7:00 in the morning. Peyton slams her hand on her alarm clock and mopes out of bed. “Too early” she mumbles as she stumbles towards the bathroom. She’s so out of it from staying up all night stressing and studying for a chemistry test. Thoughts run through her mind of what she has to do today. Go to school, do homework, go to cheer, shower, study… too many things are on her mind. She splashes water in her face and looks up at her reflection in the mirror “Perfect Peyton” she says, reassuring herself with a forced smile. Perfect Peyton is the nickname her brother had given her. Peyton has perfect grades, perfect friends, perfect looks, everything about her life is just… perfect. Then, she turns on the shower, takes out a razor and begins to shave her legs in a rush to eat breakfast and get to school on time. When she’s done she puts the razor back on the counter and continues to wash her hair. After 15 minutes she turns the water off and proceeds to her room to put on a beautiful white dress. After getting dressed she goes downstairs, eats breakfast, then goes back up to brush her teeth. In the bathroom, she grabs her toothbrush, puts toothpaste on it and begins to brush. A couple seconds pass and Peytons mouth begins to sting. She puts her toothbrush down and grabs her face in agony as the pain intensifies. Then she glances in the mirror. Red. Red everywhere. Filling her mouth and pouring down her chin as if a waterfall over a cliff. She begins to panic, “how could this have happened” she thinks. Then she takes a look at where she has left her toothbrush, and sitting there next to the red sea in her sink, was her razor, covered in her blood… right next to her toothbrush with a perfect untouched glob of paste right on top. Peytons head begins to spin and she looked down at herself, bloody hands, bloody face, bloody dress. Perfect Peyton’s life had not been so perfect anymore.

All her life Kendra had never broken a bone, sprained anything, or even gotten stitches. She was careful. And she was proud of this. In school when someone got hurt she made sure to wish them well and add “I’ve never gotten hurt before. Not even a sprain”. To Kendra, this was an accomplishment. It gave her power and pride. Everyone in school knew it too. Kendra Smith had never broken anything. Until one night, she was at a frat party. Her boyfriend Brian was there too. It was a costume party. They went as Barbie and Ken. Kendra and Brian were known as the power couple in school. “High school sweethearts” people thought. Always together, never fighting, always happy. But at the party, Brian had a little too much to drink. He sloppily hobbled his was over to Kendra to try and lure her upstairs. “Brian I did not come to the party to sleep with you and miss all the fun” Kendra said with slight attitude, but a smile on her face because she knew people were watching. “Come on baby” Brian begged, tugging at her shirt and grabbing her by the waist. “No Brian! Leave me alone!” Kendra snapped. “Fine.” Brian cried at her attempt of chastity. He stumbled his way out the door and into a car. Kendra heard the car start and drive away but was too angry and stubborn to run after it. Kendra continued to party and dance with her friends. Later that night, the party had ended and Kendra decided to crash on the frat couch. She slept until 1pm the next day. She woke up to 10 missed calls from Brian’s mom, 20 from hers, and multiple texts from people asking where she was. She stared at her phone in confusion and then it began to ring. It was a random number from someone in her area. She answered the call, and a deathly voice came through, “Is this Kendra?” The voice asked. “Yes..” she replied. “Hi Kendra. This is the Starlight Hospital calling to tell you that your boyfriend Brian passed away last night due to an accident caused by driving while intoxicated. We just thought we’d let you know.” Kendra’s heart dropped to her stomach. She was in disbelief. There was no way that he was gone. Not now, not like this. She stood up, threw her phone across the room, and in that moment, she slammed to the floor. Emotionless. Faceless. Appalled. Kendra’s heart, had fractured into a million different pieces. Kendra was finally broken.

The hot steam fills my nose with pleasant coco scents. It’s delicate shell flakes as my fingers are gently placed along its curves. As I break the pastry open, a thick dark substance oozes out. Too hot to touch my eyes are mesmerized by the rainbow of browns pouring out of layer and layers of thin tan skin. What I most love about this delicacy is how I can hold it up to me ear like a phone. That always gives me a good laugh.

A Chocolate Croissant is what I’m thinking. Were you thinking that too?

