Dave Bede

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2020

Stories (20)

20 Stories

432 karma pts

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“Zero Tolerance” by Dave Bede

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...

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“Hidden Confessions” by Dave Bede

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...

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“The Lost Pancakes” by Dave Bede

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...

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“The Ladies of the Warehouse” by Dave Bede

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...

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“Especially on Rainy Days” by Dave Bede

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...

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“I Don't Know You” by Dave Bede

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...

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“Requiem for Ellie” by Dave Bede

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...

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“Boys Will be Boys” by Dave Bede

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 ...

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“The Mirror in the Dining Room” by Dave Bede

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...

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“What About Math Club?” by Dave Bede

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...

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“Eighteenth Street Intimacy” by Dave Bede

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...

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“The Final Prank” by Dave Bede

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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“An After-School Lesson” by Dave Bede

Submitted to Contest #142

The city library wasn’t in the worst part of our town. But it was close enough to always double-check that I’d locked my bike before I went inside. That spring, I’d taken to always riding down there after school to do my homework. Though I was from the right side of the tracks – barely – I wasn’t scared of the ride not quite into the slums. It was where most of my friends lived, which was one of a hundred reasons why my mother and I didn’t get along at all lately. Another was my avoiding spending time at home after school. “You ought to fa...

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“Sylvia's Number” by Dave Bede

Submitted to Contest #133

Jerry heard his mother in the hallway a second too late to avoid getting caught red-handed, perched on his desk chair with one hand deep in the reaches of the top shelf of his closet. “What are you doing in there, sweetheart?” she asked from the doorway. “Oh, nothing!” Jerry said much too emphatically, even he could hear that as he let go of the contraband magazine and pulled his hand out. Along the way he knocked something out of place that he couldn’t make out in the darkness, and it came tumbling out – an old heart-shaped box. “I hope...

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“Upperclasswoman's Privilege” by Dave Bede

Submitted to Contest #131

The first time I saw Jen, she was coming down the path from Loorsey Hall just after second bell. She was laughing at something another girl said when they were passing, and her joyful smile and bouncing dark curls caught my attention. I smiled back as I approached her. When we made eye-contact, she recoiled and stepped off the path to give me a wide berth. I was used to the older girls looking at me like that because I was a freshman and a scholarship kid, and I knew just how to handle it. “Good morning,” I said, not losing the smile. “D...

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Author bio

Another bloody Yank down under! (Originally from New Hampshire, now in Melbourne)