Short Story Excerpt: Romance (SOTL) - Pt2

Overview: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-romance-sotl

Previous: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-excerpt-romance-sotl-pt1

There are two versions of this next section. I changed it because I realized the focus of the story had to be the romance to meet the parameters of the assignment. I know that should be obvious, but I really didn't want a cliche argument. I don't love either version of this next part, but here we go.

Version One:

The fall semester flew by as quickly as it had come. Winter was just around the corner, and the temperature was starting to drop. It got a lot colder in England than it did in Portugal, and I was dreading the freezing weather. At least it would give me an excuse to stay indoors.

Beau was my closest friend. Debatably my only friend. There were a couple people who were nice to me that I simply didn’t care for. The Hogg triplets were the greatest example.

“Úrsula!” Kitty whispered from behind me in the middle of alchemy. I didn’t respond. “Hey, so, did you do last week’s homework assignment?”

“Mmhm,” I muttered, not taking my mind off the worksheet.

“I betcha she did,” said Minnie. “She’s always reading her books and studying with,” she then said in a swooning voice, “Beau Bellerose.”

All three of them sighed. “He’s so cute,” said Billie. “So beautiful. I mean, his name, is Beau. What do you expect? A beautiful name for a beautiful boy!” The triplets giggled. My grip around my pencil tightened.

“So, has he asked you out yet?” Kitty asked. I shook my head. “Well, if he doesn’t by Christmas, you should do it yourself.”

The bell rang. I slipped my alchemy worksheet into its folder, which I slipped into my bag. I briskly walked out of the room, but the Hoggs followed me.

“Why hasn’t he asked you out?” Billie asked. “Is it something you did? Is it him?” She gasped. “Maybe he’s shy!”

“Awwwww!” Minnie and Kitty crooned.

“Úrsula, you can always ask us how to talk to boys,” said Billie. “I know you grew up, like, suuuper sheltered.”

“Wait, did you really?” Minnie asked.

“Yeah, like, suuuper sheltered,” said Billie. “Like, Dad-Is-Probably-The-Only-Guy-She-Talked-To sheltered.”

“Woah,” said Minnie. “That’s insaaane! What was their deal, did they—” she gasped. “Ohhh, did it have to deal with your powers or whyever you’re here?”

“Yeah, they are,” answered Billie.

“How do ya know that?” Kitty asked.

“We’re in the same writing class, right?” Billie asked. “Well, we were s’posed to write an essay, and, well, I gotta pass the papers back, and I kinda skimmed Úrsula’s, right? And I happened to pick u—”

“What?!” I shrieked as I spun around to face the triplets. “You were reading my essay?”

“Um,” said Billie, looking more shocked that I had spoken than anything else. “Yeah, I just wanted to know more about—”

“That was personal,” I growled, stepping closer to Billie, who began to back up as I neared. “That was meant for the professor, and no one else.”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“No, I have had enough of you and your sisters! You three are always bothering me, prodding me to answer questions I do not want to answer, talking about my relationship with the only friend I have—”

“I thought we—”

“Friends?” I finished. “Do you want to know what friends do not do? They do not read each other’s private essays!”

“How would you know what friends do?” Billie asked, her eyes growing dark. “You’ve never had one before!”

I stopped dead in my tracks, blood pumping furiously. Billie’s eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“How dare you!” I snarled, shoving Billie’s shoulders with all my strength. The girl went flying backwards into the locker, causing them to dent. “You read my essay, and you think that you know me? You have no idea what I went through! No idea!”

Billie cowered on the ground, seeming to sink into the locker. I suddenly noticed the unearthly silence in the hall that was so often bustling with students and their conversations that always freaked me out. Now the silence was more terrifying as I noticed everyone was staring at the scene between myself and the Hoggs was unfolding.

I could now feel my heart pumping inside my ears. I covered them, hoping it would go away. I closed my eyes tight, trying to focus on my breath. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.”

I wasn’t calming down. I looked over at Kitty and Minnie, staring at me with shocked horror and anger, and then to Billie, with the same expression. I ran down the hall, trying to ignore everyone’s stare.

***

The rain poured down on the school later that evening. Lightning crashed, thunder rumbled. I made my way across the courtyard, keeping my head down, trying to get to my dorm.

“Hey! Úrsula!”

I cringed inwardly as I turned around to face Kitty, strutting toward me at rapid speed. “What do you want?”

Kitty’s eyes were blazing with an uncharacteristic rage. She shoved me once she was close enough. “How dare you do that to my sister!” She pushed me again. “How dare you! We’re nothing but kind to you!” She shoved me again. “And what do you do?” She shoved me harder, and I slipped on the wet stone, crashing to the ground. “You can’t treat Billie like that! How dare you!”

“É melhor prevenir do que remediar,” I muttered. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar.”

“Shut up!” Kitty screeched, rageful tears falling down her face. “Your stupid mantra!”

