The Boy Who Wore Boat Shoes

an⎜The Author's Note

an⎜The Author's Note

update: ari and eric's story doesn't end here!!! go check out "THE CLUB" - ari and eric will be there. hope you'll be there too!!!

So, Imma write a nice reflective A/N and hopefully it won't be too annoying. Leggo: How to begin... Well, we just finished TBWWBS, and I hope that y'all aren't crying nearly as much as I am, cuz that would be bad and we should be happy cuz, again, WE JUST FINISHED TBWWBS! OMG. It started all the way back in April of 2013, and now it's the beginning of February in 2014. That's, like, a good nine months or so. I know I've made this analogy before, but actually, writing a book is like having a baby. It's takes nine months to pop out and be completed enough to show the world, and once it's done, you're extremely protective of it and don't want anyone calling it bad or ugly. For the past nine or so months, TBWWBS has been my baby. And y'all have been like the supportive husband, I guess - there the entire time, and the baby would never come to be if it weren't for y'all. So thanks for being the husband in this metaphorical pregnancy. I really appreciate it, and can't even begin to express how grateful I am for all of your love and support. 

I first started TBWWBS because of a comment someone made on my other story, The Girl Who Wore Jordans (which is in the process of SLOWLY being edited, atm). They suggested that I write a story about Eric, because he was basically the only character to get a not-so-happy ending. I liked the idea, and then ran with it. Then because it was April and I live in a world where it's easier to spot a preppy boy than it is to find a blade of grass, the "boat shoes" part of TBWWBS was born. Though Eric wasn't really emphasized to be a prep (which, for those of you who are still wondering, basically means that he's really proper and wears chinos and sweaters and polos and boat shoes and all that) in the last story, I decided that he would be in this because I like preppy boys.

When I actually started writing TBWWBS, though, I didn't know what I would end up with. Eric had a drug problem, was from NY, and had a nice face. That was all I knew. Then Ari came about, and that was all it took for the story to have somewhat of a plot. I think that overall this story wasn't so much plot based (because there isn't really a firm plot), but rather character driven. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and I've definitely grown as a writer from this. Eventually, I'll go back and edit, but for now, I'm just gonna let it sink in, since it's finally over.

Looking back, I never really noticed how significant the thread of addiction in this was, but it's actually a really important aspect of the story. Eric is an addict, and when I was writing/when y'all were reading this, I think that occasionally we both temporarily forgot that, so when I go back and edit, I definitely want to make that more clear. I'm not one of those people who is MEGA anti-drugs and thinks that people who do them are evil, I just would never do them myself. I know a lot of people who do them, and right now, they think they're fine, and will never get to the point of addiction. But they might. Drugs are a serious issue. I guess this story was a way of writing the aftermath of an exposed addict, though I will admit to glamorizing it quite a bit. Not every addict ends up with an Ari. 

As for Ari Remon, well, I just want to make one point abundantly clear: she is REALLY pretty. And I know that y'all don't think that that's an important factor in anything, but it is. If Ari wasn't pretty, then Eric wouldn't think twice about her. He's an enormously vain person, and while he tries not to be, he's superficial and does judge people by their exteriors. If Ari wasn't gorgeous, then Eric would never be willing to take the plunge and find out all her secrets. Yeah, he's a nice guy, but he's not the type of person/character that would be with someone JUST because they intrigue him. Ari's backstory would be irrelevant if she wasn't pretty. I know this is harsh, but it just needed to be stated, because I don't want y'all thinking that Mr. Perfect (Eric) fell for an average broken girl...because that's unrealistic, and I try not to do that. Also, it goes both ways, because if Eric wasn't GORGEOUS, then Ari wouldn't be interested in him, either, because again, HE'S AN ADDICT. Even if she didn't know initially, she still stuck around, because of his face...and abs. If I found out that a guy I was sorta seeing was addict, then I probably wouldn't stick around. But because of their physical attraction to one another, it works. Yeah.

NOW, if y'all haven't stopped reading by now, then you're a wonderful human being. A sequel. To TBWWBS. Initially, I was going to write one. It was going to be about what happened to Ari immediately after the deaths of her mom and brother, and was going to be a short story. Then I started writing it. The first chapter was okay, but then I got to the second one (since I already wrote the first chapter, I'll post it in this story). As I have mentioned in this story a few times, Ari is an atheist, meaning that she doesn't believe in "G-d" (like a lot of my other characters). Basically, the other story just started to be Ari's descent into atheism, and just how she completely abandoned religion. I didn't want to write that story right now. And y'all don't want to read about how Ari became an atheist. So I'm not going to write that. 

What I am going to write, however, is "Scripted." My new short story (see how cleverly I made that transition?) that I started writing about Mason Grey, the biggest pop sensation since, like, EVER, and Natalie Perry, his girlfriend...or so everyone thought. According to Mason's fans, he liked girls. According to his management team and Natalie, however, he liked boys. Natalie finds out that Mason's been lying to her and everyone else. She can either sever all ties with him, or flip the script. After all, their love can't possibly be real—it's scripted. You've heard of faking straight, but what about faking gay? So, yeah. That's "Scripted." To the side is Eric (Colton Haynes) bonding with Mason (Hunter Parish) and Ari (Lucy Hale) chilling with Natalie (Holland Roden). It would mean the world to me if y'all could please check it out if you haven't already. Don't be that husband that leaves after the child is born - stick around for the next baby.

Oh, and as for the next few babies, well, I'm actually working on another basketball story. I know, I know. I've been asked countless times to write about basketball again, and I finally am. It's gonna be different, yet cliched. The intro/prologue whatever will be up towards the middle of Scripted, and we'll see where it goes from there.

This is so long. I always overwrite. Even in my parting A/N. Gosh. So, again, thank y'all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for reading and commenting and voting and just being epic!! I love y'all to the point that I can't even express it in words, and yeah. Oh, btw, the end count of F-bombs fired in this story is five. Really proud of myself for that. Yeah. I'll miss Ari and Eric and Houston and Kay and Scott and Noa and Seth, but it'll be okay. Thank you, peace out, I love you,

-Sophie