July Writing Craze: Day 29!!

Hey everyone!! Day 29, here we go!

Chapter Twelve:  Velvet

Expert’s Luck

            “Have you seen my white sweater?”  Yori asked, digging through her drawers, flinging a piece of clothing here and there.

            “No, I didn’t take that one.  Actually, I’ve never seen it.  Check under the bed,”  Velvet responded, lacing up her hardcore tennis shoes.

            “Katie thinks we’ve given in, Brody’s making the call to Martin, and everyone in the camp knows about mission HD,”  Yori said, crouching to the floor to hunt down her white sweater.

            “HD?”

            “Havoc Day!”  Yori said, pulling out her suitcase to check for her white sweater in there.

            “I hope Martin agrees to come,”  Velvet commented, straightening her white socks.

            “Me too, it would be really great if he could.  But…if he can’t, there’s always Plan B,”  Yori mentioned, stringing out her white sweater from her suitcase.

            “Which is?”

            “Let the press pick up the out of control mayhem and let it travel, grapevine style, to Martin.  If Martin hears about it through a mess of opposing and rivalry camp chains, he’ll be so madly embarrassed, he’ll have no insane reason not to fire Katie,”  Yori explained, shrugging into the attire.

            “That’s genius,”  Velvet said, impressed.

            “Thank you.  And look, I found my sweater.”

            “I see that.  Left it in your suitcase?  Why do you need it anyway?”

            “It’s my going away sweater.  Whenever I leave someplace I like, I wear it,”  Yori said.

            “You like Camp Sing-Song?”

            “You’re here, aren’t you?”

            “Wait, but if you wear it, don’t you think it’ll be bad luck?  I mean, then the world might think you’re actually going away and the plan will fall through,”  Velvet mused aloud, praying to the superstitious gods her jinxing thoughts wouldn’t pursue.

            “You’re getting anxious, Velvet.  Obviously, you’ve never been the trouble-maker anywhere before,”  Yori responded.

            “Never in my life.”

            “Welcome… you’ll have fun,”  Yori replied, smiling.  Velvet rolled her eyes and hope that Yori was right.

            “Have we been up here long enough to make Katie think we’re packed?”

            “I guess so…we should intercept her mail to Martin anyway,”  Yori said, looking around the room to see if she forgot anything.  Her long eyelashes swept across the room like an eagle’s graceful wings.

            “Lucky girl with the long eyelashes,”  Velvet said, crossing her arms across her chest in mock despise.

            “These brittle things?  Please!  At least you have thin eyebrows, mine could not get bushier,”  Yori complained, turning around to compliment Velvet.

            “Never thought about my eyebrows…I’m gonna run to the bathroom before we head out, okay?”

            “Sure,”  Yori said, kicking her suitcase back underneath her bed.  Velvet headed towards the green curtain, waggling her toes in her slightly tight shoes, looking down to see if her toes had enough room.  As he eyes reached her feet, Velvet noticed something out of the corner of her eye.  A half sheet of shredded-edged paper peered at Velvet in the corner of the room.  Velvet bent down, picked it up, and deciphered what it said. 

Yori,

                        I hope I got your camp address right.

Yori at Camp Singing, STOP READING.  Thanks.  Any,

 about everything going on at home.  But, either wa

 can’t have girl drama in my life, to be frank and st

            Later,

                        Steve

“Hey, sorry about your boyfriend,”  Velvet said, shaking the paper in her hand to explain to Yori.  Yori looked over at Velvet, at the paper, and then back to Velvet.

            “Forget about it.  Like you said, I don’t need scummy dirt like him in my life,”  Yori said, a twinkling in her wink.

            “I don’t think I said it exactly like that…”  Velvet said, tapping her chin and throwing the paper to the ground once more.  “Oh, Yori?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Was your mom really in Europe?” 

