Welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Each morning I spend fifteen minutes writing on a singular story line. Each morning starts with the last line of the previous day. The goal is to get a (very) rough draft out of the simple story idea and to avoid letting the story idea languish in limbo forever, actually writing it out. This is the third year I have done this writing experiment and each year I learn just a little bit about myself and the way I write as well as creating a framework for the story. But without further ado…
Day 25: Out of the restaurant, they each had their own cars and drove back to town separately.
Out of the restaurant, they each had their own cars and drove back to town separately. As she drove back to town, Gwen had the odd feeling of being completely disconnected. Her boyfriend and best friend betrayed her and because of that her connections to them were severed. They and the Lewis family as a whole were the closest relationships she had. There were other friends she had from school, but they were general friends. Lisa had always been her best friends. It was more that she was friendly with the others.
‘And once I started dating Toby and she started dating Ron it was always the four of us,’ she thought. ‘we were a group.’ That was gone now.
She wasn’t close to her father, but he was one of the few connections she had left. ‘And he is sending me away,’ she thought. There was no sting to the thought, she knew if she didn’t want to go he would not force her to. He offered it as an option and she decided to take the option to be out of the way. Still after the past week it felt like a further severing of the connections.
Gwen tried to shake off the feeling that she was being cut free from Westport, but couldn’t quite shake the thought no matter how silly she told herself it was. On the way home, Gwen stopped by the bank and deposited the check her father gave her. While she was there she also added the money Sharron reimbursed her for the dress and alterations.
Aside from graduation, Gwen hadn’t spoken to Sharron since the dress incident and wondered what would happen when she got home. Gwen braced for…well she didn’t know what for but she entered the house anticipating something. If Sharron, was around then she was keeping her distance. There was no sign of her in the living room when she walked in.
Her father made it home before she arrived since he didn’t stop anywhere and Gwen found him in the living room talking on the phone.
“I did speak to her and she is willing to give the summer a try, possibly longer depending on how things go,” he was saying. He turned as she entered and mouthed “Your Grandparents” at her. She nodded and waited while he continued the conversation. “I see,” he said. “That quickly?”
Gwen saw him frown as though surprised. “Yes, I see that,” He said. “If it is arranged, then… hold on let me ask her.”
Henry pulled the phone away from his ear. She saw him hit the mute button before he looked at her. “They anticipated your acceptance and have purchased a plane ticket for you leaving tomorrow. I can take you to the airport. We would need to leave here around noon, can you be ready to go by then?”
“They purchased a ticket already?” Gwen asked.
Henry sighed. “Your grandfather tends to believe he should always get his way. He decided he wanted you to visit, therefore in his mind you are coming to visit. In all fairness, people rarely tell him no. Can you be ready or should I tell him to reschedule?”
“I can be ready,” Gwen said.
Ten til Midnight 