"Are you sure your dad won't mind?" I asked again. We were in Sam Warner's personal study. The best-selling, book-award winning author, who was famous enough to get invited to the White House (twice). That Sam Warner.

"Stop being such a wuss," Vince said. "My dad is away for the next two weeks on another tour. We're fine."

Cassie nodded along. Both she and Vince had a point. I was being a wuss...

Andy looked over the crowd and smiled. His band, Blackout Dawn, had just finished their last set at a sold-out McCarthy Stadium and he soaked in the moment. The band had reached its apex, and had managed to stay on top for two decades strong.

Despite the now countless times he witnessed moments like this, Andy never took it for granted. He and the band worked hard to get here - to headline a day...

Troy stared at the gun on the table. The revolver's chamber could hold six rounds. He watched the man pick it up and open the cylinder to load the bullets.

"We're going to play this game," the man said. "Ever take a loaded gun, point it against your head, and pull the trigger? It's fun. Especially when you know what the bullets will do."

Troy tried not to show fear. He knew his actions brought ...

"I don't know why. I couldn't just help myself."

Mark shrugged at the police officer as he said those words. He couldn't believe them himself, but tried to sell it to the cop as the reason for stabbing the man, kid really, on the train ride home.

"Take me through it again," the officer said. They stood on the sidewalk next to the steps that led to the El platform that Mark took into work every ...

"This is a terrible idea," Josie said to Patrick and Shawna.

The three were bored on their third Saturday in college. None had connected with their roommates and had found each other walking the halls in their dorms with a shared apathetic gaze. While freshmen around them were dressing for parties, talking about the big game Saturday, or last week's concert, Josie, Patrick, and Shawna individual...

"You ready?" Mac asked Towson as they waited in the ready room. They had cleared the clerk of course check in and were seated in order for the medley relay race.

Liz was first, Carissa second, Mac third, and Towson fourth. That was the order the coach wanted. The first three had swum the relay before. They were champions. Liz held the school record for backstroke, the first in the medley relay. ...

They had been friends for years. They had first met in a college dorm when they lived down the hall from one another. They flirted and hung out throughout the year, but nothing ever serious came from it. Until the night before classes ended. Both admitted that the sex felt weird. It was hard to consider the other a good friend after that night.  They weren't a couple. But good friends fell short o...

John checked his personal email at work and saw the subject line of the latest email campaign he managed. "Camps are filling up fast!" the subject line read.  "Our swim camps are guaranteed to offer your little Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky the chance to improve, and maybe one day THEY'LL be worth the hundreds of dollars we charge to drown your kids for a half day. "

The ad didn't really say th...

Alex stood and waited outside the dance club. Becca had found him sitting on the curb, with his head in his hands, and went to him.

"What's wrong? Why'd you leave?" she asked.

"Did you see Marcy in there?" Alex asked after a few minutes passed.

"Yeah. She's at the table with those two guys we met at the party."

"Can you ask her to come out?" Alex asked.

"OUr drinks just came, though. Why...