            “Europe? …Oh…no, she’s been at home.  I never called her actually, I was just making a spectacle, I guess.  I needed some space and I needed a reason.  I’m not here for my college apps either.”

            “No?”

            “Nope.  I’m here because my mom wanted me to get away for the summer since we hadn’t heard from my dad for a while.  Since we were getting worried, my mom made me go and do something to keep my mind off of it.”

            “I see…”

            “Plus, I’ve already gotten into UCSD,”  Yori bragged, smiling proudly.

            “No way!  I’m heading there myself!”  Velvet remarked.

            “Are you serious?  What are you majoring in?”

            “Elementary education, you?”

            “Fashion and Design,”  Yori replied.

            “Amazing!  What a freaky, but good, coincidence.  Hey, I’m gonna run to the bathroom and then we can meet up with the others and plan the next move,”  Velvet commented.

Heading down the pavement, Velvet couldn’t help but wonder if Yori would Matt a chance.  Matt had obviously been trying to get Yori’s attention for the past week, with no avail, and now that Yori was renewing herself, maybe Matt could be in Yori’s line of vision.  The only way to find out was to ask.

            “Yori, do you like Matt?”

            “Matt?!”  Yori exclaimed, looking up from her black flats to Velvet.

            “Why not?  He’s nice and smart and fun.  You should give him a chance,”  Velvet said, aiming to persuade Yori.

            “Hey, I never said no.”  Velvet let out an excited yelp.  That was a yes!  It had to be a yes!!  They would be the cutest couple, flirty and princess-y matched with clever and astute. 

            “You two would be sooo cute together!”  Velvet couldn’t help but blurt out, covering her mouth, trying to smother her exhilarated emotions.

            “Just don’t say anything, okay?  I don’t want him to think I’m the dumb, prissy girls,”  Yori pressed, looking firmly at Velvet, but a tint of a smile on her lips.

            “Of course not.  Of course not.  Of course…maybe I’ll just hint!”  Velvet said and bolted.  She sped down the pavement, attempting to see what was going on around her as she whizzed past people and games.  Velvet could hear Yori only footsteps behind her.  Where was Matt?  Where was Matt?!

            “Velvet!  Yori!”  Brody called out before Velvet could find Matt.  Velvet hurried to a stop and waved to Brody.  Yori screeched to a halt, close behind Velvet.

            “Did you get hold of Martin?”  Yori asked, her eyes eager.

            “Yes, I told him it was a counselor decision that we wanted him there.  And I reminded him that the press would be there, hoping to speak to a person in charge!  He said he’d be able to fly in at noon.  He’ll come right when the press will be arriving,”  Brody answered.

            “All right!!”  Yori cried out.

            “We’ll have to get the havoc rolling quick, then, because Katie will be making sure me and you, Yori, will be goners before then.  We’re gonna have to be on the run around noon,”  Velvet said worriedly.  It would be a close shave, if it didn’t turn into a shave at all.  Velvet looked at Yori and noticed a flicker of flinch in her expression.

            “You’re right…we won’t be able to organize the havoc then,”  Yori commented, disappointed.

            “Me and Matt will get it going then,”  Brody offered.

            “You might need to…I hope there’ll be time for me and you, Velvet, to create mayhem, too, though…”  Yori thought out loud, obviously concerned.  Yori must be really invested in her trouble making by the looks of it.

            “We’ll make time…if you excuse me, I need to talk to Matt!”  Velvet broke out and made a mad dash for it.  She heard a fake-frustrated outcry, but no footsteps.  After a few yards, Velvet stopped and turned around.  Back at the original spot, Yori and Brody were there, talking.  Brody was nodding his head while Yori talked and then Yori looked intent on listening while Brody spoke.  Lastly, Yori and Brody hugged and smiled a friendly smile at each other.  Velvet hurried back to the two, hoping the two didn’t mean a couple.

            “Don’t worry, Velvet.  We were just resolving things,”  Yori said when Velvet reached them.

