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Friday, October 6, 2017

Something Different - Part 1

Good morning FFFs!
Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for the Five Fall Favorites Grand Prize! (Or 2nd or maybe 3rd place prize.) So make sure you go enter! (Just go click on the Read Another Page tab to get there.)

I don't have time to write much today. I have party posts to go read. :) And an interview for Homeschooled Authors for finish. (I'm being interviewed there next week.) I have a house to clean, "Dylan's Story" to make into a kindle book, things to take care of, and more. But . . .

I do have part one of a new story for you! :D So enjoy!

Something Different
Part 1

    The sky was overcast as Lindsay slung her dark backpack over her shoulders and stepped from the brick building with her classmates. There was some conversation about plans for the weekend, but Lindsay only heard it with one ear. Classes were over for the a long weekend at college, and she was glad. Not that she usually minding any of her classes, or her professors, but today she was restless. The air held a bite to it that spoke of colder weather, of crisp autumn days, and she longed to get off campus and do something. Something different, something special.
    Drawing a deep breath of fresh air, she started her walk across campus to her dorm. Already the trees were changing into their autumn dress, and she paused a moment to admire them. She loved the variety of colors and the diversity of the leaves when they fell and were swirled around together by the wind. There were orange, rust, and gold, mixed still with the green leaves that hadn’t yet succumbed to autumn’s call. It was glorious. She drew a quick breath and felt again that urge to do something new, to change, to follow a different path.
    Quickly she buttoned her scarlet sweater, glancing down at her brown shoes. A smile crossed her face. “I could almost be a tree myself with my brown shoes, brown hair, and my red sweater. Even my dress looks like autumn.”
    She gave another sigh, this one longer and deeper, and shook her head. “I can’t stand here dreaming all afternoon,” she told herself decidedly. “I don’t know what I want to do, but standing here isn’t it.” Her classmates were scattering like the leaves which blanketed the green grass when the wind blew. “Something’s going to happen, or I’m going to do something,” she whispered to herself, starting forward along the paved walkway behind another student. “I just know it.”
    This was Lindsay’s second year at college. She was enjoying it, thankful for its Christian focus and the friends she had made. It didn’t bother her that it wasn’t an Ivy League university; the college had a charm all its own, and she reveled in it.
    All the way back to her room, she pondered the question of the rest of the afternoon and the long weekend. Friday was a holiday from classes which gave her three whole days of freedom. A glance up at the light gray clouds which almost covered the sky made her predict that it wasn’t going to rain anytime soon. “But what to do,” she moaned, stepping inside and running lightly up the stairs. Hurrying down the hall on the third floor, she stopped before her door and pulled out her key. Before she could insert it, however, the door opened from the inside and her roommate and best friend stood before her.
    “I heard you coming,” Abby said, her blue eyes twinkling.
    “I’m not that loud,” Lindsay retorted with a grin.
    The door shut behind the girls, and Lindsay dumped her backpack onto the table before sinking onto the couch. “What plans do you have for this afternoon and weekend?” she demanded.
    Abby looked surprised. “None that I know of, why?”
    Lindsay shrugged. “I don’t know. I just feel like I’ve got to do something or I’ll go crazy!”
    Laughing, Abby kicked off her shoes and curled up in a chair. “That might be interesting. What do you think they do with students who go crazy here? Would you have to go to a counselor or would they just ship you home?”
    “Probably just ship me home.” Lindsay took her own shoes off, pulled loose her ponytail and ran her fingers through her long hair. “But seriously, Abby, I’m restless. I feel that I must get out and do something different. This weather is beautiful, and I want to do something! If I had a rake, I’d go rake the leaves into a huge pile and jump in them.”
    “That would cause quite a stir, I’m sure,” Abby replied. “And some of the other students would probably join you, if they weren’t taking pictures and videoing the whole thing.”
    Sighing again, Lindsay slid down on the couch and rested her head again the armrest. “Can’t you think of something we can do?”
    “We? I thought this was just you. Take a book and go read on one of the benches beneath the trees.”
    But Lindsay shook her head. “Too normal. I want something different. Maybe I should get my hair cut.”
    “Don’t you dare!” And Abby sprang upright as though Lindsay already held the scissors.
    “I won’t. But that’s how desperate I feel. Now can you think of something?” She watched as her friend relaxed once again in the chair. “Maybe a drive out into the countryside would satisfy me.”
    “I doubt it.”
    Lindsay had to agree. Just driving wasn’t going to fill the longing that gnawed inside her; she’d have to get out and actually do something. But what?
    A knock sounded on their door, and the girls looked at each other, neither making a move to answer it.
    “Come in,” Lindsay called.
    “Hi!” Sharon pushed open the door and stepped inside. She held a handful of mail. “I picked up my mail and saw you hadn’t gotten yours yet, so I thought I’d bring it up.”
    “Thanks.” Lindsay held out her hand. “Sharon, what are you planning on doing this weekend?”
    Turning around as she was about to leave, the blonde girl looked a bit surprised. “I don’t know. Probably catch up on my sleep and maybe read. There’s a book in the library I’ve been longing to get my hands on, but I haven’t had time. I just hope it isn’t checked out. Why? What are you two doing?” She looked first at Lindsay and then at Abby.
    “We don’t know.”
    “Lindsay is going to do something new.”
    Sharon looked interested. “Oh? What?”
    Idly flipping through the mail, Lindsay shrugged. “That’s the trouble. I don’t know.”
    “Well, have fun,” Sharon said. The door clicked shut behind her.
    “Anything interesting in the mail?”
    “I got a letter from home and one from my grandma. Here.” She held out the rest of the envelopes. Once Abby had them, Lindsay opened the letter from home and read it silently. It was full of home news but nothing really interesting or exciting. After folding the paper with her mom’s handwriting, she slipped it back into its envelope and opened her grandma’s. Grandma didn’t write very often, so Lindsay wondered what she had to say.

Have you ever felt like Lindsay?
What did you do?
Have you entered the Five Fall Favorites giveaway?

2 comments:

Liberty Bluebelle said...

Hah! I love that line "Maybe I should get my hair cut." =D Yes, I've felt that way before. What did I do? Hmmmm. I recognize the feeling, but can't place a particular instance on it. ;) Probably read a book or walked a dog. =D

Very good start to a story--I felt the approaching chill of autumn, saw the mixed colors of leaves, and sensed that undefinable, restless, excited feeling of "something" coming--coming one way or another, even if Lindsay had to bring it about herself. I wonder what happens. Guess I'll find out more next Friday. =)

Yup, I entered the giveaway. Thanks for all the fun!

Blessings,
Liberty Bluebelle

"Rejoice evermore."

Rebekah said...

Sounds like what I would do. Just go read a book. :)

I hope you enjoy the next part of the story. Thanks for commenting.