Singing (Micro Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at around 300 words. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

She was singing again.

She sang every morning. I heard her sing when I was eating breakfast, as I was heading out the door for class...I even heard her through the loud pounding of the water when I was having a shower.

The walls of a college dorm are not very thick. I knew this when I applied to live here, and when I wheeled in my two bulging, crammed-to-the-point-of-exploding suitcases into the building on move in day. I shouldn’t have been surprised when, the morning after my first night in my room, I was awoken by the sound of my neighbour singing along to Let It Go from that new Disney movie.

But I was. I was surprised, I was caught off guard, but most importantly, I was irritated.

I didn’t say a word. Not when I was woken up at 6 am by the opening words of Shake It Off, not when my early morning cram session was interrupted by the chorus of Breakaway, not even when I could barely hear my mom on the phone over the belted lyrics of the Friends theme. I stayed quiet, because it was her home, too—and I didn’t want to start any drama.

But her singing was bad. It was wobbly and off key and too loud when it wasn’t supposed to be. It was driving me crazy, and as soon as she started up Classic at seven in the morning, I lost it.

I stormed out of my room, not caring when the door slammed loudly behind me. I stomped the ten feet between our rooms and pounded my fist against the door marked “Lizzie” in big, bubbly, colourful letters. My scowl didn’t lessen when her singing cut off abruptly, and her padded footsteps made her way towards me.

What made my scowl disappear entirely was her honey coloured hair, cut short and sticking out wildly in all directions, and her green eyes that seemed to almost twinkle—like she had been expecting my arrival all along.

Damn it, she was beautiful.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, like I was her best friend, and not someone that she had only met once—briefly—during orientation. “Emma, right?”

Maybe I could put up with the singing, after all.

Beautiful Books

(I don't care what y'all think--you can never talk about books too much. Never.)

About a year or so ago, I did the unthinkable--I created a Pinterest account.

If you have a Pinterest account, you probably get the emphasis behind the words Pinterest account. If not, well...don't get one. Seriously. Look at me. Do not get one. Your productivity and general competence at being a human being will go right down the drain, never to be seen again.

But while your future may be salvageable, my fate has already been sealed. I created my account. I have several boards on the website dedicated to several different things, from home decor to writing to Christmas treats that I will probably never get around to making ever.

My favourite board of all, though, is my books board. Because not only do books provide hours and hours of quality entertainment for little (or even nothing, thanks to the great invention that is the library), but guess what: they're also BEAUTIFUL.

(This would be the part of the blog post where I include pictures. But it's like 11 pm and I'm warm and toasty in my bed so I really can't be bothered.)

Who would've known that a stack of paper, bound together by a spine and two covers, could look so pretty? Who would've known that a complex story that keeps you entertained for days on end could double as freaking HOME DECOR? It's a wonderful thing. Shelves packed to the brim, random stacks scattered around the floor and covering every surface area...no matter how you store them, no matter how you display them, they still look beautiful.

I've always had a deep love for physical books, but that love was recently renewed after reading an ebook. I haven't read many ebooks...like, at all. The only reason I read one now was because I recently got a library card (!!) that allows me to download free ebooks for certain periods of time. When a book I intended to read wasn't available as a hard copy, I just downloaded the ebook.

Something I learned about myself: I don't enjoy reading ebooks.

I'm not even sure how to describe it, really. It wasn't as satisfying; I couldn't turn the page, or flip through the pages quickly to get a sense of how much of the story was left. I couldn't accidentally spoil myself, or smell the pages (too weird?), or hug the floppy paperback to my chest in adoration when I was finished. (Not that this was a book worthy of such an honour, of course, but can you imagine reading a Stephanie Perkins novel and not hugging it afterwards? NONSENSE.)

I never intend to buy an ereader. While I do love the idea of having my entire bookshelf tucked away in my bag, and it would most definitely make travelling a lot more convenient (no more ongoing debates of which book to bring! No more trying to shove three different books into my already-exploding suitcase! Oh, what a world that would be), ebooks just seem less...personal to me.

Plus, what would I do without a packed bookshelf full of books to stare at? Home decor, people!


Do you prefer reading physical books or ebooks? Comment below with your answer! (Participation is required. Okay, not really. But it is most definitely appreciated!)

Until later,

- Justyne

Princess (Micro Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at around 300 words. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

There was a girl, once; a girl with long flowing hair, rich brown like chocolate, and captivating eyes that turned from blue to green and back again, depending on the light. Her smile as sweet as candy, her clothes bright as the sun. She caught the eye of anyone who saw her; the boys gazed at her in awe, while the girls stared on in jealousy.

