[This story is based upon a conversation I overheard the on the train to work in 2011].

“Hi Wendy. I’ve not seen you on this train for a while?”

“Oh, hi Kylie. Yeah, I’ve been at the branch in Slough for the past few months. I could drive there in twenty minutes from home. Now I’m working in Reading for the next six months. The assistant manager is off on maternity leave. So here I am on the commuter express that stops at every station!”

“How are your kids?”

“Davy is a real handful. All he wants to do is play football.”

After Saige had finished with her shower, she put on some clean clothes and went out to the cafeteria. Just like Piper said, there was Olivia, locked in a glass case and on display for everyone to see. The moment she saw her friend, Saige ran up to the glass case and pressed her fingers against the glass. "Oh, Olivia," Saige whispered. "Look what they've done to you."

In spite of her pain, Olivia looked down and saw Saige outside her case. Olivia wanted to scream at Saige to get out of here, to save herself while she still could, but she could not.

"He's gone. I'm going to be ME!"

Sometimes taking that first step is as big as 'One giant step for Mankind' and I've always been a woman. Haven't I?

Previously this was titled "I’ve done 25 – will I get to 26? Is it over." The OLD subtext said 'If these were lyrics they could be better – but I’m doing this My Way – or the highway – or the low way. And sorry – it may sound like this is going to be a suicide story – but – nope – not this time.'
I think it wasn't being read because of the bad vibes. I was trying to be punny about the number of 500-word stories. And jokes suggesting suicide don't work. Sorry.

The 25th AP-500 story - and none has, yet, been borrowed or adapted - come on, folks and folkesses,

A Tale of Two Kitties

By Dawn Natelle

Amber pt 7

I carried the cups, handing one to Nichole., taking the other and sitting in the recliner. Curling up again with my feet drawn under my butt.
We sipped the tea. It had no strange taste, just the earl gray.
It was how we spent the days, for the next two weeks. On days I worked Nichole would clean and take care of our place. I told her she didn't have to. She insisted as a pay back for all we have done for her. One Saturday Me and Greg took her shopping for some more cloths as two outfits weren't enough, especially for a woman.

For the rest of the week, Saige continued to hang out with Tony, Olivia, Bailey, and Stephanie. During that time, Saige got fully acquainted with her new girl body. She could take a shower, change her clothes, and brush her hair without help from her mom or Olivia. She even got rid of all the boy stuff she used to have and bought some new things to satisfy her new, girly interests. Now her room was painted pink with a Justin Bieber poster hanging on the wall. Saige was surprised to find herself liking Justin Bieber now. As a boy, he had HATED Justin Bieber.

The next morning, Saige woke up to her alarm blaring. She hit the Snooze bar and got up for the day. She went down to the kitchen, still wearing her pajamas. While she was making herself a bowl of cereal, Saige's mom came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, princess," Saige's mom said.

"Hey Mom," said Saige. "Hard to believe I was a boy 24 hours ago."

Her mom laughed. "I know. I have to leave in twenty minutes, so you should take a shower real soon."

"What?"

During lunch break high school freshman Tom was sitting on a bench outside, reading a sports magazine (but with the edge of a Penthouse sticking up), alone as usual. Well, as usual as it could be the fifth day of term. Tom was not a popular boy. Small, ”dainty” and with golden locks that was rather longish. There really was nothing wrong with Tom except that he was terribly shy and new in town. He had lost his parents and the only relative was a cousin of his mother's. Matthew and Martha were considerably older than Tom’s parents but they considered taking care of Tom as their duty. Tom had all the material support he could wish for. However, they didn’t really care for him and since they never had had any children of their own they didn’t understand him at all. So the less he bothered them the happier they were.

Anyway Tom was sitting there ostentatiously reading a sports magazine featuring baseball. Tom was quite a good baseball player and had great hopes to get onto one of the junior teams. However, if you looked closer you could see the edge of a Penthouse sticking up behind the magazine. Not that Tom was interested in the pictures. Actually he found the sports magazine much more interesting and if he wanted to look at naked girls internet had an abundant supply and Matthew and Martha had no clue how to restrict his access. No, Tom had arranged the Penthouse very carefully to throw off any suspicions about what he had hidden behind the Penthouse. His real secret was much worse, something that absolutely NO ONE must know. Tom was totally absorbed by the latest “Thumping ❤❤, Broken ❤❤, ❤❤United” book, according to some the soppiest, most braindead romantic drivel ever written. Tom just couldn’t get enough of it.

Miss Johnson was angry and worried.

Gaby Book 17 - Seasons

 
“So what is it this week, Gab?” Herr Thesing enquired.
“Thought we’d try chicken?”
“Okay, just change the meat like last week then?”

With everything going on last week our pie was mince, the meat variety.

Expecting another ballet lesson, Sam instead finds himself smothered in clothes.

Sage was walking through the school, looking for a bathroom. He had to poop really bad. He'd been holding it for half of English class, and he was going to burst if he didn't find a bathroom. Luckily, he saw the bathrooms just down the hall from where he was. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him toward the nearest bathroom, dashed inside, and went into one of the stalls. He locked the door, pulled his pants down, and sat on the toilet. He let out a sigh of relief as his poop fell into the toilet bowl.

"To Be or Not to Be, That is the Existential Question" If given the power of a comic book superhero, is that person obligated to play the part for the greater good?

To Be or Not to Be, That is the Existential Question

Chapter 2: Or Not to Be

Last Time:

I thought to myself, 'Thank god! The pain is finally gone." I tried to say something around the breathing hose in my throat, but nothing came out. I put every effort into wagging a few fingers, but I couldn't move. Nothing!