This week's assignment from the Carnival is all about our high school short stories, books, etc. We're supposed to post something that we wrote in high school. Unfortunately I threw out everything I wrote in high school a long time ago. Yes, I know, that was stupid. I've regretted it ever since, but there's nothing I can do about it now. So I am going to post a short scene from Crushed, a scene that takes place in the high school.
This scene takes place in the hallway after the bell has rung and most students are in class. Kristen has had a rough morning, and she's angry:
The hallway was empty with one huge exception: Zach Bevian.
It didn't surprise her to see him talking on his cell. She'd had a class with him once. Tardy was his middle name. If he was going to show up at all, it would be five to ten minutes late. The loser probably wanted to make a grand entrance so everyone would look at him. He finished the conversation and tucked the cell into his snug jeans. She was suprised there was room in those pockets something wider than a quarter.
Too bad for him, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
She could be wild and fun and impulsive. She would show Brittany that Kristen Noah was not your typical good girl. There wasn't any reason why she couldn't get decent grades and have fun at the same time. When she got done experimenting with her wild side, Brittany would beg her to play nice again.
She reached into her purse and pulled a long, skinny glass vial out. Emptying the pink dust into one hand, she walked straight up to Zach. Before she had the chance to come to her senses or count the number of ways this could go wrong, she blew the dust into his face. A pink cloud floated around him for a second. It dissipated quickly. He stared at her in stunned silence.
The Crushed spell had that effect on people. Boys gazed into space once they were hit with it. The spell momentarily distorted their thinking. Soon he would be following her around, doing her bidding, and making puppy-love eyes at her. She couldn't wait.
The vision of him following her around brought a smile to her face.
She continued to walk, barely missing a step.
Cyndi's shocked voice reached her ears. "She didn't."
"She did," Brittany said.
"But we aren't supposed to start the game until next week."
"Tell that to the cheater."
Kristen felt better already. She felt so good that she stopped to fix her face. She pulled a mirror from her purse and reapplied her signature lipstick before heading to class. Candy Apple Crush. It was deep red, her favorite color, with diamond-like sparkles and a hint of gloss. Her mother had it specially made for her in New York.
She compressed her lips to evenly distribute the color. The mirror caught Zach Bevian's reflection. He was still standing there with wide eyes and open mouth. Poor guy didn't even look like he remembered his own name.
Regrets began to pile on top of her head. Someone with a will as strong as Zach's was going to be hard to control. She might actually lose the game this year. She really shouldn't have Crushed him, but she needed the money that a side-bet with Brittany would give her.
His expression changed from puzzlement to pure hatred. He glared at her with a murderous glint in his eyes. Startled, she whipped around to look at him, but he was rummaging around in his locker again.
She must have imagined the hatred in his eyes. Victims of the Crushed spell were instantly in love with the witch who brewed the potion. A painful lump lodged in her throat, and remorse hung over her like a dark cloud. Blowing the dust into his face had been a huge mistake. She had a feeling she was going to be more sorry than sorry before this was over. This could ruin everything.
Check out these great writers and read their high school selections:
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