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 170: “I didn’t come home,” Gwen said.
“I didn’t come home,” Gwen said.
Lisa snorted and waved he hands around. “What do you call this?” She asked. “You came home and it took you long enough. Most of the good apartments are probably already taken unless you reserved one already?” Lisa looked at her hopefully.
Gwen blinked in surprise. “You honestly expect me to live with you?” she said. “Seriously?”
“It’s what we planned,” Lisa said. “I don’t see why we wouldn’t. Especially now that Toby’s gone.”
“Lisa, I am only in town to pack my things because my dad is selling the house. And then I am leaving again. I made other plans.”
“Other plans?” Lisa nodded. “Oh Okay, because of Toby and him getting an apartment in the building you liked. I can see that. I wouldn’t want to run into him in the hallways either. So where is the new apartment? Although, honestly I don’t know why you wouldn’t have told me you were moving in this week so I could go ahead and move too. That was very selfish of you Gwen.” Lisa pouted and put her hands on her hips. Then she smiled as though all was forgiven. “But I get it, you were still mad at me over the whole Toby thing.”
“I am leaving town,” Gwen said. “My plans don’t involve you.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa said. Confusion flashed across her face. “We always said…”
“That’s when we were friends. Now we aren’t friends. And my plans don’t involve you.”
“But…what am I supposed to do?” Lisa asked. She shook her head and frowned, annoyance written clearly across her face. “You are supposed to make the plans. We always said.”
“Look, I think you should go. I have a lot of work to do.”
“You can’t just leave,” Lisa said. “We need to figure this out.”
“I am pretty well figured out,” Gwen said. “You need to go and figure things out.”
“This…this is just so wrong,” Lisa said. Her cheeks were pink with anger and Gwen suspected the bear claws might become mistles soon. “Ugh, fine whatever have your little temper tantrum and then once you’ve realized that you don’t have me to come up with the ideas then you will come back and we’ll be friends again. Just don’t take too long because we really need to get an apartment before classes begin.”
Lisa stomped off down the path and Gwen stepped aside to let her pass. Gwen continued to the door, not looking back as she let herself inside. Gwen sighed to herself when the door was closed.
Ten til Midnight 