A Night Like This by Allie T., Scotch Plains, NJ Girls: One with a tank top – brown, revealing – her elbows perched on the side as she leaned forward, peering down. Mothers coaxed children forward, glancing worriedly behind as if one might have escaped when she wasn’t looking ... Continue...
Afghanistan by Kyle M., Calgary, AB, Canada The sun was just above the horizon when I awoke. I went through my normal routine of showering and eating a hot breakfast. However, today wasn’t a typical day. It was a big day, one I hadn’t wanted to come, but also one I couldn’t wait for ... Continue...
Count Vicole and the Slayer by Brandon J., San Francisco, CA The young Count Vicole breathed deeply as he stood on the balcony of his castle. “I love the moonlight’s glow upon my face,” he said to no one in particular. Little did he know that a simple thing like moonlight was just what this young vampire should fear ... Continue...
Dead End by Carrie-Beth B., Deale, MD We sat in a drowsy daze, blowing cool air on each other’s necks. That’s when we heard the jingle. I jumped up, my thighs sticking to the deck, grasping a dollar in my sticky summer hands.
Together we ran, our bare feet slapping against the hot tar of our dead-end street ... Continue...
For Rent by Lisa W., West Roxbury, MA I. THE PRESENT
The moving van is out front. And even though I’m trying not to, I’m looking back. I’m looking back and trying to remember the things that I’m leaving behind ... Continue...
Hidden Blue by Misha H., Verona, PA He steps into the classroom with his head down, almost ashamed to be here. He walks quickly to the back to an old chemical-stained desk, but his effort doesn’t work. The jocks notice him and begin to pull puns. His head lowers with each throbbing word ... Continue...
How to Find Your Mom’s Stash by Madison B., Bolingbrook, IL First of all, be naive. Be curious and easily swayed. Listen to your friends when they say they want to help you, even though you had no intention of looking for it on your own, even though they’re the ones who put the idea in your head ... Continue...
It’s All About the Gophers by Lexie S., Walnut Creek, CA We were stuck in traffic when Mom turned down the radio and glanced in the rearview mirror at us.
“All right, girls,” she said, “I have a piece of wisdom for you ... Continue...
Lady Donna by Liza P., Horseheads, NY Lady Donna watched her brother, Cort, spar in the lush courtyard beneath her window. She knew she could beat him with a sword, bow, or horse. She also knew that her hopes of being a knight, or having any type of adventure, were futile. She was a noblewoman, and such things were not allowed ... Continue...
Outside by Caitlin W., Covington, WA My name is Brenda, I am six, and I have never been outside. I live in a house that is like a box, with smaller boxes for rooms. The walls are white, the floor is white, and the ceiling is white. Sometimes I hate that color. I like the colors I can see outside … but I have never been outside ... Continue...
Six Uneven Stairs by Samantha L., Pewaukee They are the only ones that trip me. I am the only one who cleans them. Six uneven stairs with uneven boards and splintering sides. Six that are out of place but fit in. Six stairs worn smooth by years of treading shoes. From the window I can see them, but my mother says to stop staring ... Continue...
Talking Back by April B., Toronto, ON, Canada Oprah taught me valuable lessons – from where our crap actually goes, to what to do when my car’s brakes suddenly freeze. Ellen DeGeneres introduced me to eye-catching dance moves that are ahead of my time, filled with high kicks and contagious laughter ... Continue...
The Colors of Love by Milan H., Battle Creek, MI Red is the color I turned when Mark Adams first kissed me on the cheek. I said I most certainly did not like him, and he said he could prove I was lying. He knew a special test. By changing colors I failed the test, and he couldn’t stop laughing ... Continue...
The Secret Society of Lefties by Megan S., Tewksbury, MA You won’t ever read about it in the morning newspaper, you won’t ever hear about it on the news, and you won’t ever be a part of it.
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