Category Archives: Melania

Sheba wasn’t invited to the Halloween birthday party. Nor were the neighborhood babies. The cut-off age was five. Melanie’s brother Brad didn’t get to attend. The status that exclusivity granted to Melanie more than made up for her inadequate costume. … Continue reading →

The weather was mild. The sun had gone down an hour before and had taken none of the autumn warmth with it. The yard was lit with paper lanterns strung like big Christmas ornaments from the maple trees. The tables … Continue reading →

Her friends skipped off. Melanie picked up her hoop and started for the open garage. “Mom says it’s time to set the table,” her brother announced. He was feeding his pet hamster, who didn’t have a great life. Their mother … Continue reading →

There are some activities that are just easier for kids. Like getting up from the ground. Or rolling down a hill and liking it. Kids hate to get drunk but love to get dizzy. Adults tend to have opposite tastes … Continue reading →

That evening Mellie had dinner at Candace’s house. She liked dining there, even though she thought the tacos smelled funny. At Candace’s house the girls could eat without having a parent around. And they were allowed to watch “The Twilight … Continue reading →

It was hard for the young spies to operate near the handball courts. There was no shelter except the concrete structure itself, and the ground was clear in all directions around it. Candace and Mellie watched Carmella enter the area, … Continue reading →

When Candace and Mellie were 13, they were sex fiends. That was their favorite subject, for private musing or confidential conversations. They’d been friends since they were 10, and they still played with their Barbie dolls. But not with the … Continue reading →

She read the poem to her next door neighbors. She adored Barbara and she despised Barry; she showed it to them both. She didn’t know whether she did that to add to her pride or her shame; she just couldn’t … Continue reading →

Melanie composed her first poem when she was six. She’d been reading poetry with her father as long as she could remember, so it was natural for her first work to be metered and rhyming. She wasn’t exactly a girly … Continue reading →

If the teacher noticed Melanie’s presence, she didn’t let on. She took attendance but didn’t remark about the one unresponsive student, and then she started the students at crayons. Susie made her usual drawing of a square house with symmetrical … Continue reading →