“É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar—” I felt my heart beating faster and faster. I gathered all my books that had fallen out of my bag, scrambling to my feet. My heart threatened to leap out of my chest. I began to run, stumbling as I tried to keep my balance. It was coming.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Kitty yelled after me, but I ignored her. I had to get to my dorm.

I burst inside the school, dripping wet from the rain. I hurried as quick as I could down the corridors and up the stairs. I almost slipped on my wet soles as I reached my dorm. I scrambled for my room key and unlocked the door, rushing inside. I dropped all my books and fell to my knees.

“É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I began to crawl toward my bed. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I felt my clothes tear as a searing pain vibrated throughout my body. I let of a cry of pain as my shoes broke and my nails grew. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I snatched my suitcase from under the bed, digging for the handcuffs. I collapsed onto my side as my hair began to spread across my skin. I hurriedly latched one cuff onto my wrist and the other to the bed post. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar—” I tried to fight it, the pit in my stomach growing larger and larger. My eyes flew open, my blood pumping in my ears, vision heightened, hearing heightened, smell heightened. I was breathing heavily. I lost all sense of myself.

Version Two:

The fall semester flew by as quickly as it had come. Winter was just around the corner, and the temperature was starting to drop. It got a lot colder in England than it did in Portugal, and I was dreading the freezing weather. At least it would give me an excuse to stay indoors.

The bell for the last period to end rang, and I gathered my books and exited the classroom. Beau was leaning against the wall by the door, waiting for me. He smiled when he saw me, and we began to walk down the hall. “So, how was your majicks class?”

“It was alright,” I answered. “We have a pretty big test tomorrow. I made a whole bunch of notecards. And I am not sure if I am ready or not.”

Beau scoffed. “Of course you’re ready. You’re super smart. You didn’t even know English four months ago and look at you now!”

I glanced down at my feet. “Thank you.”

After a few moments of silence, Beau broke it. “Úrsula? May I please ask a personal question?”

My heart began to hammer in my chest. “No.” I picked up my walking speed.

“No?” Beau repeated, keeping up with my quickened pace. “Úrsula, we’ve been friends for over two months now. When am I going to be allowed to ask personal questions?”

I stormed out of the school and into the courtyard, out in the rain. Lightning crashed and thunder rumbled in the stormy sky above.

“Hey! Úrsula!” Beau shouted over the storm. “Wait!” He grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to face him. “Why?” he asked, his blue eyes blazing. He did not appear angry, rather confused, or maybe hurt. “Why can’t I know? Do you really think I-I would judge you?”

I pushed his hand away, feeling my heart thump faster and faster, my eyes burning. “You have no idea what it is like! I shouted over the thunder. “No idea what it feels like to have people say they love you and treat you like, like a monster!” My heart was racing. I felt a heated rage carry adrenaline through my body before the ice-coated fear joined it, making me sweat and shiver. Not making eye-contact, I pushed Beau aside, heading back to my dorm. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar,” I murmured. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar.”

“What does that mean?” Beau asked. “Hey!” He ran around me to cut me off and grabbed my shoulders, trying to look me into the eye. “Úrsula, you are my friend. And friends don’t keep secrets from each other!”

“Friends do not try to force friends to talk about stuff that maybe they do not wish to talk about!”

“How would you know?” Beau shouted, eyes now rageful. “You’ve never had any!”

There was a heavy silence between us. I began panting, feeling a twist in my stomach as the burning-hot sensation coursed through my veins. The anger in Beau’s eyes faded, regret forming. “Úrsula, I’m so—"

But I had already begun to run away. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar—” I felt my heart beating faster. My heart threatened to leap out of my chest. I began to run, stumbling as I tried to keep my balance. It was coming.

“Úrsula! Where are you going?” I heard Beau yell after me, but I ignored him. I had to get to my dorm.

I burst inside the school, dripping wet from the rain. I hurried as quick as I could down the corridors and up the stairs. I almost slipped on my wet soles as I reached my dorm. I scrambled for my room key and unlocked the door, rushing inside. I dropped all my books and fell to my knees. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I began to crawl toward my bed. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I felt my clothes tear as a searing pain vibrated throughout my body. I let of a cry of pain as my shoes broke and my nails grew. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar.” I snatched my suitcase from under the bed, digging for the handcuffs. I collapsed onto my side as my hair began to spread across my skin. I hurriedly latched one cuff onto my wrist and the other to the bed post. “É melhor prevenir do que remediar. É melhor prevenir do que remediar—” I tried to fight it, the pit in my stomach growing larger and larger. My eyes flew open, my blood pumping in my ears, vision heightened, hearing heightened, smell heightened. I was breathing heavily. I lost all sense of myself.

I actually do think Version Two is better, because Version One introduced some characters that I didn't have set in stone, and I also had to force them in to introduce them. I was also unsure of how to balance the triplets being annoying and Ursula overreacting. I think the second version was better because it didn't have to establish anything else. Maybe cliche does work better sometimes.

I will have scenes similar to these in SOTL when I get to writing it. I don't know which one it will be most similar to, but we'll see. I've changed Ursula's personality since this, so we'll see how that affects it.

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