I hope to write a novel eventually. I have an idea, and the
potential for a plot, but I don’t feel like I have enough experience – life or
writing – to write a good one yet. And there’s enough poor writing out there
that I just can’t seem to bring myself to add to it, except in the little snippets I compose in my head.
I feel like that justifies the regular short exercises like
the following one I was composing while taking a walk with Clara and Maverick around the same time the high school bus dropped off all the kids in our neighborhood:
TRACEY:
“Tracey!”
He huffed. “Is it true?”
I paused
long enough on the sidewalk to wait for my best friend, Kyle, to catch up.
“Is it
true?” He repeated.
I sighed.
There was a reason I hadn’t told him the news yet. Well, two reasons. One,
because I knew he wouldn’t like it, and two, because I’m apparently a coward.
“Yes, it’s true.”
The silence
stretched out as we made our way home from school. Hating the strain between
the two of us, I finally elaborated, “You knew I wanted to get out of Texas.”
“It’s not
about getting out of Texas, Trace, and you know it! You’re running away, the
first chance you get.”
“I’m not
running away! I just want to experience something different. Different places,
different people,” I paused. “I am sorry you found out this way, though. I was
going to tell you, I just hadn’t figured out how. I didn’t know they were going
to put an article about the college plans of all the seniors in the school
newspaper.” Now I know what that guidance counselor form was for. Sheesh, they
could have warned me.
“You don’t
need to go all the way to NYU to get away from here, you know.” I thought Kyle
would be a little angry with me, but I didn’t expect his disappointment. It
stung more than I would have guessed.
“I just
want a change, Kyle.”
“Well
you’re about to get it. One day you’ll realize it was just an accident, Tracey,
and then you’ll wonder why you couldn’t let it go. You can’t let one bad
experience drive you away.”
“I’m not
going to talk about Halloween again. Not with you. Not with anyone. Just let it
go. I’m leaving for New York in July, and I’m going to put it all behind me,
okay?”
Kyle
stopped, and pulled me to a stop with him. He searched my eyes, but I couldn’t
figure out what he was looking for. Clearly disappointed in what he found, he
turned and walked across the block to make his way home, without me.
“Whatever,
Trace.”
It’s a good
thing there are only three weeks left until graduation.
Who knows? Maybe some day I'll be able to put all these random bits together with a whole lot of editing :)
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