Check out today’s quick write prompt at http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write-7814-tuesday-quick-write/ . In a nutshell, we’re recalling a childhood memory associated with a strong emotion and writing fiction. I read today’s prompt while blow drying my hair at 6 am and have been thinking about it all day. It’s now 8:30 pm and I’m just now sitting down to write.
I feel like I had a happy childhood, but today I had a hard time thinking of a strong emotion associated with it. I couldn’t really think of a time that I was overwhelmed with happiness (winning the spelling bee was just OK) and getting suspended by my dad in 8th grade for fighting wasn’t as exciting as it sounds. I loved camping, but no bears ever visited to instill fear. What would I write about today? I didn’t want to miss writing on the second day of Teachers Write.
Then I remembered.
August 1988
The clock radio blares from across the room. “Good morning, Sacramento! It’s going to be a scorching 105 degrees in the valley today!” I throw my pillow across the room in an attempt to hit the snooze button. No luck.
I drag myself out of bed, shower, and put on my cheerleading uniform. Polyester. 105 degrees. Awesome. I fluff my ponytail and add one last one spritz of Aqua Net. This girl is ready for freshman orientation. It’s my senior year.
“Let’s go, Dad!” I head out to the driveway and hop in his 1972 VW Super Beetle, which used to be cool but is now oxidized to a dull rust and super embarrassing to ride in. Twenty minutes later, he drops me in the circle at my highschool, I run to meet my best friend Kyleen. We look like twins with the word BRUINS emblazoned across our chest. This year was shaping up to be perfect. We were seniors, and cheerleaders, and we got to show the freshmen around today. If that weren’t enough, we had scheduled a REAL photo shoot together later in the day to celebrate our senior year. If only we could survive the day of short, awkward boys and the squelching summer sun.
Surprisingly, the morning flew by and I realized that I had to stay for a student council meeting before we could head to our glamour shoot. “I’ll be back to pick you up at 2:00,” Kyleen yelled from across the parking lot. “See you later!”
My meeting ended and I headed back to the same circle where I had been dropped off by my dad that morning. I waited. 2:00. Then 2:30. Then 3:00. Where was she? I went to the office and called her house. No answer. I called again. Still no answer. Finally, on the third try, a deep voice picked up the phone.
“Hello? Is Kyleen there?” Silence on the other end. “I’m sorry to have to tell you…” was the last thing I remembered hearing as I dropped the phone to the floor.
Great writing. You nailed setting the scene and how you described everything. I immediately visualized what you were writing!!
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