Stories by Cole Parker

Novels
A Summer Romance	When you’re young and the summer nights are warm, romance fills a young man’s dreams. All that’s needed then is someone to share the moments.
Another Summer in Georgia	When these two get together, anything can happen, and usually does. (This is a sequel to One Summer in Georgia.)
Attitude Adjustment	Greg is driven to succeed on the football field. What begins for him as a simple attempt to win a starting position on the team ends up as a journey to discover who he really is.
Best Summer Ever	Aaron is always ready to fight. Perhaps a summer spent in a less stressful atmosphere will allow him to relax. Perhaps.
Circumstances	Sometimes things happen that you think you’ll never be able to live down. But is that really true?
Derrick-Jake-Nick	A sixteen year old boy faces major life changes, ones he hates, and there isn’t anything he can do about them but make the best of it.
Doing Something	A sixteen year old boy faces major life changes, ones he hates, and there isn’t anything he can do about them but make the best of it.
Dust	A seedy office, a hard-nosed gumshoe and a missing ring. Where this would lead was not where anyone could have expected.
8th Grade	Sometimes the kids don?t like a teacher. Sometimes a teacher doesn?t like the kids. That could be. . . awkward.
High School Hero	High school is part wonderful, part wrenching for most everyone. Along the way, for the lucky ones, personal growth occurs.
Josh, Evolving	What happens when two lonely boys meet in a mall food court?
Lesson Plans	13-year-old Neil Swenson has lived a life of restriction, sadness and denial. Now, he's moved to Mississippi and is hoping things change.
Lightning in a Jar	David’s at loose ends this summer and likes it that way, hoping to goof off until school starts in the fall. With his mom pushing, it doesn’t work out that way, however.
Me ?n Riley	A small Southern town. Two young boys looking for things to do, a summertime of freedom spread in front of them, adventures calling.
One Summer in Georgia	He was on his way home, a leisurely trip driving back roads in rural Georgia. A sudden encounter with a young teen interrupted his trip. He?d just completed a job, and the last thing he needed was a passenger. Especially a kid as a passenger.
Puppy Love	A boy and his dog: what could be more natural? For Kerry, nothing seems to be easy, and a dog is just another complication.
Ren	Escaping one problem only to find others, a boy can find unexpected courage when pushed to his limits.
Running	What happens when the school’s best runner on the cross-country team is confronted with a younger kid who’s even better?
The Barn	New town.? New life.? Opportunities afresh.? Only thing is, you’re still you.
The Busboy	Jim wants to rescue a kid in trouble. He has no idea what comes next.
Short Stories
A Modern Fantasy	Sometimes fantasy can work in the real world ? and solve two problems simultaneously.
A Valentine for Ryan	A young boy wants a home-made valentine card to be absolutely perfect.
A Valentine’s Day Story	It’s Valentine’s Day, and David has a crush on a boy. But a boy can’t give a Valentine card to another boy. Or can he?
An Unexpected Christmas	Christmas is not like Cory is expecting.
Beginning	Mark is a young boy who is forced to grow up. Will he be able to do it before he's ready?
Creative Writing	Some college classes push students’ personal boundaries. Some push them past their comfort zones. Welcome to college!
Cantaloupe	Kids: confrontations, consternation, complications, confusion and confabulation.
Cottonwood Creek Park	Cade’s 9th grade English class had a visitor from the local newspaper. He wanted the kids to write a story about a local park. It wasn’t required, so no big deal. Cade decided to blow it off. Then he changed his mind.
Courage	Two young strangers have shut themselves off from the world. Can a change of focus help them?
DeMarcus Cullman and the Powers that Be	The statue of Lady Justice wears a blindfold to show that justice will be dispensed objectively, without fear or favor. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to accomplish that goal.
Drawing Me Out	Sometimes there?s more to see than what?s there.
English 10	Mark has to write a short story. A 3,500 word short story. He?s on the JV water polo team, so he writes about that. But in doing so, he has an agenda.
Exposure	Being different from your peers can be a nightmare for a teenager.
Gift Exchange	Some middle-school friends are getting ready for Christmas. Question is, what should they get each other?
Grandfather?s Conspiracy	A celebration in the city park is an opportunity for Derrick and his grandfather to get together on a whole new level.
Ho Ho Ho	Christmas is known as a season of giving. But sometimes giving can be the wrong thing to do. Part of the Codey's World 2012 Holiday Story Collection.
Inspiration	A boy has a nightmarish problem.
Jason’s Notebook	How does a high school freshman who feels insignificant and invisible respond to life in his new school?
Mr. Patterson and the Aide	A man takes a walk in the park, one he’s taken many time before, and his life changes forever . . .
My Incredible Summer	A soft, dark night, a walk with his twin, and everything changes.
My Night Out	What’s a boy to do when the night is warm and he’s feeling frisky?
Nickles and Dimes	Can people change for the better? Can they grow after reaching their teen years, and beyond? Is it harder for a teenager or an adult?
Notes	Jeremy has a crush on Xander, so staring at him is a bad idea. Especially when he gets caught.
Playing Santa	When you're sixteen years old the worst thing that you would be forced to do is work over Christmas vacation.
Rusty	Horses are pretty smart. Paul learns just how smart, and what a good a friend they can be.
Semantics	When it’s wartime, tensions run high and hair trigger reactions can be expected.
Tennis, Anyone?	Two boys from different backgrounds, a hot day, and a tough match.
The Big Splash	When you're young and unhappy and powerless to change things, what do you do? What if you have to change things and no one will listen?
The Dance	The school formal is always nervous time for young boys, especially the first one. Rejection is always a fear. What if…
The Education and Evolution of Maxwell Grant	Time to buy Max?s first suit. Who could guess how that would turn out?
The Farm Boy	Derrick's life hasn't been an easy one. Then it undergoes a major change. Will it be for the better?
The House	Parents always tell their kids that Halloween isn't a contest to see who will get the most candy. Their kids always ingore them. But sometimes that can cause problems.
The King’s Race	Anton wants to run the race of his life, wanting to be special for a certain someone.
The Right to Remain Silent	Sometimes a boy just has to do what he has to do.
Trials and Tribulations of Being 13	It isn’t easy being 13 and lacking confidence. Somehow, the strong survive. But, again, it isn’t easy.
War and Peace	Your first year in a new middle school is exciting and challenging. Everything is changing. And the most important thing? You discover that you are changing, too.