Q&A with Stacy Padula on Writing Part 1

Can faith and reason co-exist? Every day, teenagers are faced with difficult situations that challenge their faith and moral compass. The Aftermath follows a group of students from Montgomery Lake High School, specifically Jason Davids and Jessie Robins. At age fifteen, Jason appears to have it all together: high grades, popular friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and every drug that promises enjoyment at his disposal. Despite this, there is a persistent emptiness inside his heart. After attempting to fill the void with achievements, relationships, and illicit substances, Jason finds himself drawn to Jessie, a quiet and rather plain girl whom he has never before noticed. He cannot understand the sudden attraction he feels nor the force that is drawing him toward her. How is it possible that she stands for everything he opposes yet possesses the one thing he has been searching for this entire time?