“Liam?” Sonia calls from the living room, making me groan as I wake up. “Come on, time to get up!”

“Yeah, I’m awake,” I reply, not even bothering to stifle my yawn.

The President grinned impishly. “Life in the fishbowl. Just smile and wave, Jessica. Smile and wave!”

The next few days, the media was filled with news about me and my request to see those in charge of this country. President Frump was among those that made a public statement on the subject. His statement said that he refused to meet with me and that I was still considered a terrorist. What an idiot. The media was still all over the place on what I was and what it meant for the future of the country.

“I know Dad doesn’t want you at home unless you’re willing to change back, but when I have a place of my own, you’ll be welcome to join me there. I don’t know when I’ll have anything to offer that’s better than the sofa bed you’re sleeping on now, though.”

Dropping the Javelin
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

This was back in the day when we were competing with Russian athletes on the world stage. Everybody knew that they were drug cheats, but the strange thing is that they were sourcing a lot of their muscle advancing hormones from right here in the states.

Zoe, Olivia, and Lanie all crowded together, doing their best to protect the box of explosives. "You hand over that bomb you're carrying," said Circe, "Or else all three of you will be killed!"

"Never!" said Lanie. She fired a bolt of energy at Circe, but Circe just absorbed it with her hand.

Olivia looked at Circe with a burning hatred. "You've caused us a lot of trouble," she said. "You trained Miss Johnson to turn boys into girls, which led to the disaster of the Y. F. F. H. You kidnapped Bailey, you kidnapped Rachel, and your men even killed Bailey!"

Carter handed the vials containing the newly created virus to Circe. "This is it," he said. "This is the virus you requested me to create for you."

"Perfect," said Circe. She caressed the vial in her hands like it was the most valuable diamond in the world. Of course, she didn't realize that the virus contained a pathogen that would destroy it, along with its flea carriers, almost immediately after the swarms of fleas were released. "After all these years, my dream will finally be achieved!"

After their talk with Carter Halbrook, the teens all piled back in their cars and started driving westward. Carter went separate from them to reduce risk of Circe or her witches catching him with their enemies, and Ricardo had to hang back for a bit to gather up some explosives. But Carter promised the teens that he'd book a hotel for them.

It was the look on her face that affected me the most. Was it disappointment? Was it disgust? She didn't look angry, just shocked as she slammed the door and ran down the stairs.

It was my own bloody fault. I had let her down, just like I had let everyone down all my life. If only I'd locked the door. I always locked the door. It must have been the excitement.

“Going on a date with the next pretty girl?” Mary demanded to know.

“It’s not a date. We are just going out for coffee.” I replied maybe a little louder than I intended to.

“Oh sure. That’s why you had that big smile on your face the whole time Lilly talked to you.” Mary insisted.

“Can a girl just be happy to make new friends?” I answered, starting to feel a little angry.

“Riley, come on! Don’t play games with me. I know you inside and out. You need to settle down. You are way too hyper while flirting with all of those girls.”

I sneezed explosively; by happy coincidence, the sound bore an uncanny resemblance to the word, “bullshit.”

Conner entered the address Ricardo provided into Google Maps and followed it to Carter Halbrook's house. The house was located in the suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi, right at the end of a cul de sac. When Conner parked his car, Ricardo pulled up right behind him.

"So this is it," said Zoe. "This is where we'll find out what Carter really wants."

"I just hope you're right about this," said Olivia.

With all the members assigned to the mission together, it was finally time for the obligatory list of safety protocols. The whole S.I.D. had long since memorized them all, but regardless Geisinger insisted on going through them every time. Some found it annoying, but others saw it as necessary.

“Okay.” Geisinger announced in a loud voice. “We will go through the proper safety protocols and then head in there and hopefully get this done as soon as possible. I hate this cave and I’m sure most of you do as well.”

There were many nods at his statement.

The next morning, Zack woke up to the sound of Lanie dropping her phone and cursing. Zack blinked and rose out of the bed he was sleeping in.

"Hey, Zoe's up," said Miles.

"What?" Zack looked down and realized that he'd shifted to Zoe in his sleep.

Lanie looked over and realized Zoe was now female. "Oh," she said. "I guess you changed before you went to bed?"

"No, sometimes I just shift gender in my sleep without intending to," said Zoe. "Want me to change back?"

"It's okay, you can be a girl for right now," said Lanie.

One too Many
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Even with the curtains drawn in a vain attempt to help me cope, it seemed that the room was in direct sunlight, or that I was in a Nazi interrogation room facing a searchlight I kept my eyes open as only slits, or was it the one ton block sitting on my head that was keeping them mainly closed?