Work In Progress #1

2025 is coming to an end, and so is my aggressive marketing push. It's time to get back to work writing Book 4: Resolutions.

This is an excerpt from one of the first chapters of the book. It is possibly one of the longest chapters as I plan to write it from the points of view of several characters. If I feel confident enough I'll post more excerpts as I make progress with the manuscript.

6:17 A.M.

In the dark morning, A Geo Metro was parked alone in the Washington High parking lot. Junior Eddie DeWitt III and his girlfriend, sophomore Krystal Harper sat in the quiet car. Krystal’s eyes were closed as she mentally prepared for the task at hand. Not wanting to break her concentration, Eddie simply looked over at Krystal and smiled.

Krystal was deep in meditation; it appeared as if she were sleeping. Five minutes was all the time for preparation she had if she wanted to get done what she wanted before the campus was flooded with returning students and faculty. When those five minutes were up, Krystal opened her eyes and broke the silence. “I got this,” she said with a calm and positive tone.

Eddie put his hand on top of Krystal’s and added, “We got this.” Krystal turned to Eddie, leaned in, and kissed him on the lips.

The two got out of the car headed to the trunk. Eddie unlocked it and the door flew open, revealing two white cardboard boxes. They both grabbed a box from the handles on the sides. Krystal slightly struggled with her box. Eddie didn’t have a problem with the left side of his box. However, his right arm stung a little; there was still a lingering pain from when it was injured in a football game months ago.

To keep themselves warm in the chilly January morning, Krystal and Eddie wore heavy winter attire. Eddie sported a denim jacket on top and Krystal proudly wore his varsity jacket. They didn’t wear gloves; it wasn’t cold enough to be at risk of frostbite. And neither one of them wanted to cover up the matching silver band rings they were wearing. The bands were late-Christmas gifts Krystal and Eddie bought for each other. They weren’t overly expensive but to afford them, they both sacrificed a lot of free time during the holiday break. Eddie put in a lot of hours at his grandfather’s RV lot and Krystal babysat the local children almost every night. The couple didn’t have much time to spend with each other over the break, but the rings were a symbol that their relationship was as strong as ever. Their families believed as much too; to them, it was like Eddie and Krystal exchanged engagement rings.

The instant Krystal and Eddie stepped onto campus, they saw the trees, the quad tables, and the statue of George Washington covered in toilet paper and eggs yolks. Broken and rotten eggshells littered the ground, and their smell polluted the air. There were also open condoms stuck to some of the chairs and benches with whipped cream pouring out of them. Clearly, some students took advantage of the lax campus security, and the complete lack of janitorial staff during the winter break.

Using their undershirts to cover their noses and avoiding the smell, Krystal and Eddie walked over to an empty bulletin board that was mounted on the wall near the cafeteria entrance. Normally, the bulletin board would be completely covered with flyers for tryouts, campus events, odd job postings, upcoming career fairs, and other happenings. Because this was the beginning of a new semester, all the previous flyers were taken down. It wouldn’t had been long before the bulletin board was covered in new flyers which is why the two were on campus this early. To get a space before others filled them all up.

Krystal sat her box down on the floor in a section that was clear of eggshells and other debris. Then, she dug into her coat pocket and pulled out a set of keys. These keys were to various locks that only student council members had access to, one of which was the bulletin board. After unlocking the left glass door, she opened the lid from the box Eddie was carrying and pulled out a flyer and a box of thumbtacks.

In the middle of the flyer was a professionally taken photo of Krystal, standing proudly with her arms folded and with a confident smile. The words “Vote Krystal Harper for Student Council President” were printed in bold font above her. Her campaign slogan, “I Got This!” was printed boldly and proudly at the bottom of the flyer.

What did you think? Leave a comment. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest. Your feedback is going to help me a lot.

Suburban High (C) 2025 Talen Williams

#writing #excerpts #workinprogress