Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Relationships: Stories about Family, Friends and Love

By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Relationships supports and inspires teenagers, reminding them they are not alone as they read stories written by teens about friends, family, love, loss, and many lessons learned. 

The teenage years are difficult. Old friends drift away, new friends come with new issues, teens fall in and out of love, and relationships with family members change. This book reminds teenagers that they are not alone, as they read the 101 best stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul’s library written by other teens just like themselves, about the problems and issues they face every day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Release date: May 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781611591828

Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is the cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor with Gay Hendricks of You've GOT to Read This Book! An internationally renowned corporate trainer, Jack has trained and certified over 4,100 people to teach the Success Principles in 115 countries. He is also a podcast host, keynote speaker, and popular radio and TV talk show guest. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Book preview

Chicken Soup for the Soul® Our 101 Best Stories:

Teens Talk Relationships; Stories about Family, Friends and Love

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark

Published by Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC www.chickensoup.com

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 2008 by Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part

of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the

written permission of the publisher.

CSS, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and its Logo and Marks are trademarks of

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing LLC.

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the many publishers and individuals who granted

Chicken Soup for the Soul permission to reprint the cited material.

Cover photos courtesy of Jupiterimages/Picturequest/Photos.com and Rubberball/Mike Kemp, and also

iStockPhoto/Yuri_Arcurs. Cover and interior illustration courtesy of iStockphoto/-m-i-s-a

Cover and Interior Design & Layout by Pneuma Books, LLC

For more info on Pneuma Books, visit www.pneumabooks.com

Distributed to the booktrade by Simon & Schuster. SAN: 200-2442

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

(Prepared by The Donohue Group)

Chicken soup for the soul. Selections.

Chicken soup for the soul : teens talk relationships : stories about family, friends, and love / [compiled by] Jack Canfield [and] Mark Victor Hansen ; [edited by] Amy Newmark.

p. ; cm. -- (Our 101 best stories)

ISBN-13: 978-1-935096-06-1

ISBN-10: 1-935096-06-0

eISBN-13: 978-1-6115-9182-8

1. Teenagers--Literary collections. 2. Teenagers’ writings. 3. Teenagers--Conduct of life--Anecdotes. 4. Teenagers--Family relationships--Anecdotes. 5. Dating (Social customs)--Anecdotes.

I. Canfield, Jack, 1944- II. Hansen, Mark Victor. III. Newmark, Amy. IV. Title.

PS508.Y68 C292 2008

810.8/09283                   2008930430

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

on acid∞free paper

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09            02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Contents

