Monday, August 4, 2008

Rhapsody in Brown

So, I'm part of a writing group, and one of the members posted this challenge: Using the basic description of the character below, write a short paragraph or two describing the character and giving him more of an interesting personality (the character definitely needs one). Have fun.

"Gabe is of average height and weight. He has brown hair, brown eyes, and likes the color brown. He wears brown shoes (no surprise there)and a brown shirt."

So here's my take: it's longer than a couple paragraphs (because I got carried away).


As I fiddled with my locker, I eavesdropped on the female voices squealing across the hall.

"So cute."

"Adorable."

"You think Gabe's really still in high school?"

At my name, I turned, like any normal person would. Maybe not the best description, given my monocolor appearance. Brown loafers, cinnamon-colored shirt, chocolate pants, same color eyes behind owl-eye glasses and pale brown hair in short waves. Even my backpack was an unidentifiable dark tan. At first and second takes people gave me those looks saying 'nice but weird', and there weren't more takes, because I was a drab fixture in their eyes. Kind of like a dead lamp slouching in the corner.

The girl twined a curl around her finger and smiled. "That's what I read in Seventeen. They wouldn't lie about that, would they?"

I restrained a snort. Seventeen lied about a lot. I'd know.

Her friend in the pink shirt sighed, going dizzy-eyed. "He's sooo hot." The edges of her lips curved up. "I wonder what school he goes to. That article did say he's single."

I shook my head, half-smirking as I rescued Hamlet from the confines of my backpack and shoved him into the locker. Gabe Johansson, teenage star of Life Interrupted, the hit show. Yeah, he was in high school, supposedly, but even the paparazzi couldn't find him. And I knew he wouldn't date either of those girls. He knew them too well.

The girls kept prattling. I strode out of the building, backpack over shoulder. Silly females. So aware of guys and yet so blind. I opened the cell phone and dialed my agent. "Yeah, it's Gabe. Just got out of school."

He snorted. "Public school. A bunch of morons forced to spend twelve years of their lives together. Will you please buy into the tutor idea?"

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me for the three-thousandth time and I'll think about it." I strode toward the parking lot. "So anyway, you mentioned another deal?"

"Yeah, I did. Interested in being the next Tobey Maguire? Spider-Man 4 is having auditions."

My nerves buzzed under my skin. "Heck yeah I'm interested. I'll be right over." I unlocked my BMW and stepped in. "Oh yeah - do me a favor and keep this out of the news until it's a done deal."

He laughed, New York accent rasping across the line. "You got it, Johansson."

13 comments:

Judi said...

This was one of my favorite versions of Gabe. An awesome story, Maddee.
-Judi

Traci said...

That was super cool!! I liked the spider man twist, that rocked!

Anonymous said...

Hello, hello! :) That's really good, Edge. You made Gabe so much more interesting. :D
-Rebecca Joy from LRRH-

Sapphira Adi said...

That was really good!

Grace K. said...

Edge. You. Rock! That's the truth, plain and simple. You are writer, you were born to write, and a publisher or agent had better snatch you up.

You are so clever with your story ideas! You have now made your way to the top of my favorite authors list. ;) I wish I could write like you...

On a writing note, something nice happened yesterday. Or, rather, I discovered something nice. I CAN write. I was feeling some self doubts; you know, "Yes, I like my stuff, but can I REALLY write?"

And yesterday, I discovered I can. While I was reading another story by someone else. I can't discribe how good it felt to realize that I can write, and I have a certain, special knack that is all my own.

Just like yours is all your own!

Anyhoo, just thought I'd share that with you. :)

I can't wait for more stories from you!

Grace

Grace K. said...

In reply to your comment ~

*snorts* My dear Edge, the idea... *giggles* Well, I wouldn't mind being related to Algy.

Hm, I don't know if I HAVE distant relations. All my relations are either grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. Oh, except for my mom's cousin, and his step-son, who I think is my third cousin... ;)

Ah, yes. I'm praying too, especially for a cousin who is only twenty-one/twenty-two and is going through a lot of stuff: drugs, girls, ect.

It's hard, but it's nice to know when they die, they'll know about all your prayers, just as we, when we will die, will know the prayers murmured for us over the years... :)

Hope that wasn't creepy or anything.

Grace K. said...

P.S. What I wouldn't give to "borrow" your laptop or notebooks, or whatever you write/type in, and read away!

Judi said...

Hey,
In reply to your comment on my blog. What is this 'A Beautiful Life' you speak of? I've never heard of it.
:)
If you want to read something happy and cheerful, you probably won't find it as a short story. I write horror shorts only. My mom says I should write a horror novel but I don't know about that yet.
-Judi

Paris said...

Ha! I liked it. Those girls must believe in love at first sight, but love is blind, as they say ;D

Judi said...

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!
*clears throat*
I did it, Edge. I posted a short that wasn't a horror. I can almost hear the applause..coming from all the people who don't like scary stuff.
-Judi

Anonymous said...

I LOVED it! That was a really enjoyable short story.

Zoe said...

That is really good! I liked it!

~Zoe

Erin said...

LOVED THIS A TON.