Thanks to Softouch911, again, for being a fantastic editor and friend! * My grandmother had a bookmark when I was growing up that said: "Celebrate freedom. Read a banned book." The irony never escaped me; while we have free press, we also have people who exercise their freedoms by protesting, and banning, the words of others. My grandmother celebrated he...
It had been a brutal year. No... I'm not using that figuratively. I'm not trying to gain empathy with hyperbole. It was, literally, a brutal year. (Can you tell I'm an English teacher?) Something was in the water and I'd stopped more fights (physical, verbal, you name it) than I cared to count, winding up with a food-throwing free-for-all on the last day (wh...
TUESDAY I had become really tired of high school. I had succeeded in class, been a leader in extracurricular activities, and although it got me into the college that I wanted, I came to hate the fact that I barely had any fun. I didn't go to the prom. I wasn't invited to the shore. I had my two friends, but otherwise spent my time alone. And the academic pa...
I took a deep breath in. The theater always had a certain smell: wood and paint and paper. But, in the wings, it was different: you could smell the fabric of the curtains and the musk of unkept instruments from the orchestra below, and the emptiness on stage coupled with the energy from the audience was something almost tangible. It brought me back to my the...
What lies before you is neither a story, a poem, or a piece of fiction. What these words will represent is a small testament of what it is like being me. Give me feedback. First of all, Hello. My name is not important for this particular expression of my life. I'm currently a 25-year-old male of 5'10" with brown hair and brown eyes who once weighed as much...
Johnny took a bite from his egg sandwich and glanced out the large window as two short figures scurried by. He watched as the two kids climbed into a dark SUV and closed the doors. The driver casually waved at someone standing on the sidewalk. Turning his head Johnny noticed a woman in a jacket with a few rollers still in her hair quickly wave and th...
TP TP TP TP I glance out the window. It's raining. It's always fucking raining around here. I pick up my hat from the desk and trundle towards the office door; it's about time to clock out for the day. TIING! It's the phone. Well, not a phone per se - it's more of an interdimensional transponder but that's just a glorified fairy phone. HQ has officially name...
Please note that all characters within this story are 18 years old or older, unless specified otherwise. This story takes place in high school, which means that a high school senior is typically age 18. All feedback and votes are appreciated. ***** Oak Ridge High was a small town school nestled on the highest point in Oak Hills. The school's football fiel...
During the first summer after finishing High School, my parents had planned a family vacation for me and my little sister; I was getting too old to enjoy tagging around with them so I convinced them not to make me go along. They understood my lack of interest in going to see historical landmarks with them but didn't trust me to stay home alone. Hence they ha...
The far away scent always reminds me of her. Cigarettes, coffee, maybe a little bit of perfume. Yep, my darling was a little rough around the edges. She wasn't your conventional blonde-haired Barbie- not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but there was just one Talia for me. The fact that we grew up together was also a big factor in our would-b...