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Part 28 of 29

Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Even though he officially retired some years ago, Grandpa is still a force to be reckoned with at the library. If he needs the community room on New Year's Eve then naturally he gets the community room on New Year's Eve even if the place is shuttered tight. He says he knows just where all the bodies are buried and there's no budget for re-interring them so they just have to let him do what he wants.

“No peeking!” Kayla admonishes me as I enter her bedroom.

“What, I’m not allowed to see my girlfriend naked?” I tease, smiling as Kayla giggles and tosses a ball of scrunched-up wrapping paper at me.

“I’M not naked,” Kayla retorts.

“D’aww,” I pout, earning another giggle.

“Your presents, on the other hand, are!” Kayla yells as she jumps off her bed and closes the door- though not before giving me a gentle kiss. I giggle as I leave my girlfriend be and return to the living room, though inside, my nerves are jangling for multiple reasons.

“Ahh!” I screech as my ‘seat’ slides across the ground, threatening to tip me on my backside with every movement it makes. “Jeez- how did I let you talk me into this again?”

“You said you wanted a Valentine’s date that was truly unique,” the young Welshman replies with an almost sadistic chuckle as he fiddles with his controls. “I guarantee you, this is something no one will have ever done before!”

“There’s a reason for that!” I complain, grimacing as I feel the cold February air blow up my extra-short skirt. “And I’m not really dressed for it either!”

The college sponsored a Winter Carnival every year near the end of January to give everyone a chance to blow off a little steam. There were all sorts of activities such as figure skating contests, snow man building, and even sleigh rides. Some of the frats and sororities had booths with food, hot cider and cocoa. Others set up carnival type of games. The college even cancelled classes for Friday. Naturally, my presence, as the SRS Halloqueen, was requested, and because of my position, RLE didn’t object.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” I lamented to Sylvia.

“Said just like a woman,” she responded.

“Urgh…”I groan as I’m awoken from a blissful slumber by a loud knocking on my front door. “Stop fucking banging…” I grab my phone to check the clock, only to roll my eyes when I discover that it’s gone 11am. Fortunately, today is Wednesday, meaning I’m not at uni today, but that also means that none of my friends are either, as I discover when Ophelia (who has obviously already been up for ages) opens the door.

“Helloooo!” Katie giggles loud enough for me to hear in my bedroom. “Flying solo today then, Ophelia?”

Reflections

A short story for Valentine`s day

- - -
Authors Note: I posted this short story on Valentine`s day and I am not comfortable with the way it looks or reads. I have edited it and made changes to the story and have posted the new version under the title of Reflections 2. Thanks also to Erin for her advice when I was unsure how to proceed with the amendments.

- - -

The mirror on the wall sees all and hides nothing.

Here he comes again he looks sad and seems to have lost his way and all interest in life.

"A whole week off!" Maisie squeaks in my ear as the bell rings to signify the end of the school day- and indeed, the end of this half of the term.

At least, it would be the end of the school day for me, were it not for the fact that when I arrive home, I immediately head up to my bedroom and exchange the itchy, clingy black tights and knee-length skirt I've worn all day for an even itchier, even clingier pair of pink tights and a black tank leotard, just as I've done every Tuesday and every Friday since the New Year began.

Nathan stared down at his open sock drawer in confusion. This absolutely was not the way that it had looked the day before. He’d had maybe a dozen white socks and a few black dress socks. He certainly had not had three dozen pairs of socks of varying lengths and colors, some with pictures of animals and cartoon characters. And there was no way that he’d had a small collection of rolled-up tights and leggings of various colors and patterns.

Nathan poked at his food with a fork. Part of him found it ironic that a Chinese American family was eating Chinese takeout for dinner, but his mind wasn’t really on the food.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” his mother asked from across the table. She was frowning, but it was concern in her eyes.

Nathan’s younger brother snickered, and Nathan cast him a dark look.

“I’m just not very hungry, I guess,” he lied. He hated lying to his mother, but he really didn’t want to talk about it.

“He’s upset because he still doesn’t have a date for Valentine’s Day,” Tyler chimed in.

Nathan stabbed his beef with his fork, looking down to hide his grimace.

“Tyler, stop antagonizing your brother and eat your dinner,” their father said.

Tyler grumbled something under his breath, but didn’t respond.

Nathan silently thanked his father, but he knew that Tyler was right. He was fifteen now and still didn’t have a girlfriend. All his friends were always talking about girls, but Nathan had such a hard time getting a girl to go out with him.

Not that he hadn’t tried, of course. He’d asked out four different girls this school year already, and each one had said no. And every time they did he wished he could just disappear and never have to try again. But with Valentine’s Day coming up, he felt even worse than usual.

“Double turn!” The teacher yells, and I comply, pirouetting twice on my right leg. “Point your back leg… And pose!” I throw my arms up in the air and grin widely as the music finishes, earning- alone with Nicole on my left, and Suriya on my right- a rapturous round of applause from the assembled students.

“I shall see you on Tuesday!” Hannah giggles as she drops me off outside my former college. “Give my love to the rest of the ‘Teen Angels’. Oh- and enjoy your long, loooong weekend!”

“Will do!” I laugh, straightening my short skirt and opaque black tights as I step out of the car and stride into the dining hall of the large building. I breathe a sigh of relief that my work is over for another week- not that I don’t still enjoy it, of course, but it IS hard work, and I’m REALLY looking forward to three free days to spend with my friends… Especially Sarah.

“Should anyone here present know of any reason why this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony,” the vicar says with a warm, happy smile, “speak now, or forever hold your peace.” Sarah and I- both dressed in identical, beautiful wedding dresses, our hair tied into elaborate matching hairdos and our make-up immaculately applied, stare at each other and smile, but almost immediately, the silence in the church is broken.

By Melanie E.

Rudy/Ruby has been having a heck of a time with the Princess program. It all seemed like such a great opportunity to indulge, but it turns out it's a lot of work! Add in a mysterious valentine, and what's a boy/girl to do?

Love and Old Books…Finale

It changed everything that weekend and I mean it changed everything…

I will remember that night forever but the next day too. I woke up and it was chilly even with it being summer but the smell of the water coming in off the beach was still heavy in the air and there’s nothing like it really the smell of salt water that close. It mixed with the sounds of the waves hitting the beach and the smell of us, of Valerie sleeping there beside me.

I rubbed some more thankful, so thankful wetness from my eyes with my thumb and then I rolled over and spooned her wrapping an arm around her and the blankets and just holding her.

Smelling her skin, her hair.

There are some perfect moments in this world.

"Forget your contract. You're fired. I'm firing you for cause. You have betrayed me - and him, in my opinion."

		Trans. Plant. Heart. Chapter 6 (conclusion) by **Sigh** Copyright © 2013 plaintivesigh All Rights Reserved.

"Fish! God, no! Not that, not again! Please don't! What will your wife think?"
"Hell, Honey. I'm filming this. This gets my own rocks off," laughed Mamie.

		Trans. Plant. Heart. Chapter 3 by **Sigh** Copyright © 2013 plaintivesigh All Rights Reserved.

Tracy smiled. “So I can do it?”

“Yes, it was. So a nice dress for dinner if you want, or a good skirt and blouse, nothing too fancy, just a nice one will do.”

Edited by Djkauf

Valentines day, 1983

Greg learns how blind and sly love can be when he snoops on a trophy high school throb!