“Boom! That’s how we do it!” Simon yelled as he and Justin won their third round in DuneDoom, their new favorite video game.

“Lucky win,” Jerry grumbled.

“Okay, let’s do one more round,” Simon challenged.

“Actually, I think I’m going to head to the dorm and get a head start on the Spanish packet,” Justin said.

“I’ll take his spot,” Bailey offered. “If Simon thinks he can keep up.”

“Oh, you’re on,” Simon grinned.

Justin left the rec room and headed for the boys’ dorm. As he headed down the back lawn he heard someone following him.

Checking behind himself, Justin found Michael Hunt, who was also heading for the dorms.

“Great,” Justin groaned to himself as he faced forward. “Do I walk slower and let him walk with me so we can make small talk or not?”

Justin made no move to slow down and Michael made no effort to jog forward and join him. Justin did, however, hold the door open for him, doing the bare minimum to be polite. Michael gave a nod of thanks.

“So, not talking,” Justin noted. “Got it.”

Michael pressed the up button on the elevator and got on first, his finger poised over the button for the second floor. Justin joined him and they stood in awkward silence as Michael pressed the button and the elevator doors eased shut.

They couldn’t have been going upwards for more than a couple seconds before Michael hit the emergency stop button.

BAM! Something banged against the door, causing Justin and Simon to jump. Eliza raised an eyebrow at them.

“You both have younger siblings,” she said. “Shouldn’t you be used to random noises?”

“Nope,” Simon replied. “They always do it when I least expect it.”

Eliza rolled her eyes, getting up to see what had made the noise.

“Watch out!” someone called as she opened the door.

Eliza ducked, just missing a projectile that headed straight for the boys. Justin, on instinct, formed a force field around them as Eliza slammed the door shut.

The unidentified item hit the shield and burst, leaving the force field dripping with water.

“A water balloon?” Simon frowned.

“A water balloon,” Eliza smirked.

“Oh, awesome!” Justin stood, shrinking his force field to only cover the area in front of him.

Simon followed, smiling like a mad man. “Divide and conquer or full force?”

“Full force,” Justin answered.

Eliza nodded, her hand gripping the doorknob. “On the count of three?”

“One…” Simon began.

“Two…” Justin continued.

“Three!” Eliza finished, pulling open the door and rushing onto the field.

The Old You

It made me sad when you called the old you chubby.

You said it with a laugh but you looked haunted honey.

One little word and you became so mean

About the boy I had a crush on when I was seventeen.

So what if you got fit and you still have good advice?

I miss the boy who used to be genuienly nice.

Your absent-minded stares make me wish I were dead

Or at least back in the old days of you inside my head.

You don’t pay any rent and I didn’t use to mind.

I just wish you were kinder to the boy I used to find

So golden covered and when I look in the rearview

I realize that life sucks now because I still miss you.

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The Beast

I’m running out of time and taking you with me

Unless you somehow change and learn empathy.

I’m in a gown of red petals under a glass dome

Watching you rage against yourself inside your own home.

I’m losing oxygen, attention, and any desire.

But you’re the one beginning to perspire.

Remember when you told me I was too much for your pallet?

That I was too tall, too loud, too desperate for your palace?

I hope that someone like me will one day capture your gaze

But that she’ll hate your temper and angst and you’ll have to change.

If you can be transformed into someone who will see the end of the aisle,

It’ll take her years to shape you and you don’t have that while.

If you change for her, then I’ll have a chest set on fire.

For I bloomed for you, your attention feeds my desire.

Even if you change, I’ll die in my crystal prison

While you shine a light on your beautiful prism.

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Send me an ask with a prompt for a poem

It can be a single word or a phrase or anything.

-Me (concerning my next book)

[Simon's birthday party Livestream - 12/07/21]

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