knew she’d keep harassing me until I finally got up.

      Breakfast is ready.

      Okay. I listened as I heard her walk away muttering something to herself. She did that a lot. I quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before checking my phone. But who would have texted me? I didn’t know anyone here yet. We’d been here a month and I had yet to meet anyone my own age.

      Downstairs in the kitchen, Dad sat reading the paper with a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him along with a steaming cup of black coffee. No sugar or cream for him. Mom turned from the stove and smiled as she motioned for me to sit. She handed me a full plate along with a glass of orange juice. You don’t eat enough, she said, before giving me the chance to dig in.

      I eat enough, I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I ate what I wanted. But food wasn’t a high priority in my life. I was slender… Okay, most people would look at me thinking I was too skinny. I could stand to gain a few pounds, and I had started working out a couple months ago when the mood struck me.

      If you say so. Mom sat across from me and started in, taking a sip of coffee first. She really loved her morning coffee. It amused me to see the look of bliss and satisfaction every time she took that first small sip in the morning.

      Plans? Dad asked, lowering his paper. It’s a nice day.

      I didn’t have anything planned. Like I said before, I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have any friends. How could I make plans to do anything, unless it was a solo deal? I might mow the lawn. It was the first thing that popped in my mind.

      Dad shrugged and went back to reading the paper. I think he might be ashamed of me at times. He doesn’t treat me badly or even talk down to me, but I can tell he’s disappointed that I’m not more like him. Dad was a jock in high school. He was popular and well-liked by practically everyone. It’s a lot to live up to. I stopped trying a while back.

      ****

      Outside, I stopped on the back step for a moment and looked up at the sky. I squinted and shaded my eyes with my hand before looking down again. It was sunny and warmer than I expected. Mowing the lawn had been a shitty idea, and it didn’t need doing anyway. I hated the fact that since moving here I had no life. How was I going to change that? School was still a couple months away. If I didn’t meet some new friends, it was going to be a long, boring summer.

      I walked across the backyard and opened the gate that led to the laneway behind our house. I continued, not knowing where I was headed, but figured I’d know when I got there. There was a park nearby where people my age hung out. I’d spotted them there a couple of times since moving here. In the distance, I heard voices. My stomach knotted up. My first instinct was to turn around and head back home. I suffered from anxiety at times, especially when it came to social situations I wasn’t comfortable with.

      You’re not from around here, a distinctly male voice said, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. I turned to see if the person was talking to me or someone else. I don’t remember seeing you at school.

      Are you talking to me? I asked. I glanced around confirming that I was the only other person standing on the sidewalk. Immediately, my heart leapt into my throat as my pulse sped up. There was that anxiety again.

      I am, he replied. A wide grin crossed his lips. He held a Frisbee in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Talking to you, that is, he continued. I’m Nick. He tucked the Frisbee under his arm and held out his hand. Nick Anderson.

      Greg Reese. His handshake was firm, warm, and strong. Either this guy spent a lot of time at the gym or he was athletic. He was at least two inches taller than me and built thick with lean muscle all over. I noticed the veins in his forearms. His biceps shifted as he squeezed my hand for a second time. I felt a little intimidated by his strength and size, standing there in front of him. His eyes locked on mine.

      "I was on my way to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1