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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2020
Submitted to Contest #293
The only thing more depressing than a European winter’s night is a European winter’s night when you’ve just had your heart slaughtered. But the gray Luxembourg trainyard I knew so well somehow had a touch of hope in it now, as I settled myself for my last ride back to Paris. Love and work and school had all kicked me in the rear end within a few weeks of each other. But I was warm and mostly dry in the crowded, brightly lit train, and I found real enjoyment in my long last look at the rainy January twilight out there. Years later, I’d be abl...
Submitted to Contest #290
“I was in a place like this when I learned about you selling information on me, honey,” Laine said. “Still won’t quit on that one, will you?” Dan muttered as he collected his black coffee and settled himself at the table nearest the threshold into the bookstore, and opened his newly purchased paperback. “I know what I heard, honey! The guy said, ‘She didn’t get into Harvard, and her boyfriend likes playing with her breasts!’” She lowered her voice on the last four words, but not nearly enough to avoid being overheard. Half a dozen other peop...
Submitted to Contest #287
April 12, 2012 “I can’t believe your mom made you invite Del Poirier!” Jen squealed from her perch on Becky’s bed as she and their friend Maddy watched Becky adorn herself with her mother’s makeup. “You think he’s ever been to a girl’s birthday party before? Or even to a girl’s house? I think he’s probably a fruit.” “Jen!” Maddy protested from the floor, where she’d been perusing Becky’s books. “The word is ‘gay’ and so what if he is? He’s a sweet kid, and a brain, too. He’s always ruining the curve in social studies.” “And in French,”...
Submitted to Contest #278
Jay was none too happy on the first day of high school when Robbie brought home the pamphlet about the school’s zero-tolerance policy. “Weren’t any of these teachers ever kids themselves?” he said as he read of the draconian punishments for any violence whatsoever. “I don’t see an exemption for self-defense. Surely they told you that was okay?” Robbie shook his head. “Mrs. Provencher, that’s my English teacher by the way, she said if you get attacked, just let someone tell a teacher. You won’t get in any trouble, and the attacker will get fi...
Submitted to Contest #273
“The Greyhound station was deep in the worst neighborhood in town, but aren’t they all?” I recited as Jeff poured the wine into each of our coffee mugs, the closest thing to a wine glass we had in our room. “I didn’t care. My dad’s long-discarded Chevy wasn’t going to attract any thieves, that I knew.” “Not another story about some scumbag,” Jeff interrupted. “Write what you k...
Submitted to Contest #265
People often tell me I sound bitter when I don’t mean to. For that reason, I’ll start by saying the move did me a world of good. “The move” – that’s what we always called it inside the family. I was fifteen and fresh off an awful freshman year at high school in my old hometown, rife with bullying – some of it from a teacher – and underperforming on my part. Here’s what you need to know about my hometown: it was a down-at-the-heels New England milltown, full of broken families and kids who saw no future except maybe the army, and adults in de...
Submitted to Contest #255
“I’m glad you felt well enough to come,” Jimmy said as they stepped out into the cloudy summer heat that would never feel like Valentine’s Day to Kathy. “I’d have hated to have to look at Mrs. Blodgett laid out in there alone. What a bloody awful day for a funeral.” “Is there ever a good day to say goodbye to your true love forever?” Kathy asked. “But Valentine’s Day weekend most of all!” Jimmy replied. “All right, I know you don’t like that kind of thing as much as I do. It’s like the ladies at the warehouse all used to say, I’m a sap...
Submitted to Contest #250
"Wednesday is writing day!" Mrs. Morton reminded the class as the recess bell rang. "Think about what you want to write during recess!" "Andy, we know what you're gonna write about!" said Matt Nelson, punching him on the shoulder after a quick look to make sure Mrs. Morton couldn't see them in the boys' cubbyhole corner. "'Why I Love to Read', right?" "I don't see why not!" Andy said, pulling his new Paddington Bear book out of his backpack. He'd given up on saving them for bedtime, since Mom and Dad wouldn't let him read more than one chapt...
Submitted to Contest #244
James had already forgotten about the dust up with Lisa by breakfast the next morning. It was par for the course for his ex, as he’d told all his friends so many times. As usual for breakfast, the dining hall was not crowded. Besides, James was still half asleep without his coffee. So he didn’t notice the uncomfortable looks he got from his few acquaintances who were present. The same went for his walk to French class, where only the few others who were unlucky enough to have an eight o’clock class were out and about. It was only when he arr...
Submitted to Contest #235
“My great grandfather was an Okie,” Tom explained. “Think he was nineteen when his family went out to California. He met Great-Gram at a refugee camp, if you can believe that.” He stopped and chuckled. “Family legend has it when they were picking lemons together, she kept looking over and finding his ladder right by hers. Grandma was two when he went off to war, I guess.” “No doubt she never saw him again after that,” Ellie said. Her eyes were dry for the first time in an hour at least, Tom judged. “Oh, no, he was one of the lucky ones w...
Submitted to Contest #198
Trigger warning: Bullying That week, it wasn’t even lunchtime on Monday when Jamie found himself sent off to the principal’s office, his eyes still red from the latest tormenting from Mike and the others. All the way down the hall he told himself he didn’t care, he was numb, he could take it. All the way down the hall he couldn’t convince himself, no matter how he tried. At least Mrs. Burroughs was sympathetic as usual. “Oh, Jamie, not again,” she said as he lay the crumpled discipline slip on her desk. “When is Mrs. Anderton going to ...
Submitted to Contest #181
Jason hardly ever set foot in the dining room. Clarence wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him eat there, not in the two years and change since they’d realized their wartime dream and moved up here. That had always been just fine by Clarence, and never more so than today. Second shift had started well over an hour ago by the time Clarence arrived in the dining room with his soup and bread, and spotted those two out behind the shed. Had Jason called in sick again? Or had the fool just not noticed the time? Clarence worked the first shift at...
Submitted to Contest #179
I never imagined it would be this warm on New Year’s Day, even out west at Aunt Sarah’s place. The view from my new room isn’t just beautiful, it’s serene. Cornell Road and the stately houses across the street, and the woods and hills beyond – it’s like one of those idyllic storybooks I used to read in grade school and imagine my life was in one of those imaginary towns, instead of my dirty and gritty hometown with all its unemployment and gangs and worse. Little did I know then that I would get my wish before I was even into high school...
Submitted to Contest #157
It was August, and the slow-dance gang was over by then. That probably had something to do with why I finally asked Rachel out, though I'm really not sure. Everyone else at the student house still called us 'the slow-dance gang' with as much sneering as ever. But Rachel had said the slow-dance gang was over. No one else knew just why, but it was her apartment and her CDs, and so we never questioned it, or at least I didn't. I was still hopelessly in love with Arlene and had no desire to watch from the couch as she waltzed about in Leo’s ar...
Submitted to Contest #143
“Me ma’s from Darwin. Up there you had to make your own fun.” That was Reggie’s excuse for every bit of trouble he’d ever got himself into, including the ones where Elaina had found herself mixed up. The last of those, where they’d tried to get old man Lawton’s ’74 Valiant running and move it to the other side of his backyard while he was out of town, had been the last straw for Elaina’s parents. “He’s been getting you in trouble since grade three!” Father had thundered after the cops had delivered her home. “Why do you even want anything ...
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