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 128: She gestured to the splayed out menus.
She gestured to the splayed out menus. Dinner was chosen and after ordering it Margaret went to change out of her suit. By the time she changed, the food arrived. As they started laying it out on the table, George returned. He shucked his suit for something more casual and they all sat down to dinner.
Gwen relayed the events of her day. George was enthused by the cookies and the thought of more treats to come as she worked through her course. Her grandmother was slightly disheartened that she hadn’t made any friends at the art class.
“I think they’ve been together a while,” Gwen said. “And this is probably their last summer there.”
“Well they have certainly been together a long time,” Margaret said. “They’ve always sort of run in a pack. You will see most of them at the various events we will be going to . The ones I put on your calendar.”
Gwen nodded. “So they grew up together.” Somehow it made her feel better about not being let into their group.
“Why do you think this is their last summer art class?” Margaret asked.
“Well, they are my age,” Gwen said. “So they would have graduated high school as well, right?”
Margaret nodded.
“So this would be their final summer before they went off to college or took a gap year. The final year they did the same thing they did when they were in high school, wouldn’t it?”
“One would think,” George said.
Margaret looked at him and he shrugged.
“I don’t think any of them have gone so far as to make plans post-graduation yet,” Margaret said.
“Oh,” Gwen said. She thought that strange. All through senior yer everyone talked about what they were going to do once they got out of high school. For some it was college, for some a year traveling and for others it was full time employment. Some of the employment was in a family business, some was a job they hoped to make permanent or at least a position from which they could work up to a job they wanted and for some it was to save money and hopefully use it to get them somewhere better in the future. Everyone she knew had some kind of plan.
‘Even the people who had no real plans had plans never to go near a school again,’ Gwen thought. She remembered them looking into things they could do to keep them away from schools for the rest of their life even if they didn’t have specific plans. It was one of the reasons that she felt so adrift when her plans fell through. She couldn’t imagine not even thinking about what you wanted to do.
“I’m sure at some point they will decide to do something with themselves,” Margaret said.
“At least until their trust funds kick in,” George replied. Again Margaret frowned at him and he shrugged.
“Trust me Margaret,” he told her. “That lot is going to live off their parents as long as they can and once their trust funds come in they are going to live off them. Finding something to do with themselves isn’t a priority and I for one am glad Gwen isn’t making friends with them.”
He winked at her. “Although let me know if they start giving you trouble.”
Gwen smiled.
Ten til Midnight 