It was a huge relief Natalie already had off that day. She didn’t think she had the strength to even call off, not after last night.

Natalie spent most of her morning laying around in her bedroom, blankly staring up toward the ceiling. By lunchtime, she needed to clear her mind, so she decided to take a walk outside down the sidewalk. It was a nice, sunny day out, something she desperately needed. It felt good, being in the fresh air.

Is Late Better than Never?
by Lily Rasputin

Chapter Three

I glanced back at the open door behind me, then looked at Becki again, torn about what I should do.

On the one hand, there was no way I was schooled enough in Maddie’s life to even pretend that I could carry on a lengthy conversation with someone who knew her, intimately it seemed, without them catching on that something was wrong. One the other, it would be a fairly efficient way of obtaining valuable information that I likely wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

CHAPTER 74
“Minibus is leaving, love. You need to get down the hill”

“Mam, I don’t know! I’m sure I’ve forgotten something—just can’t think what it is!”

She stepped forward for a hug, bringing a smile with her.

Andrew has a choice to make

Allison has dealt with her first client, a man named Des, where they smoked some smokes that were relaxing. However Allison is less relaxed leaving Des’s voter’s apartment. This despite Des’s insistence it was a good talk. What he’d explained to her didn’t sit well with Allison. Especially him saying, to sum all he said up, “Voting doesn’t change things. Laws don’t enforce things. People change things. People enforce things.” As if some dismissal of the reality of the station was as easy as a wave of his hand.

He did suggest she meet her friends, and even suggested where they go. The only reason Allison is going to where Des recommended is because Des admitted the woman there, the woman who owns the place, Jenny, might be able to help more than he could. Allison figures she might as well try; she’s tired. No-one’s been outwardly hostile, but with the twists and turns she just wants to relax, and have someone actually help her. She really, really hopes she can just relax. Even if there’s no help... Just relax...

My name is Anastasia Johnson, Annie for short. I was a high school Junior with 4.0+ grades and babysitting two children, twin girls, age 8 years old, the evening that this happened. Their parents arrived home earlier than usual and with them came the husband’s brother, Blake. I was rushed and as soon as they paid me, I was in my little car and on the way home.

My name is Yves Thomas. That’s Yves, as in Yves Saint Laurent and Yves Montand, who were famous Frenchmen of the 1950s and 60s, or so my parents tell me.

Apparently neither of those two, unlike my parents, was actually born in France so that makes three of us. My surname might seem typically British but it’s possibly even more common in France.

"I got you a present" Winston said with a smile one morning.

"No.." I pouted while trying to keep a smile from enveloping my face "You can't keep buying me things. I feel guilty enough already"

"This is the last one, I promise" he laughed.

"Is it really?" I asked as I retrieved the wrapped box, I shot him a look that made it clear I didn't believe him one bit.

Zoomed
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Tom had just started to say something – something to spare Dan further embarrassment – but Nathan cut him off.

“No Tom, I think that we value insights of all kinds,” Nathan said, quite firmly. Everybody understood, and some tried not to laugh.

Rule two: Always keep your guests entertained during gatherings.

The dance studio at Sterling Academy for Young Ladies was a realm of artistic refinement, meticulously designed to facilitate the cultivation of grace and poise among its students.

The studio boasts an expansive layout, allowing ample room for students to move freely and practice various dance forms. Mirrored walls on one side created the illusion of even greater space, reflecting the grace and precision of every movement.

Two Sides of the Coin (Part 3)
By Sabrina G. Langton

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Author's note: Hmmm, we made it to part three already, so warm and comforting. Our heroine revels in her new home and town... And then... well you will have to discover the rest for yourself... Oh, and I hope YOU like it...

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"You have to stop calling here, I am trying to raise a family!"