For a moment, nobody spoke. The only sound in the room was the whistle of the wind through the cracked window panes. Then the dancer Nahara recognised from the ballet – Masahiko – stepped forwards.

‘Not that I haven’t enjoyed your company, but I rather think Miss Enfield and I ought to be leaving.’

‘Excuse me?’ Nahara spluttered. ‘On what authority—’

‘First come, first served,’ the dancer said ...

"How difficult is it to understand 'upscale casual?'"

I looked down at my flip flops. I shrugged. "My $90 blouse isn't upscale enough for you?" I said, "Look. Look! It sparkles." I spun around for the full effect.

Tilda pursed her lips. "Is that blouse upscale enough...for you?"

I deflated. "Touché."

"Quick, help me serve the hors d'oeuvres," said Tilda. "You know Mr. Johnston gets hostile whe...

He glances at me from across the coffee shop. He is sitting alone with his laptop with an iced americano on his left side. At first I think that I’m seeing things. But then he does it again. I look away quickly.

Minutes later he gets up from the table and my heart begins to slam in my chest. He grabs his coffee and closes his laptop. As he gathers his things I can’t help but trail my eyes down h...

“NO!!!”

The scream tore from his throat before he could stop himself. Those steady hands in front of him froze, still holding the wires that could be their death… or worse… expulsion.

“What?”

Ayla whispered, her eyes startled, annoyed and confused all at once. One eyebrow raised in a gesture he knew to be her equivalent of any actual facial expression.

“Red crosses blue…”

He trailed off. She sim...

Your mother and I sat in plastic, neon green chairs in the empty preschool room as your speech therapist shuffled through chart-filled printouts. A rainbow of plastic beads hung from her neck, matching her tap-tap-tapping fingernails. She sighed, and looked up at us, throwing on a bright smile.

“Well, there is good news. Azel has indeed shown some improvement,” she said in a chirpy tone. “She is ...

he said she looked pretty today

she just thought he was making fun of her

he was staring at her in awe

but she just thought he was judging her

he tried to talk to her

but she just thought he was trying to use her

he tried texting her

she just thought it was a prank

she ignored him

but one day she decided to not ignore him

but he just thought she was making fun of him...

Obviously he had never been in her position before; there was no need to be. He had obviously not gone through the challenges that she had, otherwise he would be more empathetic.

Yet he had gone through those challenges, urged to bury his feelings like a man and told to never cry in front of anyone. He became more hostile as he grew, not only to others, but to himself.

She was depressed; diagnos...

“I gave a bath to my dog wearing a hoodie.”

“That’s crazy. Did you even see her dress?”

“She was undressed.”

“Your dog Rose?”

“No, she stayed where she was. Oh, my mom said on Thursday she would give me my allowance.”

“So will you have it Wednesday, because the fish is ready to eat.”

“Why would I feed a fish?”

“No, the, never mind. We have to see my family.”

“Visiting family can be boring...

She held on for dear life. Looking at him, as he looked down on her; but not at her. Past her to the crashing waves of the blue sea below. His brown eyes appearing almost Honey, in the light fading from the sun setting beyond us. What should she do? How could this person, who said they loved me, do this to me? The idea of us long gone after I found out what I needed to know..

“Was it ever really...

The man on the mountain was having a peaceful day when a pickaxe stabbed his beard.

“Do you mind! Good sir, I am trying to mediate!” He scolded the climber.

“I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”

The climber stood before the man on the mountain and bowed slightly. “I come seeking wisdom.”

With a sigh, the man on the mountain stroked his beard like a cat.

“Wisdom in what?”

“I fear my wife is ...