It was too dark to see anything. Too cramped to feel anything. “Where am I?” Sadie said to herself. She started to feel around her, her head pounding. She placed her hand beside her and it grazed upon a cold concrete wall. The roughness of the wall reminded her of her boyfriend Richies coarse skin. She tried to stand up using the wall as support for balance. When she stood to her feet she got a head rush and stumbled. Still blinded by the darkness she tried to gain balance and move around. Soon she came to the conclusion that she was in a cramped hallway with only one way to go. She started to head down the hallway, her feet tripping over one another with one hand on the wall and the other out in front of her. After a while of fumbling forward she decided to take a break. She sat in the cold floor and thought to herself “where could I be?”. After a few minutes which had felt like years, Sadie thought of Richie. Her mind filled with the guilt of how she had lost feelings for him and how she had cheated on him. Then she thought of how worried he must be without her, oblivious of the dirty deed she had done. So, she stood back up and returned to the state of being lightheaded, and tripping down the hall. Eventually her foot hit something hard and she fell forward. She felt around, “stairs!” She exclaimed. She began to crawl up the stairs one step at a time. Slowly running out of breath, stamina, and hope. After what felt like a thousand steps, the hall she was in began to get brighter and brighter, but Sadie began to become weaker and weaker. Her arms began shaking and her legs lost all strength. But Sadie refused to give up. She fought her pain and climbed until she eventually saw daylight. Drowning in pain, Sadie pulled herself up by the edge of the wall. When her palm hit the concrete edge she yelped in pain. A sharp prickle in the middle of her palm caused red to poor out. When her eyes adjusted to the light she had realized that her palm was impaled with the thorn of a rose. Beside her left and right, she saw two lonely candles. “Are you ready for our date?” A man asked in a playful yet eerie tone. Sadie looked up, “Richie? What are you doing” She questioned. “I’m celebrating Sadie. Celebrating our anniversary. Did you forget?” He said with a sickening grin. Then he chucked, “oh that’s right my love. You were sleeping around with that disappointment Daniel, instead of being with me. Now that’s not something you do to someone you love.” Richie said, walking towards Sadie with roses in his hands. Sadie began to get scared and scanned the room. “There’s no where to run princess. It’s just you and me... how it’s supposed to be.” Richie said as he squatted down to reach her level. “Have I ever told you how I felt about cheaters my love?”Richie interrogated. “What do u want from me?” She asked. “I just want you to myself. No other man. No other human. You and me. All alone. Forever” Richie said as he dropped the roses, and ran the cold edge of a knife along Sadies left cheek. “Happy Anniversary Sadie..”

When I look in the mirror... I see a creature staring back

I try not to look at it Even avoid all contact

For this creature makes me wonder... Is this who I am?

A big scary creature With nothing in hand

Or has someone played a trick One to make me question

My insanity, And my intension

Is there truly someone there? A friend or enemy?

Even someone who, Can fill the pit inside of me

I don’t care who, Or what you are...

But if you can heal the pain Our friendship could go far

I’m not afraid Of what’s to come

I’ll hold your hand And together, we’ll run

You are the creature staring in my soul... With your big lean body, please caress me as a whole

I need to be loved... And you can fulfill,

This horrid task That no one will..

texting on the phone

“Okay. Hear me out. This is going to be a long text so I’m sorry, but there’s something I need to tell you, and I know you don’t want to hear it. I’m not expecting an answer back, even thought it would be appreciated, I just need to get this off my chest. We’ve been talking for quite sometime now and I think things are going well. I mean sure we haven’t hung out or anything but we FaceTime a lot, like almost every night, and I think we’ve really connected. In my town I don’t really have many friends so it’s nice to have you to talk to about my problems. My parents kind of leave me be which yeah I guess could be nice at times but not when I need advice for certain things. Anyways what I’m trying to say is that you’re really special to me and I really appreciate you a lot. Even though I do most of the talking in our friendship it’s nice to be heard and listened to. Sherri, you are one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen in my life. Prettier than Ariana Grande even! Oh how I wish I could see your beauty in real life, but you live too far away. Why? Why do you have to live so far?Anyways my point is that you’ve made a really good impact on my life and I don’t know where I’d be without you. Thank you for always letting me talk to you about my problems or about simple things like my day. You always find a way to brighten up my life and make me smile when I’ve been upset. What I’m trying to say Sherri is that I see a future with you. I think that one day we will date and marry and have kids. Of course we are too young now I mean we are only 13 but I will wait for you Sherri. I will be Charlie Smith married to Sherri Smith. I- I love you Sherri. I love you so much. And I will never stop loving you until the day I die. Do you love me back? My love?” Charlie trembles as he stares at his phone with his thumb hovering over the send button. “And send” he says to himself with a nervous yet proud smile on his face. “Now we wait...” he sighed. A few minutes later his phone buzzed and he jerked to see if Sherri had replied. She did, kind of. Charlie opened his phone to a notification from Sherri’s number. His lip starts to quiver and his eyes starts to tear up as he gazes into his phone with the message you’ve been blocked scorching into his eyes.

