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"May I join you?" He sat down before I even said anything, I looked at him and carried on with what I was doing. "Want to hear a fun fact?" "My sister used to work at this place, she loved working here, she met the people she loved here" He said while looking around the place. "I wasn't ready you know? Like she was here and now she is just gone. Forever" I let out a sarcastic laugh Me" I know what you mean" I ordered four more tequilas, and paid for them. "Fuck life" He smiled, I pushed two tequilas his way and downed mine. Me" I have to go, it was nice meeting you sir" I pat his back and then grabbed my things. "You from England?" "The accent" I nodded Me" Well I'm from Cape Town but I moved to England when I was 6 years old with my Aunt." He also got up from his chair "Enjoy your vacation" I shrugged Me" I'm actually here for a funeral and my brother is getting married two weeks after that" He laughed "Isn't there a movie about that?" I laughed too "There is, I really have to go. It was nice meeting you" He said Me" Goodnight" He smiled "Goodnight" I laughed because Qhama really didn't recognize me and I feel stupid, because in a room full of people. He would be the only person I recognize, I guess I don't matter anymore.

"Okay sweetie, are you ready? Have everything packed?" Camila's mom asked her, before they got in the mini van with her two brothers and dad. "Yes mom. You checked my luggage twice." Camila answered her mother. "I want you to be extra careful this summer. Don't let anybody mess with you in any way. I know you'll be okay, you're pretty tough... For a girl." Her dad said with a smile. They loved to joke around. Mom was more of the strict parent. Dad was the yes parent, and the flexible one. He had a problem with joking about everything, which Camila and her siblings loved. "We're gonna miss you baby." Her mom said, and she hugged her along with her father.

"Fuck you." I mumbled but everyone could definitely hear me. "Already did." Atlas replied loudly with a smirked. "Ew" Apollo said covering his ears. "Gross" Hera scrunched up her face. "I'm going to be sick." Gaia faked gaged. I looked away in embarrassment while Atlas laughed.

He's smirking down at me as he says, "Um, you're in my seat." I laugh and say, "You realize that is the most cliche thing you could possibly say?" He looks confused so I elaborate. "It's the first day of school and you're coming up the new girl, claiming I'm in your seat. Sorry, but it's not very original." He huffs and rolls his eyes. "Get out of my seat, sunshine." "Watch it happen, pretty boy." I reply, smirking as I stuff my other earbud back in. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madeline Lace is the youngest of six, the older five being all brothers. Her brothers love her, but due to their pathetic excuse for a father, their overprotective nature spirals into straight up helicopter parenting. Getting a fresh start by moving away from the bad memories, they're bound to run into a few new problems. One of which being their cocky, self-assured next door neighbor who isn't too discreet about taking an obvious liking towards Maddie. Her hope that he'd give up and leave her alone diminishes when his dorky personality starts to shine through, growing on her. The easy option would be to ignore the obvious attraction, but then again, it's hard to deny the undeniable. -------------------------- thank you to @meha-k for this amazing cover!

''Hey," I greet them. The scary looking one doesn't spare me a glance. The one with green eyes keeps talking, but the blue eyed one looks up at me for a second then back at his book. He sort of does a double take and his eyes widen as he looks back up at me. "Is this seat taken?'' I ask with a small smile. Blue eyes elbows the other two and they look up at me, one with wide eyes and the other with a stone cold glare. "Is she talking to us?" The green eyed mumbles, his wide eyes not leaving me. ''Uhhhhh did I say something wrong?" I raise my eyebrows, my small smile faltering. ''You're not supposed to be able to see us," the one with the cold glare mutters. What???

"Who's the twerp? Is that your brother or something, Bren?" "Uh, no. This is Da--" He felt a small pinch on the back of his hand, he had to hide the wince from that pinch. The little shit is actually taking advantage of his situation. "T-This is my sister's son, uh... Darren." "Nephew then. Weird. He looks like Dallon." *Completed*

Cameron and Jaike were walking in the park with their newly engaged friends, although they don't get along they were putting everything aside so this wedding could go off without a hitch. As they were walking in the park Cameron spots a little blue blanket under the trees. She walked over to the little blue blanket with Jaike, gently removing the blanket laid a baby a few months old. She took the baby into her arms, "Jaike who would just leave a baby in the park?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders "I don't know Cam but I think we should take him to the hospital so we can get him checked out and to see if he is missing." We were now waiting at the hospital for the case worker because he is all healthy and ready to go home with his family. It wasn't long until they turned up and they hadn't found his parents, I asked "what happens with him now?" They carefully pick him up "he goes into a foster home, he is young so he shouldn't stay there for long." I nodded my head and asked "can I take him, I will adopt him if I have to but that is no place for a baby." The social worker turned to me "I am sorry but a single lady like yourself is in no place to raise a baby by yourself." As I was then going to respond Jaike cut in "she isn't alone and single she has me her boyfriend and we both want to take him in." She nodded her head "okay I will make arrangements." She left the room leaving us with this baby boy, I turned to Jaike and said "you didn't need to do that, I want to have him not for you to be in it half heartedly." Jaike nodded his head completely ignoring what I had said "we should name him Parker." I shook my head at the name he had chose in amusement.

A new short story from Callum James. For Jason and his four-year-old daughter Charlotte, the special trip to the zoological park is something they both had been looking forward to for months. With Jason's pending divorce to Charlotte's mother, every precious opportunity for bonding time between father and daughter is especially important. The outing starts off well, with smelly penguins and nose licking giraffes, but as they get to the zebra enclosure Charlotte utters the innocent words that no father wishes to hear his four-year-old daughter say. "Daddy, why does that zebra have five legs?" As the horror of the scene unfolds before his eyes, he struggles to find the correct words to answer his daughter's curiosity. However, he is clueless to the fact that it is not only the zebra who is going to expand his daughter's life education this day but also a tiger and a very naughty monkey.

'"Anyway," Thea continued somewhat less forcefully, "I'm coming to you. Geronimo, don't you dare move from that spot until I have arrived. And I'm serious. Dead serious." "Yeah, I had no doubts about that," Geronimo sighed. Simon, too, felt compelled to join the conversation once more: "What about me, Miss Thea?" he asked sarcastically, "Am I allowed to move, or will you dropkick me back through the entrance if I do?" "You may do as you please, Squealer," Thea huffed, and although her eye roll was not visible through the phone, it was felt keenly from her tone. "Thank you for calling," she also had the decency to add before hanging up.' A string of moments from the Stilton family's life that both uncovers some of their past and takes them on an intriguing trip in the present. Or, in other words: Crazy Geronimo Stilton HC's that I have had marinating in my brain for two-three years until I finally patched them together to make this story.

"Lost Friends To Lovers" Dad told me real love happens once and when it does, never hide your feelings. Too bad, he told me late. I held them and lost her. Until I found her again. Blue-eyed, brown hair. That dimple on the right cheek, it hasn't changed much. Well, she hasn't changed much either. I can feel her body exuding the same warmth as the old times, her innocence still shining bright like it used to. This little surprise is racing my heart even when she is far from me...wait? Far? With her eyes busy finding something in her handbag, she is coming toward me. Me. Is my back erecting? What is she doing here? In a school? Is she my son's teacher? I find myself curious now. But then, she takes a seat beside me and smiles at the teacher. I can not help but wonder. Is she a parent too? Short Story