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 113: ‘I just left,’ she thought.
‘I just left,’ she thought. With her swift departure, there were many left wondering where she was and how she was doing. Many seemed worried about how she was handling the break up. Gwen navigated to her own page and logged in. She typed an update quickly.
‘Having fun visiting grandparents for the summer.’ She typed. She posted the message and wondered if she should add anything else. She hadn’t taken any pictures since her arrival and in truth rarely took pictures. Lisa took enough for the both of them and tagged her in them.
As she thought about it, people began replying to her post. She read the messages and replied. She was fine. She was doing okay with the break up. Those questions were easy to comment on and answer. Then others started asking her about the wedding.
‘Are you really going to be the maid of honor?’ Charlotte wanted to know.
“I should have expected that,” Gwen said shaking her head.
“No,” she typed back. “I’m not attending the wedding at all.”
“Do you know why they are getting married so soon?” Gina asked.
Gwen frowned. “No clue and I really don’t care. I am staying as far out of it as possible.”
There were more questions and Gwen realized that as school was out and everyone was getting ready for whatever the upcoming autumn would bring, there were a lot of people who had time on their hands. AS her break-up with Toby and his engagement to Lisa was the last of the high school gossip for their class it seemed like lots of people were focused on the drama just out of a combination of boredom and curiosity.
Gwen answered what questions she could and tried to avoid badmouthing anyone. When Toby messaged her, she ignored him. Likewise, she ignored Lisa. When she decided she did enough messaging to let everyone know she was fine and not hiding out in her room and wallowing, Gwen logged off. It was nice to know people were thinking of her and it made her feel a little less like she was cut off from the world of Westport and cast away, but she didn’t really want to think about Toby and Lisa any more. Anytime it was brought up she just felt the betrayal and humiliation all over again. She was much happier thinking about visiting places with Michael and getting to know the town, or at least the area around her grandparent’s apartment building.
She was excited for her first classes and curious as to what they would bring. “I might absolutely hate them,” she thought. “But I might love them.” It was, in its own way, exciting to not know. To be trying something completely different. “And I have my first baking class tomorrow after I shower and change from my morning run.”
Realizing that she might be in a hurry as she transitioned from her morning run to her first class, Gwen got the list of items she would need to take with her out of the folder and began putting them into a small pile. There weren’t many items actually. Most of what was recommended involved clothing appropriate for the back of the bakery and Gwen shook out the garments and lay them over the chair so they wouldn’t crease and they would be ready for her morning. While she was at it, she went ahead and laid out her clothes for running as well. When the morning came, she would be ready.
Ten til Midnight 