Good morning and welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel project for 2023. Each year I take a prompt and I create a brief outline to go with it and then each day for fifteen minutes I write on that story to hopefully come out with a very rough first draft at the end of the year. While I love having a draft, I have also learned a lot about my own writing and how I write from this process. It has been interesting and one reason that I think I will continue it for a while. This is the third year of this experiment and I am very certain there will be a fourth. But for now, our story continues…
Day 133: She didn’t want to appear selfish, or needy.
She didn’t want to appear selfish, or needy. If Michael left before she did then she would wish him well even if she did want him to stick around a while longer. While she was making friends with the others, some from her baking class and some from her cooking class, it was nice having someone she knew well around.
‘And he is enjoying the other people in my classes too,’ Gwen thought. On some of the outings she went with her classmates, Michael came along. Some of the others brought people too so he wasn’t the only non classmate. He seemed to enjoy the wider circle as well.
“Not really planning on going anywhere,” he said. “Just not sure how long I want to stay here. I might be going to University here. I’m not sure if I would stay in the dorms or if I would stay here. It is just across town so they might want me to stay.”
He looked uncertain.
“Did you actually apply?” Gwen asked.
“Yeah I applied,” he said. He shrugged. “It seemed like the thing to do since I didn’t know what else to do. They each have their own ideas of what they want for me and the school covers both options. I figure the worst that would happen is that I could cover the basic classes before I had to decide and maybe make a decision as I am taking the basic classes.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Gwen said. “So you’d still be in town, just on the other side?”
“Yeah,” he said. “No big trips planned. Just not sure where I will be living.”
Gwen nodded. “That’s good. “I kind of like having you around.”
“Good,” Michael said. He smiled. “Its nice to know someone actually wants me around. So have you decided if you are leaving at the end of the summer or not?”
“I don;t know,” Gwen said. “I haven’t actually planned that far.”
Michael gasped dramatically. “You don’t have a plan that stretches beyond the summer?”
She lightly punched him in the arm. “I’m working on it. I thought I’d see how the event went.”
Michael nodded. “See how your classmates react?”
“Yeah,” she said. While those in her art class rarely talked to her she overheard snippets of conversation as they talked amongst themselves. She knew that at least half of them would be in attendance at the charity event on Saturday. She knew that because she dressed in clothes she didn’t mind getting messy, and not in more expensive garments they thought she was several rn=ungs lower on the economic scale than they were.
Seeing their clothing, Gwen was willing to admit that they were probably right. However she didn;t think that was a good enough reason to snub anyone. Her appearing at the charity event might affect their opinion of her. While she wasn’t planning on making friends with such obvious snobs, especially since her grandfather disliked them as well, she did wonder if things would change. She knew that if she stayed she would still be staying with her grandparents and that in staying with them she would still be attending various functions with them. Their reaction might sway her towards not wanting to attend those functions. She hated feeling so unsettled.
Ten til Midnight 