I was normally happy to see Wayne, a close friend of my dad's, but when I answered his knock on that late afternoon in May, I could barely muster a smile. "Hey, Wayne." Even my voice sounded listless. "Dad's not home yet. He works late on Thursdays, remember?" Wayne gave me a look that said, How could I have forgotten? "That's right! Well, sorry to bother you, Frankie. I'll catch him later." He started to turn away, but I...

Leanne blinked. When her eyes reopened the little boat was still there, pinned against the wall at the point where her eyes crossed. It faded in and out of focus like it was mocking her. “Daddy…” she pouted, “how much longer do I have to do this?” “How long did I tell you that you had to hold it there?” She remembered. “Eleven minutes and twenty seconds.” “That’s right. And seeing as it’s been—“ the chair creaked behind h...

Introduction: Alpha Zeta Rho ... the cockiest, all-jock frat on campus. Known for keg stands, locker room brawls, and one secret tradition: Every year, they pick one pledge to turn into their house toy. ________________________________________ Moving Day: Alpha Zeta Rho House I applied to Alpha Zeta Rho during Rush Week as a joke. I mean, seriously. An all-jock frat? Me? A twink like me? That’s hilarious. I used to love f...

My father sat at the head of the dining room table, just as he did during every Thanksgiving meal we'd ever shared. But while I took my usual seat to his left, his new wife, Evelyn, now sat to his right. On the other side of Evelyn was her father, Gabe. "This table," Dad said, "always seemed too big for just me and Opal." Smiling at me, he reached to pat my hand. He'd never been one for physical affection until he met Eve...

When I was nineteen, I started working the night shift in a hotel. One day, after I forgot to wear my name tag, a co-worker told me to look in a box of old name tags in the breakroom. It then became a private joke of mine to wear a different name almost every day. I was wearing the name Guido when Julie first met me. She worked in the restaurant, usually serving breakfast and lunch. The second time I encountered Julie, I...

Tom was at his desk, studying a report displayed on his screen, when a quiet knock sounded on the office door. "Come in," he called without looking up. He could tell it was Charlotte by the way she silently entered the room. His assistant, a small, slender woman in her mid-twenties, often escaped notice. "Do you mind if I close this?" she asked in that soft tone which sometimes annoyed him, but more often than not soothed...

I ran into Wes at the supermarket, of all places. My mom had asked me to pick up a few things for a new recipe she wanted to try, and I was heading toward the spices when I spotted him in the produce section. Wearing a huge smile, I rushed over to his side. His face lit up when he saw me. "Lena! It's so good to see you!" He gave me a hug, and I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around him. "It's great to see you, too!" I'd...