Instacrush: The Facetime of Our Lives

By Lloydd Marshall

Mazzy is back from a social media-less summer abroad, and the once Instagram saavy teen is ready to get back online and back to class as a high school senior. Meanwhile, her Instagram beau-turned-boyfriend Dawson is starting his first year of school at Princeton.
Keeping their long-distance relationship alive via hashtagged messages and scheduled FaceTime conversations, the couple are soon torn between a digital connection and the real-world fun they convince each other is worth having. So, like responsible best friends and for the greater good (#whoaretheykidding), the couple mutually agree to turn their relationship into a friends-only thing for the time being. Even when new flirtations and momentous life events seem to separate and then bring them close again like weird waves of fate, they’ll always be friends, right?
Rejoin the Insta-crazy ups and downs of Mazzy and Dawson’s doomed-to-be-dramatic relationship in the second book of the Instacrush series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BLGM Reserve Estate
• Release date: Jul 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781943549856

Lloydd Marshall

I grew up all over southern California and Washington state, with a smattering of locations about Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaii, and with each move I learned about new cultures and ideas. Moving has always been a constant reality for me, which has exposed me to various people and ideas about the world; it has increased my love of writing many times over. With each book, I hope to reach new people who will enjoy what I create. Many people have interests in literature and fiction, but few people have ever thought themselves so ambitious that they would choose to write and publish a book every single week. This is my promise.

Book preview

INSTACRUSH: THE FACETIME OF OUR LIVES

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, places, incidents, and dialogue are the product of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real, or if real, are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Lloydd Marshall

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Art & Design: Star Foos

Copy Editor: Andrew Call

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This book is published in both print and digital formats in the US of A.

ISBN: 978-1-943549-85-6

Instacrush

The Facetime of Our Lives

Lloydd Marshall

Las Vegas, Nevada

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

About the Author

Prologue

Okay, I think that’s everything. Mazzy said as she taped up the last box in Dawson’s room. You are officially ready for Princeton, Mr.

You are the best girlfriend anyone could ask for.

Oh come on, I’m okay.

"No. You are the best."

I’ve never blushed so much in my entire life. Those words literally melted my heart. Spending a whole summer away from him really took a toll on me. I mean, I was doing something I loved and it was great, but not being able to look into his eyes after a long day really bummed me out. But I returned home feeling refreshed. I knew the next chapter of our relationship was going to be a bit of a challenge, but I think we are both ready for it. We’re young adults now.

Oh he’s such a sweet boy and he was leaving tomorrow?! God, I don’t think it hit me until right now!

I love you!.

I love you too, Mazz.

Even after spending all that time away from each other, it was as if I had never left. Of course there were days that I wished I was lying in bed with him or walking down the street, hand in hand, to our favorite cafe but I knew that it was only temporary. But I must say, London is such a beautiful city! I had such a great time meeting new people and seeing a part of the world I’ve only gotten a chance to read about. Some days were really gray. And I mean that literally. Nothing but gray skies. But it was real nice. Occasionally, I’d sneak out of the seminars and walk, what felt like an eternity of miles, to Hyde Park and I would just sit there. No iPod, no social media of any kind, just me and the quietness. It was beautiful. But then I’d start to think of Dawson again and wished that he could be with me and take in all the beauty I was surrounded by. And then I would leave. One of the times on my way back, an older gentlemen who was driving with his son offered to give me a ride. I told him I was fine with walking but he insisted and gave me a lift all the way back to where I was staying. Very sweet and polite people live in that city. And no matter who I talked to while I was there, they always got a kick out of my American accent. For years I tried to lose any sort of tang that my accent had for them. It was an absolute delight, and I enjoyed it very much. I hope that one day I will return there, whether I’m on vacation or to buy a cozy, little apartment. But what really makes me smile is that our relationship is so strong that no matter where either of us go, we will always be together.

But seriously, do you know how hard it was to not post a selfie while I was there? I mean there were so many great places I could have snapped a picture but I was trying so hard not to. And I liked writing letters to you. I haven’t written a letter in years... I forgot how much work it is. I felt very Victorian-esque. You should be honored that my hand cramped up for you.

