I drove home for the weekend to hang out with Mom and whatever friends were around. The hour drive felt long, but I was looking forward to a break. When I pulled up to the house, I noticed my brother's car parked in front. My stomach did a little flip; I knew exactly why he was there. I went inside and found him waiting for me in the kitchen. "Hey, what's up?" I asked him, trying to sound casual as I dropped my duffel bag...

A cold fall wind pushed me through the front door, and I was carded immediately. I handed over my ID and was given the okay to continue in. No, I wasn’t trying to get into a bar—I had just walked into an adult store. I’d done my research. This place had a regular retail section, a video arcade, and a theater. But right inside the door to the theater was a large sign that read, “Closed for renovation.” Well, damn. You see,...

Mom was gone on a work trip, and it had started snowing. It was Thursday, and since school was already canceled for Friday, I planned to grab a few things after class and then spend the weekend inside, watching the snow come down. On my drive to get gas, I went around a curve and felt my front tires lose traction. Before I knew it, I’d slid straight into the curb. Needless to say, that wasn’t good. I hit hard enough to bl...