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Looking for a steady supply of teens & young adult short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

5400+ Teens & young adult Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Looking for the best short stories for teens? Our collection of funny, suspenseful, and relatable young adult short stories will meet your needs.

Teens & young adult Short Stories – Page 41 of 360

Teenage Love

Submitted to Contest #261

Hey! Thank You for picking up my books in the hallway when I fell! SOOOO embarrassing! Forget you ever saw me like that! Best,Tatum2/4/2024 To the World’s Greatest Friend Thank YOU for picking me up from soccer practice since it was raining so I didn’t have to walk home!! I'm so glad I found a friend like you! See you next week at school, BESTIE!!! Best,Tatum3/1/2024 Grub Buddy, Thank you for sitting with me at lunch today! I love being close to you and hearing you laugh! I always feel like I can truly be myself when I’m around you! XOXO,...

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Unwritten Pages

Submitted to Contest #261

Day 1: So, a gratitude journal is supposed to make me feel better? Fine. Here's my first entry: GO FUCK YOURSELF!!Day 2: Seriously? Writing instead of talking during therapy? Feels like a punishment. Great, another reminder of how much my life sucks right now.Day 3: So now, daily prompts? Whatever, it's easier than pulling this shit out of thin air. Today's prompt: Describe a random act of kindness you saw. Val, the therapy dog, knew who needed her today. She sat with the quiet girl, who smiled for the first time sin...

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The Gratitude Journal

Submitted to Contest #261

“This is stupid. I don’t want to write about what I’m thankful for. Why do you always make me do things you like? I’m not you!” Maddison argued with her mom immediately after she had handed her a journal with ‘Gratitude’ written across the cover. Her mom was worried about her lately. Her attitude had slowly started changing along with her outlook on school and friends. She had come home from school a few days ago and called herself stupid, insisting that she had no friends and that no one liked her. For obvious reasons, she was concerned. Sh...

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The Anonymous Donor

Submitted to Contest #261

One day, my child fell very ill and needed a heart transplant because she had a heart condition called CHD or Congenital Heart Disease. The doctors said it would never get to the point where she would need a transplant but, I guess they were wrong. My husband and I have been worried sick since she has been on the transplant list for 3 months, and no donors have come to light. That’s when we got the call we had been waiting for from the hospital; it was a bittersweet call given we knew our daughter would have a fighting chance to have the lif...

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Unrecognized Destiny

Submitted to Contest #261

UNRECOGNIZED DESTINY By Earl James As he trudged down 3rd Street toward his home, sixteen-year-old JT Schuler slowed his pace to enjoy the early evening sky. Dusk’s fleeting light turned the early spring sky into a dazzling violet hue. He allowed himself a few seconds to appreciate its beauty. Then he turned back to the task at hand—preparing to deliver today’s bad news to his stepfather. JT headed up the porch stairs to the entrance of the only home he’d ever known. Entering through the low gate that hung on one hinge, his ...

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Staring Right at Me!

Submitted to Contest #261

We sometimes fail to understand the importance and value of being mentored by respected sources, whether a specific person or more than one. Those very leaders are often right in front of us and play a vital role in our lives yet we fail to notice. Youth is wonderful but the wisdom developed through the ageing process holds greater meaning. I had and have so much to be grateful for but sincerely failed to see the light until I reached my early fifties. I should conduct a survey on this topic in order to know the length of time it takes for t...

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A Love Story - Written in the Form of Thank You Notes

Submitted to Contest #261

12.05.22 Hello! Thank you so much for the cookies you baked me!! It was a wonderful 'welcome' gift to the apartment complex. I've left the empty container along with this note just outside your door x Elife :) ___________ 22.05.22 Hi! I'm happy that we keep running into each other on the elevator. It's always so nice to chat with you! Thank you for buying me that morning coffee at the coffee stand yesterday when I accidentally left my wallet at home. You are too kind! Elife ___________ ...