You’re so cute.

I really couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend. He’s so sweet and understanding. Most guys I know wouldn’t even care if their girlfriend wrote letters to them. They would brush it off as some girly thing and joke about it with their friends later that day. But not Dawson. He’s the absolute sweetest.

This has been the best week of my entire life.

I just wish it didn’t have to end.

Hey, don’t get so down. I know we’re going to be apart from one another but distance makes the heart grow fonder right?

Chapter 1

Out with the old and in with the new, I am now the queen of the hallway! Well, me and the other 300 girls in my graduating class. But let’s not worry about them right now. Since I’ve been away from my social media for sometime, it makes me smile knowing that everyone, including most of their parents, are sharing some of their most cherished moments with one another. Sometimes the posts can get a bit too personal, #whydidyoupostthat? But with my new developing app that will combine all the joys of Instagram, Vine and Facebook all into one giant, social-sharing-experience, I feel pretty confident that my name will soon be at the forefront of this social media frenzy.

And after three long years I was finally at the top of the food chain. Yes my dear friends, today marks the first day of my senior year. I can’t help but smile at all these worried freshmen scurrying through the halls and figuring out their complex schedule. It’s high school, people! No one’s asking you to perform open-heart surgery. Unless, of course, you have Mr. Burgess as your homeroom teacher, then it’s no picnic! I was lucky enough to dodge that bullet, but some of my other friends weren’t so lucky. Anyways, not my concern! I’m just happy that I passed all my required classes and now I have the flexibility every senior should have. Did I mention that I have extended lunches now? Super cool! And another perk of being a senior is that I now have my own parking space in the school’s parking lot. Granted I don’t have a car just yet but knowing that I have my own space is so awesome. I think I’ll park my bike there. But then I’ll have to stick a bike rack in there, which might cause some issues for the other cars parked beside it. Oh what the hell, I’m sure we’ll be able to come to some kind of agreement.

There’s a new sign that has littered the hallways stating, ‘If you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail.’ And there’s a crude picture of a smartphone with a big X on top of it. I guess the author of this clever sign believes that smartphones are the reason why kids are falling behind in their studies. But the truth of the matter is, the lessons these students are being presented are nothing more than printed out packets that the teacher reads out to the class. It’s a great tool to use if you’re studying for an exam, but they need to work harder at exciting us with this material and teaching it to us in such a way that we can identify with it and use it in our later lives. If all they want from us is to memorize facts so that we can fill in the answers on our tests well then that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I used to think that laziness came from the students. But now I’m starting to see it more in the teachers. They’ve lost the drive to interact with their students and get invested with the material and if this kind of attitude keeps accumulating, then our bright youths of tomorrow will be working at the local burger shack and staying in this quiet little town for good. There’s nothing wrong with being a townie, I just think that it’s very important to be aware of what’s going on in the rest of the world and having the education that is needed to make oneself grow into a better human being. But hey, who am I to say? I’m still in school!

Hey Mazz! A voice rung out of the passing faces in the hallway. I turned around and saw it was Tucker.

Hey Tucker, how’s it going?

Pretty good. How was London?

Ah, it was beautiful! How was your summer?

It was okay. Spent most of it at my grandparents house Upstate.

Oh, that must have been nice.

It was okay. They get a little grumpy after 5 o’clock so I had plenty of time to catch up on my comic books.

Very cool!

Well, I gotta run. I’ll see you later! And before I knew it, Tucker sprinted down the hall, disappearing into the sea of students. He’s slightly nerdy but in a cute kind of way. Suddenly, a finger tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw it was Mrs. Trotter. She was my English teacher last year.

And how are we doing today, Mazzy?

Great, Mrs. Trotter. And how about you?

Oh, I’m just peachy. Another year of students who could care less about the lessons I teach. Such an honest soul in the morning.

Did you take any pictures while you were away in London?

Actually, no. There was a strict policy about not using any social media while I was staying there.

Oh come on, you’re a teenager. I’m sure you could have found a way to sneak in a few pictures here and there.