A Special Foreword by Jack and Mark

~Head Over Heels~

1. The Boy at Band Camp, Molly Gaebler

2. The 10:15 Vixen, Michael Wassmer

3. Lucky, Ambrosia Gilchrist

4. Eternity, Deiah Haddock

5. Just One Look, That’s All It Took, Dan Mulhausen

6. Girls Like Roses, Janice Hasselius

7. A Crush, J. Leigh Turner

8. And There He Was, Joanna Long

~ The Importance of Family~

9. My Two Best Friends, Jalesa Harper

10. The Baseball Spirit, Caleb Mathewson

11. Only Words, Becky Steinberg

12. The Last Months, Traci Kornhauser

13. The Sisters I Never Had, Amanda Cuda

14. Dear Diary, Liz Correale

15. Sunshine, Sarah Wood

16. Don’t Cry, Dad, Laura Loken

17. The Red Chevy, Bob Carlisle

18. A Most Precious Gift, Jessica Colman

19. Thanks, Mom! Rebecca Kross

~The First Kiss~

20. First Kiss, Ron Cheng

21. Tom(my) Boy, Zoe Graye

22. Seven Minutes in Heaven, Andrew Keegan as told to Kimberly Kirberger

23. Will He Kiss Me? Margaret E. Reed

24. Never Been Kissed, Dallas Nicole Woodburn

25. Starlight, Star Bright, Kelly Garnett

26. Impossible Things Can Happen, Pegah Vaghaye

27. Guy Repellent, Erin Seto

~Friendships that Go the Distance~

28. The Gift of Friendship, Jennifer Traylor

29. Saying Goodbye, Kathryn Litzenberger

30. The History of Izzi and Me, Ariana Briski

31. There Is No End in Friend, Rebecca Woolf

32. Losing My Best Friend, Amanda Russell

~Betrayal... or Not~

33. Breathing, Michelle Siil

34. Sometimes Things Are Never the Same, Celine Geday

35. Starting a New Path, Jessie Braun

36. Never Been Dissed—Until Now, Shad Powers

37. On Shame and Shadowboxing, Bret Anthony Johnston

38. Jonathon, Dan Levine

~Oh Brother, Oh Sister~

39. Sugar River, Phyllis Nutkis

40. No Longer an Only Child, Jessica Wilson

41. No Time to Say I Love You, Renee Simons

42. Rikki’s Hug, Kathryn Litzenberger

43. It’s Not What You Think, Greta Zwaan

44. Kicki, Brad Dixon

45. More than Just Sisters, Julie Hoover

46. The Bridge Between Verses, Shashi Bhat

47. She’s My Sister, Christina Dotson

48. A Closer Family, Lissa Desjardins

~The Dreaded Let’s Just Be Friends~

49. Just Friends, Matthew Chee

50. Love is Never Lost, David J. Murcott

51. A Changing Season, Grace French

52. One of Those Days, Cassie Kirby

53. I Had to Let Him Go, Andrea Barkoukis

~Breakups and Healing~

54. The World Won’t Stop, Meredith Wertz

55. Always, Amy Catalano

56. To Have a Boyfriend—or Not? Patty Hansen

57. The First, Hannah Brandys

58. Hopscotch and Tears, Rebecca Woolf

59. Please Sign My Yearbook, Stacy Brakebush

60. Sharing an Intimate Moment, Emily Ferry

~Differences Bring Us Closer~

61. We’re Different, That’s Enough, Christopher Boire

62. When It Counts, Heather Woodruff

63. An Unexpected Reaction, Carmen Leal

64. My First Date, Sarah Van Tine

65. The Birthday Present, Teresa Cleary

66. Lost Love, Robby Smith as told to T. J. Lacey

67. Directory Assistance, Michael Wassmer

68. Fugue, Don Keys

~Putting Yourself Out There~

69. Losing an Enemy, Patty Anne Sluys

70. Crossing the Fence, Omenka Uchendu

71. Drowning in Somebody I’m Not, Mark Whistler

72. Experience Is a Teacher, Julia Travis

73. The Funeral of My Rose, Derek Gamba

74. A Simple Hello, Katie E. Houston

75. I Finally Did It, Katherine Rowe

~Growing Apart~

76. The Friend That You’ve Outgrown, C. S. Dweck

77. I Know Exactly What You Mean, Melinda Favreau

78. Friends Forever, Phyllis Lin

79. Behind the Scenes of Two Teen Queens, Jessica M. McCann

80. Two Girls and a Friendship, Pey Jung Yeong

81. The Rift, Erica Thoits

82. Friends Forever We’ll Always Be, Rebecca Ruiter

83. Choices, Alicia M. Boxler

84. My Friend Andrea, Laura Loken

85. The Five Flavors, Roxanne Gowharrizi

~Through Thick and Thin~

86. A Fateful Friendship, Dallas Nicole Woodburn

87. I Need You Now, Becky Tucker

88. Bobby, I’m Smiling, E. Keenan

89. Friends with Benefits, Prom-Style, Dallas Nicole Woodburn

90. My Perfect Friend, Danielle Eberschlag

91. Time Flies, Dorothy Palmer Young

92. My Fairy Tale, Kathryn Vacca

93. Reality Check, Arielle Jacobs

94. Missing the Dance, Michele Screech Campanelli

95. Sketches, Kristina Wong

~In Love~

96. Two of Me, Anne G. Fegely

97. My Knight on His White Horse, Rebecca Woolf

98. Only a Matter of Time, Tal Vigderson

99. Nineteen, Kathleen Benefiel

100. Prince Charming, Michele Davis

101. The Sound of Silence, Rebecca Woolf

MORE CHICKEN SOUP

WHO IS JACK CANFIELD?

WHO IS MARK VICTOR HANSEN?

WHO IS AMY NEWMARK?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A Special Foreword

by Jack and Mark

For us, 101 has always been a magical number. It was the number of stories in the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book, and it is the number of stories and poems we have always aimed for in our books. We love the number 101 because it signifies a beginning, not an end. After 100, we start anew with 101.

We hope that when you finish reading one of our books, it is only a beginning for you too—a new outlook on life, a renewed sense of purpose, a strengthened resolve to deal with an issue that has been bothering you. Perhaps you will pick up the phone and share one of the stories with a friend or a loved one. Perhaps you will turn to your keyboard and express yourself by writing a Chicken Soup story of your own, to share with other readers who are just like you.

