Back when I was young and blissfully ignorant, I loved the leading up and the first week of school. I would get my birthday money from my great-aunt in Ohio for my birthday and used that to buy my school supplies. The smell of opening up a fresh pack of notebook paper and putting it in my binder is euphoric. Don't get me started on the book bags. The one I picked out had to fit my books and the occasional jacket. I was ex...

Left, right, left, right… keep going, keep breathing. Her chest burned, rasping breaths tearing her parched throat. Still, she battled on. Left, right, left, right… Pumping dance music pounded her ears but she’d long since abandoned keeping time to the beat. Now, it was merely a distraction, a way to drown out slap of feet on the tarmac and the racing thump of her bursting heart. “Must keep going,” she muttered, gasping....

Rain hit the window, and my eyes traced the lines of water traveling down the glass. Long streaks trailed behind each one, telling the story of where it had been. Every splatter would leave its own reminder behind, letting the person seated know it had existed and where it had gone. I let my finger rest against the cool surface and traced one of those paths wistfully. In truth, I was the tiniest bit jealous. This rain cou...

This story starts at the beginning of my senior year at Kent State. I was majoring in Physics and I was taking some high level courses. At the start of my second to the last semester before I was scheduled to graduate I was taking Electro-magnet Theory I (which I loved), Introduction to Quantum and Atomic Theory (which I also loved) and Physical Thermodynamics (which didn't love me). I thought I was doing rather well in T...

These are the first two pages of a 44-page endeavor It’s not like AJ’s known for his spontaneity, he’s not some feral college freshman. He’s not even an eager eyed person. He’s boring. He’s routine, painfully routine depending on who you talk to. Being boring is easy, it took just one moment of weakness to remind him.Class was wrapping up when the idea came from nowhere and he acted on it. There’s nothing spontaneous abou...

"This tour guide doesn't know what he's talking about. You don't need to go all the way to the student union for lunch — the coffee shop at the library is better, faster and cheaper than the cafeteria. The selection isn't quite as wide, but...""Listen, I appreciate your insight, but you really don't need to be here. It is 'new student' orientation, after all, not 'new student and chaperone.'""We aren't the only mother and...

"I don't understand why I have to be there," Teagan whined from where he sat at his desk. Textbooks and note pads surrounded him, along with empty snack bags and soda cans. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him through narrowed eyes. He couldn't be serious, right? There was no way. "Are you for real?" I demanded. The look I got in return told me he was. I uncrossed my arms and slammed my hands down onto my hip...

"I really don't think this is one of your better ideas, baby," I told Teagan with some trepidation. I hung back as we approached the restaurant; I was sure it was going to end in a disaster much worse than when I met his friends the first time. It didn't help this was the same place, either.He shot me a look as he reached past me and opened the door for me. "I don't care if it's a bad idea or not, Aislinn." He waved me th...

"Now, what's a pretty girl like you doing in a dump like this?"The question was so corny that I had no choice but to laugh. I looked up from the book I had been reading while eating my dinner to see Ryan gazing down at me. Seeing my amusement, he gave me a smug look."Well, had I known that cheesy pickup lines were the key to you not being hostile, I'd have used it a long time ago," he said. "I've built up quite the collec...

“I’m sorry, what?” A frustrated sigh met my question and I fought the urge to take my annoyance out on the owner of the said sigh. “For the third time,” Ryan grumbled, “Do you want to see one of the movies that are on the syllabus? Or do you want to do a book report first?” I stared at him blankly, having no idea what he was talking about. The entire concept of studying for my classes seemed inconsequential these days. Ev...

DECISIVE MOMENTS – CHAPTER 7 “Hey, man! Can I borrow your shaving cream? I’m out.” I turned to see Connor standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was glancing into the kitchen where Teagan was cooking. I had offered to help but was turned down with an emphatic no! I still hadn’t gotten any better with my dismal culinary skills. I found it rather offensive that the two of them continued to remind me of this, however. “Yea...

Decisive Moments – Chapter 6 When I walked into the kitchen the following morning and saw Connor sitting at the table, I had to fight not to turn around and run. Teagan had left earlier to catch up with his early morning study group, so I had no buffer. I was comfortable with the step that we had taken the previous night. But the thought of my brother knowing anything was mortifying. It didn’t help that every time I thoug...

My mind is like a giant wool ball. Every time I make the effort of unravelling it, I end up with a few persistent knots I never seem able to undo. I am quite stubborn myself and I can’t help overanalysing situations when something specific is hovering around my head. And most of the time that ‘something’ is most certainly a ‘he’.You, Sir, have made me the most fortunate and unlucky girl in this frightening big blue marble...

I groaned as I woke up, my head pounding and eyes dry and scratchy. I blinked in the dark, disoriented. The clock on the table beside me showed that there were still several hours before morning. I sighed as I worked a hand out from under the covers and rubbed my forehead. “What’s wrong, baby?” I heard whispered into my neck as muscled arms pulled me tighter. I smiled as Teagan nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck....

Looking back on things, I can see where I could have handled things at that point a bit better. Blurting out, “Are you shitting me? Who are they for?” probably wasn’t the best route to take. Especially if the look on Teagan’s face was any indication. Not one of my smarter moves at all. He turned and looked at me in disbelief. “They’re for me, Aislinn,” he snapped. I recoiled in surprise at his tone. Even at his angriest w...