Story Title: People Like Us By: M.S. Chapter 5: Gala In My Mind Gem Hmm. This hot cocoa tastes more comforting than ever today. It must be the gloomy skies. I take another sip and look out the window of Castle Cafe, watching the raindrops race down the glass. The streets outside look

Story title: People like us By: M.S. Chapter Four: Flowers and Castle Cafe Gem For the middle of summer, it sure felt a little breezy. Julia always said flowers needed an occasional “air reset.” I wasn’t sure if that was an actual florist thing… or just a Julia thing. Either way, she

Story title: People like us By: M.S. Chapter Three: Home & Chocolate Chip Cookies Gem Late afternoon came quicker than expected. I guess having a full day of activities can make time move faster. It felt nice. The last two weeks of summer vacation had been a little… idle. I wasn’t

Story Title: People like us By: M.S. Chapter two: Held Open Gem Ellie and I climbed out of Mom’s car, each of us gathering our things as she rolled down the driver’s side window. “Take the bus home after the reading event is over,” Mom reminded me. “There’s leftover arroz con pollo if

Story title: People like us By: M.S. Chapter One Gem It had been two weeks since graduation. Two weeks since I walked across the stage and accepted my diploma. Two weeks since the hugs, the tears, the laughter, and the endless pictures. It felt like the end of an era. It’s stran

Story title: People like us By: M.S. PROLOGUE Gem I woke up before my alarm that morning. For a few quiet seconds, I forgot what day it was. The room was still. Morning light stretched across my desk and landed on my sketchbook. I’d forgotten to close it the night before. Th