A grifter with an unusual technique has to take things further when he finds himself in a tough spot. (This was supposed to be my entry in the “March of Fools” contest, but I missed the deadline by a few months, so I reworked it to fit the new theme and then finished it.)

A Second Chance   by Kelly Blake   Edited and Proofed by Drea DiMaggio and Alison Mary Artwork provided by the Incorrigible Belle Meade

...I knew what had happened. As one of the cops approached me and started to speak to me, I heard not a single word. I merely saw his mouth move as tears began to fall from my eyes.

I remember little else from that evening other than finding myself in my old room, now occupied by Corie, and Kate alongside me in the bed. Owen and Meg were gone. We would never be able to speak, or touch, or laugh, or cry with them again. My life, and Kate’s, as we knew it, had come to a most bitter end.

I wrote this story and posted it, but unpubbed it because of the very real feelings and people involved. The story is true. I recently received permission from one of the people in the story to re-post it, so I'd like to enter it in the Summer Romance Story Contest. If it's deemed ineligible, I don't mind, but I wanted it here so others might learn from it. Thanks. Cathy.

LESSONS LEARNED

By Catherine Linda Michel

She sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands, crying as if she'd lost the best thing she'd ever had, and in so many ways, she had.

I woke up the next morning and found Kara in bed next to me. She greeted me with a smile and a kiss. I could definitely get used to this every morning! We got up and raced each other to the bathroom. I admit I did let her win. She rewarded me with another kiss, so I think it was worth it. After we got our business taken care of, we headed downstairs to start breakfast. Mom and Lyndsey slept in a little while longer and came down just as the coffee was brewing. I took orders for omelets and prepared the ingredients.

At long last, Carol feels the man in Seat 17C could be the man she has been awaiting; a snowstorm interrupts and soon the man is missing; her love endures in the mystery of his disappearance, always ready to be rekindled. But the man has a secret.

Do you go through life wondering what people know about you?

Leaning her head back away from me, her dark chocolate brown eyes gazed up into mine for a moment.  “Please excuse me!”  Suddenly those captivating eyes vanished and I heard her running behind me.

Freezeframe

Copyright © 2010 Kahoko Nakamura

What are the Odds?
By Connie Alexander

I first noticed her at the bookstore. I had been glancing thru some magazines when I looked up and saw her come over to the news rack next me.

There was something about her that immediately caught my attention. It wasn't that she was any great beauty; it was just some indefinable thing that drew my eyes to her.

She quickly found what she was looking for and turned and walked towards the cashiers. I watched her go and pay, then walk out the door. I was mesmerized by her.

His lips caressed hers as he breathed his very soul into her. She'd dreamed of this moment for years never believing for a moment that it could happen to her. Countless nights she had tossed and turned thinking about him, how he'd sweep her off her feet as he declared his undying love with a kiss. But never in a million years did she think it would actually happen. . .

This is just a little peek into the lives of a couple of very special teenagers as they head towards their first high school dance.

On the Way to the Dance
Copyright 2010 by Heather Rose Brown
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The next morning I woke up to the sun shining through the curtains and I noticed that everything was exactly as it was from the night before. I went to the bottom drawer and took out the notebook. I turned it to the page and all I found was some strange writing in a language that seemed vaguely familiar, but was still at the edge of my mind. The necklace was still the same and clothes I was wearing did not seem to be any tighter than they were the night before. I put on my pink robe and slippers and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

The Summer I found her, promised to be just another boring and lonely stretch for just another geek among geeks. I was glad to finally be out of there for the Summer. I had spent most of my school hours just making sure I stayed under the radar to keep myself out of the way of the steroid-enhanced gang of jocks. I just kept quiet, did my work and stayed out of trouble as much as possible. My Social life could be summed up with three words "What Social life?

Author’s Note: When I first wrote this little tale, I thought of entering it in the Romance contest. Somehow, due to my negligence, this wasn’t done. I wish to do so now so that should anything become of it, the ‘team’ of Andrea Lena DiMaggio, Alison Mary, and Belle Meade get the recognition they truly deserve.