This volume contains our 101 best stories and poems about teenage relationships with family, with friends, and with boyfriends and girlfriends. We share this with you at a very special time for us, the fifteenth anniversary of our Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When we published our first book in 1993, we never dreamed that we had started what would become a publishing sensation, one of the bestselling lines of books in history.

We did not set out to sell more than one hundred million books, or to publish more than 150 titles. We set out to touch the heart of one person at a time, hoping that person would in turn touch another person, and so on down the line. Fifteen years later, we know that it has worked. Your letters and stories have poured in by the hundreds of thousands, affirming our life’s work, and inspiring us to continue to make a difference in your lives.

On our fifteenth anniversary, we have new energy, new resolve, and new dreams. We have recommitted to our goal of 101 stories or poems per book, we have refreshed our cover designs and our interior layout, and we have grown the Chicken Soup for the Soul team, with new friends and partners across the country in New England.

We have chosen our 101 best stories and poems for teenagers from our rich fifteen year history to share with you in this new volume. We know that being a teenager is hard—we remember! Old friends drift away, new friends come with new issues, you fall in and out of love, your relationships with family members change.

You are not alone. We chose stories written by other teenagers just like you. They wrote about friends, family, love, loss, and many lessons learned. We hope that you will find these stories inspiring and supportive, and that you will share them with your families and friends. We have identified the 17 Chicken Soup for the Soul books in which the stories originally appeared, in case you would like to continue your journey among our other books. We hope you will also enjoy the additional titles for teenagers in Our 101 Best Stories series.

With our love, our thanks, and our respect,

~Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Head Over Heels

The mark of a true crush is that you fall in love first and grope for reasons afterward.

~Shana Alexander

The Boy at Band Camp

If you’re never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances.

~Julia Sorel (Rosalyn Drexler), See How She Runs, 1978

Strains of Mariah Carey floated in the background as we held each other close and swayed to the rhythm of the music. I hadn’t expected us to be so intimate when I asked the guy who had been my best friend at summer camp to dance. But as my head rested on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around my torso, I realized that I had fallen head-over-heels for this guy. My timing had never been worse. It was the farewell dance at summer camp, the night before we left, and I was just realizing that I wanted to be with him. Furthermore, I had gone to middle school with him for the past two years, and I had never thought twice about the fact that I saw him literally six times a day. Then, he was just the annoying little boy who threw goldfish at my friends and me during lunch. But now he was the boy who would save me a seat at breakfast and write messages on my hand. The one with the cute smile and jokes that would make me giddy with laughter. And now I was dancing with him, the wonder boy. I had never been more content in my entire life. The song’s last notes faded out and we just stood, locked in our embrace. Neither of us wanted to move; the moment was too perfect. However, we were soon interrupted by the loud drumbeat of a Blink-182 song.

We jumped apart, startled.

Whoa, he said, shyly smiling. That scared me. I smiled back at him and nodded in agreement. We were soon joined by a group of our friends and began jumping around to the muffled words of All the Small Things.

It was now 9:30 P.M., time for us to crawl into our sleeping bags and whisper under the pillows. I was walking back to my cabin, grinning from ear to ear in the dark. Unexpectedly, someone jumped onto my back, causing me to stumble. I looked up to see who had attacked me and it turned out to be my friends Beth and Kari.

So... Molly! Beth said to me, with a smirk on her face.

Y... yes? I stammered, turning red.

You and Brian, eh? teased Kari.

All I could do was smile and laugh, but that was enough to send my friends into squealing fits of, Oh my GOD! and, I knew it! Satisfied that they had pulled the latest gossip out of me, they pranced off to tell the rest of my cabin. I didn’t really care. They were all my best friends, and they would have found out sooner or later.

The next morning was concert day. We all had rehearsal in between packing our suitcases. I walked to the piano room for my ten o’clock run-through. I rushed through my piece and didn’t bother to stick around for my feedback. Instead, I left the amphitheater where the orchestra was rehearsing and joined a group of my friends who were exchanging phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Molly! You’re here! said one of them.

Yeah, I tried to get out of rehearsal as soon as possible, I replied as I grabbed a handful of pretzels from a bowl on the bench.

We started talking about nothing in particular, laughing and joking about anything and everything. Suddenly, Elise shouted Hey Molly! Look who it is! and pointed to my right. Snapping my head around, I saw Brian strolling up the hill to the amphitheater. I blushed and waved and quickly turned back to the conversation. He joined us and I could feel the rickety bench we were sitting on sink lower with his weight. Everyone’s eyes were on me. I fidgeted with my bracelets while the silence grew.

