Writer's Hollow

149

I’d rather love one person than having many short relationships. I want my heart to belong to a single individual.

Day 8

What about their earlier school days? Write a scene of your character in grade school or middle school.

Recess was the highlight of elementary school. I was able to escape the boring lectures of my teachers and be myself. I didn’t have to be the Tessa all the adults expected me to be. I could be whatever Tessa I wanted. Carefree Tessa. Crazy Tessa. Michievous Tessa.

Drew waved at me from the top of the slide. “Tess, want to play tag?”

“Yes!” I called, running to meet him as he slid down and rolled onto the ground. I helped him to his feet and ran with him to the other group of children.

jaybjay asked: Drew / Tess. I almost want to ship it. But I neeeeeed to know more!

:)

Day 7

FREE DAY! Write any scene you want!

“What do you want?”

I looked over at Drew, who lay on the blanket beside me in my backyard. He grinned crookedly at me while I frowned, thoughtful. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on what you’re talking about.”

“Just what do you want out of life?”

Shrugging, I turned away from my friend and stared up at the clouds. One hovering off to the right was shaped like a giraffe. “That’s all anyone can think to ask me lately. ‘What do you want’ and ‘what do you plan on doing?’ How come people can’t just let me do what I want to do when I want to do it?”

Drew sighed. “I wasn’t asking because I think you need this deep, logical answer. I’m just curious, Tess.” He hesitated, and I could feel him glancing at me, but I kept my eyes on the sky. “Some sort of plan might be good though. I can see your parents’ point. Not that I think you should live the life they want you to live!” he exclaimed quickly when I scowled. “You just should figure out what you want so you can go for it.”

“I guess.” I brushed the back of my hand against his and moved away. “What if I know what I want, but I don’t think anyone would support me?”

“I’ll support you. I promise. And if your parents don’t… Well, you can’t please everybody.” He was quiet a while. “Are you going to share?”

“Not today. I don’t even have it all figured out yet. But trust me. You’ll be the first to know.” At least after Preston.

“Okay.”

I rolled over to my side so I was facing Drew again. “How about you? What do you want out of life?”

Drew grinned. “I have an idea.”

I waited. He said nothing. “Are you going to share?”

He shook his head, laughing once with eyes narrowing teasingly. “Not today.”

“You’re not going to leave after graduation, are you?”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to leave me!”

He smiled. “How about this? If I do leave, I’ll drag you with me.”

“Good boy.” I shifted so I was on my back again, but I was a little closer to Drew. My hand touched his a second time and I didn’t pull away. Neither did he.

It was kind of nice.

148

I think more about the future than the past or the present. I’m trying to figure out what kind of future I want. As soon as I’ve got a goal, I can look more at the present. 

Nothing quite like getting the stuffing scared out of you at the cemetary. Jayna and I visited, and suddenly there was this creepy sound coming from a few feet away. A sort of gurgle and then a hiss.

The sprinkling system had turned on.

Needless to say, we got a little wet.

Day 6

How was your characters childhood? Write a scene about them as a child. How was their home life? Their family? Their upbringing? Where did they grow up? What friends did they have?

We had been living in the same house since Mom and Dad were pregnant with me. I loved my house, my backyard, the block parties. When I was four, my parents gave me a baby brother named Preston.

Preston followed me everywhere as soon as he could crawl.

One day, when Preston had turned six, the children in the neighborhood knocked on my door to see if I would be interested in playing soccer. Preston asked if he could go. Mom looked at the two of us carefully and said, “You can go, sweetie, if Tessa promises she’ll look after you.”

“I promise,” I said. In this town, if you were an older sibling, people didn’t think you were lame for dragging along your baby brother or sister. Even if it wasn’t considered the norm, I doubt I would have left him. Preston understood me when no one else did; as a child, I was different, and Preston accepted that. He had no expectations like my parents did, at least other than for me to be myself. He looked up to me and it felt good to have someone admire me.

We held hands as we followed our friends down the street. Our friends ranged from ages five to twelve. A group of boys my age waved enthusiastically when they saw us. “Hi, Tess. Hi, Preston.”

One of them, a scrawny kid with longer brown hair and dark eyes, grinned at me mischievously. “I’m gonna beat you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Drew.”

“Okay, guys!” a twelve-year-old girl with a loud voice shouted over the rest of our conversations. “Let’s split into teams!”

I realized as I dropped the college pamphlets Mom was all but shoving down my throat into the trash that I missed childhood. Things were simpler, almost brighter then.