Camped at the bar, we dissect newcomers.

Lazy. Predators. Invaders. Driving values up for profit.

They smile. Ask about good beers. Fishing spots.

But they look and sound neat.

We invite them over. Contrition tugs. Someone brings up prices. Construction. We reload rumors. Their smiles evaporate, quick and very real.

Yash Seyedbagheri is a graduate of Colorado State University’s MFA fiction program. His stories, “Soon,” “How To Be A Good Episcopalian,” “Tales From A Communion Line,” and “Community Time,” have been nominated for Pushcarts. Yash’s work has been published in SmokeLong Quarterly, The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Write City Magazine, and Ariel Chart, among others.