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 177: Gwen turned.
Gwen turned. Toby was sliding into the booth next to her, taking the available seat. It was something he did while they were dating. He did it now as though nothing had changed.
“So your back,” he said.
“Not really,” Gwen said. She looked back to Michael. “I don’t suppose you have a sense of the amount of space you’ll need for your things,” she asked him trying to ignore Toby.
“I really only ended up with one big suitcase and a couple of duffels,” Michael said. Likewise ignoring Toby. “I’m picking up new winter clothes once we’re back because nothing I have here is going to be warm enough.”
Gwen nodded. “Same here with the coats and things,” she thought over her own accumulated items and suspected with her next pass through she could whittle it down further. “Actually, if that’s all you have we might not need a trailer. Depending on the size of your one big suitcase.”
“I’ll measure it when I get home and send you a text,” Michael said.
“I didn’t see your car in the parking lot,” Toby said.
Gwen turned towards him, looking over her shoulder. “I walked.”
“Good then I’ll give you a ride home. It’s give us a chance to talk.” He looked past her to Michael. “Without interruption.”
“We have nothing we need to say to each other,” Gwen said. “We broke up because you cheated on me with Lisa. And possibly Monica and Petra although I don’t know timelines so I can’t be sure about them. Maybe you just cheated on Lise with them. So there is nothing really to say. I suppose congratulations maybe.”
“Congratulations?” Toby said. He looked confused by her statement.
“Isn’t Petra pregnant?” Gwen said. “So, Congrats on being a father.”
“Oh no she’s not. It was just a big misunderstanding.” He signed heavily. “You can’t still be mad at me. Come one, it’s me,” Toby shook his head. “We both know you won’t stay mad now that you’re back. Just let me know when you are ready to leave.” Toby slid out of the booth and went to join a different conversation. Gwen turned back to Michael.
“I did actually tell him I didn’t want to talk to him right?” she asked.
“That’s what I heard,” Michael said. “And I can give you a ride home so that he doesn’t try if you’d like. I’m already dropping off Carly so it’s no problem.”
“I figured I’d be okay walking,” Gwen said. “I I don’t want to interrupt anything.”
Across the table Carly snorted. “Trust me, you won’t be interrupting anything. I just bummed a ride since we live next door and parking is such a pain. Plus, there is the possibility he might try to follow you home if you walk.” Carly looked around and then leaned in. “I heard there was a big dust up when you left.”
“Really?”
“His father was not happy that he broke up with you.” Carly said.
Ten til Midnight 