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Double Exposure
A high school boy helping out his aunt on a photo shoot is asked to fill in as a model but as a girl, not a boy. The session leads to a kiss with another boy from school and opens the door to many emotions, dreams, and self-discovery.
Photo Description:
A beautiful young man looks outward through a tumble of messy, long, blond hair.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Photo Description:
A beautiful young man looks outward through a tumble of messy, long, blond hair.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
37 pages, ebook
First published June 20, 2013
4 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Sam Kadence
6 books55 followersSam Kadence has always dreamed about being someone else, somewhere else. With very little musical talent, Sam decided the only way to make those dreams come true was to try everything from cosplay at the local anime conventions to writing novels about pretending to run away to become a musician.
Sam has a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, sells textbooks for a living, enjoys taking photographs of Asian Ball Joint Dolls to tell more stories, and has eclectic taste in music from J-pop to rock and country. All of which finds its way into the books eventually.
Email: samkadence.author@gmail.com
Sam has a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, sells textbooks for a living, enjoys taking photographs of Asian Ball Joint Dolls to tell more stories, and has eclectic taste in music from J-pop to rock and country. All of which finds its way into the books eventually.
Email: samkadence.author@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 15, 2020
Tory helps out his aunt in her photo studio on the weekends. He is really good at being behind the cameras, but has no interest in being in front of them. One day, Lucas Hart, a very popular teen model from Tory’s high school arrives for a shoot, but the female model doesn’t show up. Tory is asked to fill in as a model, dressing like a girl, and partnering Lucas.
The photo session is successful in many ways. Tory gets a kiss, he is asked out for a date, and most importantly he discovers this and that about himself.
I loved the reaction of Tory’s parents. They’re amazing. It’s what parents are supposed to do: love their children unconditionally.
Double Exposure is a nicely written, very sweet story. Highly recommended.
The photo session is successful in many ways. Tory gets a kiss, he is asked out for a date, and most importantly he discovers this and that about himself.
Part of growing up was discovering who I was and that discovery wasn’t always going to be easy.
I loved the reaction of Tory’s parents. They’re amazing. It’s what parents are supposed to do: love their children unconditionally.
“Just be you, Tory. It’s you I love, whatever, whoever, you might be.”
Double Exposure is a nicely written, very sweet story. Highly recommended.
June 22, 2013
4.25*
Great LHNB prompt story.
This is so cute. It's like the sweetest little YA treat of a story and I just want to put it in my pocket and pet it.
Tory dichotomy that he is, he likes 'flying under the radar' at school, always keeping a camera between himself and the world, but he also, once he got the chance, loved 'being seen'.
Ok, in this case he was seen as a glam girl instead of the cute boy he is, but he liked it.
I love his parents, I think a lot of parents of little boys face the issue they did. I know I did, my younger son has a twin sister and loved sharing her hair pretties, nail polish and Disney princess costumes and watching Barbie as Rapunzel, well until the world told him that wasn't cool.
This was an ideal version of what can happen, and you know what? That's OK! I like that I didn't have to worry about him being kicked out or his brother hating him or the kids at school sticking him in a locker or much much worse.
I liked the glitter and hearts and fluffy smiling happiness this story left me feeling.
Great LHNB prompt story.
This is so cute. It's like the sweetest little YA treat of a story and I just want to put it in my pocket and pet it.
Tory dichotomy that he is, he likes 'flying under the radar' at school, always keeping a camera between himself and the world, but he also, once he got the chance, loved 'being seen'.
Ok, in this case he was seen as a glam girl instead of the cute boy he is, but he liked it.
I love his parents, I think a lot of parents of little boys face the issue they did. I know I did, my younger son has a twin sister and loved sharing her hair pretties, nail polish and Disney princess costumes and watching Barbie as Rapunzel, well until the world told him that wasn't cool.
This was an ideal version of what can happen, and you know what? That's OK! I like that I didn't have to worry about him being kicked out or his brother hating him or the kids at school sticking him in a locker or much much worse.
I liked the glitter and hearts and fluffy smiling happiness this story left me feeling.
August 13, 2016
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love Has No Boundaries Anthology: Volume 6. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
I hate it when boys have prettier hair than I do, but this pic is gorgeous.
So, I'm torn on this rating. I loved the pic, the prompt, the story... But then I saw "THE END" after about ten minutes of reading and thought "whaaaaat?!" This is a true short, it almost felt more like a teaser to a full-length novel and I really hope the author continues with these two because there is SO much potential. Until then though, I'll stick with 3.25 stars.