Forced to play with her little brother again, Harper grabs her homework, put on her shoes and headed outside. Her little brother Ryan who was eleven, was climbing the up the slide when she came out. “Don’t do that Ryan. You’re going to get hurt and I’m going to get blamed for it.” She said as she sat in the corner of her yard and pulled out her homework. Ryan ignored her warning and kept going up the slide. “And I can’t keep coming outside to “play” with you. I’m seventeen Ryan, and I have other priorities in life like finishing homework or getting accepted into a good college. I’ve been very busy lately and watching you throw yourself around our play set is not helping me get less busy or less stressed out.” She said aggressively. When Ryan reached the top of the slide he turned his body so that he could slide down. In silence he slid down the slide and walked towards Harper. He sat down next to her and watched her write out long equations of numbers and letters that he didn’t understand. “You need to chill out Harper. Live a little okay. Stop growing up. ” He uttered. Harper looked at him, rolled her eyes and said with an attitude “yeah you don’t understand the stress of a seventeen year old, okay. Wait until you’re older. Now leave me alone.” Ryan stood up disappointedly, slowly walked towards the swings and slumped down to sit in one. Thinking to herself Harper wondered what he meant by “live a little”. Sure she’s been occupied with school lately and haven’t really gone out much but school’s more important than anything right now. Right? And what about “stop growing up”. Is it true that she has grown up too fast? That her childish ways were gone? Did she lose the Harper that everyone knew and loved? Curiosity filled every inch of Harpers body when she started to think of the last time she ever hung out with someone or just hung out by herself outside. Eventually, she stood up from the ground and cowardly walked towards the swing next to Ryan. And she, just like he did, slumped down. “Is that all you got Harp?” Ryan asked. With a little attitude and a slight smirk Harper kicked off the ground and started pumping her legs. “Yeah there we go! Ol’ Harps coming back!” Ryan exclaimed. “Alright now close your eyes and lean back like this..” Ryan demonstrated. “This is ridiculous.” Harper whined. Ryan scoffed, “Just do it”. And she did. She pumped her legs with all her might, when her legs were all the way up in the air, Harper leaned back, closed her eyes, and in that moment she finally felt like a child again. A happy child who didn’t worry about college or school, one who simple had fun. The real Harper was finally back.

“No no no no no. This isn’t good. This is not good.” Elizabeth exclaimed as she frantically ran around her apartment. “Ugh where is it. Where could it be?” Elizabeth started looking in obvious places first, on her desk, the counter, even in her bed sheets. Still nothing. She starts flipping couch cushions and pillows, and checking under every piece of furniture in her home. “Come on where could you be” she asks as she starts panicking. She rips her sheets off her bed and shakes them vigorously. Nothing... so she decides to flip her mattress off her bed. She opens her drawers and rustling through her clothes throwing each shirt out behind her. Running around she starts to tear up and shake. “Please I really really need to find you” she whispers as a tear begins to fall down her face. “Hmph.” She thinks to herself, “I can do this”. She wipes her tear away and puts a serious face on. She is determined to find what she had lost. She runs to her kitchen and opens every drawer and every cabinet, taking everything out. She even goes through the fridge. She sticks her arm in the fridge and reaches for the milk “I had milk yesterday maybe it’s behind here” she says. Elizabeth grabbed the milk and pulled it out of the fridge, then she turned around and tripped on a pot. The milk flew out of her hands and spilt all over the floor. “Shit.. whatever I’ll clean it later” she says... then she hears keys jingle in the lock of the door. “What. Happened. Here.” Her roommate Jasmine said astonished. “I’m looking for my moms locket. You know the gold heart she gave me before she passed away. With a picture of her and my dad in it. I’m looking for it and I can’t find it and..” she started tearing up again “and I really need it for my sisters wedding in two days. It’s supposed to be her wedding gift since she always wanted it and I can’t find it and I can’t believe I lost it” Elizabeth sobbed as she sank to the floor. “Hey hey hey calm down, you mean this locket?” Jasmine says as she holds up a tiny gold locket, in the shape of a heart. “Yeah...” Elizabeth replied, realizing what she has done to their apartment.

