title: Give It All You've Got
author: Swift, Linda
description: ~ A Speculative Fiction Short from award winning Linda Swift ~Naomi comes to Caney Creek to be the school librarian. Danny, an overage senior, is assigned as her aid. Naomi has a secret she cannot share, even with Danny who becomes her first real friend. The presence of Jake, the alcoholic school custodian, constantly threatens her peace of mind with his unwelcome advances. When the innocent friendship between Naomi and Danny becomes something more with time, it leads to tragedy. In the aftermath, Jake offers Naomi a way out of her dilemma, but can she trust him enough to take it?