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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of high school short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

1780+ High school Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Looking for stories that high schoolers actually want to read? The high school short stories in this collection are real and relatable for any teen.

High school Short Stories – Page 2 of 119

Lessons from Scylla

Submitted to Contest #296

[ Note: Contains occasional strong language. ]I. Drifting Through Safe WatersOver the classroom loudspeaker, a student’s voice crackles with pep: “Good morning, Valley High! Big shoutout to our girls’ volleyball team for crushing the Bulldogs last night, 3-1! Next up, spirit week starts Monday—get those costumes ready!” Students trickle in, some slumping into seats, others scrolling phones. A 12-foot banner sprawls overhead—inky black, speckled with a starry Milky Way sprawl—above a school calendar pinned to October 2021: “Shoot For The Moon...

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First kiss

Submitted to Contest #296

Beep Beep Beep. Jack's alarm to wake up for school went off. He turned it off and got out of bed. He quickly took a shower and got dressed. He quickly looked in a mirror and brushed his sandy brown hair into shape. He went downstairs and got an apple and his backpack and headed to the bus stop. “Hey, Jack,” said Olivia, who was one of his classmates. She lived pretty close to him and they took the same bus to school. Her black hair looked like it had been straightened because her hair was usually curly and her dark brown skin complexion was ...

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Not So Cool Funeral

Submitted to Contest #295

This story contains strong language.Not So Cool FuneralThe auditorium is p acked to capacity, tonight is a very special night; the local high school is putting on its annual play. This year's is reported to be a comedy. Beaming relatives aim phones at the stage, eager to record their children. They're aware this will cause much embarrassment later on!Scene One (The curtain rises on a stage.A bedroom. Two girls lounge on a rumpled bed. Clothes are scattered on the floor.)Doreen: Got any plans for Saturday?Jordan: Not really. Hang out at Stev...

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Atrium

Submitted to Contest #295

I had promised myself to stay away from the garden. Come Monday, I found myself there again, right before 8.30 AM, protected by the old coat I’d nicked from the wardrobe of drama group some time in 1998. I had dug out my watch so I could leave my phone in the bag, all the better to savour the thrill of seeing my high school crush appear in the passageway by the camera store. Hi, he said, how are you. That was all, and it was not really a question; nevertheless, I cherished those mumbled words in his dark, clipped voice just as I had back t...

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Buffalo Nickel

Submitted to Contest #295

Buffalo NickelGary GrissomI was painfully shy and had very low self-esteem when I was in high school. For example, when I would get up the courage to phone a girl, I would stutter as soon as she would answer and say hello. I would say “Th-th-this is-is-is” and then I would hang up before I would say my name. At least the girl didn’t know who I was, I would rationalize. After doing this several times, I finally confided to my big brother, Lee, and he suggested that I take a deep breath and then try scatting jazz notes while I dialed the girl’...

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A Love At First Sight, Of The Heart, And Mind

Submitted to Contest #295

A Love At First Sight, Of The Heart, And Mind Back in my senior year of high school there was a girl named Debra. We had a mutual friend Herb. Herb told me that Debra was talking alot about me. Debra was very attractive with an excellent body, she could've been a model. I had always viewed girls like Debra as out of my league, although I did nominate her for homecoming queen. After Herb told me that Debra was talking alot about me, I started having weird dreams about Debra (I used to keep a dream journal back then). At our high...

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The Words Starting With A

Submitted to Contest #294

It’s not as if Atticus was ever much of a talker, even when he was younger. He was always one to keep to himself, shying away from all social interactions. However, this did not mean he wouldn’t speak at all. If you were to bring up one of his special interests, he could talk for hours on end with few pauses and little hesitancy. Of course, after he had finished jabbering his little heart out, he would always be quite embarrassed about how verbose he had just been. Atticus was always quiet, but he was kind. He may have been shy, but he was s...

