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Of all the situations Jen could find himself in, this one might be one of the wackiest. It was freshman year of high school, and he was currently hiding in the boys’ bathroom trashcan to skip his classes for the day. He’d been wanting to skip all of this week but couldn’t just stay at home, so this was the last resort he had. In the bin, it was rather uncomfortable sitting beneath piles of nearly-soaked paper towel trash and other garbage. But, in lieu of going to class, he found this was preferable. Around third period, he re-arranged himself back to the fetal position as a new group of boys entered the bathroom and chatted away. He hid himself to protect against teachers walking in, but could never knew if random students would tattle anyway. Plus, discovery might prove a little embarrassing, even among people he didn’t know. Fatigue set in when the boys stayed in there for longer than he’d anticipated. The damp air cut into his lungs, and the only relief would come from

In the heart of New York City, a yellow cab pulled up to the curb, and Emma stepped out onto the bustling sidewalk. She smoothed down her conservative purple dress, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as she looked up at the sign of the restaurant. With a deep breath, she walked towards the entrance, the sounds of the city fading into the background as she focused on the evening ahead. As she entered the restaurant, Emma was greeted by the warm glow of soft lighting and the tantalizing aroma of food. She scanned the room, her eyes searching for her blind date. She had heard him described by her coworker, but had never seen him before herself, so she had to rely on the agreed-upon signal. He was going to be wearing a red tie. The hostess approached her. “Hi! How many tonight?” the young woman asked. “I’m here to meet a blind date, his name is Mark and he is supposed to be wearing a red tie?” Emma asked, hoping that he hadn’t arrived yet. It would give her a chance to settle in