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The Greatest Dream of All

Submitted to Contest #260

Do you ever have that thing where you know that you need to get up early for something, like to catch a plane, and your body will NOT let you relax? So, instead of getting the restful sleep you need ahead of a big day, you wake up every hour on the hour, stressing that you’ve overslept? Did you know that’s called ‘Disrupted Rest and Excessive Awakening Malady’? And yeah, I’ve got that malaise big time because first thing in the morning is the most crucial event of my career.It's the Annual Associate Acceleration Convention. This is a hu...

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The Watsons

Submitted to Contest #260

The Watsons by Amanda Stogsdill"Hurry up, will you?" Teresa called over her shoulder. Butterfly puffed along, the strap of her heavy schoolbag digging into her shoulder."It's miserable. I'm sweating buckets!" The thirteen-year-old complained, "Why can't you drive?""Because, my car's broken down, remember? I have school too, you know. Shut up and keep walking." Teresa was also sweating, but wasn't showing it as much as her younger sister. With their identical features and hairstyles, you'd suppose they were twins. Except of course, for their ...

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Danger Door

Submitted to Contest #260

The room is dark, the door they entered through is locked behind them. Their minds still stuck on the previous room's nightmare. The current room’s walls are black, plain, and ominous. Three doors are on the opposite side of the room. One of the three is an exit, freedom. The other two doors are certain death. “Sam’s dead, Mark’s dead, Tori’s dead. Everyone else is fucking dead! We are all going to die,” says Tonya. “They can’t kill us all. I don't think they’re allowed to. One of us has to live,” says Clark. “I know for damn sure I ain't dy...

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The Ring

Submitted to Contest #260

Dear [illegible], I don’t even know what to call you anymore. You’re not my Mum anymore; you lost the right, the privilege to be called that. It feels weird to call you by first name, and wow the irony that your name should be Angel. Your mother should have called you Thief instead. Or Breaker of Hearts. I refuse to call you Mrs. Harkness anymore either, you shamed Dad in ways you didn’t even care about. I wish he would just divorce you. But he says he doesn’t have time, and he doesn’t have any desire to get married again anyway, so wha...

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Thank you Henry!

Submitted to Contest #261

Any other night, Dad was at the table waiting for us, his four sons, when Mom called us in for supper. Tonight, Dad was on the phone so as we walked into the kitchen, Mom did that “shhh” thing with her finger in front of her lips. We quickly quieted down and found our seats at the table. We could hear Dad talk, but he wasn’t saying much, “Ok, sure, I understand. Ok, I’ll let them know. Ok, thanks.” He untangled the stretchy phone cord and hung the handset back in its cradle on the wall. He quickly settled i...

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A Present

Submitted to Contest #260

“Remember that book I bought last week? You asked me to let you read it as soon as I finished reading it.”She pulled that very book out of her bag and held it out to me.“So. I read it.”A soft smile played across her face.“I didn't expect you to read it so quickly. How did you like the book?”“Oh, I liked it a lot. Probably my favorite so far.”“In that case, I can't wait to read it. I'll give it back to you as soon as possible. You needn't worry about its appearance. I won't fold the pages.”“You can safely fold the pages all you want,” she con...

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Amongst the Wind and Waves

Submitted to Contest #260

It was the summer of '94, a hot and sweltering day when my beloved sister's voice rang from the doorway: "I'll be at the beach; see you in an hour ."That was the last time I heard my sister's voice.  My sister Julianna was always too beautiful. Her eyes resembled the blue ocean and were filled with depth and ingenuity. To hold onto her gaze was to plunge into the deepest waters, as they held onto you in such a mesmerizing way. Something that made Julianna so loved by all was the way her eyes constantly seemed to tell one they were ...

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The Romantic

Submitted to Contest #260

"You read romance?" I asked Stella when I noticed a book with a cover of a man and woman peeking out from her bookshelf. It was surprising, as I had never considered Stella a romantic. Of every book we had traveled into, she liked adventure and mythical tales, not cliché stories about love. Something about knowing this fact made my heart beat in anticipation. Maybe one day, she would notice me. "Of course," Stella was staring at an empty ice cream bowl as if she wished it would magically fill up again. "Why?" "Why not?" She countered. "I mea...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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