The Bubble Squad

Hi all,

Happy October. To begin this month’s posts, I chose the short story prompt over at Bluebell Books. The image is inspired by Charlottes Fancy. I hope you enjoy the child's play in this piece.

Kent couldn’t take his eyes off of bubbles. They had this radioactive glow in sunlight. He watched them until they burst onto pavement. It took the shape of our summer: one beautiful, brief burst.

“Man, we’re too old for this crap,” Matt declared. He cocked his Cubs hat sideways. “Kent, quit staring at those bubbles. Ya big dummy!” He started snapping his fingers in Kent’s face but Kent wouldn’t budge. He was content in the land of bubbles.

“I think the sun fried his brains,” I sighed. Hannah didn’t listen to us complaining. She found the simple joy of summer pursing her lips and releasing her bubbles into the wind. And Kent was her lone but eager spectator.

“Ah hell, I’m a man amongst boys,” Matt spat and he slung his ball from view. “Seriously, don’t you guys wanna play catch? You know I need practice for the JV squad.”

“Nah, I like watching Kent drool,” I laughed.

“Hey, it’s the Bubble Squad,” Sandy shouted. She and Tiffany sped their bikes around the corner to taunt us. I turned to face nasty, no-good Sandy. But she was suddenly charming with that Kool-Aid red dye in her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with a special summer glow.

“Yea, it’s the Bubble Squad. You guys suck,” Tiffany taunted. The insult was enough to wake Kent form his stupor.

“Get lost girls,” Matt threatened and he raised his left fist at Sandy.

“I’d like to see you try it,” she fired back. Sandy was a few inches taller than Matt with her mean, bulldog smile. I felt giddy staring into her cold, heartless eyes. It was the beginning of love and madness.

“Let’s be mature about this guys.” My old man had said something like that before. I gave Sandy a sloppy grin and winked at her. She shot me a dirty look before speeding away on her bike. Tiffany reluctantly followed after her.

“Why did you defend Psycho Sandy,” Matt snapped. “Are you in love, doofus?” I could feel my face turning beet red. “Lay off the girls. They’re poison,” he laughed. He shared a smile with me and ruffled my hair.

We felt the first autumn wind brush against our faces as the bubbles, girls, and baseball drifted away in the final days of summer.

A Slice of the Country

Hi bloggers,

A fellow blogger introduced me to a short story slam over at Bluebell Books. Here is my story based on the beautiful image above.

The wheat fields flirted with Sandra’s bare legs. They were tall and dressed in summer gold. The wind made her dress rise and salute. It was enough for Bobby to catch a glimpse of her britches.
“Nice legs,” he whistled. Sandra turned around red as a tomato.

“I knew you’d be spying on me,” she answered catching the hem of her skirt.

“Uh, don’t be mad at me,” he laughed. “The wind was playing tricks on you. Take your beef with him.”

“I swear you’re like my shadow,” Sandra answered slowly. “How’d you know I’d be out here?” Bobby reached out his arms from where he was standing. Sandra instinctively buried her head in his chest.

She had traded in the city life for a slice of the country, where the sky was rich and tasty as blueberry pie. Where the stars winked hello as she laid her back beneath the heavenly deep. Where the birds called to her from their nests. Where the cows mooed morning gossip. Where the rooster made the sunrise.

Sandra looked up into Bobby’s eyes. They were dark and full as storm clouds. She could sniff country rain on his skin.

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye. That ain’t fair,” he spoke sternly.

“I ain’t got no southern manners,” she laughed with a drawl.

“Yea, you’re still a city snob,” Bobby smiled. He leaned in close and gazed into her eyes.

Sandra felt her cheeks grow as red as apples. She threw Bobby back with one great shove.

“Look me up in the city,” Sandra shouted. She could no longer mask her tears and quickly turned to walk away. She felt the sunset against her back bathing her in a river of colors. She vowed to stop wearing overalls but couldn’t part with her suede cowboy boots.