friendship

C.S Lewis got it right: friendship is born when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

The Last Lesson
I saw the shaking peripherally. My pen hung suspended over my notebook as my head followed the motion, and there was Arthur, his hands and wrists contorted and pressed into his chest, his whole body trembling. We were sitting in session at a conference in Philadelphia, and just a moment ago, he’d whispered a question to me as he reviewed our presentation, a moderated discussion between the two keynote speakers, which was up next, and I answered him. He nodded, jotted something down, and now—quivering? I didn’t understand. My brain froze as I watched him tilt over the empty chair next to him, and as he slowly, awkwardly, rolled off the chairs to the floor, convulsing.
By Maria Conroy6 years ago in Humans
Long-Distance Relationship
June’s life sucked. At least that’s what she told herself as she seemed to wallow in her own self-pity. It had been a year since she finished college, and, as she perceived it, she seemed to be stuck in an eternal rut. After graduating, she hadn’t been able to find a job and was forced to move into her grandmother’s aging mansion, a property passed down through generations of her family, in order to save what little money she had left in her dwindling bank account.
By Jenna Plasterer6 years ago in Humans
A Prayer for My Best Friend
Nameless One, I don’t know where you are or who you are but if it’s okay… I’d like to write you this story. My best friend of life of whom I may be unaware of who you truly are I want to make a face and blame a sister I lost by being too afraid to make contact. I’m only scared because life’s problems gets in my way of being at ease. It rushes through me with an ulterior motive of letting me down and although I’m strong to withstand social anxiety with my dependence on staying safe I’m clueless to the matters of where to go or when to go.
By Keanna Barry 6 years ago in Humans
Gone Too Soon
She saw the picture on the back page of the newspaper. It wasn’t her paper. The man across from her on the bus was reading the news. The headline read, “Beloved Teacher Taken Too Soon.” She had wondered what happened, and now she knew. She felt an overwhelming sense of grief, even though she really didn’t know him. But, they had ridden the bus together practically every day for the past two years. One day he said, “You’re always writing in that little black book. What’s so important?” She told him that it was where she wrote down thoughts and ideas about things. “Like what?”, he asked, looking genuinely curious. She said it was to remind her about life’s blessings and normal stuff like places to go and things to do, but mainly it was ideas about how to help all the people she saw that seemed so sad. Some of the ideas were very small; little random acts of kindness like a card with a coupon for a cup of coffee. And then there were what she called the Lottery List; things like a program to help homeless people get apartments and a plan to set up a transition home for foster kids aging out of care. She told him that she kept all of the ideas in her little black book so that she would be ready if she ever had the opportunity to actually do something.
By TerryLynn Terry6 years ago in Humans
Dear Alexandra
“Good morning, Alexandra.” Mr. Clayton had been coming to Ma Mere’s Café since her uncle opened it 23 years ago. Alex had been 3.
By Leaena Mercanis6 years ago in Humans
One last date
It had been her favorite diner for most of the last few decades, but she knew this would be her last time inside. Her usual server Bob approached her table at the rear of the room. The sunlight didn’t make it that far back, so the space was always annoyingly bright. And so was Bob, whose tawdry diner uniform belied his chipper tone.
By Nic Stone6 years ago in Humans
Sleep Easy
Kasia didn’t remember going into the wooded forest on the edge of her property, but when she woke up in a patch of moss covered in brambles and assorted fauna fuzz, she dusted herself off and tried to sort it out.
By Chloe Nowicki6 years ago in Humans
For the Love of a Cherry Blossom
It was my final year in the residency program at Johns Hopkins medical center. I was excelling in the program and completely and utterly exhausted. The last year had been grueling. We worked with little to no time off, not to mention, little to no sleep. I pulled my 1978 AMC Pacer into the driveway of the house I was renting even though I knew I was to park on the street in front of the eyesore next door as my landlord put it, so my cheap beater of a car didn’t dampen the curbside appeal of their quaint little bungalow, but they were in Mexico for a week, so what they didn’t know, probably wouldn’t hurt them.
By Lisa Burchett6 years ago in Humans
Lavender Farmer
The lavender farmer stood at the top of the hill, watching the woman in the neighbouring paddock. She was tending her hives, or at least trying to, and seemed to be doing it in a very strange way. She would approach a hive gingerly, then retreat, turn in a little circle, then move towards the hive again. At first he thought it was some kind of hippy new-age bullshit, mimicking the dance of bees when they found a new source of honey, until he realised she was crying, bawling. She wasn't wearing her protective gear.
By Rebecca Lupton6 years ago in Humans
it's the ending gets you
There was a chill in the air. Wispy masses of grey had hidden the sun since dawn, and so there was no reprieve from the cold that seemed to take root deep in the bones of the small throng of mourners who had gathered to pay their respects. They stood bundled up and huddled together on a sloping hill, their respectful silence forming the backdrop for the clergyman’s solemn intonations.
By Flowriter6 years ago in Humans
Truckee Meadows Community College
It was Dishwater Martin and I hiding in the bushes outside of my old college roommate’s window. We’d both hit the bottle early that morning so we were really buzzing. Our plan was to slip in undetected, pound Frank McKee into mincemeat, and snag his dog. Pinto was a good dog. He deserved better. Martin and I both agreed. Fraternity was spreading across our nation like a plague and Frank McKee was the leading example. Back slapping and beer guzzling, shirts tucked and collared, unnaturally induced bulk; we wanted none of it. So that’s why we were crouched there, content for the moment to just watch a frat-boy in its natural element.
By Q H6 years ago in Humans
The Letter and Lottery Ticket
“Maddy, what are you doing on Tuesday?” Amelia asked her best friend as they walked home from school. Maddy checked the calendar app on her phone, then looked up and replied, “Nothing,”
By Naabiah6 years ago in Humans