My mom woke me before my alarm went off, and after a few minutes of brain rebooting, I staggered into the shower, then got dressed for the day. Mom had laid out a sundress for me, but I really wasn’t ready for that. I don’t know if I ever will be. I wore a pair of light tan jeans, with a light red (no, it’s not pink-I don’t care who says it is) t-shirt. My usual ankle socks and trainers, of course, and I put my hair into a nice ponytail.

“Okay, Mom, I’m awake. Now can you tell me why I’m awake at 5:30 in the morning?”

“You…know? B-but who…how…”

Crap. Who else knew?

Debbie smiled. “Relax, Emily. No one told me anything. I figured it out from the clues.”

I stared at here, totally stunned. “Clues?”

Set in the backdrop of Tennessee during the American Civil War, a young, underage soldier is separated from his unit after a fierce battle. While trying to locate them, he inadvertently stumbles into mortal danger on a very dark and quiet evening. With nowhere to run, Jeremy must learn to accept the changes that have been wrought upon his body... changes that may prevent him from ever returning home again!

Chapter 16

I caught them all off guard. Over the last several weeks they had relaxed their watch over me. So, the first chance I got, Samuel, Jonah and I took our little buggy and headed off for a quick visit to town. That was the story I had given them, but I had no intention of stopping there... nor ever returning home. The youngster, Jonah, was my driver and at about five miles away from the plantation, I had him stop the buggy.

"I can take it from here, Jonah." I took the reins from his hands.

"Ma'am?" He looked at me with astonishment as I pointed toward the side of the road with a nod of my head.

"You can get out here, and head back home." I waited as he climbed down to the ground, then, without a second glance, snapped the reins and drove away leaving the perplexed youth watching me as I disappeared.

Debbie walked up, smiling. “You must be Emily. I’m told I have you to thank for saving me yesterday. I’m Deb Holloway, I’m very happy to meet you. I used to date your cousin, Gabe. I was very sorry to hear about what happened.”

We hugged, and she actually seemed sincere. “I appreciate your kind words, Deb, Gabe had mentioned you. Well, are you ready to go learn why everything we’ve done is wrong?”

She laughed, but I noticed her giving me a worried glance. I guess that she was wondering what Gabe had told me about her.

Emily dressed herself nervously. This was probably going to be the weirdest day in her life. Well, maybe the second weirdest, she thought, giggling to herself. Learning that she had changed into a girl in the first place had to come in number one, of course.

An accumulation of magical residue had changed her from Gabriel Randall, popular Sophomore student and JV quarterback, into Emily Randall, his pretty, supposedly grieving cousin from Flagstaff; Arizona.

I'm Holly Daze, and it was a Steakin, actually. You'll see.

One hundred and eighty-seven dollars. Eight of her bankcards she had already maxed out. Three times Josephine read the statement. One hundred and eighty-seven dollars. That was all the room she had left. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down in front of her 50-inch television set and sniffle. So Josephine did it. Her life also had its share of sobs and smiles, but sniffling she did best.

Powdered Sugar.

I’m sitting in the window at the local café here up in this place called Harbor Springs. I so don’t belong in a place like this. I mean I’m sort of starting to get used to these things I guess. But this is Adam territory, Well April’s from up near here but this is a resort town, they call it that themselves and it looks like, well nothing I‘ve ever known. I‘m not used to streets like these people smiling and all happy like Prozac is in the water. It‘s brick sidewalks and decorations and nice cars and houses and cottages that run very likely into the millions….still very much Adam’s turf.

The Hampton’s for Michigan.

We’re up here to see someone though I never thought that I’d see ever again. My maternal grandparents. I scratch absently at my bra there ought to be a handbook for being a girl y’know. I could’ve used a whole chapter of … “So, you’re growing boobs.” Uhm here’s one, the breast cream for itching isn’t all that effective once you’re nervous and sweating, it rubs off. Here’s another one I didn’t really even think about breasts…sweat.

And itch and hurt and need to be adjusted every once in awhile.

A snow globe, of sorts, of an insulated world where dreams can come true over several holidays.

Academic, by Karin Bishop

Part 7

Chapter 18: The Judge

A snow globe, of sorts, of an insulated world where dreams can come true over several holidays.

Academic, by Karin Bishop

Part 6

Chapter 15: Show and Tell

A snow globe, of sorts, of an insulated world where dreams can come true over several holidays.

Academic, by Karin Bishop

Part 5

Chapter 13: Shocking Tea

Jem…Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I can believe that way that Summer just sang that and took the bow and the praise along with that little fucking speech she just gave everyone. I look at Raven and she’s just sort of staring at the stage like she’s in shock. I grab Brooklyn’s arm before she takes off at the stage after Summer... and Roxy is looking at me all teary eyes but hurt and freaked with this what do we do look.

Introduction: Charli learns about life under the horizon. She has a lot of time on her hands, and she wants to maintain the fiction that she is dead. Her major effort continues to be survival.

This is another story in the Cynthia Chronicles series. Other stories in the series are An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years - Part I, Cynthia and the High School Years - Part II, Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling; and Randi and the College Professor,. The time frame of this story parallels Cynthia and the High School Years.

Keeping “in the closet” brings stresses and strains that most of us bear with some difficulty. They are more difficult to bear in your Thirties than your Twenties, as it must be for women in general. Lost youth, spreading waistline, peaking libido, and “wishing for what might have been”….. So it was for me.

Chapter 22

A snow globe, of sorts, of an insulated world where dreams can come true over several holidays.

Academic, by Karin Bishop

Part 2

Chapter 4: Turning Twelve

A snow globe, of sorts, of an insulated world where dreams can come true over several holidays.

Academic, by Karin Bishop

Part 1

Prologue

Sadly, dear Readers, my writings have lost their interest for many people and the number of hits received for my recent chapters have fallen and fallen. I must be boring everybody, which lowers the satisfaction I get from writing. So, reluctantly, I’m making this my Last Time of writing on the subject of First Times. Here are the firsts I would have written more about……..
Chapter 20