Since the fire in our elementary school happened in the late summer, we all had to start this year in new schools. I was supposed to start the sixth grade this year, but since I’m one of the ‘brains’ they decided to have me skip a grade and start junior high school a year sooner.

Great, just what I didn’t want to happen. I mean I was the smallest in my class as it was; now, I’ll be the smallest in the whole darn school! Another year of utter torment, once I leave the house, get to the bus stop, the ride to school on the bus, and thankfully, quickly if at all possible into my classroom. I hope that the teacher will be there and I will be left alone. Safe until lunchtime, when again I am on the defensive until I make it into the library. Yes, I spend my lunchtime at the library, much safer and a lot more peaceful than anywhere else in school. After my so-called lunch and recess break, I wait for the last minute and head back to class. I wait with the others to board the bus; the ride home is anything but peaceful as the girls all the way home tease me.

The Euros are on so here's a little football/soccer themed story to mark the occasion.

*the Euros is a football/soccer tournament for those that don't know

Synopsis: Ashley has been offered the chance to play soccer in America and with his old high-school buddy acting as his crumby agent what could possibly go wrong?

There are also a few jokes aimed at American/British differences that may or may not be lost on some of you.

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I'd been on hormones, a super birth-control pill called Ovaril, for four months, and had already made three trips to the endocrinologist, suffered through four additional trips to the lab to have blood taken, and now I was back to see Dr. Harrison. The handsome part of endocrinology.

He asked me about how things were going.

My answer was, in essence, "Not fast enough."

An Obvious Girl, by Karin Bishop

Part 2

Chapter 4. Come Saturday Morning

A Familiar Experience — A DarkRealms Story

Chapter One

Taylor Michaels sat in his room in Shrewsbury, England, reading one of his books. His very favorite author and personal hero was Dr. Angela Bernacci, a noted volcanologist. She had written several books on the subject, and Taylor was enjoying the newest as he pondered his future.

Chapter XIV - Jean's Hospital Experience

When I woke up, mother was sitting by the bed. She looked at me with those concerned mother eyes, and then she wiped a hair away from my forehead.

"Honey, the nurses are telling me that you're not eating everything on your tray. Sweetie you have to eat, so you can get your strength back. You aren't going to gain any weight, because you won't be snacking between meals, and I will make sure of that. But you have to eat."

Kelly Goes to College

As hard as it is to believe now, I was a pretty average guy in high school.

I wasnt a jock, or a nerd, or anything special. I just ... was.

Until my college application got screwed up, and changed my life.

See, even though we call this a college town, there have been actually two colleges as long as anyone can remember.

Col Mathews’ school started off as a military college, and then expanded to cover any subject that might make boys into men, but Miss Andrews’ College for girls remained pretty traditional, at least in most respects.

Recently I blew the dust from this very early story and was happy to get reacquainted with the Mendoza family. Please note: I do not speak Spanish, but was helped by a friend from Málaga, Spain, who lived for a time in Buenos Aires. Any errors in translation or idioms were probably typos on my part and not necessarily her fault!

An Obvious Girl, by Karin Bishop

Part 1

Chapter 1. Failing Grades

Sweet Dreams-37 The first cut is the Deepest.

Chapter 37

I look at Alex and Adam and sort of smile at both of them wiping at my own eyes. I’m feeling better even with all of this out sort of in the open now but the boys of course are still being the boys.

I’m still sort of being hugged by Adam and I use the position to sort of drag him over to Alex and we all sort of end up sitting on the stairs. Me actually in between both of them.