            “Okay…”  Velvet replied, skeptically for a laugh.  Pointing at a piece of paper Brody held in his hand, Velvet asked, “What’s that?”

            “This?”  Brody asked, holding up a sealed envelope.  “Katie’s mail.  When she caught me in her office right when I hung up, I told her I was looking for something for Jane.  She believed me and I guess thought I was talking about this mail.  It’s addressed to…oh!  Martin King, how funny.”

            “Martin?”  Yori asked, snatching the envelope from Brody.  She started ripping it open and peeling the papers from inside.

            “Don’t open it,”  Velvet protested, concern edging at her shoulders where her emotions rested.

            “These are our suspension papers, Velvet.  Katie must have just filled them out already!  Brody, thanks a bunch for taking this.  I’m gonna go hide it in our room,”  Yori exclaimed and without another word, hurried to cabin 2A.

            “That was pretty lucky, I guess,”  Brody commented as him and Velvet walked to the dock where Velvet remembered Matt saying he would be.

            “You know what else is lucky?  Yori likes Matt,”  Velvet gossiped, excitement barely able to contain itself.  A brief moment of surprise passed before they both took off running to tell Matt.  To tell Matt his summer camp dream had come true.

All right! Thanks for reading today!

And remember guys:  Your comfort zone, when writing, doesn't always have to be maintained.  Step outside of it.  Meaning, try a genre you never thought you would do before, write in old English, do some research on the time you are writing in, develop a character that is a little deeper than would first seem.  Just give it a try, no pressure or deadline!

ABC 123,

                Maddie

July Writing Craze: Day 17!!

Day 17 everyone!  Hope you're still with me :)

“Why couldn’t we have stayed more?”  Sapphire asked as the five of them trudged up the pavement from the rec room to cabin 2A.

            “It was just time to go,”  Yori replied, unsticking her trapped mascara-coated lashes.  A streak of black liquid mascara stained her pointer finger manicure. 

            “Where did Brody go?”  Mallory questioned.

            “He…got tired,”  Yori responded, scratching at the black streak of makeup.

            “He seemed mad,”  Mallory commented.  Ready to burst out in a cascade of insults, Yori turned to look at Mallory, the one camper that reminded Yori of herself.  Mallory stared up at Yori, her black and gray hair spilling over her caved in shoulders.  Mallory wasn’t smiling or frowning.  Her lips were in a straight line and her eyes showed no concern, just curiosity. 

            “Brody…was mad,”  Yori finally replied, turning back around.

            “Why?”  Tegan piped up, running up in front of Yori and strutting backward so she could look at Yori face-on.

            “I made a mistake,”  Yori said, trying to convince herself.  Did she make a mistake?  Or was the whole relationship already a mistaken lie? 

            “What did you do?”  Mallory inquired.  Yori tightened the sash on her robe and cuffed the perfect edges of the sleeves.

            “I said something…not nice,”  Yori explained, suddenly coming to the realization that she was being soft.  But she didn’t care, no, being gentle was a major stress relief.  Not having to think of bitter stories and lies made Yori feel a little bit better about everything.

            “Mean?”  Kristina said softly as she took the porch steps one step with two feet at a time.

            “Yes, it was mean.  I shouldn’t have said it.  Since I didn’t have anything nice to say, I—“

            “Shouldn’t have said it at all?”  Velvet’s voice finished from the back room.  Yori sighed, her minty lip gloss floating through the room.  The room smelled like cherry mint tea for a moment before Yori replied, “I wasn’t talking to you or about you.”

            “She was talking about Brody,”  Sapphire said, crawling into her bed, her little eyelids slowly folding in.  Velvet appeared in the front room, her blonde hair perfectly did up in a “sleepy” bun.  She had a small touch of blush on her upper cheeks and her lips looked recently glossed.  Yori could also smell her own personal  lavender perfume that she put in the back of her cosmetic bag, in case she ran out of her others.  Lavender was not a good fragrance for Yori…or for Velvet, for that matter.

