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 137: “I see you and our Michael have been spending a lot of time together,” she said.
“I see you and our Michael have been spending a lot of time together,” she said. Michael rolled his eyes.
“He has been great about helping to get me settled,” Gwen said politely. Michael smothered a smile and she tried not to look at him.
“Isn’t that lovely,” Jenny said. “I’m glad you too have grown so close. I’ll leave you two alone.”
She left and Michael shook his head. “Yess alone with 20 other people,” he muttered.
“So how’s it going for you?” Gwen asked.
“Not too bad,” he said. “She’s a little upset that people seem relieved I am not one of the steps and slightly disturbed that people thin=k she is old enough to actually be my mother since she is younger than my actual mother.”
“Really,” Gwen looked at Jenny as she spoke to someone else attending the party. She tried to mentally compare her to Michael’s mom in Westport. “She doesn’t look much younger than your mom.”
“Don’t let her hear that,” Michael warned. “I think she’s already starting to think about having some work done. I think it would be definite if she hears you.”
“Because we are so close?” Gwen asked.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Because you could make a direct comparison,” he clarified.
“I see.”
“So how is your night going?”
“Not bad,” Gwen told him. “Lots of conversations about how I am enjoying staying with my grandparents and some strange looks from people in my art class.”
“Bad looks?” he asked.
“Mostly surprise,” Gwen said. She looked around but couldn’t see any of her classmates. “I think word spread as they gathered. I expect some of them may talk to me in the next class, at least to ask me why I was here.”
“I don’t think you’ll actually have to wait for class,” Michael said. His voice was lowered and he was looking over her shoulder. Gwen lifted an eyebrow and turned, looking over her shoulder. A couple of her classmates were approaching. The one on the left Gwen was fairly sure was named Kelly and the one on the right was named Nico. She wasn’t entirely certain inf Nico was short for Nicolas or not and had never been in a position to ask.
They were the two who sat to her left in the circle. They talked to each other which is how she heard their names, but they never talked to her.
They looked different from class. Both looked dressed for the event. Gone were the more artistic fashion forward garments. Nico wore a black suit, well tailored. Hie blonde hair was tamed for the event. With the blonde hair and blue eyes he actually reminded her of a Ken doll.
‘I wonder if that is why he always wears it messy,’ Gwen thought.
If Nico was Ken tonight, then Kelly was playing Barbie. The multiple colors had been washed out of her hair and her blond locks shone like gold. It was quite the transformation.
Ten til Midnight 