Botulism Romance — Tyler H. Jolley

Growing up poor isn't the worst thing Chuck had to deal with. Adversity had become the norm for him, but his resourcefulness had shaped him into a mildly successful YouTuber with his LegendCityVids channel. That was until he broke his phone. Only to add to his misery, his mom's failing health forced them to move for the umpteenth time. New school. Mom's new job. New run-down apartment near some remote military base. And new friends, if he could be bothered to make any this time.That is until he meets Stella. For the first time, he's met someone who wants to be his friend not out of pity. While trying to weigh the risk of getting attached to someone before their next inevitable move, he uncovers a journal and a vintage computer abandoned in the tool shed belonging to someone named Sam Miller. In his quest to find out who Sam was, he and Stella find themselves entangled in the dark web. They discover Sam was in deep with some really bad people who think Chuck is Sam. Instead of walking away, Chuck and Stella trudge forward to create a toxin. If he can fulfill their request and create and deliver the demanded amounts of botulism toxin, Chuck can make a lot of money-maybe even enough to get his mom the expert care she needs to overcome her illness. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Chuck must decide if it's worth his life to save his mom or to stand on the sidelines and watch her get worse each and every day.