For those just tuning in, this challenge is about taking a story idea from bare bones idea into a fully fledged story by writing consistently every week day for fifteen minutes. The sentence I end with on one day, is the sentence I start with on the following. Part one was Bob’s story and has nothing whatsoever to do with the story below. Part Two follows a character named Penelope. I have a few basic sentences to act as road marks on her journey. I am loosely calling that an outline. We will see where she ends up by the time the story is done. For now, we start Part two of the 2025 Fifteen Minute Writing Challenge.
Day 169: The woman on the other end laughed, the sound light and frothy.
The woman on the other end laughed, the sound light and frothy. “Oh my god it has been a while hasn’t it. It’s me Ellie,” she said.
Penelope blinked. The name linked to the voice and she suddenly realized who was on the phone. “Ellie,” Penelope repeated.
Ellie who decided it would be better to be friends with Trinity than her. She flashed on the memory of the lunch room and walking to another table because she was no longer welcome.
“It has been way too long,” Ellie said.
Other memories surfaced of Trinity and Ellie giggling over something and then staring at her before bursting into laughter. Ellie coming to visit Trinity at their house and refusing to acknowledge Penelope’s existence as she breezed by. Hundreds of small barbs, jocks and pranks at her expense flipped through her mind in a blur.
“Why are you calling me?” Penelope asked as the slideshow of past humiliations and hurtful comments continued to click through.
“I have been wanting to call for ever but things just kept coming up. I was hoping that we could catch up, perhaps we could meet for lunch. Maybe Feraogios this afternoon, one ish?”
Penelope remembered Trinity loving the trendy eatery and marking it as one to avoid despite the good reviews. “I’m sorry I have other plans already,” Penelope said.
“Oh,” Ellie said. She sounded surprised as though she hadn’t expected to be turned down. “Right,” she said after a moment. “You are still settling into your new place. That must be crazy.”
Penelope thought about the last few days. “That is a good term for it,” she decided.
“Have you decided when you will have your housewarming party?” Ellie asked.
“I wasn’t really planning to have one,” Penelope said. “As I said things have been a little busy.”
“Oh,” Ellie said. “I was really hoping you would have one. I saw this absolutely adorable housewares store and I know you would just love everything in it. It is so you. If you aren’t doing a part, maybe we could just have a little shopping spree with the two of us?”
“I’m not really sure I have the time for that right now,” Penelope said. Wondering what Ellie thought she liked stopped the slideshow in her mind and she shifted from past issues to thinking about why Ellie was calling now.
“Oh.” Again, Ellie sounded surprised by Penelope’s refusal.
Ten til Midnight 