"Tommy, it's me" I said with a smile enveloping my face.

"Ben! Tommy!" I heard Mikey yell to my right before full sprinting to hug our two teammates.

"Mikey! Is that really you? Are you really here?" Ben asked with tears in his eyes as the two boys broke apart.

"It's me. After the wave, we didn't know what happened to you two" he replied as he hugged the other boy. I closed the gap.

"What about everyone else?" Tommy asked with urgency.

"Everyone from our life boat is here too. Safe. But we don't know where the other boats washed up"

“We have to get you a phone, and I guess we should talk about allowance.”

“What did you give Celine?” I asked.

He laughed. “Celine was a thief,” he replied. “You don’t need to give money to a thief.”

Cousins in arms 5(5) The bell rang

Jack's Little Adventure

This is a nice tale about a boy by the name Jack Star.

Julian “Jules” Miller was just your average 17 year old boy. He was outgoing, charming, and confident. Being an extrovert made it so he ran in many circles. His charisma made it easy to go in and out of those circles. Lastly, having trust in who he was made it so easy to have three girls, Mia San Giacomo, Nina Sisto, and Torry Minot, as his best friends. The mature boy was so well versed in the song which was who he was that he was able to stay close friends with one of those girls, Mia San Giacomo, when she turned him down 2 years ago.

Patsy Power Part 33

“I think I have heard of them “I said, “Aren’t they a heavy metal band from the UK?” Jake nodded his head, “Yes, if Carl was still here he would be on his knees right now as Grog is his hero.” “Grog?” I asked, “I thought he was teetotal.” Jake laughed and said “No, I mean the nuggetty guy talking to Jock. His name is Greg Goggins and he has been known as Grog forever. He was rather attached to drink in his youth but has tried every drug known to man. It’s said he is totally clean now.”

I was up bright and early to get myself ready for school, I was still learning to prepare myself as a girl and wanted to give myself plenty of time. After a quick shower and shampoo, I put on my bra, knickers and a dressing gown and sat down to try to do my hair like Mam had done yesterday. It was awkward twisting my arm and wrist to try to get the brush in the right position to fill out my hair a bit while blow-drying it. Eventually I got it almost like she had done, gave it a final brush and a spray and I was happy. I decided that the more I do it , the easier and more natural it will become.

In romantic comedies someone holds off telling something important,
and it screws up everything.

You watch the film, and find yourself shouting, “Just say it! Just tell her!”
but they don’t. It’s always “the wrong time.”

Carla & Julian - Chapter 10

By Julie D Cole

This is a story inspired by a wonderful YouTube Video recently posted. This is my take on the build up to that video and perhaps I will share the title at the end of the story unless there is a risk of me getting into trouble.

Chapter 2

Standing back in the doorway of her own room Keira was surprised to see the wonderful job Ash had done with his makeup. It looked nearly as good as her own best effort despite the colours she had given him. She smiled watching how Ash applied the last touches to his makeup look before coughing loudly just when he was putting the brush down.

Cousins in arms 4(5) The trade

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, incredulous. “You’re 42 years old!
You don’t need to ask your so-called parents. Seriously!”

“I’m thirteen,” I retorted, “in case you hadn’t noticed. By the way,
have YOU looked in the mirror lately, Mrs. Shearpen?
You’re not a forty-year-old man any more either!”

Molly Grows Up
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

CHAPTER 6
Ruth picked up on my confusion before my workmates, which didn’t really surprise me, as I was steadily realising how sharp she was. I was having a break from household drudgery (or feeling too lazy to cook for myself) and digging into one of her beef stews when she took a seat across from me, after checking the door.

“Cough, Debbie! What’s got you all twitchy this evening?”

Lillyn is ready to do some research.
Maybe even being a bit reckless about it.
But will it bear fruit?

Patsy Power Part 31

Friday morning we dressed in casual clothing and went out to the care home. As well Joanne, Minh, Nina, Riordan, Julia and me, we had been joined by Jake and Angela. We had our acoustic guitars with us but left them in the bus as we visited the premises. Riordan and Julia were welcomed as old friends and they introduced the rest of us.

Lois laughed. “Did you ever read No Exit by Sartre?
It starts off like this -- a guy ends up in Hell,
and the first thing he asks for is a toothbrush.”

“Um, I don’t feel like I’ve landed in Hell,” I told her.
“I hope you don’t feel that way.”

CHAPTER 5
Work was a new beginning for a time, as the three weeks or so of local slog kept me occupied, while the longer runs down West gave my mind the space and solitude to put things into a more sensible order than they had fallen into after the funeral. I played my music, I drove my wagon and I planned my days off, whether weekend or midweek.