“Mirror Point Cottage” by Madeline Chia, XII: architecture

milk because that’s gross. One day last year it made her cry and the counselors told us to stop and we all felt bad for a while. But now it’s a new summer and she still puts ice in her milk and I have never seen anyone else do that because ice turns into water and then she will have water-milk and I can’t stand looking at it.

The dirt under the picnic tables always has things in it and during lunch we all dig in it with one hand and look for treasures like beads and friendship bracelets and other things. I’m extra careful this year because one time on hot dog day I was eating one with one hand and digging with the other and took a bitefrom the wrong hand and no one saw so I just swallowed it.

- Abby Weinstein, XII: flash fiction

“Mirror Point Cottage” by Madeline Chia, XII: architecture