June 20, 2013
This was adorable. I loved it like I love Mr. Rumples (my Teddy Bear). If I had a physical copy I probably would have hugged it. In fact, I attempted to hug my computer when I finished, but the bitch is all hard edges.
Tory looks at life from behind the lens of his camera. Focused on his photography, and with a camera constantly raised to his face Tory is used to going unnoticed. While helping his Aunt with a photo shoot he is asked to stand in for a female model. He finds himself posing with Lucas, one of the popular kids from his high school. Tory realizes that he liked his cross-dressing model experience. Because, well...who wouldn't?
(That's right, I immediately thought of the epicness that is Stav Strashko)
Tory liked being noticed. But what does he tell Lucas, the gorgeous model that goes to his school? The guy who kissed him on set, right before he passed out. The guy who thinks he's a girl.
So, this is basically fluffy crack, and it made me smile hard. It's like an explosion of cute and sweet all up in your face.
Go read it. The end.
Tory looks at life from behind the lens of his camera. Focused on his photography, and with a camera constantly raised to his face Tory is used to going unnoticed. While helping his Aunt with a photo shoot he is asked to stand in for a female model. He finds himself posing with Lucas, one of the popular kids from his high school. Tory realizes that he liked his cross-dressing model experience. Because, well...who wouldn't?
(That's right, I immediately thought of the epicness that is Stav Strashko)
Tory liked being noticed. But what does he tell Lucas, the gorgeous model that goes to his school? The guy who kissed him on set, right before he passed out. The guy who thinks he's a girl.
So, this is basically fluffy crack, and it made me smile hard. It's like an explosion of cute and sweet all up in your face.
Go read it. The end.
June 20, 2013
Sweet tale of self-realization for Tory as he experiences life on the other side of the camera's lens. Tackles the gender issue of crossing dressing and youth with sensitivity in an optimistic setting.
June 21, 2013
If only every family were as accepting! Even little brother was ready to stand up just in case. Tory gets to be true to himself and Lukas is much more than he seems. Loved them
June 22, 2013
Another very nice story from this years LHNB event. It reminded me a bit of The Kiss which was one of my first m/m books. This time I had a small question mark in the back of my mind, whether Toby's embracing his 'feminine' side was a bit too smooth, everything worked out pretty easy. I liked the end very much as well as, despite my small niggles, the whole story.
June 20, 2013
LHNB Story released 20.6.13
4.5 stars rounded up
Very sweet YA story about an androgynous teenage photographer who is persuaded by his aunt to take the place of a female model for a photoshoot with a fellow school student and the knock on results of his discovery that he likes to dress up and that he more than likes the other model
4.5 stars rounded up
Very sweet YA story about an androgynous teenage photographer who is persuaded by his aunt to take the place of a female model for a photoshoot with a fellow school student and the knock on results of his discovery that he likes to dress up and that he more than likes the other model
June 21, 2013
This was so sweet! I think the thing I loved the most was Tory with his family and how awesome his mom and dad were about everything! So sweet, I really enjoyed this one. Thanks!
June 21, 2013
3.5 stars
This is really cute. And especially if you can accept that Aunt Patty is desperate enough and Tory easy-going enough to make the basic premise work; that a guy who’s never posed as a girl for a commercial shoot would be such a natural at it. And what a wonderfully accepting world! . Just think of this a a fairytale fantasy. I couldn’t help imagining Andrej Pejic as Tory. Brought a smile.
July 3, 2013
This was a sweet and delightful story. I'm glad that Tory accepted who he was, that his parents were so supportive and encouraging. It was great to see him facing his future with courage, knowing that it won't always be easy but that it's what makes him happy that matters. Lucas was just as wonderful about what and who he wanted and it would be nice to see what life has in store for them.
June 12, 2015
3,5
sweet, cute, fluffy, short and easy
love it anyway, perfect read after a long day ^^
sweet, cute, fluffy, short and easy
love it anyway, perfect read after a long day ^^
July 4, 2017
Totes adorb! One of the sweetest - such a cute story and I'd love to read a longer version of what happens now. I love the dressing as a girl and being proud of it!
August 29, 2013
I've been torn whether to make the 3,5 stars to 4 or 3...in the end I've decided for 3.
Why? I mean, I liked it, it is really very sweet, fluffy and absolutely adorable. Everybody is nice, accepting and everything just flows in a big happy bubble. And there is nothing wrong with that, I've enjoyed it. It actually was a cute change from the drama and conflicts in other stories.
