Day 195 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character watching an opportunity pass them by.
Erin: “We’re going to have a great spring break,” my best friend insisted.
“Yeah,” I agreed with the excitement of a kid getting driven to the dentist.
“We live right on a beautiful beach,” she reminded as we looked out to the sun setting over the ocean.
She was right. We were lucky. I just really wanted to go to abroad and study my language. It was the only way I was going to become as fluent as I needed to be to be a successful translator. I knew I would only be able to afford one trip though and I was putting that off till senior year. “Nowhere I would rather be,” I lied and the last light of the sun disappeared to the side of the world I was wishing to be.
Shannon: Stop freaking out. Stop freaking out, my mind was screaming at me as I hyperventilated in the bathroom stall. You didn’t wait in line for seven hours to go home without at least getting the judges’ opinions. Why was I panicking again, it was irrational? If they said “no” it didn’t mean I had to give up on my dream, it just meant it wasn’t the right time, or role, or whatever. I need to turn in my card before they skipped me, so I had to leave bathroom. Sometimes I had to think of it one step at a time to make myself move.
I barely managed the willpower to push the door, and once I was out I had to review the next step. Walk. I went up to the booth and handed over my card without a word.
The lady looked up sympathetically shaking her head, “I’m sorry, but we called your number and…”
“It’s fine,” I cut her off, snatching the piece of paper back, and headed for the exit. I had been in this position many times before, so I knew the drill, but I hated myself for always getting in my own way.
What chance is slipping out of your character’s hands?