FV2112

Bryan’s Toyota glided to a halt perfectly within the confines of spot 114, which had served him dutifully for what was soon to be ten years that September. Upon opening the car door, Bryan was immediately assaulted by a frigid blast of breezy February air, deviously cloaked by a sunny, cloudless sky. His shearling jacket kept his body insulated as he made his way to the school’s main entrance, but any part of his face not protected by his dense forest of facial hair took the brunt of Old Man Win

It had finally come. The shameless commercialism, advertising, shopping, decorating, and baking all lead to this one special day. Desmond looked out the window shortly after awakening from his slumber. The weather outside was positively horrible: sickeningly grey skies, an eerie fog, and brutally cold temperatures made for a truly miserable morning, but none of it mattered as it was none other than December 25th: Christmas Day. He lacked any festive shirts or attire and instead u

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the coveted holiday break had finally arrived for the students of East Brimerton High. For the next twelve days, tests, homework, and school assignments could become a mere afterthought as everyone looked forward to the festivities Christmas and New Year’s had to offer. Despite this, Christmas was the absolute last thing on Damien Marshall’s mind. Like both of the teachers he lusted after, he too was on the verge of a major breakthrough. Withou

The shimmering aurora of the golden street lights passed throughout the night sky like shooting stars as Desmond’s old college roommate Tyler, the designated driver for this escapade, made the hour-long trip from downtown Boston back to Brimerton. Desmond stared blankly into space with his face pressed against the window, having learned the hard way that he couldn’t pound back Johnnie Walker shots with beer chasers like he could in his younger days. Upon passing by the shopping center on Ch

2:45 PM. Afternoon announcements had just concluded, and Mrs. Luisa Lopez’s 9th-period Spanish class was on edge, boiling in silent anticipation of hearing that loud beep. In the distance, they could hear the rumblings of their peers in other classes making their way out of their desks, mingling with friends, and gathering by the door, ready to burst forth into the hallways once classes were officially dismissed. But Mrs. Lopez’s students knew that if they dared to even think about standin

Being made to sit alone each lunch period was a difficult burden to bear at first, having to watch people he once called his confidants looking over their shoulders from three tables down, shouting cruel jokes and making nasty remarks to try and provoke him. Damien, however, did not react. He remained stoic, reminding himself of what Mr. Mancino told him on Monday. As the week marched on by, Damien slowly found cold comfort in isolation from his former “friend” group; in his solitude, he fo

*January 2006* “I still don’t love the idea of this, Bryan.” “It’s gonna be fine, Maureen. Dr. Willoughby comes highly recommended!” The pretty blonde in her early thirties sat on the couch and nervously played with her hair as both she and her husband awaited the arrival of a special guest, a guest who could very well determine the ultimate fate of their unraveling sacred bond. “I don’t know, I just feel like once you get to the point where someone else has to intervene to s

Things didn’t improve much for Damien as sophomore year continued. After two months, it became clear that the only true positive for this year was his first-period biology class with Mr. Mancino. Afterward, the remaining six hours would be filled with nothing but disappointments and stressors. If dealing with mean, annoying, and incompetent teachers weren’t bad enough, Damien’s relationship with his quote-unquote “friends” continued to deteriorate at an exponential pace as their positions a

With his recent predicament in mind, Desmond was more grateful than ever that unlike the other conservative, old-fashioned Italian-American families in his hometown, he grew up with very liberal and open-minded parents. The weekend after Desmond walked in on Bryan, leading to a shocking and unprecedented revelation about himself, he decided to make the four-and-a-half-hour drive from Brimerton to his hometown of Grasmere, Staten Island, to visit his parents, Oscar and Lynda Mancino. Desmond

Bryan exhaled a harried sigh of relief at the absence of a certain teal Bronco in his driveway. "He must be out running errands," his racing mind spoke through the din. As he exited the Toyota, Bryan still couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, prompting him to look over his shoulder for the hundredth time today. Yet again, no one was around. Thank God. His blackened aviator shades obscured the light of the beautiful cloudless day and hopefully obscured his identity during hi

“—I kept trying to explain to this woman that if she’s so worried about budget, lobster thermidor for fifty-two people was going to cost WAY more than the chicken or steak dinner, but you know how it is…Client wants, client gets.” After years of contending with bridezillas, in-laws from hell, budget issues, and uncooperative venues, Charlene Marshall strongly felt as if professional wedding planning should be considered an X-treme sport rather than a career. Even when taking the time out of

With late spring and the early days of summer defined by weeks and weeks of rain and cooler-than-normal weather, the temperature finally breaking eighty degrees with sunny skies at the tail end of June was a welcome change for both Bryan and Desmond. Despite only being on a nine-month contract, Brimerton’s school district gave teachers the option to split their salaries over the entire year, ensuring income during summer vacation—nothing extravagant, but income nonetheless. With the warmth

“Milan was known for manufacturing weapons, but was also known for manufacturing silk and textiles, and even in the modern age, Milan is still considered the fashion capital of the world! However, the most important city-state in all of Renaissance Italy? It’s easily gotta be Florence. SO many brilliant artists, poets, architects, and scholars all came from Florence and it’s really no surprise when you realize that they were all funded by the Medici, one of the most powerful banking families in

Even before he got the job, Desmond always made it a habit to be an early riser, usually for his morning jogs or to hit the weights before the gyms got too crowded. Still, having to wake up at 6:00 AM sharp every Monday through Friday proved to be a much more difficult and inconvenient task than he’d anticipated. The muted yet noticeable sawing sound of a man snoring could be easily heard throughout the house as Desmond got ready for the day. After showering and getting dressed, Desmond sur

Damien couldn’t wait to chill out and do nothing at the end of the long and arduous school day, but like a crazed and obsessed stalker, school followed him home in the form of three pages of algebra, two earth science worksheets, a two-page essay in Global History, and a book report on To Kill A Mockingbird in Literature class. “Look at all this fucking homework.” Damien groused. “I get that it’s high school now, but give us noobs a break!” Mathematics was never Damien’s strong point w