So - it could be 4 stars...yes, but I had one major issue (not that it stopped me from reading). Tory's change and acceptance came too fast. One moment he is the guy behind the lens, with the glasses, the unruly hair under the hoodie and seriously no interest in fashion at all. The guy who loves to be invisible and blend in. The next moment he fully embraces the fact that he really loves to dress as a girl from time to time and enjoys the clothes? That he enjoys the modelling? And this aprupt change is explained by the parents "oh, yes, you have loved to dress up in pretty clothes as a kid but we hadn't let you."
Well, that was too easy.
Otherwise - a cute and cuddly story.
Why? I mean, I liked it, it is really very sweet, fluffy and absolutely adorable. Everybody is nice, accepting and everything just flows in a big happy bubble. And there is nothing wrong with that, I've enjoyed it. It actually was a cute change from the drama and conflicts in other stories.
So - it could be 4 stars...yes, but I had one major issue (not that it stopped me from reading). Tory's change and acceptance came too fast. One moment he is the guy behind the lens, with the glasses, the unruly hair under the hoodie and seriously no interest in fashion at all. The guy who loves to be invisible and blend in. The next moment he fully embraces the fact that he really loves to dress as a girl from time to time and enjoys the clothes? That he enjoys the modelling? And this aprupt change is explained by the parents "oh, yes, you have loved to dress up in pretty clothes as a kid but we hadn't let you."
Well, that was too easy.
Otherwise - a cute and cuddly story.
June 29, 2013
I loved this book. It was so so sweet! I wish it would have been longer ;-)
May 6, 2015
Would love to see this expanded into a longer story.
August 19, 2014
Eh. It starts in media res, and rather clunkily so.
List. idk quite of what. Stuff that I took issue with? Probably? Also random things I pick out to snark about either explicitly or sarcastically? I guess it's kind of EWW-style, then, since it's a list and I'm keeping score. But then, some of the stuff is just personal commentary, so *shrug*
[As usual, I do this because I'm a querulous fruit who isn't happy unless everyone else around me isn't happy either, which is why I leave such trolling reviews on stuff when I should be grateful I received a thing for free and be a decent human and not leave troll reviews on said thing, which I clearly do because I'm a jerk and a troll, and this got away from me. At this point, I have no idea what I was trying to do with this, or if I was trying to accomplish anything with this, really.] ANYWAY, onward ho.
(1) Why is the hamster dazed if the MC is taking pictures of it? Is the MC being an asshole and using flash on it? Also, why would he be using flash? Flash is great if you just want shit lit up, but in my experience, it doesn't give great art shots.
(2) What an asshole aunt. Oh wait. MC probably has parents, right? Nvmd, kind of, then. [I was thinking wow, what an asshole. Sure, okay, don't let your kid nephew touch your hella expensive camera, but you won't even buy him a halfway decent one? He has to use a "cheap knock-off"? Granted, if the knock-off works, then who cares what brand it is, but still. The way it's stated.
____a) apparently the knock-off is still good enough of a camera that lenses can be bought for it.
(3) Wow. This model guy. They made him sound all haute couture and shit. Apparently, he does "fashion modeling" (but don't get too excited yet) "for major retailers." Retailers. Like, Target. Okay. Who looks at Target ads and goes, "Wow, what a model." Maybe he can be the fluke that sometimes happens in catalog.
(4) What a judgmental prick. "This broad Katie, she's such a walking cliche. Eh, but I suppose she's nice enough. To most people. But of course, she's not as pretty as Lucas."
We get it. MC is in love with Lucas('s looks, of course. Only his looks. Nothing else. Of course not.)
(5) Wow. "Sure, Lucas is nice enough a guy, good-looking, sure, but there are people nicer than him and better looking and more popular at school than he." Aha. Confirmation on Lucas as purely catalog. And yet somehow with angles that scream at MC to be photographed. Suuure, he doesn't have a crush. He's too cool to crush on the local celebrity like the rest of his school.
(6) What the hell. How much of an asshole is he if he just "dozes off"? This would make sense if he were a college student. Or if it were mentioned how he gets shitty sleep. Or got shitty sleep last night. Otherwise he's just an asshole who sleeps while his friend is talking to him in the middle of the goddamn day.
(7) Wow. Lucas doesn't date because school. And MC totally gets it; he does the same thing. Something about this speech sits wrong with me. It reads rather stilted. Like wow, pretentious much. Also do real people say this shit or is it just a bit you're practicing? It sounds like the shit you awkwardly half-mumble to your mom when she asks you why you don't have a boy/girl/friend yet.
