Andlat's Story Spot

"I can't believe I let you do this to me." He muttered as he wiggled his nose. "Let me?" His sister laughed. "I used to give you wedgies and put you in a dress. I still could do that. Now hold still for your mascara." "Aren't we done yet?" "Nope. I need to practice." "On me?" "Yep." She grinned and focused. "But aren't your friends coming over tomorrow?" "Uh, yeah?" "Maybe I can practice on them?" "They won't go for that." "Not like you?" He glared at her. "Hey! No moving." "They won't want to do this. We're doing boy stuff tomorrow." "Uh-huh." She shrugged. "Guess I'd better make the most of this practice. Let's get that makeup off you and we'll do a facial!" "Ugh! Ashley!" "What's that? And a manicure? Absolutely, little bro!" * * * By the next morning, Dylan had for...

Roseville's Little League team, overly confident in their abilities, challenged the girls to a game. They should've read the fine print on the bet more closely, because it stated that anyone on the losing team could not play baseball for the rest of the year. Their mothers, desperate for a way to keep their sons out of trouble, came up with an unorthodox idea. Since the girls were all on the Little League team and well on the way to the championship, it just made sense for the boys to be Roseville's new troupe of ballerinas. The boys whined and fought, but they quickly learned two things: their moms don't take no for an answer and spankings hurt when you're just wearing tights.

Zach lay on his bed, listening to what had to be the fourth run-through straight of his favorite band's latest album. Ever since he had gotten his new headphones, he had listened to Flight of Dogs nonstop every waking minute of the day. Hearing a strange beep, Zach looked at his phone and saw a notification. “Hypnotic track restarting?” He tapped the app and his eyes widened, his hands flying up to his headphones as he heard the track without music over it for the first time. “You love Emily. Emily is your best friend.” It was his little sister Emily's voice, talking calmly. “You love being Emily's princess. Being Emily's pretty princess is the best.” It seemed to go on and on, sounding strangely familiar. “You love wearing your princess dress. You love feeling like a princess.” Had that been playing the whole time he was listening to Flight of Dogs? “You love being Emily's pretty pretty princess.” All week? Impossible. “You will always be Emily's pretty princ...

"I've got no strings to-" he sang, practicing the dance in the mirror. Even after a full rehearsal, he was nervous that he might mess it up, so he was doing extra practice at home. Pinocchio was no small role! Try as he might though, he could not focus. "Ugh, my feet go like this!" He did the move three times in quick succession to drive it home. "There!" He yelped as his left foot suddenly slid out from under him. "Weird." He shook his head. Maybe he had been rehearsing for too long. "Definitely." He said as he watched his arm rise up in front of his face, looking for all the world like a string was tied around his wrist. He tugged it down, but his arm immediately returned back to its position. "What the?" All at once, he seemed to lose control of all four of his limbs, stumbling and tripping over himself as he charged toward his bedroom door. He only just barely managed to get control enough to open it before he went ca...

"What was I thinking?" Lisa said as she filled the cardboard box with dolls. "I'm not a little girl anymore!" Though she would not admit it to herself, the decision had come not long after Janie had come over and asked her if she really still played with dolls. "Seriously? Is that a giant Barbie?" Lisa had nodded, blushing, but she had realized that she really did not play with them anymore. So, she had told mom her plan: get rid of all of them and redecorate, post haste. "Well, we can put them in the attic, in case you change your mind." Her mom said when she announced her decision. "As long as you get them all boxed up, your dad or Zack can bring them up there." Lisa did not know it, but her mom figured that would dissuade her. Well, here she was, almost every one of her dolls stored in three cardboard boxes. "What are we gonna do with you?" She asked the My Size Barbie, staring at her bridal gown. Had she really worn t...

A curse seems like one of those things that only exist in fairy tales. The prince must find true love or be doomed to be a beast forever or Sleeping Beauty's whole deal. My curse was different. Whenever someone said a special phrase, I froze in place, basically a mannequin, until the phrase was uttered again. I know, it's a weird curse. I don't even understand what the point was. Once I became old enough to have a summer job, my parents decided that I might as well use what they called my special gift. They considered it modeling, but I was, for all intents and purposes, a mannequin at the local sporting goods store. I would put on some local sports uniform or whatever gear they wanted to highlight and then I was frozen in place and posed accordingly. It did not even hurt really, holding so still, and I got unfrozen for breaks and things like that. Looking back, it was my big mouth that really got me into trouble. I can't really blame that on a curse, can I? My sister ...

"Dang it! Half the team has chicken pox, I swear!" Rob nodded sympathetically, but he was annoyed. When Ryan had texted him to come to the park immediately because of an emergency, he had assumed it was something more pressing than Ryan's Little League team being sick. "Whatcha gonna do?" He asked. Ryan shrugged. "Really, I just need one more player to field a full team." He said. "Shame you can't play." Rob laughed, smacking Ryan's shoulder. "Dude, they might notice a Varsity player. You'd be more likely to pass, shorty." Rolling his eyes, Ryan dug in his duffel bag. "Sounds like you're willing." He pulled a pair of white briefs out and held them up in both hands so that Rob could get a good look at them. His lip curled. "Whoa, man. Why do you have some little kid's underwear in your coach bag?" "Shut it." Ryan said. "It's not like that. Go into that Portapotty there and pu...

"Come on! Let Jaxon be in the wedding! Please, Laurie!" Aiden whined, bending over the arm of the couch. His sister remained firm. "No! You and your weird friend will ruin my wedding." "Will not! And I heard Mom say you're short an usher." "So you were eavesdropping again?" "No. No! I was getting a drink and I heard her on the phone." Aiden straightened up. "So c'mon, Jaxon will be an usher too. I promise we'll behave. I swear! Come on!" "I said no!" Aiden groaned and stormed off, unaware that a seed had been planted in his sister's head. Maybe... maybe she could find a place in the wedding for that annoying little twerp... All that Aiden and Jaxon were told is that they would both be in the wedding. They were so excited, they did not ask questions as they were taken one Saturday to get all sorts of measurements from a seamstress who kept smiling at them in a weird way. Jaxon even held his tongue unt...