The One Where No One's Ready Novels & Stories

I will just wait to hear my name being called. “Finally, Colin and Elenor, since Ellie was late for the fight two weeks ago and missed last week." He finishes up the pairings and closes his notebook. What the hell?! Colin seems to perk up from excitement, or is it shock? I can’t tell because I am trying to figure out my own reaction, that probably looks almost identical to his. We get into our stances and before my dad says go Colin inhales deeply and closes his eyes as if he needs to calm down Devon.

In that footage, Irina waited from 7 p.m. until past midnight, and the food on the table grew cold while the custom birthday cake slowly collapsed, its frosting smeared and ruined. At 11:15 p.m., just as Irina finished clearing away the dishes and cake, Uriah came home with exhaustion and worry written all over his face. Before she could say a word, he spoke in deep frustration about Beth and Sophie returning from abroad and Beth being diagnosed with cancer.

They had gotten used to postponements over the years, but canceling outright? They thought I was just rebelling again… that I would cave like always. No one took it seriously. Only my best friend, Selena, came over and hugged me tight. "You finally walked away. Honestly, I think you should've left the very first time he postponed the ceremony for Eira. You deserve better." When I finished notifying everyone and returned home to pack, Mason called again. He sounded exhausted. "This time… I don't know how long the delay will be. Eira isn't doing well. You should go ahead and tell your friends the ceremony's off. We'll talk again when she's fully recovered. And you–"

She nodded, then adjusted her glasses, "Are you sure you're ready?" "I've been waiting for this day for five years, Grace. I'm more than ready," I replied. "Yes, ma'am," her expression went from concerned to worried and then she pushed the door open for me and I walked into the conference room, ignoring the look of shock on the men's faces as I took my seat at the head of the table. "You can't be here," one of the men protested, "This meeting is between_"

One punch led to another. The next thing everyone knew that the boring reunion they all desperately wanted to escape from became the most entertaining and adrenaline pumping incident they ever encountered after entering their 9 to 5 corporate jobs. It punctured my ego that I took some hit from Kai fucking Parker, but I could proudly say that you should have seen his face. I made sure my knuckles made connections with his jaw more than once. The fire I felt inside me was fueled by my hatred for him.

She could even hear some people in the crowd asking, "When did the Spark Girls become five? I thought they were four. What happened? What happened?" As she waited for the event to begin, she spotted Zach in the crowd, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. She hadn't expected him to show up. His arms were folded, and he seemed to be hiding, but his gaze was fixed on her. Her heart started racing, as she didn't want to disappoint him no matter what. The first girl began singing, and Candy stood close by. The crowd fell silent, captivated by the melodious voice. After she finished her verse, the next person took their turn.

Alex asleep, _CREW_ hat on the nightstand. Downstairs, Bear asleep. UCLA, Chloe asleep. _Silence. 12:00 AM._ No court. No Harold. No Reese. Just pancakes. Just Rule 6. Just 8 being 8.

"Elara is lying to me. How dare she lie to me about something like this?" "An ectopic pregnancy... surgery for something that major, and I didn't know? She's just throwing a tantrum." "She loves me too much to leave. She would never divorce me." He wouldn't believe it. He would think this was all a nightmare, a hallucination. He would want to fall asleep and wake up to find everything back to normal. But as he looked around the room, there was no bed, not even a chair. Only an endless blackness, the very color of despair.

No one moves. "Now."

The taxi stand erupted into restless energy. People shifted from foot to foot, dragging suitcases closer, shoulders hunching as coats were pulled tighter. Voices rose in pitch and volume, irritation bubbling just beneath politeness. Someone complained loudly about delays. Someone else argued into their phone, pacing in a tight circle like motion might fix the weather. I hugged my coat closer and tipped my head back, staring up at the sky as though it might explain itself. As though the clouds might pause and say, Sorry about this, just a misunderstanding.