(8) MC: wow. what is girl. friend is girl? of course friend is girl. What she mean "look at me like I'm a girl?" *rolls eyes* I dunno, I tolerated it when HP did it, but here, it falls rather flat. I guess MC doesn't quite have the same buffoonish charm that Harry and Ron had, and Friend here doesn't quite have the same soul-deep long-suffering sort of existential anguish about it Hermione had.
(9) Do these fools in his school really just "sort of sway" at dances? Come on. That's not American high school dancing. No freak dancing? No jumping up and down and arm waving at the very least? What sort of awkward boring music and what sort of uptight community do they have that they just "sort of sway"?
[sidebar: Wow. Study Hall. My school never had study hall. Or rather, you could get a free period, if you worked your schedule in such a way, but you go to the library and, I dunno, "do homework" or hang around or whatever. It wasn't really "study hall," per se. I'm always slightly fascinated when I see references to this "study hall" thing.]
(10) Dad is "pouring" through a newspaper. Also pouring through it like it holds the wisdom of the world.
____a) Mom in kitchen, dad with paper, mom bustles around, dad puts foot down, mom jumps to obey. No. Fuck no.
(11) "Patty giggled."
[sidebar: cheap knock-off camera is good enough to have a digital viewer.]
(12) Odd descriptions of light being absorbed by people and bouncing off people. I dunno, it just seems like a horribly awkward-turtle way of describing something. I feel like for an art-centric piece, there might have been a better, more, I dunno, poetic way of putting it.
(13) MC is apparently named "Torrance."
(14) "...James said I daydreamed too much and we had a long standing tradition of a 'love tap' to ensure I was awake. Usually I was just thinking about lighting and camera angles, but I suppose to most non-photographers that sounded a lot like daydreaming."
abuse. Also, sidebar, but I resent that I had to type that out by hand. Not seriously so, since I guess, sure, it makes sense for the LHNB people to protect the document from printing and copying, but no, not really, since they're already providing the document for free in multiple formats and also online. Too bad I didn't have internet access or I would have just copy+pasted from the GR version, or something.
(15) Dad pulls head of household bullshit again, which I personally resent especially in the face of certain RL circumstances that have happened lately, namely, a family trip in which I had to have prolonged and personal contact with my family for longer than a few hours at a time.
(16) "Unlike most other kids, I didn't stand in front of the bathroom mirror and snap a picture with my phone." First off, grammar, not colloquial enough. Second off, having never been "most other kids" and having felt quite a lot of existential angst from the dissonant feeling of "never quite fitting in" for pretty much all of my life, I resent this condescending bullshit. I would love to be able to understand normal people. This sort of bullshit hipster talk sounds like normals who think they're different from other normals, but really, are in many ways even more painfully normal than the mass majority of baseline normals.
___a) "if my art didn't speak for itself" hiiiipsteeeer
[sidebar: wtf so bizarre. Many Facebook friends? I dunno, it's bizarre for me because I tend to only use Facebook for people I know IRL. I mean, I get paranoid on the internet, so that's probs why?
(17) "The next morning slammed into me with the screeching of my alarm clock."
[sidebar: I don't find MC endearing at all. This is supposed to be endearing, as evidenced by the subsequent "Six was way too early for a Saturday."
(18) Asshole MC takes 45 minutes to take a "quick scrub" and comb his hair, then brushes off his mom's breakfast because who has time for that shit, right? Also, wow, it takes him 2 hrs to get up and get ready for the shoot by 8? How the fuck did he survive? Back in high school, I wouldn't wake up until about 30 minutes before A Period was supposed to start and got all my shit ready and would be able to get there. That's including a 5-10 minute drive.
(19) The impact of the modeling is lessened by the heavy implication that Lucas does mostly catalog work. For Target, no less.
(20) "Someday I'd have the guts to actually ask if I could take his picture." Ah, is that what the kids are calling it these days?
(21) Lucas is apparently not internationally known, or even implicitly well known in the industry, seeing as no one but locals would see him in a Target catalog and cry "Look, it's Lucas!" with recognition. Why on earth was this guy so eager to have gotten Lucas?
(22) You'd think Aunt Patty would have enough experience with models to know that modeling isn't necessarily something that just anyone can do. Unless it really is all catalog and they don't care. And/or they really were that desperate.
___--> really that desperate.
(23) wat. since when is duckface good advice for posing. Yep. It must be catalog. Really really catalog.