I wish I could tell you I did. But if I did it would have cost me the whole trip. Besides, I had Dawson to keep me company.

Oh, Dawson came along with you?

Only in the form of a letter hahaha. She didn’t like my terrible joke very much. I mean, no, we only communicated through letters. Occasionally, an email would be exchanged but I enjoyed reading his handwriting.

I see. And you two are still together then?

Yup! Still going strong.

What university did he get accepted to?

Princeton.

Oh, very good. Well I guess now since you’re back in the country, it will be a little easier to stay in touch with him.

Yeah, much easier.

Well, it’s almost time for first period. I don’t want to make you late. It was good to talk to you, Mazzy.

You too, Mrs. Trotter. Have a great first day!

I’ll try, she said as she shrugged her shoulders and walked down the hallway. I really enjoyed her class the year before but I always thought there was something slightly off about her. Maybe it was the foul stench of cigarettes and coffee on her breath that threw me off. Or maybe it was her outfit choices. I mean, I’m not judging in any way but maybe she just needs someone to give her a hug and tell her everything’s going to be okay.

RING!

The first bell has pierced into the hallways, letting everyone know that only two minutes remain before the next bell. And if you’re not in the classroom before that last bell then it’s the long, shameful walk to the principal's office. I’ve seen some teachers be very apologetic to the students who are late and there’s other teachers who almost patronize the students for being late.

‘In the real world, if you show up late to work you would be fired.’

This may or may not be true but it would be nice to see them cut the students some slack. It’s the first day for crying out loud! I can understand everyone else but give the freshmen a break. They had their orientation less than a week before the first day and they’re still nervous about the whole thing. Like take this kid for example. He’s been struggling with his locker combination since I turned the corner in the hallway. No one’s helping him mainly because nobody cares. He’s sweating profusely and he will probably be late for his first class in high school. I could just keep on walking, turn my head so I don’t have to make any kind of awkward eye-contact with him but that’s just not me. I was in his place once and I hate to think that this poor kid will be forced to miss his first class.

Hey, do you need some help? He stared helplessly at me. Do you remember your combination?

Finally, 36-32-28, he responded.

I kindly pushed him aside and opened his locker quicker than he could blink.

Wow. Thanks.

Don’t mention it. Say, who’s your homeroom teacher?

Mrs. Kramer.

Oh, she’s real sweet. Just tell her you had some problems with your locker and she’ll understand. But don’t make it a habit because then she’ll start to think you’re B.S.ing her.

He dropped some extra notebooks into his locker and closed it back up.

And for the future, always carry your morning books in your backpack, that way you won’t have to go to your locker after every class. That way during lunch you can swap them out for your afternoon classes.

Thank you...

Mazzy. My name’s Mazzy.

I’m Trevor.

He stuck his hand out for a shake. I shook his hand and wow! Clammiest hands I’ve ever felt! He smiled at me before dashing down the hallway.

As I approached my new locker I noticed something waiting for me there. No, it wasn’t the school bully asking for lunch money or a cutesy couple making out, it was a bouquet of red roses and a note. The note read, ‘Good luck on your first day! Love, Dawson.’ I immediately opened my Instagram and snapped a picture - #awwww. I picked up the bouquet, pressed it against my nose and inhaled deeply. I always loved the smell of roses, I mean who doesn’t? I could spend hours - days even - inside a flower shop just taking in all the different smells -

RING!

Dammit! Now I’m late. Ah, no big deal. My first class is - oh no! I haven’t even looked at my schedule yet. I swung my bag around, pulled my schedule out and realized my first class of the day was Gym. Ugh, the worst class in the history of school. Keeping your body active is important for sure, but at 8 a.m. it is the last thing that I want to do. I opened my locker, carefully put Dawson’s roses inside, along with his cute

Reviews for Instacrush

[britany robinson · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

lots of editing mistakes. However this book forgets a lot of the first book, fist flight? She went to London guess she walks there?. The love story is interesting but the push of back and forth is exhausting. The change of point of view is jarring as well. Wish Dawson was in first person not third. However it was okay.