Errant

By Suz Korb

A collection of stories from the late 1980s early 1900s. Coming of Age for teenagers. Suz Korb. JUDE: The year was 1990 and Jude wanted to become a real man by cutting off his long hair. That's not the true way he's going to become a man. His girlfriend might have to help him see that. Somehow, they would realise how things that go wrong can shape who we are. Things can go right, if only they think on it. Feel what's happened. Give in to the love. LAMENT NO PAIN: Maia tells Liam the story of her accident. He tells it back to her in a dream. He wants her to know how much he cares, and that her bravery instils hope within him. WALLS: A brick wall is a physical barrier. No matter how hard you hit it, you can't tear it down with your bare fists. Mental walls are barriers too, and sometimes a little help is needed from others to tear them down. THAT NIGHT: Based on a true story... The year was 1991 and it was Angela's sweet sixteenth. Not very sweet exactly though, considering the fact that she wasn't getting any presents, or a party. Angela was determined to make a birthday party for herself! And she was convinced alcohol was the best way to do that. So she sought out an older "friend" who was over the age of twenty-one. WAY over aged. The woman was in her thirties and she was a sad sack. As lame as they come, Mary was. But if Angela could get her to buy some vodka, then she didn't care about being in Mary's presence for just a little while, that night. Until it started turning into the worst night of her life ever!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Suzanne Lehuanani Korb
• Release date: Jul 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227051639

Suz Korb

Suz Korb writes Young Adult and Adult fiction. Originally from Hawaii, Suz grew up in Utah, and has been living most of her adult life in England, where she writes novels and short stories. A multi-genre author writing Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Coming of Age, and more. Suz is also an academic in that she continually changes her major with the Open University. Just like with her multi-genre fiction writing, she researches and writes essays in wide and varied subjects such as biology, genetics, literature, and psychology. Combining these disciplines with real world experiences, and the author’s wild imagination, Suz Korb books are born. If you’ve enjoyed this, or any Suz Korb books please do leave a rave review, it would be greatly appreciated. And get in touch with the author, if you like. She’d love to hear from you about all things fiction.

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Errant

Suz Korb

Errant

Copyright © 2019 Suz Korb.

All rights reserved.

SuzKorb15.blogspot.com

First edition published in 2019.

This edition published in 2024.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permissions, requests and queries contact [e-mail]

Any references to historical events, real people, real places, or real circumstances, are used fictitiously. Names, characters, places, and circumstances are products of the author’s imagination. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

For my friends during adolescents in the 1990s. Wow, what a decade. Also, most of you owe me an apology. Big time. And okay, I’m a bit sorry too.

CONTENTS

Jude

Lament No Pain

That Night

Walls

About the Author

JUDE

1

Hot day made hotter by the Marlboro Light cigarette Jude was smokin' like a cool kid. He wasn't in style though, even if his hair was proper long in the back, shaved on top. The problem with Jude's hair, in his opinion, was that it was blonde. Men don't have blonde hair and the only thing keeping Jude from being a grown up by the age of thirteen was his rancid blonde hair. He hit puberty early in all other respects by the year 1989 and his twelfth birthday. He was shaving his beardy face daily by summer in this new decade.

The last decade of the century and Jude wasn't gonna live it as a boy anymore.

He jumped down off the stack of wooden crates outside his girlfriend's trailer.

I'm cuttin' my hair! He declared to Sasha, the most beautiful exotic creature in the whole world. How she ended up here in Bountiful, Utah after being born in Hawaii, he'd never know or care. Jude was just glad Sasha threw herself at him earlier this summer. Otherwise he would still be trying to act like a cool kid on his skateboard.

Sasha was two years older than Jude and two feet shorter, or so he figured against his six foot height. She was a petite thing, soft and small under his touch. And she let him touch her wherever he wanted to on her body. If only her best friend Amy would shut up about chastity and going to church, Jude might be able to go all the way with Sasha.

Don't cut your hair, babe. She sat on the raised steps of the trailer as a porch. I like it long.

Yeah but it's not cool, Sash. It's just not cool anymore.

She pouted by sticking out her bottom lip. He wanted to suck that lip into his mouth in a deep kiss, but he remembered she hated that.

Putting his hands on the wooden railing, Jude leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. The kiss was sweet and not sloppy like when they'd first tried it. Amazing what horny practice can do. Before he met Sasha, Jude could only ever dream about having a girlfriend to kiss. Now they kissed all the time and even though Jude wanted more, he could wait.

The radio buzzed DJ squawk-talking out the trailer window Sasha had perched it on this morning. It was the boring news updates interrupting a really good Queensrÿche song.

Hogle Zoo celebrates its sixty year anniversary this month... 

The svelte DJ's voice reported.

A thirteen year law officer became the first woman in the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office to earn a sergeant's badge...

More kissing between blissfully unaware teenagers. Boring announcements oozed out of the radio.

The new movie Another You sets record low in box office takings for a Richard Prior Gene Wilder film...

Kiss, kiss, kiss. Not a care in the world on that bright sunny day. Mouths getting hotter, Jude's lower parts warming up with blood.

... sentenced today on three counts of underage abuse...

Jude stopped kissing his girlfriend. She twinkled her eyes at him and smiled, her lips all swollen and moist.

Jude stared at her lips. His ears listened to the news report. When the DJ finished with the weather forecast, Jude was already running away.

Don't cut your hair! Sasha screamed after him, but he didn’t care about that anymore. All Jude wanted was to get home. Get into the privacy of his own bedroom and never come out of the house again.

2

Knock knock knock on his bedroom door turned into POUND POUND POUND with Sasha's small but strong fist. 

Let me help you, Jude! Your sister says you need me right now. I'm here for you, babe!

Jude thought his girlfriend was being overly dramatic and way too loud. The only reason he finally unlocked the door was because he was sure his neighbors could hear Sasha yelling. And he didn't want more people coming over trying to get involved.

Chill out, Sash. Jude let her in and then jumped back onto his squeaky bed. Come here and hold me.

Hold on. I hardly ever come to your house so I wanna look around. What's this?

Jude rolled over and saw her with a small wooden box in her hand that she'd taken off his chest of drawers.

Open it and find out.

She did as Jude said and it made her cringe when she looked inside. Oh gross! You're such a dork!

You know what that is, right?

Sasha smiled despite herself. It’s my gum. You really kept it.

Of course I did. Jude got up and wrapped his arms around her waist. It means a lot to me because everything about you means a lot to me.

I’ve chewed a lot more gum since this one.

Yeah but this was the first one we swapped during a kiss.

Neither of them was chewing gum now, but they still wanted to kiss, and so they did.

Tell me what happened, Jude. Sasha pulled away with his face in her hands, looking up at him. Why’d you run away from me?

Jude put his fingers gently onto