I think the most genuine I feel MC being is this here:
"Most sessions like this yielded thousands of pictures but only a handful would ever see print. Would anyone recognize me? Was it weird that I wanted them to?"
Clearly this guy knows little of models. Most model-thin people I've seen, mostly on ANTM, seem to lack boobs anyways because of said thinness. As if a lack of boobs is going to tip anyone off.
Also, what. "'Most of the models I work with are so cold it's hard to get in the groove with them.'" What. What happened to "you can't fake chemistry"? Has ANTM been lying to me, then? Are most models bland plastic glorified manikins after all with no personality or life to speak of? Does this thing where they can fake chemistry exist then?
My eyes kind of glazed over after a while and I didn't feel motivated to backtrack.
I dunno, it just feels like it gets kitschy... I'm sure that's sappy sentiment and all that, or something, but *shrug* doesn't do much for me, tbh
O hey, look, they lampshade the fact that Lucas does low-level mainstream stuff.
Do these stereotypical high schools with stereotypical popular people exist? The high school I went to was nothing like the TV shows and movies. There were cliques, sure, but technically everyone was just in their own little group and stuck to their own little groups and no one really was "in power" or anything.
I dunno, this whole thing just didn't work for me. It's just so...mainstream. Like I can see how it might appeal to normals, but it does nothing for me, and in fact, some parts actually make me cringe at how hackneyed it seems to me. It's like me sitting through the panel for Scorpion when they showed the pilot at Comic Con. I was "ugh"ing every few minutes and pissing off the people around me, but it was just so...ugh. I mean, for something that's apparently supposed to be about a genius it sure was pedestrian and with the stupid purposely placed moments that lose any of their impact because they're so purposely placed. And the obligatory romance. For the MC who apparently has no EQ.
But yeah, *shrug* I didn't hate it, per se, but I certainly didn't like it, and it just wasn't my thing, probs.
List. idk quite of what. Stuff that I took issue with? Probably? Also random things I pick out to snark about either explicitly or sarcastically? I guess it's kind of EWW-style, then, since it's a list and I'm keeping score. But then, some of the stuff is just personal commentary, so *shrug*
[As usual, I do this because I'm a querulous fruit who isn't happy unless everyone else around me isn't happy either, which is why I leave such trolling reviews on stuff when I should be grateful I received a thing for free and be a decent human and not leave troll reviews on said thing, which I clearly do because I'm a jerk and a troll, and this got away from me. At this point, I have no idea what I was trying to do with this, or if I was trying to accomplish anything with this, really.] ANYWAY, onward ho.
(1) Why is the hamster dazed if the MC is taking pictures of it? Is the MC being an asshole and using flash on it? Also, why would he be using flash? Flash is great if you just want shit lit up, but in my experience, it doesn't give great art shots.
(2) What an asshole aunt. Oh wait. MC probably has parents, right? Nvmd, kind of, then. [I was thinking wow, what an asshole. Sure, okay, don't let your kid nephew touch your hella expensive camera, but you won't even buy him a halfway decent one? He has to use a "cheap knock-off"? Granted, if the knock-off works, then who cares what brand it is, but still. The way it's stated.
____a) apparently the knock-off is still good enough of a camera that lenses can be bought for it.
(3) Wow. This model guy. They made him sound all haute couture and shit. Apparently, he does "fashion modeling" (but don't get too excited yet) "for major retailers." Retailers. Like, Target. Okay. Who looks at Target ads and goes, "Wow, what a model." Maybe he can be the fluke that sometimes happens in catalog.
(4) What a judgmental prick. "This broad Katie, she's such a walking cliche. Eh, but I suppose she's nice enough. To most people. But of course, she's not as pretty as Lucas."
We get it. MC is in love with Lucas('s looks, of course. Only his looks. Nothing else. Of course not.)
(5) Wow. "Sure, Lucas is nice enough a guy, good-looking, sure, but there are people nicer than him and better looking and more popular at school than he." Aha. Confirmation on Lucas as purely catalog. And yet somehow with angles that scream at MC to be photographed. Suuure, he doesn't have a crush. He's too cool to crush on the local celebrity like the rest of his school.
(6) What the hell. How much of an asshole is he if he just "dozes off"? This would make sense if he were a college student. Or if it were mentioned how he gets shitty sleep. Or got shitty sleep last night. Otherwise he's just an asshole who sleeps while his friend is talking to him in the middle of the goddamn day.