            “You’re back early…everything go okay?”  Velvet asked, rolling up the blankets to Sapphire’s neck as her eyes finally allowed themselves to shut close and give in to sleep.

            “Don’t worry about it, Velvet,”  Yori responded, tucking in Mallory.  Yori felt the same, or even worse, about Velvet for some reason.  On top of the regret of breaking her own heart, Yori also despised the situation for practically handing Brody over to Velvet.  Velvet would cherish the moments she had with Brody just like Yori had done; it would be torture and Yori hated the fact that she had brought it all on herself.  Yori would never forgive herself for letting her emotions get in front of a cute boyfriend.  Yori had given herself away to her thoughts of why Brody liked her for her personality and why her past boyfriends hadn’t and the results weren’t pretty.

            After every camper was in bed, fully asleep, the chests heaving up and down amidst their dreams, Velvet and Yori went into the back room.  Yori slipped off her robe, bundled it up, threw it in the corner, and flicked off her slippers to add to the pile in the corner.  Yori was feeling awful and dare she say, ugly.  Her lips felt chapped, she could feel a spot of oil on her scalp, and she could feel her facial skin stretch under the tension and stress that she with held.  And to think she thought she could release herself with a bunch of kids.  No, she had seen Velvet and realized what she had done.  It was over.

            Yori and Velvet both lay in their beds, the lights off, and knowing the other was not asleep.  Yori lay on her side, facing the wall, getting a strong whiff of potpourri.  Her eyes were wide open, her lashes beating up and down like a tireless bird.

            “Velvet?  When you opened my mail was there a letter from my mom?”  Yori was almost grateful when she heard Velvet had opened her mail, that way Yori wouldn’t have to face the news about her dad first.

            “Your mom?  Yes…”  Yori could tell Velvet felt like she was being played.

            “Don’t worry, Velvet, I’m not tricking you.  I just need to know if, if you read the letter, if my mom said anything about my dad…”  Yori trailed off, hoping she would fall asleep before the answer could come out of Velvet’s mouth.

            “I did read it…”  Velvet started off uneasily.  “But it didn’t say anything specifically about your dad.  It said something about Ghazni…”  Yori’s heart started to flutter and she felt it turning over, skipping beat after beat.

            “She said…there wasn’t…I don’t know.  Why don’t you just read it yourself?”  Velvet replied, clearly not understanding Yori’s intentions.  Yori couldn’t stand the heart-wrenching anticipation.  She jumped form her bed, lifted her mattress, pulled out the manila envelope, and dug out the letter from her mother.  She unfolded the letter, closed her eyes, and took a huge yoga breath, a sharp intake. 

            Her eyes grazed over the lines quickly and nervously, but she knew right away from the first line that the news wasn’t good.  And the news could only have been one or the other—good or bad.

            Yori let the letter fall from her shaking hands, watching the paper flutter to the wood floor.  She didn’t get a chance to see it touch the floor before her eyes filled with death-defying tears.  Yori couldn’t distinguish what happened next.  Velvet was saying something, her knees hurt from the drop to the ground, her shouts woke the campers, the strain from her sobbing jaw hurt all the way up from her throat to her ears, and the tears soaked the letter that her face was lying against.  Now it was over. 

Thanks for reading! 

And remember guys:  People always say readers like to read what they can relate to, but I don't really.  Find something you like to read, not necessairly relate to, and try to match that in your writing.

July Writing Craze: Day 1!!!

Hello everyone!
  Welcome to July Writing Craze!  Before I get started on my first 1000-word post, let me tell you what in the heck I am doing.  I have decided to write 1000 words for every day in the month of July to keep up with my creative writing.   My goal is to add 1000 words to the same story every day in hopes that I am able to complete a full novel by July 31st.  Please feel free to give feedback on my story, ask questions about your own writing, or comment on writing in general.  I would love to answer questions, discuss writing, address plot flaws, and add in any components of a story that I might be missing.
  A few more things before I post, please answer the poll below(and look for a new one next week), check out my fashion blog, and take a look at my Youtube channel, Yammylou.  Thank you and enjoy the pandemonium of creativity!