“Remember that time when we were climbing up that gigantic tree and then I fell off and you laughed at me! You sat there and laughed at me!” Arthur exclaimed with a slight grin on his face. “Oh oh or the time when I fell during the talent show and you posted a video of it. Yeah that was messed up. How could you do that to your best friend? That video went around the whole entire school!” He started to laugh. He hadn’t talked to Carly in a while so bringing back memories was a good conversation starter. At first it was awkward. Just the two of them in a park. Arthur did all the talking.. Memory after memory. “How about that time when we promised we’d get married? Oh how I wish I could fulfill that promise” he said. “Hey I’m sorry I let you leave that night. At the party. I knew you were drunk and I let you go anyway. I let you go when you couldn’t even see straight. Can you forgive me?” He whimpered avoiding any contact with his surroundings. “I should’ve made sure you got home safe. Instead, I watched you get behind the wheel, turn on the car, and take off. I didn’t even think about it. I’m sorry.” He said as he started to tear up and pick at the grass. “But I was angry and you were angry so I wasn’t thinking straight and I let you go. I let you go and I didn’t care about you. Until later that night when I got the call. The call... you know.. the one that said you” he struggled to finish his sentence, tears were streaming down his face. “The one that said you got in an accident. As soon as I heard the news I ran to the hospital and I sat by your side until you got better. You see. The truth is I let you go that night because I love you more than a best friend. And to see you flirting with Josh I just didn’t care anymore. I was done with you. And I knew you’d never like me back so I gave up on trying. But I’m here now and that’s what matters okay. I’m sorry... I’m sorry.. I’m sorry.. I’m sorry! It should’ve been me behind that wheel!! I should be the one in your position! I deserve it not you!” Arthur started yelling and hitting the ground. Until eventually he stopped. His emotions went numb, and his mind went blank. “I’m sorry” he whispered, as he walked away from a tree that had been crashed into a few weeks before. Which at the trunk and in the grass, had shards of glass, flowers, and a picture of Carly from the night of the party which she had passed away.

“I think I just met the happiest person in the world” I complained as I rolled my eyes. “And why are you upset about this?” A stranger says, smiling from ear to ear. His golden caramel skin glistens in the sunlight, his wavy dirty blonde hair bounces with every step he takes. “I- I mean some people are just too happy sometimes” I say trying to keep myself composed. “There’s no such thing as too happy” he exclaims. His ocean blue eyes sucked me in, I feel like I’m drowning, drowning in a good way. I finally escape his trance, scoff, turn around, and try to walk to the coffee shop across the street. Coffee is my priority right now, not some random stranger. “Wait!” I hear from behind. I turn back around and see him running after me. “What? I’m trying to get coffee before they close.” I say. “You uh, you dropped this” he utters, handing me a piece of thin paper. “Oh thank you..” I say as I turn back around heading towards the shop. “Wait! Excuse me!” I hear a few feet back. I turn around this time annoyed because the shop might close. “What do you want.” I call out. “I never got your name” he whimpers with puppy dog eyes. “Callie” I say rolling my eyes with a slight grin, still holding the paper in my hands. It doesn’t even cross my mind to ask him his name. I think about my well deserved coffee. I shove the paper into my pocket, turn around for the last time, and rush towards Luke’s coffee shop. As soon as my hand reaches the door handle the open sign flips to closed. “Shit” I think to myself. “It’s all that guys fault.. whatever.” I started to head towards a nearby park and I sat on a bench. I reach into my pocket to see what he had given me. I pull out a folded piece of paper. “Hmm, seems unfamiliar”. I unfold the paper, and written on it, in sloppy handwriting says “Sorry you didn’t get to get your coffee.. can I make it up to you? Meet me at Luke’s tomorrow at 3:30.” My cheeks got hot and my face got red and suddenly I started smiling. I look at the bottom of the paper and in little letters is says “p.s. I’ll make you feel true happiness”. I shiver with chills and lust overcomes my emotions. “We’ll see about that” I say to myself smiling as I start my journey home.