Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

College Break

The weed high parches my mouth, means I see you in parts: freckled cheekbones, the curve of bicep at the sleeve of your indie rock band tee. Feels like the only difference between today and the afternoon you blew me off before junior prom is I’m bleach blonde now. My attempt at suave: “I’ve always thought you were cute, so if you want to hook up or anything . . . .” I flap my hand. “Not right now,” you say, but I’m an anxious talker. “I’m around, anytime.” I know I’m pleading. You don’t even look at me. “Please. Just stop.” I do.

Summer Chan finds Houston, Texas, much less dreary than her native Seattle, but bemoans the lack of nearby hiking.

not depressed