The next day I got home before anyone else. As usual I dropped my bag in the hall and took my shoes off. I walked into the dining room and couldn’t help but notice the make up that Suzie had used last night was on the table. I stood for. A moment in silence wondering if it had been left there to taunt me following my debut as a make up model, or just a coincidence.

Does it get easier? Not enough to notice...

By the time I got through changing clothes six or seven times, I was thoroughly sick of the whole thing. Everyone tried to be supportive and encouraging, and Linda was positively enthusiastic, but I ended the “fashum” show by coming out of my room wearing a pair of my old jeans and one of Dad’s polo shirts that had ended up in my laundry somehow.

Donna scowled at me. “Your little alligator is lying on his side. You’re cute even when you’re not trying to be,” she accused.

Linda laughed. “Hey! Cute is what I do!” Which made everyone laugh, even me.

 
Ordinary miracle

I was an average sixteen years old boy, and then things started changing. It wasn't funny anymore!

When Max attended her scheduled weekly meeting with her counselor. She had an emotional breakdown as the weight of what happened to her came crashing down on her. Her mother had informed her that the police were trying to locate Shawn Grubbs since he was the one responsible for attacking her.

 
Dare to live 3(5)

I passed out after counting to thirteen this time. Not a good sign, I thought, drifting into darkness.

 
Dare to live 2(5)

"She. Unambiguously," Doc said, "She's now officially Lina. There is no Linas anymore."

“Another one?” Sonia asks as my phone pings to inform me of a new message. “Really?”

“Nothing else for us to do,” I reply with a shrug. “Not while we’re in tier 4, anyway.”

 
Dare to live 1(5)

If I had a rupture, I wouldn't be able to work in the weight room for months and not be allowed to play in the basketball game. With it being now the middle of October, it meant I'll be back in New Year if I was lucky.

Mica wasn't like most people his age. At 18 years old he was only 4’ 8” tall and very slender, only weighing about 90lbs. It was always joked about in his family that he was the runt and the baby of his family. Little did they know how true that was…Mica had been planning a little adventure for himself for a while doing just that.

As he watched the sunrise on the horizon, causing the brilliant golden spires of the city to twinkle like the multi-colored stars that had just retreated from the sky, the King couldn’t help but issue a forlorn sigh. Even the flock of yellow and green dragons that passed by overheard shortly thereafter, off to begin their morning hunt for the red whales of the nearby purple sea, did little to lift his spirits.

Joey settles in to life as Jo, starts new ventures, and learns to blush.