[writing] 750Words: Teen Dilemma
Jan. 2nd, 2014 02:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jon_chaissonFor your reading enjoyment, today's writing experiment for my 750 Words was to write a short story using only dialogue. This was a lot of fun to write!
"What are you going to say?"
"I...I don't know. It feels kind of...weird, you know? Talking to her like that?"
"She won't mind. It's not as if you're like some weird freak with cooties or anything, right?"
"..."
"Right? Heh."
"Shut up. Hah. Jerk!"
"Look--it's like everything else in this world, right? You can dream about it all you want, plan out what you're gonna do, but in the end if you don't ACT on it, that's just it--you're gonna...just, you know..."
"Be right back where I started?"
"Exactly!"
"So...did she give you a number or anything?"
"Heh. Yeah, let me fish it out here..."
"You know, you're right. I don't want to sit around and mope anymore. It's just so...stupid."
"Yes..."
"And you, more than anyone else, knows how much I need to get out of that habit!"
"It's about time. I know--ut! Here it is."
"Cool. Eight-seven...huh. I didn't know she was on an upper level."
"You didn't?"
"No...I figured, well..."
"She's always been up there, far as I can remember."
"Huh. She's been in my classes for what...probably about five cycles now. Just never occurred to me that she commutes downlevel like that."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Some think it's like...well, lowering yourself, not to make a pun of it."
"Hmmph. You don't think...?"
"Naw, she's not like that at all. I've known her longer than you, she does her own thing, regardless of what other people think. If she likes the classes better downlevel, than that's her prerogative."
"But..."
"No, she wouldn't think about slumming it. Who knows--maybe she just wants to be nearer to you."
"Haha! Shut up!"
"I'm serious! Now, are you going to call her or not? She's probably waiting for you to make the first move, you know."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"What...? Why are you holding off?"
"I'm not holding off--"
"Yes you are. You're too shy, aren't you?"
"I am NOT shy! Even you know that!"
"So why are you waiting...?"
"Well...because..."
"It's because she IS an upleveller, isn't it?"
"No, no, that's not--"
"Yes it is. Come on, don't be stu--"
"It's NOT it, okay? It's...hehhh...it's just. Never mind, you wouldn't understand."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look, I know what--"
"No, don't change the subject. What did you mean by that?"
"I mean Let. It. Go. You don't want to know, trust me."
"You're. Hmm. You're not...?"
"No, I am NOT on the List, if that's what you're thinking. I had the tests two years ago and passed with a clean bill of health."
"No, that isn't what I meant at all! I'm sorry...look. Let me start over. I'm just trying to help. I know she wants to talk with you, but she's waiting for you to make the move. I know this because she told me."
"She TOLD you? When was this?"
"Yesterday. But my point is--she's waiting. That's just the way uplevellers are, they don't want to insinuate or...or...what's the word..."
"Interrupt?"
"No..."
"Impose."
"Yes! She doesn't want to impose. It's your decision to make the move, so she's not going to prod you."
"She can make the move if she wants too."
"Oh, don't be so stubborn!"
"No, I'm serious! If she's all about doing her own thing, why not--"
"Because it's protocol, dumbass."
"...Oh."
"So am I going to have to pick up the comm and dial the number for you? I can, you know."
"I have no doubt about that. Look, can we--"
"What?"
"Eesh. No need to bark at me. What drain did you fall into this morning?"
"I'm just getting sick of you coming up with excuses not to do things, you know? If you really don't want to call her, then just say so. It's not my problem. I just want you to get off your backside and DO something for once."
"Yes, MOM."
"Don't 'yes MOM' me."
"Yes, AUNTIE."
"Oh, go fall in an airlock, you idiot."
"Hee hee!"
"You just love irritating the hell out of me, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Partly because you fall prey to it every single time."
"I do not!"
"Yes you do."
"I don't--GAH! That's not the point here!! Are you going to call her or not?"
"Heh. Promise you won't say anything while we're connected?"
"Whatever. Are you going to?"
"Yes."
"It's about damn time! Here's the damn number. Now go and call her already."
"And what should I say...?"
"Wh--do I need to leave the room now?"