(7) Wow. Lucas doesn't date because school. And MC totally gets it; he does the same thing. Something about this speech sits wrong with me. It reads rather stilted. Like wow, pretentious much. Also do real people say this shit or is it just a bit you're practicing? It sounds like the shit you awkwardly half-mumble to your mom when she asks you why you don't have a boy/girl/friend yet.
(8) MC: wow. what is girl. friend is girl? of course friend is girl. What she mean "look at me like I'm a girl?" *rolls eyes* I dunno, I tolerated it when HP did it, but here, it falls rather flat. I guess MC doesn't quite have the same buffoonish charm that Harry and Ron had, and Friend here doesn't quite have the same soul-deep long-suffering sort of existential anguish about it Hermione had.
(9) Do these fools in his school really just "sort of sway" at dances? Come on. That's not American high school dancing. No freak dancing? No jumping up and down and arm waving at the very least? What sort of awkward boring music and what sort of uptight community do they have that they just "sort of sway"?
[sidebar: Wow. Study Hall. My school never had study hall. Or rather, you could get a free period, if you worked your schedule in such a way, but you go to the library and, I dunno, "do homework" or hang around or whatever. It wasn't really "study hall," per se. I'm always slightly fascinated when I see references to this "study hall" thing.]
(10) Dad is "pouring" through a newspaper. Also pouring through it like it holds the wisdom of the world.
____a) Mom in kitchen, dad with paper, mom bustles around, dad puts foot down, mom jumps to obey. No. Fuck no.
(11) "Patty giggled."
[sidebar: cheap knock-off camera is good enough to have a digital viewer.]
(12) Odd descriptions of light being absorbed by people and bouncing off people. I dunno, it just seems like a horribly awkward-turtle way of describing something. I feel like for an art-centric piece, there might have been a better, more, I dunno, poetic way of putting it.
(13) MC is apparently named "Torrance."
(14) "...James said I daydreamed too much and we had a long standing tradition of a 'love tap' to ensure I was awake. Usually I was just thinking about lighting and camera angles, but I suppose to most non-photographers that sounded a lot like daydreaming."
abuse. Also, sidebar, but I resent that I had to type that out by hand. Not seriously so, since I guess, sure, it makes sense for the LHNB people to protect the document from printing and copying, but no, not really, since they're already providing the document for free in multiple formats and also online. Too bad I didn't have internet access or I would have just copy+pasted from the GR version, or something.
(15) Dad pulls head of household bullshit again, which I personally resent especially in the face of certain RL circumstances that have happened lately, namely, a family trip in which I had to have prolonged and personal contact with my family for longer than a few hours at a time.
(16) "Unlike most other kids, I didn't stand in front of the bathroom mirror and snap a picture with my phone." First off, grammar, not colloquial enough. Second off, having never been "most other kids" and having felt quite a lot of existential angst from the dissonant feeling of "never quite fitting in" for pretty much all of my life, I resent this condescending bullshit. I would love to be able to understand normal people. This sort of bullshit hipster talk sounds like normals who think they're different from other normals, but really, are in many ways even more painfully normal than the mass majority of baseline normals.
___a) "if my art didn't speak for itself" hiiiipsteeeer
[sidebar: wtf so bizarre. Many Facebook friends? I dunno, it's bizarre for me because I tend to only use Facebook for people I know IRL. I mean, I get paranoid on the internet, so that's probs why?
(17) "The next morning slammed into me with the screeching of my alarm clock."
[sidebar: I don't find MC endearing at all. This is supposed to be endearing, as evidenced by the subsequent "Six was way too early for a Saturday."
(18) Asshole MC takes 45 minutes to take a "quick scrub" and comb his hair, then brushes off his mom's breakfast because who has time for that shit, right? Also, wow, it takes him 2 hrs to get up and get ready for the shoot by 8? How the fuck did he survive? Back in high school, I wouldn't wake up until about 30 minutes before A Period was supposed to start and got all my shit ready and would be able to get there. That's including a 5-10 minute drive.
(19) The impact of the modeling is lessened by the heavy implication that Lucas does mostly catalog work. For Target, no less.
(20) "Someday I'd have the guts to actually ask if I could take his picture." Ah, is that what the kids are calling it these days?
(21) Lucas is apparently not internationally known, or even implicitly well known in the industry, seeing as no one but locals would see him in a Target catalog and cry "Look, it's Lucas!" with recognition. Why on earth was this guy so eager to have gotten Lucas?