Chapter One:  Yori

Break the Nice

            “Welcome to Camp Sing-Song, counselors.  I am Katie, the director of this camp, and the person you will all be reporting to.  In one week, the campers will be arriving and two weeks following, they will all be leaving.  For this week, prior to the campers arrival, I will be training each of you.  Now, head over to your cabins and unpack.  Then, come back for your induction ceremony.”  Turning on her black boot heel, Yori lifted her pink Kate Spade handbag and rolled her silver Michael Kors suitcase across the cracking pavement to the hill of wooden cabins.  Click-clacking her way over there, Yori could think of nothing more than the outfit Katie had been wearing.  Katie had been suited up in a tan pair of cargo shorts, a light blue polo and a chocolate brown baseball cap with the Camp Sing-Song logo printed on the bill.  Yori feared the package that that outfit came in.

            “Hi!”  a chipper voice interrupted Yori’s thoughts.  “I’m Velvet.  What’s your name?”  the voice continued.  Quickly scanning Velvet’s outfit, Yori knew exactly what kind of person Velvet was.  The green tea green T-shirt that fit easily across her top-half gave her the casual vibe, the denim cutoffs emitted a sporty sense, and the blue high tops with green laces displayed a atmosphere of no self-consciousness.  Therefore, Yori saw her as a over-the-top, sweaty, mis-matched ditz. 

            “I’m Yori,”  Yori replied, brightly shining her recently-whitened teeth and shaking Velvet’s rough hand.  “I’m a new counselor.  First time for you, too?”  Yori continued, silently congratulating herself on the Academy-award deserving niceness acting.

            “Oh, no!  This is my third time being a counselor.  Camp Sing-Song was my home-away-from-home since I was six, how old were you when you joined Camp Sing-Song?”  Velvet asked, her blonde ponytail swishing politely as she walked.

            “I never camped here.  First time being on these grounds, actually,” Yori responded, yanking her boot heel out of a crack in the sidewalk.

            “Really?  I didn’t think you could be a counselor if you never went to the camp,”  Velvet pondered, her big blue eyes, asking for an answer.

            “Oh, you can’t.  But my mom is the top sponsor of this camp, therefore I got this counselor job easy,”  Yori replied, rolling her eyes.  Camp Sing-Song was the last place Yori wanted to be that summer.

            “Why do you roll your eyes?”  Velvet asked, laughing a little.

            “Camps aren’t really my kind of thing.  I’m only here because I need something for my college app or so my mom says.  Believe me, I would rather be tanning at the beach than helping a little twerp swim across a lake.”  Yori said, tripping over a bump in the sidewalk, leaving a little slit in the top of her boot.  “Geez!  My mom being the top sponsor, you’d think she’d pay for better sidewalks!” 

            “Velvet!”  a deep voice called from a little behind the two girls.  Both Velvet and Yori turned around.  All of a sudden, Yori’s eyes grew wide and her heart started to race.  Yori flipped her black and brown highlighted hair behind her shoulder and smoothed her gray pencil skirt.  A guy with a Justin Timberlake buzz cut, almond-tan skin, and a white muscle shirt was jogging up to meet Velvet, holding down the straps to his red hiker backpack with every bound he took.

            “Brody!  It’s so good to see you!”  Velvet cried out once the Brody guy caught up with them, giving him a side hug so they could keep walking.

            “How has your year been?”  Brody asked, his low voice sending shivers down Yori’s soul.  Yori had never seen something so enchanting.  Brody was a gorgeous, muscular version of Taylor Lautner, minus the werewolf part.  He had this full, white smile that reached his eyes and his eyes were a bright green with speckles of tan—

            “Yori!”  Velvet was hollering, snapping Yori out of her reverie and into reality.  Yori looked up, startled and embarrassed. 

