It starts off like any other day. My Grade 11 class and I pile into the hot and stuffy classroom, carrying with us our morning cups of coffee. We are all cranky and wish we were somewhere else. After we each take our seats, I glance outside and groan. It’s warm and sunny today. I would much rather be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. But soon, our teacher enters the room. And right away we realize that something dif...

I enter the laundry room to look for drinks and snacks. We store food here when we have limited space in the kitchen. And I grab a bottle of pop, along with a box of crackers. I turn around to head back out. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see them. Along with assorted pairs of jeans and other items of clothing, I see a pair of purple cotton panties. Just hanging on the line with a couple of clothespins, like it’...

Alex and Mia had been inseparable for nearly a decade, their friendship forged in the innocent days of childhood playdates and shared secrets. They'd seen each other grow up, from awkward pre-teens with braces and bad haircuts to the confident teens they were now. Alex had watched Mia's hair grow long and wavy, her laugh lines deepen from all their inside jokes. Mia had seen Alex grow, his voice drop, his shoulders broade...