December 22nd: The Pageant The childhood fantasies of being a pageant queen came rushing back, just as those of being on the float had the day before. Twelve women, representing the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, and each one of them shared the dream. Some of them, like Sasha and Marcy, had been the queen already. It was one more silly tradition and more reason that there was no place like Christmas at Christmas. W...

While she drove home, she called Brad. “Got any plans for dinner?” she asked. “None.” “I’ll stop in town and bring something back. Alright?” she asked. “You’re the best!” “I know. Maybe you can thank me later?” she teased. “Gladly.” She brought home dinner, and they ate it in the little dining room, but as they dined Christmas looked at the empty chairs and remembered. Seven years, but not one of them passed without that...

December 13th: Coming Home As the snowfall intensified, adding another layer of white to the already blanketed stretch of country road, Christmas slipped on her gloves, her hat, and opened the car door with a frustrated sigh. Her sneakers were not meant for the sudden cold, wet crunch of the snow that they sank into when she stepped out of the car. It was bitter, biting through her thin socks as she trudged to the back of...

For about two years after I'd first met Lucianna, my life was better than it had ever been. We still didn't live together, but we visited one another regularly. We talked, we made love, we cooked for one another in the nude (save aprons, since nipple burns are no fun), and we watched movies together while she regaled me on her artistic interpretations of them. My life was far richer for having her in it. One day, though,...

My name is Darren Overstreet, a twenty-year-old guy attending McKingley College in Lima, Ohio. I was on the football team; I dated a few girls from the glee club, which the rest of the school thinks is a huge joke. But I love singing and performing so I ignore it. But I also made a shocking discovery about myself and sexuality. It happened a few weeks ago when I was with my bro, my best friend, Sam Anderson, and we’d step...

Mark’s head is against the steering wheel, tears running down his face, equal to the rain hitting against the car’s windshield.  He tries calling the number on his phone for the sixth time in the last three hours.  Still no answer.  Nor have there been any replies to his numerous texts. ‘Damn, damn, damn.  I have finally fucked up so bad that I’ve ruined everything,’ Mark laments to himself as he bangs his head against th...

The wind pushed the curtains. Dust swirled in the morning light. She snored, lightly. It sounded sweet. Endearing.My head hurt. Clobbered my brain into submission. Sticky eyelids fighting to open and close. _“Make up your mind, mind. Is this day about to start?”_ Sundays can be in limbo. “Fuck. Coffee.” She muttered in a somewhat hoarse voice, lovely shutters still closed. _“Look at that face. Deceiving innocence. I shoul...

Friday arrives, and Abbie drives herself to work, telling Tim she will see him at home afterward.  She is a bundle of nerves today and keeps admonishing herself to relax and not worry.  She is experiencing the same worries as she did over the party at Microga.  Abbie tells herself to look at how well that worked out, worrying for nothing. Abbie herself has self-esteem issues almost equal to those that Tim had.  Tim has le...

Tim always viewed himself as an outsider.  He felt everyone viewed him as a bastard in school for not having a father and wanted nothing to do with him.  In truth, except for one day in school when he was about seven, no one ever thought about that at all.  That day was when the children were asked to say what their fathers did.  When it came to Tim’s turn, he blurted out that he didn’t know as he did not have a father. ...

I’m having trouble reading you sometimes. First, you lapped me up like a stray dog in heat, but not quite. On nights when we drank together, nothing much else seemed to matter but the moment, until the sun showed us we pushed it too far again and you really needed to clean your coffee table. Too many fingerprints on the glasses. Almost out of cigarettes. Never have I heard so many words between words as when we talked abo...

August does bring many new things into Abbie and Tim’s life.  They would have never imagined that five weeks could hold so much.  It started out as told, with a new license for Abbie, a car for Tim, and what got to be part of their regular weekday schedule. It starts with Abbie, seeing that Tim’s hair is getting a bit long and messy, taking things into her own hands.  Since meeting Abbie that fateful night after stopping...

It was only about a mile or so to the bowling alley from Kelly's house. In that few minutes, she told me that her job as an Office Administrator really helped with the family expenses, but her mom always insisted she keep a part of her paycheck for herself. Her dad and Rick were collecting unemployment while her mom was lucky enough to work as a hostess for an upscale restaurant that got a government loan that paid most o...