#leo mcbride

[amazingstories]

Anthology Review: Tales of Wonder

Anthology Review: Tales of Wonder

So last year the good folks at Inklings Press were kind enough to send me a copy of Tales From Alternate Earths to review. Well they must have liked me because they sent me a copy of their next anthology: Tales of Wonder. Although not my usual cup of tea, I agreed to review the anthology because it allows me to talk about a genre I haven’t said much about before: science fantasy. I find science…

View On WordPress

[charlotte-haig]

Charlotte & Leo - Ice Cream Adventures

To say Charlotte was in a good mood would be an understatement. Not even thoughts of her algebra exam in the morning were enough to keep her cooped up in the house. Her mother kept sending her pictures of her brand new nephew. Every 20 minutes or so, her phone would beep; and Charlotte would check her phone, her face automatically lighting up. He was perfection. After everything Maggie Haig had been through with her miscarriage earlier that year – seeing the pictures of her cuddling her grandson, it suddenly seemed that she was finally at peace with everything. There was a light in her mother’s eyes she’d missed desperately. If Charlotte couldn’t be in New York with her family, she was at least going to celebrate in Toronto.

Naturally the first person she’d wanted to call was Julian. But something told her that even news of Nicholas’s safe arrival wouldn’t thaw the ice between them. She was dead to her best friend. Not that she blamed him. She still couldn’t forgive herself for leaving Julian in the hallway the way she had. She could rationalise it all she wanted but the bottom line was – to everyone else, she’d chosen Rory. It was unforgivable in her best friend’s eyes. He would never understand. Her mood called for happiness, and maybe that was why, she’d texted Leo.

Leo McBride was something else. He really was. It was hard to believe that they hadn’t really hung out before this semester. Charlotte could thank assigned seating in algebra for that one. He was funny, and a total dork. When she was around Leo, she felt different. It was almost like she could relax. There was no pressure to be a certain way or to act a certain way. They simply had fun together. He made her laugh and she couldn’t help but smile around him. The more Charlotte hung around with him, the more she wanted to hang around with him.

She knew it shouldn’t matter what she wore. She and Leo were just friends after all. But still, she took her time getting ready; choosing her black skinny jeans, a green tank top and her cropped leather jacket. She added a touch of gloss to her lips, and straightened her dark hair. There was nothing wrong with looking good right? Even for ice cream? It was natural chic. She definitely didn’t want to look like she’d gone to any effort. Hearing the honk of a horn, she skipped out the front door and down to the awaiting jeep, her bag slung over her shoulder. “Leo Distraction!” she declared a grin on her face as she crawled in the passenger side. “Oh my god, you have to see these pictures” she said flipping her phone out and wasting no time showing off her precious nephew. “Isn’t he the cutest?” she asked, her cheeks flushed with excitement and the night air.