Overview
Because of Down Under features memorable characters as diverse as our world. They aren’t misfits, just teens with real-life challenges. Ahmed is a refugee with PTSD and heroic courage. David is struggling with coming out and feelings for Pablo. Mandy has an insatiable curiosity and a propensity for manipulation. Cory , a gold star son, hopes to win Linnie’s heart, but most of all, wants to be adopted.
Did you know many schools built during the Cold War have tunnels meant to serve as bomb shelters? The tunnels in Because of Down Under replicate the tunnels under a Southern Arizona school built during the Cold War. See photos of the actual school tunnels that inspired Because of Down Under.
In this contemporary romantic comedy-drama, Garrett, Howie, and their friends discover and explore their school’s labyrinth of underground tunnels as they maneuver through the thick and thin of awkward social moments. They learn to accept each other’s uniqueness, discover that not everything in life is fair, and realize they have the power to make the world a better place.
Because of Down Under is a sequel to Because You Left Me. It is currently in manuscript form. Revisions are complete and Because of Down Under will soon be published. You can read an excerpt below.
Chapter One
Caleb
My mom and dadth wantedth me with regular kidth becauth I have Downth. That wath why Mithith_Norton talkedth to my parenth and toldth them Garreth couldth spendth time with me at lunch on Tuethdayth andth Thurthdayth. Garreth took me to a weirdth placth. I was afraidth, but there were other kidth there, so I wathn’t afraidth, but I hadth to keep their secreth andth not tell anyone.
Garrett
I’m a good kid. I just made a few mistakes. Okay, there were more than a few mistakes, but they were just poor judgment. They weren’t intentional crimes, not exactly. Some of them, maybe, but out of necessity, most of them out of necessity. Okay, I didn’t need to drive Mom’s car because we could have lived without a trampoline, but I did need to take Mom’s money to pay the bills and buy groceries. The gun was the worst mistake. I guess it’s all water under the bridge now, except for the community service, which was a leftover remnant. That leftover remnant was how Cory and I found the biggest secret of our lives ― a literal underground secret.
Cory Rodriguez and I have been friends since preschool, so he volunteered to keep me company each time I stayed after school to help Mr._Whittley as part of my mandated community service. We finished sweeping the classrooms and then returned to the custodian closet to ask Mr. Whittley what other tasks he had for us. Mr._Whittley was still cleaning the restrooms, so we put the broom, dustpan, and rolling trash bin back in place and waited for Mr._Whittley in the custodian closet. It’s not a closet like most closets. It’s a room with a sink, mops, buckets, rolling trash bins, a small rickety desk, and shelves full of supplies such as tools, cleaning chemicals, and stacks of small towels. It’s a good-sized room for a closet, almost as big as my bedroom. While we waited for Mr._Whittley, Cory noticed something unusual.
“What’s that?” Cory asked. I glanced down where Cory was looking and saw a large, square metal plate covering a portion of the floor. I hadn’t noticed it before and thought it was weird.
“I don’t know,” I told Cory. We looked at each other and then down at that thick metal slab.
“Why is it there?” Cory asked. I shrugged. We examined the metal plate and realized it was sunken down in the concrete just enough to be flush with the floor. Along the edges was the tiniest space between the metal and the concrete floor.
“What’s it covering?” Cory asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I answered. In an instant, the thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I flashed a grin and asked, “You want to find out?” Cory nodded. I leaned out of the doorway to see if Mr._Whittley was heading our way. He was nowhere in sight. His large, rolling trash bin stood silently outside the restroom, which meant he was still in there cleaning. I turned back to say the coast was clear and found Cory holding a large screwdriver, obviously ready for the task. We went to work immediately and lifted the large metal plate.
Mandy
Have you ever had a party when your parents weren’t home? You weren’t supposed to have a party, but you invited over a few of your closest friends and convinced yourself it would be alright. After all, you were just having a little gathering, not an actual party. Unfortunately, those close friends invited a few of their friends, who called some of their friends, who invited everyone they knew. Before you realized it, you had more than a hundred friends, friends of friends, and total strangers in your home. That’s how it was with Garrett and Cory’s discovery. Everyone wanted to experience it, and no one could keep it secret. It started with a few friends, but in no time, the whole escapade blew way out of proportion.
I found out about Garrett and Cory’s secret simply because I had to know what was happening. It wouldn’t be fair for me to miss out on anything, and knowing what was going on opened so many opportunities. So, when the first note passed by me, I snuck a peek. Okay, maybe it was more than a peek.
What I read made me wonder, In on what? The notes were like potato chips ― no one is satisfied with just one, so I read every note. If Howie and David used me as their note-passing conduit, I had some ownership over those notes. After all, possession is ninety percent of the law. Right? I decided if I owned those notes, I should at least know what they said. Besides, half of the notes were from Howie. Their messages never named their exact mystery location but provided clues. They mentioned bringing flashlights, water bottles, phones, and even rope.
There was also the phrase “down under” and the question, “How far do they go?”
Rope? How far does what go? I wondered. Are they spelunking? They didn’t capitalize down under, so I was pretty sure they weren’t talking about New Zealand or Australia. Besides, they couldn’t travel that far, at least not without adult permission, and from the sound of their notes, this was a no-adults adventure. For instance, David’s note said he didn’t want to get in trouble.
Howie’s note said, “There aren’t any rules saying we can’t explore the school.”
The school? I mentally reasoned, The school rules out spelunking unless there are caves under the school, which is highly unlikely.