“I am not going.  I am not doing this.  I don’t care what you say.”  I crossed my arms and stopped short of stamping my feet.  “What is the big deal?  It’s just a party.”  Jennifer continued to straighten her hair, not looking at me.  “Scott will be there and I don’t feel comfortable after…

When James and I got married, he didn’t want any lights on past ten o’clock and wanted to unplug every electronic device beginning at 9:00.  He never told me why he wanted to use no lights at night or why he wanted the entire house to be dark and silent from dusk until dawn.  I was told that under…

My sister was the only one in my family who cared about what made me happy.  She was the only one who knew what I wanted to do with my life and the only one who asked questions.  I never faulted my parents because I knew they were just doing their best, but I found myself jealous when other parents made it…

The bridge between my house and my neighbor’s house always equally terrified and enthralled me.  My older brothers always whispered stories to me about the trolls who lived under the bridge who would sneak out and eat little girls if they ever tried to cross alone.  Our nearest neighbors lived on the other side of the bridge, but after the…

Growing up, my aunt had always been my biggest cheerleader.  She moved in with my dad and I when my mom and uncle were killed in a car wreck on their way to the airport.  No one could ever figure what they were doing together and where they were going.  Neither my aunt or my father knew their respective…

I always believed in the idea that the easiest way of life was the best way of life.  I never understood the people who worked sixty hours a week just to be able to buy another pair of fancy shoes they are only going to wear once.  How many pairs of expensive black high heels did one need?  I had…

I always believed in the idea that the easiest way of life was the best way of life.  I never understood the people who worked sixty hours a week just to be able to buy another pair of fancy shoes they are only going to wear once.  How many pairs of expensive black high heels did one need?  I had…

The thing I most despised was doing the dishes.  Hated them enough to the point I would rather buy new dishes rather than clean the ones I already had.    My sister, on the other hand, would rather do dishes than laundry.  When we finally moved out and into different apartments when we were in college, we made a pact that we would…

Needless to say, I thought the entire event was fairly traumatizing.  I had never wanted to participate, but my older sister had told me the party would be quiet and uneventful.  Though it was fairly uneventful to a degree, it was the after party where things got a little on the strange part.    Things started to get a little strange…