What’s going on? he asked, with a sincerely confused look on his face. Out of fear that one of my friends would embarrass me in front of him, I jumped up, mumbled something about forgetting to pack my sweatshirt and ran off in the direction of my cabin. Even though nothing extremely unordinary had happened, I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. I walked down to the beach instead of to my cabin and sat down on the sand. I felt like being alone for a while.

I wiped my tears on my sleeve while hugging all my friends. I couldn’t believe it was time to go home already! Our time together had gone by so fast. I would have to wait a whole year before I would see these people again, I reminded myself as I heaved my overflowing duffel bag into the trunk of the car. All around me, cameras flashed, pens were scribbling digits, and people sobbed into each other’s shoulders. Saying goodbye is always hard. But I was ready to go. I had seen everyone I needed to, until I heard my name being yelled from across the way.

Molly!

I turned around to see who had called my name. My heart skipped a beat. It was exactly who I hoped it would be.

Are you about to leave? Brian asked.

I nodded. I was afraid to speak; afraid of what would come out of my mouth.

So, I’ll see you at school then... he said.

Yeah, definitely! I said, a little too enthusiastically.

High school is a big place. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for you, though, I added.

Okay, me too, he said, with a slight smile.

I stepped in to give him a hug, one (I thought) he eagerly accepted. For a few seconds I felt the peaceful bliss that had made me so content the night before. The head on the shoulder, the hands on my back... it was completely comfortable. But it ended in hardly enough time for me to even begin to enjoy it.

So I’ll see you later, then, he said, and turned to leave.

Yeah, later, I whispered. Umm, Brian? He stopped and turned his attention back to me. If you want to... you know... umm, like... get together... or something... before school starts... just give me a call... I’ll be around…. I stammered, my nerves trembling with anticipation.

He just looked at me standing in front of him, bright red and chewing my lips to death. Then he smiled, put his hand on my shoulder and said, I’ll keep that in mind.

After that, he turned and walked toward the parking lot. I watched his back get smaller and smaller until he disappeared behind a clump of trees. It was only then that I realized I was holding my breath.

~Molly Gaebler

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love & Friendship

The 10:15 Vixen

To tell you the truth, I’ve had my share of girlfriends. I know how to pick them, too. Every girl I’ve ever been with is nothing short of a genius, and good looking to boot. And I’d imagine there are quite a few more girls out there who will eventually have the misfortune of thinking I’m the kind of guy they want to spend their time with. But as of right now, any kind of relationship that requires any schedule whatsoever—including calls every night, dates every weekend and/or the occasional use of the phrase I love you—is completely out of the question. Words cannot explain how sick and tired I am of regularity. It’s predictable. It’s boring. It’s something that I really don’t want to deal with right now.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret. There’s this girl at my school I see immediately after third period who simply drives me up the wall. Every day, at about 10:15—you can practically set your watch by it—this girl comes striding down the hallway wearing an outfit that would make an old man double over with excitement. And it’s not just her outfit. Her hair is amazing. She has enough hair to give Rapunzel a run for her money. I’ve got a thing for girls with a ton of hair. And if I didn’t before, she made me have one. I’m not even going to talk about the days when she wears pigtails and go-go boots.

I don’t even know this girl’s name. I don’t know what grade she’s in. I have no idea what her interests are, or if she plays any sports, or if she has a boyfriend who wouldn’t even think twice before breaking my neck if he knew how much I studied his girl. I don’t know if she’s the worst person to ever grace this Earth, or if she’s the much sexier form of Mother Teresa. The only thing I know about this girl is that her smile almost makes it worth rolling out of bed at five in the morning, and when I miss our daily 10:15 date—a quick glance and an attempted suave walk from me—my day is considerably worse. The funny thing is, I doubt she even acknowledges my existence.

Not that I do much to change that fact. I have to pretend I don’t notice her either, because that’s the cool thing to do. And I’ve discovered that it’s much more difficult to be cool when you’re actually trying to be cool. The other day I glanced over at her for two seconds and I ran straight into the back of an assistant principal who informed me, in not exactly the softest voice possible, that I need to watch where I’m going and get my head out of the clouds. I’m pretty sure she heard him. I’m also pretty sure the color of my face matched perfectly with the red tie worn by the man I collided with.

