Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

Posted in High School on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 60 stories

“A Trifle” by Julie Frederick

Submitted to Contest #153

“You will be back this afternoon, right James? For your birthday?” Rachel reminds her husband, placing two slices of Marmite-slathered toast in front of him.He lifts his head, smiles weakly. “Uh, I’ve just got to finish this chapter, Rach,” he says. “I’m so close…” He takes a reluctant bite, then another, more out of necessity than hunger. She can’t recall the last time he has requested a particular food, let alone helped himself to something. He’s become paler, smaller, his hair thinning.She has heard it all before. Too many times. The word...

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“WHAT'S IN A NAME” by Sylvia Graham

Submitted to Contest #153

WHAT’S IN A NAME This was the first sunny day we had had in a couple of weeks, so the kids and I piled into my old pickup and headed out to the berry patch. Mary was pretty mad at me right now. I had been promising the boys a dog ever since our old Rusty passed away. Just kept putting it off. Never seemed to find a dog that seemed to fit our family, now she was nagging at me about a dog just like the boys. Blackberries should be ripe enough to pick, and hopefully we would have enough for Mary to make some jelly and a pie or two and...

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“Collapse” by Molly Harris

Submitted to Contest #153

Warning: Contains Strong Language Collapse“I’m so sorry,” Annie says as she collapses into bed.“Can I come stay with you? It will only be a couple of days.” Miya says with hope in her voice. “Of course,“ Annie says. “ I have a small pullout couch and a tiny kitchen, but we’ll make it work.” “Love you, Annie.” She whispers, her nightly routine. “Love you more, Miya,” Annie says as her exhausted eyes close to sleep. “She’s lost, Annie,” mom says as she fills her glass of wine. Annie holds the phone up to my ear and hear myself say “I know...

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“Don” by Denae Burns

Submitted to Contest #153

The roses are pleased to be chosen for the funeral of such a prestigious man. They wait dutifully at the foot of his casket in an elegant vase, their white petals reaching towards the crowd gathering under the morning sky. A woman is first to approach the casket- the widow, as the roses presume. She is tall and slender, an angular force in a black dress, with a lace trimmed handkerchief clutched between two hands. She turns to gaze at the body nestled in silk. “Oh, Don,” she sighs, “You never were an early riser.” The woman chuckles before ...

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“The Coffee Cup” by Mochaccina La Bruja

Submitted to Contest #153

She always relied on cleaning to help steady her racing mind. It wasn’t that she necessarily enjoyed it, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yet, there was something therapeutic about allowing incessant thoughts to escape through her busy hands. Each scrubbed plate and bleached countertop helped her center herself. The longer she spent tidying the kitchen, the more time she had to reflect on the meeting with her potential attorney. The idea of separating from her husband started as a young seedling the year prior. She tended to drive...

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“Land ahead!” by Francesca Zanoni

Submitted to Contest #153

Chris was staring at the sea; it was a calm evening. A gentle breeze was caressing his sunburnt face. He knew that breeze as he knew his mother. It would always blow in the evening, at times gently at times with the violence and cruelty of a witch. He knew how to handle it though: he knew that sailing was not an option when that old witch was mad. And how often was she mad! He remembered that one evening when he was still young and not fully conscious of the perils of the sea. He would leave the dock, just for the sake of it. He didn’t reall...

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“Store story” by Glenn Holt

Submitted to Contest #153

I can’t believe we’re arguing over this. Really there is nothing better I can say. While I sat there I began thinking about all the time I had spent at this place. I began thinking back, back, to everyday that I had worked here in the last three years. Like the time making the rounds that I got within 20 feet of Ronson, my nose began itching. When I emptied the trash, I had to hold my nose in fact if he sat eating dinner again. The trash cans were ten feet from him, so sometimes I waited until he left the area. He smelled worse than the tras...

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“Tea For The Queen” by Sean Sorce

Submitted to Contest #153

WRITER NOTE: This is a retrospective for one of my characters, Queen Esther Greath, through her eyes in Chapter 41 of The Blacksmith's Nephew. This also happens to be one of my favorite chapters I have written so please enjoy.It has been nearly four days since I, Queen Esther Greath of the Northern Kingdom of Rissindell, has sent my brave warriors out to save my one and only daughter Ruth. I have been hardly sleeping for the past few days. Each day, I keep on thinking about my daughter and each night, I was having nightmares which were being...