People called her a princess, and while her blood may not have been blue, she had a tendency to agree. This fact did not appease the green eyed ladies surrounding her, and a day would come when they acted on their negative emotions. Words sticky in malice were thrown towards her, sharp claws scratched at her skin, and greedy palms pushed her to the ground.

But every time, she got up.  She stood, her head held high, the cruel words doing nothing but sliding off her body. Her smile remained, as sweet and as bright as ever. Their efforts had no effect on her; for she was a princess, and that belief was stronger than any lies they tried to feed her.

After many days of cruelty, a day came where a certain boy tried to stand for her defense—to shield her, to protect her, to save the beauty of her spirit. But when that day came, the girl did not back down, did not cower behind his body; she stood beside him, hand on his shoulder, her posture still as straight and unbreakable.

A princess she was, but saving she did not need.

Until later,

- Justyne

Indecisiveness

I am undeniably the worst decision maker ever.

I am the kind of person who should never, in any circumstance, be placed in charge of deciding where we should go to eat, or what movie we should see at the theater. I am the kind of person who stares at the shelves in the cereal aisle for far longer than is actually necessary, trying to pick a brand. I am the kind of person who spends more time picking a title on Netflix than actually watching it.

I can't even make a firm decision on my favourite books; what does that tell you?

There's a very big, very life-changing decision that I've been trying to make in recent months--so obviously, you see my dilemma. But now, finally, I think I may have made the final decision--the method I used, however, was probably a little...unorthodox.

I heard a saying, once, that any hard decision should be made using a coin. Normally this is something used for more trivial decisions, like who's going to get stuck doing the dishes, or whether I should wear the purple top or the blue. Using it for a bigger, more life-altering decision seems a bit...well, silly.

But the goal is not, as you would think, to allow the coin to make the decision for you. The idea is that during that brief nanosecond, when the coin and all of its possibilities are floating in the air...that's when you make the decision. Because when the coin lands and you see your result, you'll feel either a sense of excitement or a sense of heart crushing disappointment.

I flipped my coin. I got heads. And with it, I may have my answer.

You'll just have to wait and see.


Until later,

- Justyne

Favourite Books: 2014 Edition

Have you ever tried making a Top 5 list of your favourite books? It's hard. Like, really hard. Especially when you're only trying to include books from the previous year. (I'm lucky if I remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, let alone what I read back in January.)

The list below went through several drafts; I have lots of books that I love, and quite frankly it's not fair that I'm only allowed to pick five of them. (But if I were to list all of them, well, we'd be here all day.) I think I'm finally satisfied with what I ended up with. Until next week, anyway.

Now, before I change my mind again, here are my TOP FIVE FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2014 (more or less):

5. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

One of the three--count 'em, three--adult fiction novels I read this year, and let me tell you, I adored it. I was a little shaky on the premise at first, I'll admit--I mean, it centers around an IT guy reading the e-mail correspondences of two female coworkers in another department, which can definitely come off as a little creepy--but it was executed VERY well! I myself loved reading the characters' e-mails, as well as the changes the main character made in response to them. Everything linked together so well and to top it all off, it takes place in the late 90's. Who doesn't love the 90's?

4. Just One Day by Gayle Foreman

This book, to me, is magic. There's this large sense of adventure, and the character development is perfectly on point throughout. Not to mention the mystery that unfolds throughout the second half of the book--it all unfolds so wonderfully. I loved it!

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Congrats, Rainbow, you made it on the list twice! Fangirl is probably one of the most relatable books I've ever read. It's about writing, it's about fanfiction and internet fandoms and the emotions that you connect with a story that's been around since you were a kid. And it's about growing up, and bringing the story into your life in different ways. I never thought I'd be able to relate to a story so well, and yet, here we are.

2. The Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Minor cop-out here. I had to choose the series as a whole, because choosing just one book just isn't fair; they all contribute to the plot and to the character development and I JUST LOVED THEM ALL OKAY. (Yes, even the last one. More or less.) The world was so wonderfully crafted and the characters and emotions just so real. And again, character development. On point.

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This is the only addition to this list that I didn't have to second guess myself on. This book has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time now, but I didn't get around to reading it until this past July.

THE ONLY THING I REGRET IS THAT I DIDN'T READ IT SOONER.

This book was so happy, and wonderful, and fluffy, and romantic, and cute, and basically everything I look for in any book ever. How I made it this far without this book in my life is a mystery that will forever go unsolved. I absolutely ADORED this book, with all of its characters and relationships and locations. (Paris. PARIS!! I've been to Paris and this just played it in an entirely different light.) This is one of those books that I just hugged to my chest for hours after I finished because I loved it so much. (I proceeded to do the same with its companions, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After. All three books are beautiful and if you are at all a fan of romance or contemporary or rom-coms then PICK UP THOSE BOOKS RIGHT THE FRIKKITY FRACK NOW.)