I know I could find out more about her. Word travels fast in high school, with rumors flying up and down the hallways like crazy. Surely a lot of people other than me find that girl intriguing. But honestly, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know anything about that girl because I’m afraid it might ruin our relationship completely. I mean, what are the odds that she’s the kind of person I’d imagine her to be? What if she only dates older boys, or treats everyone like crap or is one of those girls who leads you on only to have the nerve to want to stay friends after she beats your heart in with a bat? I don’t think I could handle any information like that.

I think I’ve fallen in and out of love with this girl quite a few times. You’re probably thinking that’s stupid, that fifteen-year-olds can’t fall in love with anyone. And you might be right to some extent. Teenagers don’t fall in love with reality. They fall in love with false hopes and dreams that usually lead to heartache and digestive problems. That’s where I am right now. And I don’t think I mind all that much. Because as I write this on Monday night I know that tomorrow is Tuesday, and she often wears pigtails on Tuesday. Tuesday’s a good day.

~Michael Wassmer

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal School

Lucky

To win you have to risk loss.

~Jean-Claude Killy

My crush could have been the perfect boyfriend if I’d let him. He wasn’t what most people would call cute, but I didn’t care. I had a gigantic crush on him. My friends called me obsessed. I preferred the word infatuated.

I’m not sure why I never told him. The worst he could have done was say, Yuck. But in my opinion, that’s not so bad. You see, I’m pretty darn vocal; I say it how it is. Except when it comes to boys. If there is a hot guy anywhere close to me, I completely clam up. My voice goes quiet and a bit squeaky, my hands slap together in a twisted glob, and I practically bite my lip off, not to mention I can only look at the floor.

When it came to my crush, it was the same. I was petrified. I was so worried about rejection, embarrassment and looking like an idiot, I didn’t even consider a positive outcome. I couldn’t see the doughnut itself, only that there was a hole.

When I heard the news that he was moving away, I was devastated. His dad, who was a doctor, had taken a job in another city. He told me that he might be coming back in the summer. But by summer, he meant July, and it was now only October. It was much too long to wait. I had to tell him. Maybe he’d try and figure out a way to stay.

Over the next few weeks, I tried to build up my nerve. I prepared to tell him that I liked him. I made up a gazillion scenarios, a billion different conversations, and a trillion ways to tell him my big secret. I played them over and over in my mind, scripting every word, every moment and action. I finally decided to tell him at the surprise goodbye party we were throwing for him. I would expose everything, including my feelings for him. Scary.

The party would have been fun if I hadn’t been so nervous. I put on my happy face, trying to hide the fact that I was depressed. There were so many times when I wanted to tell him how I felt, but my brain always came up with a good excuse not to. Finally, as he was about to leave, I took a deep breath, walked up to him and said, Peter? I was surprised he heard me. I was so quiet, I could hardly hear myself.

Yeah, Ambrosia?

Uh, um, I, I, I’m, I’m going to miss you, I stammered, hugging him with all my might.

I’m going to miss you, too, he whispered, hugging me back. Then he turned and walked out the door with what looked like a little tear streaming down his cheek.

For the next few days, I moped around with little to say. All of my friends seemed worried.

What’s wrong? my best friend finally asked. After making her promise not to tell anyone, I told her about Peter. She looked surprised.

Really? she asked.

Yep, I said, regretfully.

Wow! He had a crush on you, too! she screamed.

No way. I don’t believe you, I said quietly. I was floored.

I’m serious! He was going to tell you the day he left, but I guess he chickened out, she said. Kinda like you.

Yeah. Kinda like me, I replied, smiling into the sun.

A few days later the phone rang, and my dad picked it up. He said it was my boyfriend. I figured it was one of the guys from class wanting to get the homework assignment. But I figured wrong. It was Peter. My secret had leaked out to one of his buddies, and he wanted to know if it was true or not. I took a deep breath. It’s true, I said. I couldn’t believe it. The words were so easy to say.

I really like you, too, he said. I wanted to store his words in my ear forever.

That’s when Peter and I became a couple. And I learned that although feelings can be scary, they can also be liberating, opening up new doors to happy endings.

~Ambrosia Gilchrist

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love & Friendship

Eternity

I lie in bed at night and pray

that you will think of me.

I cry until my eyelids close

and dream—eternity.

I wake to sunlight on my face.

For a moment I forget.

Then a cloud passes by,

and I realize, this is it.

I carry on throughout the day,

feigning joy and feeling pain.

I long to