            “Huh?”  Yori mumbled, pretending to pick a piece of lint off her black Marc Jacobs stomach coat.

            “This is Brody.  He’s been in Camp Sing-Song as a camper and then a counselor as long as I have.  Brody, this is Yori.  She’s new to Camp Sing-Song altogether.  Her mom’s a sponsor so she was able to get in, free and easy,”  Velvet introduced the two.  Yori couldn’t help but wonder if Brody and Velvet shared a secret look when Velvet mentioned the mom- being-a-sponsor thing.

            “Hi there,”  Brody said, waving.

            “Hi,”  Yori barely muttered, sighing at Brody’s shining beauty.  Suddenly, counseling at Camp Sing-Song didn’t seem half bad for Yori and she actually started to forget about some things back at home.  Tanning at the beach didn’t seem so special anymore, drinking virgin martinis weren’t on her mind, even Yori’s boyfriend stayed in Yori’s subconscious for then.

            “What cabin are you in?”  Velvet asked.

            “Cabin 2A,”  Yori blurted out, before she realized Sporty McHappy was talking to Hunky.

            “Cabin 4B,”  Brody said.

            “Cabin…2A?  Wait, Yori aren’t you 2A?”  Velvet asked, looking at her assignment paper, confused.

            “That’s what it says,”  Yori replied, pointing with her lavender painted nail at the cabin number/letter.

            “That’s weird, why don’t you ask Katie?”  Brody asked, leaning over to take a look at the two papers.

            “You mean we’re going to walk all the way back to the main building?”  Yori complained, burning bright red once she became aware of the presence she was saying it in.

            “No,”  Brody laughed a little and taking out a little walkie-talkie kind of thing, “didn’t you get one of these?” 

            “A walkie-talkie?”  Yori asked, unzipping her Kate Spade bag to see if it was in there.

            “Everyone should have gotten one,”  Velvet commented, taking out hers, pressing a few buttons, and speaking into it.  “Katie?”  A crackle buzzed through the intercom before a broken up voice vibrated through.

            “What’s up?”  Yori continued to rummage through her stuffed handbag before she found the bulky, black device.

            “This is Velvet.  Yori and I got the same cabin assignment, 2A.”  Yori yanked out her walkie-talkie, poking herself in the arm with the antenna along the way and then waited for the crackling to break through with Katie’s voice.

            “Oh, that’s right.  I meant to tell you.  Is Yori near?”  Katie’s crackly voice came through.

            “Yes,”  Velvet answered.

            “Oh.  Then let me rephrase what I’m about to say,”  Katie started.  Yori made a face at the walkie-talkie, offended that Katie wouldn’t speak freely with her near.

            “By the time Yori applied to be a counselor, we had already picked and announced our own counselors, but her mother being our top sponsor, we were obligated to let her in.  Therefore, you and Yori will be sharing cabin 2A and all the campers in it.  Oh, I’m getting another call-in.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but Yori’s mom pays for the activity materials!”  Katie’s line then went dead and Yori felt ready to smack something.  If Katie needed to rephrase what she was originally going to say, how mean were Katie’s earlier words?

            “Well, then I guess we’re sharing, Yori!”  Velvet chirped, sliding her walkie-talkie into the belt of her cutoffs.  Already angered from Katie’s offensive message and the fact that she was an “inconvenience,”  Yori simply shrugged her shoulders.

            “Guess so.”

Okay, what do you guys think?  Am I heading somewhere? 

That was about 1100 words, so I think 1000 words a day will be just the right goal for me because it was comfortable in the beginning and middle, but a bit challenging near the end of the segment.

Remember, guys:  Writer's block will get in the way, so it's up to you to find a way to build your story around it.

ABC 123,

                 Maddie