My Cardboard Balcony

by Belinda Roddie His face was as broad and as cross as a closed envelope, and when he let me into his office with his thin eyes averted to the floor, I knew immediately that something was wrong. I had actually, in my entire life, never been sent to the principal's office. I had never gone against the rules. Only now, this man was probably trying to find a way to get me in trouble. "Miss Lopez?" I sat across from my desk with one leg crossed over the other, a makeshift crucifix against a blank-faced demon. From his pasty white paper face to his dull gray suit, Principal Thurmond was anything but hospitable. "Yes." He wrinkled a nose at me. "Your world history teacher asked me to bring you here out of concern. She says you seem to be distracted as of late." I shifted my shoulders a bit beneath my jean jacket, but I never uncrossed my legs. "Do tell." He didn't seem pleased with my borderline snappy comment. "S...

No OneWord today. I guess with all the stuff happening with California Bookstore Day and my cousin and brother's belated birthday celebration, I totally forgot to write a response to the one word prompt. Whoops!

Since last week's introspection was so draining that I couldn't even get a solid Storyteller up, I'm just going to take the time to promote California Bookstore Day, which is tomorrow, May 3rd. California Bookstore Day, like Record Store Day, promotes local and independent bookstores. I happen to work at one such store - Copperfield's San Rafael. Tomorrow, we will not only have special edition books and prints for you to buy, but we will also have special events and add-ons, such as: - A visit from John Hewitt, author of Drone Baloney, at 1 PM - Balloons and readings for the kids, which will feature Corduroy Bear - A free raffle ticket for a Bali kite with a twenty dollar purchase or more - Live music I strongly encourage anyone in Marin County to visit Copperfield's and have a great time. We've got Taylor Maid Farms, a coffee shop, in our building, too, so you won't go without food or coffee. Seriously, guys, swing by! Cheers, and have a great ni...

"Caramel Kisses" is an unfinished novel I began to write back in 2009 and stopped working on in 2010. The two main characters - Adriana Maguire Reynard and Emma Burking - would ultimately be revised for my later completed novella, "The Liffey Is Half-Asleep," in 2011. Several elements of "Liffey" can be found in their original forms in "Caramel Kisses," such as the characters' names, the haiku scene, and Adriana's penchant for writing. Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing. Caramel Kisses: Chapter Twenty-Four by Belinda Roddie We first met him at a gas station on the way to Shasta for a winter stay at a cabin. My play was now an Off-Broadway success, more than I or Hudd could have ever bargained for. Hudd was able to cheer me up if I was having a difficult day just by sending updates on the play’s process, and how he’d send me New York souvenirs during his stay. ...

"Y'know, you just reminded me of something important," Ernie remarked, grabbing his jacket from where it was half-buried among the couch cushions. "What, that you're supposed to meet your date at the bus stop in seven minutes and the drive is about twelve?" I pointed out, grinning with flecks of potato chips stuck between my teeth. "Nah, I mean flowers. I should get her flowers." "Yeah," I sneered. "As an apology for being late to your date."

April's Cold Hands by Belinda Roddie April's cold hands caressed my naked back as I sat on the patio, drinking a tall flute of pink lemonade, a stack of books beside me. "So, I was thinking," she murmured, "that we could go see a show tonight, and then take a long walk under the stars. We'll stop at a bar that I know, down chilled beers, and pretend that it's summer." But I was focusing on my neighbor - her name was May, and she sat on a lawn chair, soaking in the spring sun, and her hair glistened in the light. I stopped a yawn, slurped up the last sweetness in my glass, and left April behind for sweet May's warm hand.

They expected us to be joyful. They expected us to bounce up and down in our brightly cushioned seats with a childish glee, our knees knocking together in an unbridled, unprofessional ecstasy. We weren't joyful. We didn't bounce. Not even a smile flashed across a single pair of lips in the room. The board of trustees waited in silence for a signal of affirmation, be it applause or a whistle, or snapping fingers. No such affirmation occurred. The quiet continued for a good twenty minutes after the announcement, with no one daring to break it.