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“The Underbelly” by K.J. Dyer

Submitted to Contest #153

Rays of summers gold softened, giving way to purple hues of dusk. Susan’s stealth placement of her steps made no sound in the dry underbrush. She inched closer, straining against the thick brush that engulfed everything around her. Her sweat absorbed into the leather grips of her weapon, making it slippery if she had to do combat. Branches pressed deeply into her exposed flesh, droplets of blood trickling from the wounds. Up ahead she could see the thinning of the foliage as the trail widened. As she hunted, she could not let her guard down ...

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“The Elephant in the room was you” by Jennifer Braveheart

Submitted to Contest #153

"I can't believe we are arguing about this," I said to my friend Lucy. I heard Lucy’s words, “Well, he did do some good! "They struck me full force, Bam, as if somebody had thrown a plate full of catsup against a wall; but it wasn’t a plate of catsup and we weren’t in the Whitehouse dining room.The words splattered against my head and each letter rolled slowly off my burning forehead and onto the beige tile flooring in my living room.I watched the words break apart, scattering into letters that slithered across the room, oozing the pestilenc...

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“The Snow the Snow the Snow” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #153

Crack! Crack! The blade of Branden Bannerman’s icebreaker chipped at the mound of ice in his backyard. The snow had been thick this year, smothering everything, including the flimsy carport roof. After every snowfall, he had shoveled off the roof, creating a gargantuan snowbank, which the kids called “our iceberg.” In the freeze-thaw cycle of early spring, it was far too icy for the kids to ride their toboggans on as they used to do, so now it sat there as hard and cold and immutable as misery. “What on earth are you doing?” Audrey shouted, ...

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“Caged Bird” by Carter Msilisi

Submitted to Contest #153

*This story has strong language and themes of suicide and self-harm* “Well, that went well,” Shauna said as if she didn’t know what I would say next. I knew she would’ve given anything to avoid the impending fight. I knew she would have jumped out that window and ran into the night. Heck she would have even pulled out a knife and threw it at her own foot if it meant that this conversation wouldn’t take place. I felt the same. I had tried to keep things civil the whole day. For our child. But if Shauna wasn’t going to keep her promises, I...

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“I Can't Believe We Are Arguing Over This” by Etya Krichmar

Submitted to Contest #153

I Can't Believe We Are Arguing Over This On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States of America voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling that declared abortion a constitutional right almost half a century ago. It is hard for many Americans to accept and understand the reason behind this decision. I am outraged by the reversal of Roe v. Wade. I believe that a woman's right to choose what to do with her body is her human birthright. I also feel that the court's recent decision pushed our country, which has served as a shining ...

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“Someone's Not Getting Home Tonight” by K Cao Xai

Submitted to Contest #153

It was ladies’ night at The Beelzebub.Joss always showed up first and visited so often the bartender knew her by name. She occupied a seat located in the darkest part of the bar and started on her martini when a crowd of women entered the club. The colored lights pulsating through the room illuminated unfamiliar faces. Those who came with friends took to the dance floor. Couples who didn’t dance stood near the bar or stole kisses at the back tables.It didn’t take long before a stranger in a tight bodycon dress came by to ask if she could sit...

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“Ben to the Rescue” by Laura Huffman

Submitted to Contest #153

At the Cornstalk Fire Station Ben received an emergency call about a woman in labor. He climbed behind the wheel of an ambulance and turned the key. The radio came on. “Ben, I have more information about the pregnant woman,” the dispatcher said. “She’s at that old house on the east side of Krystal Lake. You know the one. It’s on the north side of the New Wave Salon." Ben turned on the siren and drove into rush-hour traffic. “Did you get her name? Will we be dealing with a prema...

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Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 60 stories

“A Trifle” by Julie Frederick

“WHAT'S IN A NAME” by Sylvia Graham

“Collapse” by Molly Harris

“Don” by Denae Burns

“The Coffee Cup” by Mochaccina La Bruja

“Land ahead!” by Francesca Zanoni

“Store story” by Glenn Holt

“Tea For The Queen” by Sean Sorce

“The Underbelly” by K.J. Dyer

“The Elephant in the room was you” by Jennifer Braveheart

“The Snow the Snow the Snow” by VJ Hamilton

“Caged Bird” by Carter Msilisi

“I Can't Believe We Are Arguing Over This” by Etya Krichmar

“Someone's Not Getting Home Tonight” by K Cao Xai

“Ben to the Rescue” by Laura Huffman

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a character learning to stand up for themselves.

Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Write a story about two characters who have been fighting for so long, they can’t remember what started it.

Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Contest #153

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

214

Contest entries

104

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: