Five Minute Observations

Category: Fiction

  • Lost and Found

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “Put that back, Jen! You don’t know where it’s been. Or worse, who had it before you. I’ll bet there’s a reason someone threw it away.” Shelly wasn’t the kind of woman to mince words. If anything, her introverted self spoke volumes. Her friends knew her quiet demeanor meant if she had something to say,…

  • Andy’s Close Call

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    High school. Acid-washed jeans. Polo shirts, more specifically, Ralph Loren. Bright, loud colors. Mini-skirts. Teased-out hair, if long enough, coated with enough Aquanet to freeze it permanently in place. Jelly shoes, no socks. The Don Johnson Miami Vice look. And more than enough drama to write four seasons of Saved By the Bell or 90210.…

  • Amber’s Observation (Sisters – Part III)

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “And how do you know that?” Amber asked. “Do you have a picture?” “No. But Bud’s not a cowboy, farmer, or rancher,” she said, putting a finger down for each one of the things Amy liked that Jamie didn’t. “He didn’t wear cowboy boots.” Another finger down. “Bud didn’t own a massive rodeo belt buckle.”…

  • What’s His Name? (Sisters – Part II)

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “I’m so happy for you, Amy! When do we get to meet him?” “I don’t know. Bud travels for work, so he’s not around much.” Amy continued to play with the grass, imagining it was Bud’s hair. “But he’s coming home for a few days, so maybe we can get together then?” “I’m a maybe,…

  • Sisters

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    She wasn’t expecting to walk more than a quarter-mile uphill from where she parked her car on the gravel road next to a Volkswagen and beat-up Chevy truck. Jamie was too far from the city to get a signal on her cell phone. Lucky for her, the gravel road was the only one out this…

  • Paying Attention

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “Squirrel!” Her shout took me aback for a split second because, like most of the things she does, this was uncharacteristically within her character. Her glasses teetered on the edge of her nose, face reddened from the abrupt scream. She followed up her exclamation with a few puppy-like barks. “Holy crab apples, Jules!” I screamed.…

  • Overheard At Starbucks

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “Where are you?” Are you like me? I try to keep to myself when I’m in public, especially when I’m at a coffee shop. I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks, but it was my birthday. An acquaintance I’m not all that close with handed me a $50 gift card and said, ‘Happy Birthday,’ in…

  • Incident at the Walgreens

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    I’m standing in line getting my morning coffee, and I see her. It was the same woman I saw a few minutes ago at Walgreens. A young woman stood behind the counter looking bored, chewing her gum and clicking her manicured nails on her left hand. Her right hand scanned one item at a time,…

  • What Once Was

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Four runners passed him as he sat on the park bench, sipping his hot coffee. Jones chuckled, remembering the first half-marathon, a 13.1-mile race he completed twenty-three years ago, holding the cigarette between the fingers of his right hand, a small paper coffee cup in the other. He smirked, not because their form was off…

  • Ghostbusters Interrupted

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Me and Jordan wanted to go see Ghostbusters. Will and Mikey? They just tagged along because they could. Heck, I figured, why not? It’d be fun. The four of us were always together at school, hanging out because our parents worked late. You couldn’t exactly call us latchkey kids like our GenX parents were in…

  • Not By Accident

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Today, it is unpopular to follow Jesus. I don’t know that’s it ever been a popular idea or opinion to tell other people that you love Jesus, that you believe he came, died, and rose again, all for your benefit because – and this is the kicker – because guess what? He loves you. Why…

  • Cauble’s Interview

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “No, I don’t know her name, and honestly, I could care less to know who she is. Wait. Did you hear that?” Cauble’s ears perk up, losing all attention to me. Then, without hesitation, her eyes zero in on me, Gregory Tremaine, interviewer of all pets. How did I get this gig? You may be…

  • What Happened? Sleepwalking. Again.

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. Yes. You are at home. You are in your bed. Cauble is purring, rubbing her face in mine. Guess she’s hungry. Blinking a few more times before stretching, I felt stiff. Every muscle hurt, like I finished a high-impact aerobic workout. I rubbed my eyes again,…

  • Invisible

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Having zero expectations? That’s super easy being invisible. No one expects anything from you, plus you don’t have to worry about what you do or if it’s right or wrong. You fill up space in just the right way. There is no perfect occasion to wear an appropriate outfit. Jeans? Sure. Leggings? Absolutely. Unfortunate shorts,…

  • Tabitha’s School Board Fundraiser

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Marcus didn’t drink, preferring to keep his wits instead of losing control like his college friends used to. Rare occasions found him sipping a glass of Pinot Noir after learning red wine neutralizes garlic’s acidity, the reason he had heartburn after ingesting any alfredo dish. Fettuccini alfredo with white clam sauce was served at Tabitha’s…

  • School Board Fundraiser

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Dr. Marcus Allen spent most of his late teens and early twenties in school, attending Lousiana State University, LSU, for his undergraduate degree in education. Then, he continued his pursuit of education, obtaining a graduate degree at the University of Florida. Education wasn’t demanding. Not for him. Neither was writing or editing academic papers. For…

  • Inside Walmart

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Walking through the sliding doors, Tabitha took off her sunglasses, letting both the shoppers and employees see her eyes. Making eye contact with her? Most of the people inside avoided that as much as possible. There was a terse, tense feel behind her eyes. It made you feel awkward. And if she may glance in…

  • Upsetting A Small Town

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    She didn’t like the attention. Nor did she like how the other girls looked at her, staring at her new eyebrow piercing. Amber Hubbard was the first girl at Fairchild High School in the small town of Macon to have it done. So many questions. And so much unwanted attention from all the girls, from…

  • Why Storytelling?

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Sitting back in the corner of the café gives you an exciting vantage point to see most interactions between the staff standing on the other side of the register and the patron purchasing coffee, a muffin, or some other food or drink item. There is the yoga mom with a wealthy doctor for a husband…

  • The Day Before Cookie Gets Fired

    —

    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Kathy hated the day-to-day business side of the diner. She looked into hiring a full-time bookkeeper and business manager on more than one occasion. But after looking at the books recognized that wasn’t an expense Janice’s Diner could afford. There were more important things she needed to worry about. The least of which was the…