Life as a teenager is already a challenge. Life as a mute only adds to the chaos, but for Aubrielle Matthews, it’s just a regular day. Balancing being a gold medal gymnast, a social pariah, and backlash for her mutism is nothing new.

If that wasn't already enough, throw in Riverback Heights alum Lynx Peak.

Lynx is the golden boy who returns with some unfinished business. Despite his popularity, he faces demons from his past. On the outside, he’s handsome and rich with a carefree aura, but that’s just on the outside. Much darker and haunted things lie beneath. Lynx knew his return wouldn’t be a warm welcome, but he was shocked by all the changes in the town that never changes.

Can Brie and Lynx find the strength to overcome the poison that is Riverback Heights?

Will Lynx be able to right the wrongs of his past?

Can Brie find the voice the town stole from her? 

The Balancing Act was created by AZW, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

The Balancing Act

Was this what I was missing? I had been in the land of the socially rejected for so long that I didn’t know how to dress when it came to dates. Hell, I think my first and last date was with a snot bucket boy in middle school and if I’m being honest, it wasn’t even a date; he just held my hand while we were on a school field trip.


Women were expected to flick and pluck every imperfection that would make them look less than glamorous. I hated being a woman. After hours with my mother, I could barely breathe and I was suffocating more from nervousness than I was when we started, and that’s saying something because I was already nervous beyond measure.


“Will you stop fidgeting and sweating? You're going to stink before the poor boy gets here,” my mother complained.


Chapter 25: The Date