(22) You'd think Aunt Patty would have enough experience with models to know that modeling isn't necessarily something that just anyone can do. Unless it really is all catalog and they don't care. And/or they really were that desperate.
___--> really that desperate.
(23) wat. since when is duckface good advice for posing. Yep. It must be catalog. Really really catalog.
I think the most genuine I feel MC being is this here:
"Most sessions like this yielded thousands of pictures but only a handful would ever see print. Would anyone recognize me? Was it weird that I wanted them to?"
Clearly this guy knows little of models. Most model-thin people I've seen, mostly on ANTM, seem to lack boobs anyways because of said thinness. As if a lack of boobs is going to tip anyone off.
Also, what. "'Most of the models I work with are so cold it's hard to get in the groove with them.'" What. What happened to "you can't fake chemistry"? Has ANTM been lying to me, then? Are most models bland plastic glorified manikins after all with no personality or life to speak of? Does this thing where they can fake chemistry exist then?
My eyes kind of glazed over after a while and I didn't feel motivated to backtrack.
I dunno, it just feels like it gets kitschy... I'm sure that's sappy sentiment and all that, or something, but *shrug* doesn't do much for me, tbh
O hey, look, they lampshade the fact that Lucas does low-level mainstream stuff.
Do these stereotypical high schools with stereotypical popular people exist? The high school I went to was nothing like the TV shows and movies. There were cliques, sure, but technically everyone was just in their own little group and stuck to their own little groups and no one really was "in power" or anything.
I dunno, this whole thing just didn't work for me. It's just so...mainstream. Like I can see how it might appeal to normals, but it does nothing for me, and in fact, some parts actually make me cringe at how hackneyed it seems to me. It's like me sitting through the panel for Scorpion when they showed the pilot at Comic Con. I was "ugh"ing every few minutes and pissing off the people around me, but it was just so...ugh. I mean, for something that's apparently supposed to be about a genius it sure was pedestrian and with the stupid purposely placed moments that lose any of their impact because they're so purposely placed. And the obligatory romance. For the MC who apparently has no EQ.
But yeah, *shrug* I didn't hate it, per se, but I certainly didn't like it, and it just wasn't my thing, probs.
July 6, 2013
This was delightful. Fun and fluffy and sappy and almost completely unrealistic. I loved it!
The story follows the prompt very closely, so I'll not try to sum anything up. Lucas was lovely, and so, so sweet. His reactions to Tory, from helping him through the photo shoot, to the kiss, to Adorable!
And I loved the multiple reassurances throughout the story that it was Tory that people loved, no matter who he wanted to be. I loved how kind and supportive his family and his friends were. Not very realistic, yes, but definitely fun and uplifting to read.
Favorite Quote:
"Just be you, Tory. It's you I love, whatever, whoever, you might be."
The story follows the prompt very closely, so I'll not try to sum anything up. Lucas was lovely, and so, so sweet. His reactions to Tory, from helping him through the photo shoot, to the kiss, to Adorable!
And I loved the multiple reassurances throughout the story that it was Tory that people loved, no matter who he wanted to be. I loved how kind and supportive his family and his friends were. Not very realistic, yes, but definitely fun and uplifting to read.
Favorite Quote:
"Just be you, Tory. It's you I love, whatever, whoever, you might be."
November 29, 2015
Short fairytale fluff. Totally unbelievable, but hell, if only the world was this accepting! It reminds me of a yaoi comic and I could practically see it raining flowers and stars.
Tory found his desire to look pretty very suddenly and embraced it at whirlwind speed. Everyone is lovely - though what's with stepford-mum and cooking warm meals? The camera obsession was a bit much.
Cute bit of nonscense that suited a quick read before sleeping. Not enough here to warrant a future re-read.
Tory found his desire to look pretty very suddenly and embraced it at whirlwind speed. Everyone is lovely - though what's with stepford-mum and cooking warm meals? The camera obsession was a bit much.
Cute bit of nonscense that suited a quick read before sleeping. Not enough here to warrant a future re-read.
September 30, 2014
An absolutely charming short about Tory agreeing to step in and model for his photographer aunt when one of the original models is a no-show. The twist is that Tory, a guy (albeit a pretty one), will substitute for the female in the fashion shoot. I loved how supportive his family and friends were.
July 2, 2013
Really sweet, really positive, really hopeful.
September 2, 2013
3.5, but I'll round up since I enjoyed it. Sweet and uncomplicated, even though dealing with potentially explosive subjects. I liked that-it worked for this free short. Thank you for a lovely read :)
December 30, 2014
I loved this one! It put such a smile on my face.
