Untitled by Jonathan Blum

Thursday’s vote to admit Baxter was unanimous. But just so you know, he was the least qualified candidate of the three. With him, every climb up the branches was a performance. Every answer about treehouse history felt rehearsed. I wanted to scream at the gang: Be real! But Baxter had already aced the test. What could I do? Put him as my second and watch him become a bigger superstar to spite me?

© Copyright 2016 Jonathan Blum. All rights reserved.
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Jonathan Blum is the author of the novella Last Word. He teaches fiction writing workshops in Los Angeles.

4 thoughts on “Untitled by Jonathan Blum”

  1. Good men surround themselves with better men from whom they can learn from their superior talents and thus become a better man. Envy does the opposite.

  2. I love how concise this piece is — with the merest mention of treehouses, gangs and boys, the reader still gets the whole picture.

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