Alphabetical Order

Flash Fiction February #1: Make love, not war

Photo by Rob Wingate on Unsplash

Flash Fiction February — Day 1

Theme: Make Love, Not War

Genre: Action + Romance

I’m taking part in Bradley Ramsey’s Flash Fiction February, where every like, comment, and restack earns points.

This story is inspired by the school days where even a small game feels like a do-or-die battle, and friendships mean everything.

Read the story, cheer on the writers, and dive into a month of tiny tales. Check out all of the other entries for this week here.

If you enjoy this story, a like, comment, or restack would mean the world — they all count toward the challenge!

Adam T and Zora T had been inseparable since prep. Alphabetical order meant they were always together: same line, same class, same order.

Now it was time for high school, and they couldn’t wait!

‘Good morning, students,’ said the principal. ‘We’ll start with our annual tug-of-war challenge, with a pizza party for the winners. Please line up alphabetically by first name.’

Adam and Zora exchanged horrified looks. They had never been on separate teams. And never anywhere as big or scary as high school.

Adam and Zora looked away to the far ends of the auditorium. Was it Zora’s imagination, or did it seem longer than before?

‘It’s only for the morning,’ Adam said. ‘We’ll see each other later.’

Zora nodded. They shared a quick smile, then lined up separately for the first time.

Zora looked at her team. They were all older students and looked a bit bored by the whole thing. One of the girls saw Zora’s worried glance and gave her arm a squeeze.

‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘It’s just a bit of fun. Plus, look at these guys.’ She gestured to the boys. ‘They’re all on the football team.’

She was right. The football players were good, and they quickly progressed through the rounds. Zora’s new school shoes slipped on the concrete at first, but she soon got the hang of it. She even started having fun and wondered if they could win.

Adam and Zora kept looking for each other, sharing grins or making faces whenever their eyes met. They cheered each other through every victory.

She didn’t know how it had happened, but Zora’s team had made it to the final. The girls looked at each other in excitement, while the boys strutted around, showing off.

And then Zora realised that she and Adam were now in direct competition for the title of tug-of-war champion.

The teams lined up, and the teacher blew her whistle. Both teams took on the strain of the rope, but neither was making any headway. Their classmates cheered and called out advice, while the teachers covered their ears against the noise.

The other team was making slow progress while, for the first time, Zora’s team inched toward the line. Though she tried to concentrate, Zora couldn’t help glancing at Adam. Not being together felt strange. Even if it was only pizza at stake, she worried this could mark a whole year of firsts spent apart.

She nearly stumbled as the rope dragged them closer to defeat. Zora focused on pulling as hard as she could.

Adam caught a glimpse of Zora’s furrowed brows and the worry clouding her eyes. A pang of guilt twisted inside him. He couldn’t stand the thought of causing her pain.

Then it was over.

Zora’s team gave a final, desperate tug, and Adam’s team lost their footing, sprawling across the floor as the rope slipped out of their hands.

Zora’s team jumped for joy, swapping high-fives as the auditorium erupted in cheers.

Adam looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. They were about to win, but he wondered if he had let his grip loosen when he saw Zora struggling.

The day blurred past with new classes and finding their way around. Adam and Zora were split up for most of it, meeting only at lunch. Zora had prepared for changes in high school, but not for being apart from Adam all day.

They found each other again on the bus ride home.

‘That was a crazy day,’ said Adam.

‘Yeah,’ replied Zora. ‘I didn’t realise all our classes would be split up like that. I hardly saw you.’

Zora stared at her shoes, a knot of dread forming in her stomach, worried about not seeing Adam all day. What if they drifted apart? Suddenly, Adam reached for her hand, warmth flooding her as she glanced up. Seeing his flushed cheeks, she held on tightly, unwilling to let go.

‘We will just have to find ways to see each other,’ he said. Then he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Zora blushed while her stomach flipped. Maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad after all.

I would love to hear your thoughts on my story. Did you have any events at school that felt like waging war at the time?

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Every like, comment, and restack helps me earn points in this challenge.
Thank you for supporting flash fiction and indie writers!

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Read Day 2 → What Feeds the Forest