November 15, 2019
I freaking love this story! It was heartwrenching, heartwarming lovely story! I even weeped! Was so worried for the boys! And am so happy for the wonderful turn of events! And loving, supportive family, amazing friends and allies! Damn, my heart! I'm so happy that I read this story!
April 20, 2022
A definitely different plotline in this YA type story. Nicely written with attractive, confident characters. The supportive family was a good touch. The prompt photo long hair pretty boy was oh, so nice.
May 20, 2020
So sweet! This kid has the best parents and support network in the world -- even his younger brother is there for him. Short but plenty of happy smooshy feels!
November 21, 2021
"Double Exposure" is a really nice story about cross-dressing with a plasantly grey-sexual main character. I enjoyed it a lot.
July 10, 2013
Loved this story! Tory was an interesting character, definitely still finding his way, as it should be, since he's still pretty young. Different that he hadn't self-identified as anything much yet, just a guy totally interested in photography, which gave him a reason for not focusing all that much on everything else. Yes, he had a very good girlfriend/girl friend/bff, which might mean something or nothing. So it was a very reasonable set up for the whole "surprise, you're not going to be a male model dressed up as a convincing female."
Before people like Andrej Pejic, this might have seemed like a total fantasy (although there have always been androgynous people and cross-dressers around, of course... but society made it SO much more difficult). But the scene was really nicely set, in a small city location and mostly regional or perhaps national exposure, not anything like the world stage. So it was a sweet and somewhat grounded fantasy.
I loved how the brothers kidded each other about their names (which were great names!--but definitely needed that little bit of explanation). Loved how just those touches of character development--mom's insistence on preparing a hot dinner and dad commenting from behind the papers, really brought Tory's family to life. And that part about them all playing around in the photography studio was just wonderful!
Lucas was very cool as the seemingly aloof "famous" boy, who was also just a regular kid--but with a good head on his shoulders regarding his status and abilities and future... and what he's attracted to.
This was just a lovely, funny, sweet YA story, and I hope to read more from this author!
Before people like Andrej Pejic, this might have seemed like a total fantasy (although there have always been androgynous people and cross-dressers around, of course... but society made it SO much more difficult). But the scene was really nicely set, in a small city location and mostly regional or perhaps national exposure, not anything like the world stage. So it was a sweet and somewhat grounded fantasy.
I loved how the brothers kidded each other about their names (which were great names!--but definitely needed that little bit of explanation). Loved how just those touches of character development--mom's insistence on preparing a hot dinner and dad commenting from behind the papers, really brought Tory's family to life. And that part about them all playing around in the photography studio was just wonderful!
Lucas was very cool as the seemingly aloof "famous" boy, who was also just a regular kid--but with a good head on his shoulders regarding his status and abilities and future... and what he's attracted to.
This was just a lovely, funny, sweet YA story, and I hope to read more from this author!
July 31, 2013
There are very few short stories that I truly enjoy, but this is one of them. I found the characters likable and while I would have liked to have seen more to flesh them out, it is a short story so there is only so much room for that.
There are parts of this story that brought tears to my eyes. The main character, Tory, has such a loving family supporting him during this tough realization. I was surprised by the way the acceptance and love was portrayed. To be honest, the first sentence or two of the part where he has to talk to his dad made me worry this was going to be a flat, after school special sort of scene but the way the author shaped Tory's emotions made it a beautiful moment and I had to put the story aside for a little while so I could read without tears blurring my vision.
I think this is an amazing coming of age story.
There are parts of this story that brought tears to my eyes. The main character, Tory, has such a loving family supporting him during this tough realization. I was surprised by the way the acceptance and love was portrayed. To be honest, the first sentence or two of the part where he has to talk to his dad made me worry this was going to be a flat, after school special sort of scene but the way the author shaped Tory's emotions made it a beautiful moment and I had to put the story aside for a little while so I could read without tears blurring my vision.
I think this is an amazing coming of age story.
September 10, 2013
This was a sweet and short read. It has the message that we have to discover who we are but it's done so lightly and despite it being only half original,it avoids writing in a cliche way. It makes you smile and giggle and really Tory has the best family and best friend ever, most people at school are OK, even his brother and then he gets a cool boyfriend. You need these sweet novels to cheer up your life sometimes. I read it in around an hour. At the end he appreciated his family, but I felt that when cooking he didn't appreciate his mother- maybe that's my triggers speaking however. As someone that likes to take photos, I think this was depicted very realistically.
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