"Yes, I think you do."
"Oh. Oh! Heh. You should have said. Talk to you later."
"Later."
"What are you going to say?"
"I...I don't know. It feels kind of...weird, you know? Talking to her like that?"
"She won't mind. It's not as if you're like some weird freak with cooties or anything, right?"
"..."
"Right? Heh."
"Shut up. Hah. Jerk!"
"Look--it's like everything else in this world, right? You can dream about it all you want, plan out what you're gonna do, but in the end if you don't ACT on it, that's just it--you're gonna...just, you know..."
"Be right back where I started?"
"Exactly!"
"So...did she give you a number or anything?"
"Heh. Yeah, let me fish it out here..."
"You know, you're right. I don't want to sit around and mope anymore. It's just so...stupid."
"Yes..."
"And you, more than anyone else, knows how much I need to get out of that habit!"
"It's about time. I know--ut! Here it is."
"Cool. Eight-seven...huh. I didn't know she was on an upper level."
"You didn't?"
"No...I figured, well..."
"She's always been up there, far as I can remember."
"Huh. She's been in my classes for what...probably about five cycles now. Just never occurred to me that she commutes downlevel like that."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Some think it's like...well, lowering yourself, not to make a pun of it."
"Hmmph. You don't think...?"
"Naw, she's not like that at all. I've known her longer than you, she does her own thing, regardless of what other people think. If she likes the classes better downlevel, than that's her prerogative."
"But..."
"No, she wouldn't think about slumming it. Who knows--maybe she just wants to be nearer to you."
"Haha! Shut up!"
"I'm serious! Now, are you going to call her or not? She's probably waiting for you to make the first move, you know."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"What...? Why are you holding off?"
"I'm not holding off--"
"Yes you are. You're too shy, aren't you?"
"I am NOT shy! Even you know that!"
"So why are you waiting...?"
"Well...because..."
"It's because she IS an upleveller, isn't it?"
"No, no, that's not--"
"Yes it is. Come on, don't be stu--"
"It's NOT it, okay? It's...hehhh...it's just. Never mind, you wouldn't understand."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look, I know what--"
"No, don't change the subject. What did you mean by that?"
"I mean Let. It. Go. You don't want to know, trust me."
"You're. Hmm. You're not...?"
"No, I am NOT on the List, if that's what you're thinking. I had the tests two years ago and passed with a clean bill of health."
"No, that isn't what I meant at all! I'm sorry...look. Let me start over. I'm just trying to help. I know she wants to talk with you, but she's waiting for you to make the move. I know this because she told me."
"She TOLD you? When was this?"
"Yesterday. But my point is--she's waiting. That's just the way uplevellers are, they don't want to insinuate or...or...what's the word..."
"Interrupt?"
"No..."
"Impose."
"Yes! She doesn't want to impose. It's your decision to make the move, so she's not going to prod you."
"She can make the move if she wants too."
"Oh, don't be so stubborn!"
"No, I'm serious! If she's all about doing her own thing, why not--"
"Because it's protocol, dumbass."
"...Oh."
"So am I going to have to pick up the comm and dial the number for you? I can, you know."
"I have no doubt about that. Look, can we--"
"What?"
"Eesh. No need to bark at me. What drain did you fall into this morning?"
"I'm just getting sick of you coming up with excuses not to do things, you know? If you really don't want to call her, then just say so. It's not my problem. I just want you to get off your backside and DO something for once."
"Yes, MOM."
"Don't 'yes MOM' me."
"Yes, AUNTIE."
"Oh, go fall in an airlock, you idiot."
"Hee hee!"
"You just love irritating the hell out of me, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Partly because you fall prey to it every single time."
"I do not!"
"Yes you do."
"I don't--GAH! That's not the point here!! Are you going to call her or not?"
"Heh. Promise you won't say anything while we're connected?"
"Whatever. Are you going to?"
"Yes."
"It's about damn time! Here's the damn number. Now go and call her already."
"And what should I say...?"
"Wh--do I need to leave the room now?"
"Yes, I think you do."
"Oh. Oh! Heh. You should have said. Talk to you later."
"Later."