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Grandma Learns Social Media

Submitted to Contest #294

Joan Hart is with John Hart Dear Johny, The Bookface is so easy to use. Thank your classmates for “friending” me. I have 32 friends now. I am more popular in the Bookface than in the real world. Your mother told me that you scored a goal on Friday. Congratulations! I am so proud of you. Your mother sent me a video. I will watch it as soon as I figure out how to play it. I am sorry I couldn’t make it to the game. Freddy, my neighbor from down the hall, went to light a candle but lit his cat’s tail instead. Well, that darn cat ran all over the...

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Speaking Underwater

Submitted to Contest #294

Content warning: explicit sexual themes, xenophobia."You're perfect," he blurted out as he finished inside her. She looked down at him and laughed at the look on his face. "Lost for words?"He swallowed and nodded.Once he calmed down, she climbed off him and tugged on her jeans, which was difficult because she had to crouch to avoid catching cobwebs in her hair. Mops and vacuum cleaners stood propped against the wall. Blue plastic bottles of cleaning solution piled up haphazardly in the corner, moved there from where the boy had brushed them ...

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Once Upon a Breakup

Submitted to Contest #294

"Home sweet home." I sighed."You're a little dramatic." Summer, my best friend since grade school arched an eyebrow as she glanced at me from the driver's seat. She had just picked me up from the airport and we were entering our small town nestled just outside of Charleston, South Carolina."It's a little weird to be back calling this home." I shifted uncomfortably in the seat. "And I don't even have my own place yet." I reminded her looking out the window of her 1978 classic fiat watching my hometown speed by in a blur. "The guest house...

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After School Hours

Submitted to Contest #294

This is going to be a very interesting year. Just minutes ago, I had tripped over my desk while rushing to leave class. A boy had been at my side to catch my fall, his teasing smirk never fading as he playfully twirled me until I couldn't help but laugh. All of a sudden, he left the classroom, pressing a piece of paper in my pocket. He kissed my hand and left, telling me that I should text the number when I get home. Why would someone like him give someone like me his number anyways? As I walk out of Mr. Sutton’s room, I am confronted with...

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Echoes of Solitude

Submitted to Contest #294

Kagami was young, and she was tired. She tried her best and did almost as much as she felt possible. Still, her efforts weren’t enough to fix everything.  Kagami awoke and slogged to move and get ready for the day, making mental note of each blemish she encountered littering her skin. She pulled on a baggy shirt and a pair of jeans from her closet, which greatly hid the body within them. Soon enough, she was on with her day.  Later, Kagami trudged her feet along the school’s multicolored, speckled carpet, away from the direction of...

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Back to School, Via University

Submitted to Contest #294

                   BACK TO SCHOOL, VIA UNIVERSITY “Inothewayurthinkin”, said Adrian The words seemed slurred into each other. His wife looked at him. There was worry and concern on her face but skilfully woven in with less dramatic emotions. He was older than her; of course he was, since he had been her don at Oxford. It was the special subject she had to do as part of her modern history course that had really brought them together. The choices ran...

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Through the Ice

Submitted to Contest #294

I wait maybe ten minutes outside the high school until play practice finally lets out. It’s a cloudy winter Saturday afternoon towards the end of January. The engine is running. The heat is on. The radio talks about public schools planning for immigration raids, tariffs, and then a list of people who won’t be in prison anymore.Elyse pulls the passenger side door open with a rush of frigid air then plops into the seat. She pulls the door shut and gropes for the belt behind her right shoulder. I slip the transmission into drive, waiting for th...

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Hi-Skool 4

Submitted to Contest #294

You may now make your selection. System loading...5000 tokens available.Relive your teenage years the right away with Hi-Skool 4, the edge-of-your-seat VR experience for impotent adults who live in the past!Choose the physical appearance of your avatar.Hair: Hay-blondEyes: Celery-greenSkin: Cinderella-whiteGender expression: FemaleBody Shape: Small. The smallest. No space for a uterus or other internal organs. Flat belly like a matza. Curvy butt like two balloons; bra size 32-B.Height: 5'4Tattoos and piercings: Classy line drawing on left sh...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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