Loud and Clear

Loud and Clear (2016) Aidan Wayne

This is probably one of my favorite novellas, one I reach for when I’m feeling terrible and need to get out of my own head.

“Don’t bother,” he said, nodding at the notepad. Caleb looked up at him and frowned. “I mean. You can write, if you wanna, if that’s better for you, but—” he did sigh this time, letting it all out in a rush “—I can’t read.”

Caleb’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

“Yeah,” Jaxon averted his eyes. “I know, okay? But there it is. Dumb as a brick.” Caleb scowled so hard that Jaxon actually jerked back a little.

“I-if yo-you a-a-are du-du-d-d-dumb f-f-for th-th-that, h-how do yo-y-you think I f-f-feel?” he spat, quick and choppy.

Caleb had spent his whole life fighting with a world that judged him on one single trait. Stamped stupid on his forehead in bright-red ink because he couldn’t get them to listen to what he had to say instead of how he said it. He knew what that fucking felt like. But he also knew he was a privileged bastard who’d gotten good grades without much trouble, who’d gotten into great schools as a result, who worked hard, yeah, but who’d also had the method and means to get to where he wanted to be.

Characters: Caleb Wrotslavsky, Jaxon Tlapa

Cover art: L.C. Chase

Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Rating: 9.5/10

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