It was late. The sun had already begun its descent over the ocean, and I had survived the first soccer practice of the year. I was never any good in new situations and certainly wasn't any good at meeting new people. My sister had told me not to worry, that everything would be fine. She always said that though. And even though she was usually right, I still hadn't figured out how not to worry. "Alex! Are you paying attent...

I imagined this was what being in a big, icy cave felt like. It was the sounds mostly. Little drops of water dripped from the leaky faucets in the shower room, and the wind howled outside the door. Even the sound of our cleats clomping on the concrete made me feel like an explorer venturing into an old, rocky tomb. Then, the lights flicked on. "That's better," Justin said. "Now, you just stay right there." The one thing a...

I sat in the back. I had nothing against math or even Mr. Jefferson and his smug grin. It was Alice who drew me to the table we shared in the far corner. At first glance, she appeared like an ordinary brunette. It was only when I got close that her exotic features distinguished her from the other girls. Alice's unusual eyes had very little in common even with her own genetic makeup. One of her parents was distinctly Asian...

It didn't look straight but every time I moved it, it got worse. I took a step back and crossed my arms. "So, what do you think?" Alex looked up from his bed. There wasn't a lot of room in our tiny, one-bedroom apartment. He studied the black and white portrait and said, "It's not bad or anything, but Mom is going to kill you." "Who?" My brother sighed. "Well, when she comes to visit." I scoffed. "Whatever..." he said. "A...

I'd gotten my first pair of panties from Melinda the week before school started. I wasn't planning on it. I was just casually strolling through the small Bluffwatch mall with a new toothbrush in my hand when she lifted her head and beckoned me into her store. It was the kind of store that had dim lighting, the AC was set obnoxiously low, and it played loud, weird music music to attract teenagers. At least I think it was t...

The next song that came on was pretty much the same as the first, only it was cash registers this time. They were in sync with the beat. It was fitting given where we were standing. Melinda cleared her throat. "Is there something I can help you with, honey?" she asked. The girl looked at me and then back to Melinda. "Aren't you helping him?" I stepped to the side to make room. My penis slid along the cool, glass surface o...

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Justin and I broke apart and sat up straight on the couch. I looked at my sister. "We, uh—we were just watching TV." Stephanie glanced suspiciously at the small, bulky television vomiting out the local news, then back to us. "There was a bear sighting," I explained. "You have thirteen channels of shit on the TV to choose from—and that's what you pick? That same bullshit happens every da...

The first thing she told me when her family moved into the house across the street was that she was trans. She marched over wearing an absurd, pink tracksuit just as I was taking out the trash. It almost sounded like a confession or even that she was a little angry the way she just blurted it out. But that was it though. She didn't give me time to say anything. She didn't even tell me her name. The strange, black-haired g...

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" I asked. Alex jumped. "I work here. What are you doing here?" "I just came to escort you home. You invited me, remember?" "I... What? No, I didn't. That's not at all what I did." "Besides, it's dangerous out all alone at night. So, I thought I'd walk you home and protect you." Alex looked up at the sky. There were a few clouds but otherwise, it was clear. It was dark though. The moon w...

Jackie's mom was waiting for us inside. She glared at us as we scooted past her. The door shut. "Why are you late? And who is this? And what happened to his shirt?" she asked. "Mom!" Jackie whined. "Everything's fine." "No, no. Everyone back here. All of you. What is going on?" I held out my hand. "I'm Justin." The pretty, forty-year-old version of Jackie very reluctantly extended her arm and shook it. "Um, I'm Claire." "...

Spanky's was a fine establishment despite their measly one-star on socials. Their human resources department had more important things to worry about than employing seventeen-year-old girls. Their philosophy was that after enough time it would work itself out, just like it did in my case. I'd made enough money by the time I turned eighteen that I bought myself a car. It was a shit car, but on most days the engine turned o...