If you'd like to take a look at the other 30 books I read throughout 2014 and the countless books I read before, you can check out my Goodreads page here.

How many books did you read this past year? Do you have any reading goals for 2015?

Until later,

- Justyne

Ink (Micro-Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at around 300 words. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

Pens were her thing. Gell pens, quil pens, ball point pens, black pens, blue pens, sparkly pens, pens that looked professional and pens that looked like they were retrieved as a prize in a cereal box. She collected all pens of all sizes. She had more pens than one could use in a lifetime.

She made a point to use each pen at least once, but never let them die. Before the beautiful ink could fade away, she would tuck it safely among the others, moving on to a new colour, a new brand, a new texture. She had plenty to choose from; she was never lacking.

She wrote with her pens, and she drew with her pens. Her pens formed stories that reached the very brink of her imagination; the rough scratches shaped into wings that carried her far above the clouds, and the heads of dragons that became her companions.

She tried to draw on her own skin, to bring her fantasies into the real world. All that resulted were faded markings that wouldn't come off, no matter how hard she scrubbed. She covered these markings up--because just like the ink on the pages, these stories of hers were sacred. For her eyes only.
~~

Until later,

- Justyne

2014 Look Back

Hello, friends! Haven't seen you in a while! Funny story: I may have forgotten that this blog existed.

Yeah no, not exaggerating. I fell into the habit of not blogging every week, thanks to my November buffer, and kept forgetting that I actually had to write some new content. But I'm here! I am alive! And most importantly, I am ready to kick 2015 off with regular blogging!

I have never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. Maybe it's because I've never been part of the partying crowd, or because I have a minor history with bad luck with the holiday. (Including, but not limited to, a very bad case of the flu. Or maybe it was food poisoning; we'll never know for sure. Rest assured it was unpleasant either way.)

Or maybe, perhaps, it was the look back over the past year, and the knowledge that whatever resolutions I had set for the last 365 days hadn't quite gone the way I had hoped. Many of the goals that I set and the plans that I make fall through. At the start of the new year, my resolution list looks the same as the one for the previous year, and the year before, and the year before that. It's a discouraging attitude, to say the least.

Which is why, this year, I decided to change it.

As I made my annual year of resolutions, I refused to make it the same as last year. I changed details, added specifics, and kept it short and simple. And then, instead beating myself up over what I didn't do, I made a list of all that I did do.


1. I (mostly) succeeded in writing (usual) bi-weekly blog posts. I started writing micro-fiction, I celebrated a year of blogging, and I watched as my pageview count steadily rose over the course of the year. The thing that I started on a whim is steadily becoming so much more than that.

2. I took a train! For the first time! A 36+ hour ride, all by myself--which I've wanted to do FOREVER. Not only that, but I went to TORONTO. I walked around the downtown Toronto area, all by myself, and I did not get lost!. For the first time, I saw an opportunity to do something big, something that I've always wanted to do, and I did it.

3. I WENT TO DISNEY WORLD. (For the second time.) I'll be honest: for a while, I didn't think it would happen. My friends and I have talked about doing stuff like this in the past, but it never even made it to the planning stages, let alone to us BOARDING THE PLANE and getting off in FREAKING DISNEY WORLD! We were there for nine days, and I can honestly say that those nine days were the best of the year for me.

4. I moved out of my parents house. Indefinitely. Permanently. The one thing that I anticipated and feared the most, the one thing that I wanted to do but unsure if I was ready or capable, and I did it. Probably the biggest move of my life, and I did it. 

5. I started wearing dresses. I started wearing dresses and accessorizing and trying things with my appearance that I had always wanted to do, but never had the courage and confidence to follow through with. It was scary at first...but it felt great.

6. I started working at a grocery store--as a cashier. I didn't expect to, and I certainly didn't plan to--but I did. It may not seem like a big deal...but for me, it kind of is. Me, who didn't only think that I was bad at socializing, but that I was downright incapable of doing it in a professional situation. Me, who was utterly terrified at the thought of conversing with strangers. Me, who wouldn't even look twice at a want ad for any kind of customer service position, because I thought that I wouldn't be able to do it. This job might not be my first choice, or my favourite thing to do in the world, but at least I know I can do it. I know that I'm capable; and that was a HUGE thing for me to realize.

A lot of stuff happened in 2014. Some of it was good, some of it wasn't. But everything that I accomplished, big or small, I'm proud of.

I have a feeling that 2015 is going to be big, and I am very, very, excited.

What are your biggest moments of 2014? What are you looking to accomplish in the next coming year?

Until later,

- Justyne