more novoir

Continued from "novoir" section. Why did I build the pages this way, so you'd have to keep jumping around? I don't know. Why not? It just seemed like a good idea at the time. ;-)

INSTANT FAMILY: JUST ADD BLOOD ... (continued from p. 1) ...

High School Reunion

“You’re turning out to be quite the tramp,” Jacki said with an impish grin, flicking her three little alcohol-soaked sippy straws at me.

“Yeah, well then you’re growing up to be a slut,” I said, crunching the ice from my own frou-frou adult drink.

“If I’m a slut, then you’re a whore.” This time she flicked bits of shiny confetti into my hair.

“Mm hmm. Soooo that must make you a skank.” I pretend-choked myself with a streamer.

We burst into fits of snorting giggles. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned high school reunion to bring back the best in us. Though a bit of locker room talk after so many years—and so many drinks—rather hit the spot.

“Okay, no, but seriously,” she sobered, “you were so square when we were growing up. I mean, really a goodie-two-shoes.” I wrinkled my nose in astonishment at her. “Okay, no,” she corrected, “that’s not really the right expression. But you were so—so, perfect. But I mean, in kind of a good way. But it’s kind of refreshing to know you’re a human being after all that.” I started to protest that I’ve been human all along—despite wishes to the contrary about being an egg-hatched alien (and it still might be too soon to entirely rule that out). “But really, you’ve changed. It’s not good or bad; it’s just noticeable. How did it happen?”

“Well, life happened, I guess.” I paused to reflect. “You know. I got my heart broken. After it didn’t work out with, you know who—after seven freaking years of my complete dedication and devotion—"

“Codependency” she corrected in a cough.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “That. So much that. I realized I had been neglecting myself—I had put a ridiculous amount of energy into him. And it’s my own fault—I know. I basically let him suck the life out of me in a way. So after that was over I decided to really take care of myself. And I had to make up for a few years, so I guess kinda went a little bit wild for a while.

“I’ll say,” Jill teased.

“Bad girl, drunk by six …” I started singing: “kissing someone else’s lips; smoked too many cigarettes today, I’m not happy when I act this way ...”

“Thanks. Now I’m going to have Madonna songs stuck in my head for a week.”

“Hey, blame it on the 80’s theme, not me. Okay, blame it on me. I try not to turn my life into a musical, but, you know, life imitates music and all …”

“And your life just happens to imitate a skanky Madonna music video right now.”

More fits of laughter.

“Oh,” I almost cried from laughing so hard. “I’d better call a cab.”

“You’d better call your Mama!”

“You may have something there. Which one, is the question. But I’ll try not to wait for a reunion, or for so many years to go by, before I call you. We definitely need to hang out again, feel young.”

—Julie Ann Baker Brin,
2nd place, 2021 Kansas Authors Club statewide contest,
category: "1st Chapter of a Book"

Yes, I've done NaNoWriMo, and I have more words and pages lurking about for potential novel stuffing ... but they're not yet ready for public consumption. Don't poke the muse! (Truth be told, some of the stuff in the "micro" section of my porfolio site will end up in the book, too. After all, what are short stories if not potential chapters of a larger story?)

See the page menu at the top for more. And thanks for visiting my portfolio site! —Julie Ann Baker Brin