I bite my lip as I stare at my friend, trying to judge her reaction to what I just said — is it surprise, or shock, or, as much as I hope it isn’t, disgust?

“…Bailey?” I ask hesitantly. “Did you hear — I, umm, I meant what I said. I’ve — I’ve always wished that I was a girl. Pl- please say something?” I bite my lip as Bailey looks at me, her mouth slightly ajar as she tries to find the words to reply. Please, I think to myself. Please be understanding, is that really too much to ask for?

It was my first teaching job. A southern high school. Quite a cultural shock for a Boston girl.

At the end of the first week one boy looked absolutely miserable. I gently tried to find out why.

Katie was so right about ‘music on hold,’ which she described as “all your favorite tunes, castrated.”

Bob waited for me after Drama Club. He had two tickets to the premiere of the new Secret Sissy Spy film. Actually it was Secret Sissy Spy 3. Technically that film had had its Hollywood premiere already but this was the national cinema premiere. He had won the tickets in a call-in radio show.

“Why don’t you go there with your girlfriend?” and then I remembered that his latest girlfriend was history. Bob had quite a lot of history. Rather ironic since he got Ds in that subject.

“No, I just want to see an action movie with a friend that appreciates action movies.”

My mind whirled into a chaotic reverse; it felt like our lunch, and my trip out to Kern Cotton, had taken place a month earlier. I had to remind myself that it had only been yesterday. . . .

Parents-to-be, James and Jennifer give serious consideration to an unorthodox parenting arrangement

As soon as I said that I realized how stupid I was. For one thing you don’t say that if you are the only boy in a locker room filled with cheerleaders. And that was not even the most stupid part of it.

Jason stole a glance at the ornate clock perched on the nightstand, its hands ticking steadily away the moments. Vanessa would be gone for at least three hours—ample time to indulge in what he had been yearning for. The house enveloped him in a tranquil hush, the silence wrapping around him like a luxurious cocoon. His heart raced with a blend of excitement and nervousness as he stepped softly across the plush carpet, making his way toward the sanctuary of their bedroom closet.

Author's note: I forgot to publish chapter 7. I apologize and will publish it as so as I finish editing it.

“There’s a man out there, right now,” Braddock said softly, pointing generally in the direction of outside. “A man who’s responsible for her being in your hospital today. Out there, on the run. We need her help to find him, before he hurts someone else.”

“Ooh, how about these?” Sarah asked as she picked up a box of expensive-looking chocolate covered shortbread biscuits. “You did say that one of the new Angels is Scottish, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but she’s not moved to London yet,” Nikki replied, before giggling, taking the box from her wife and placing it in the already-bulging trolley. “Both Alice AND Charlotte love these though, hehe!”

“And being models, they’ll probably only be allowed to eat a maximum of two each,” Sarah teased.

That was the title of blog by Penny Lane a couple of weeks ago. I made a comment about that and was more or less challenged by her to put my pen where my mouth is (did I get that wrong?). However, at the time I was too busy being immersed in the Finnish partitive to do something about it …