Wild



 Hal took a pair of fingernail clippers from his pocket and snipped a hangnail.  “What’re we doing tonight, Billy?”

His cousin scratched his head.  “Well, there’s the chores…” 

“I don’t do chores.”  Hal stared ahead, fingering the clippers.  “We have the maid to do that.”


“We could bike to the dollar cinema.”

Hal snorted.  “Fifteen miles?  In the city, there’s a theater on every block.”

Billy nodded.  In the city, Hal’s parents were in the process of a divorce; working out where Hal would fit into their new lives.  “You want to get a hot dog?”

Hal wrinkled his nose. 

Billy thought a moment before a whisper of an idea swirled up and took hold in his mind.  “You ever hear of the Academy for Girls?”

“The one across the border?”  Hal pointed across the Ohio towards Cincinnati.

“Sure, that’s the one.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it.  Everyone has.”

“They say the wild girls leave their windows open at night; wait for a handsome boy to climb the trellis of roses and take them out dancing.”

Hal smiled.  “I think we just got our plans figured out.”

* * *

“Here’s where the girls stay,” Billy indicated a four story building.

“Think that trellis’ll hold me?”

“You chicken?”

“Naw, I ain’t chicken.  In the city…”

“Up on the third floor.  See there?”  Billy shone his light on the open window of his piano teacher, Mr. Henry Clay.

“Yeah.”  Hal began to climb.  Halfway up, he paused.  “What do I say?”

“Ask her if she’d like to go dancing,” Billy said. 

Hal disappeared into the window. 

Billy giggled. 

There came a shout.  A flurry of curse words chased Hal all the way down the trellis.  “I don’t go dancing with anyone but my wife, son.  You clear on that?”

Hal’s feet hit the ground; he was off like a shot.

When they reached home, they sat in the barn until their laughter wore off.

“Hey, Billy?” 

“Yeah?”

“You think I can live here?”

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.The word was wild.

Labels:

Writing in the Margins, Bursting at the Seams: Wild

Monday, May 21, 2012

Wild



 Hal took a pair of fingernail clippers from his pocket and snipped a hangnail.  “What’re we doing tonight, Billy?”

His cousin scratched his head.  “Well, there’s the chores…” 

“I don’t do chores.”  Hal stared ahead, fingering the clippers.  “We have the maid to do that.”


“We could bike to the dollar cinema.”

Hal snorted.  “Fifteen miles?  In the city, there’s a theater on every block.”

Billy nodded.  In the city, Hal’s parents were in the process of a divorce; working out where Hal would fit into their new lives.  “You want to get a hot dog?”

Hal wrinkled his nose. 

Billy thought a moment before a whisper of an idea swirled up and took hold in his mind.  “You ever hear of the Academy for Girls?”

“The one across the border?”  Hal pointed across the Ohio towards Cincinnati.

“Sure, that’s the one.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it.  Everyone has.”

“They say the wild girls leave their windows open at night; wait for a handsome boy to climb the trellis of roses and take them out dancing.”

Hal smiled.  “I think we just got our plans figured out.”

* * *

“Here’s where the girls stay,” Billy indicated a four story building.

“Think that trellis’ll hold me?”

“You chicken?”

“Naw, I ain’t chicken.  In the city…”

“Up on the third floor.  See there?”  Billy shone his light on the open window of his piano teacher, Mr. Henry Clay.

“Yeah.”  Hal began to climb.  Halfway up, he paused.  “What do I say?”

“Ask her if she’d like to go dancing,” Billy said. 

Hal disappeared into the window. 

Billy giggled. 

There came a shout.  A flurry of curse words chased Hal all the way down the trellis.  “I don’t go dancing with anyone but my wife, son.  You clear on that?”

Hal’s feet hit the ground; he was off like a shot.

When they reached home, they sat in the barn until their laughter wore off.

“Hey, Billy?” 

“Yeah?”

“You think I can live here?”

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.The word was wild.

Labels:

10 Comments:

At May 21, 2012 at 8:11 PM , Anonymous Lance said...

I didn't even notice the word prompt. The dialogueflow was so good. I felt like I was standing next to them.

This was really well written. I'm wild about it.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 4:39 AM , Anonymous Mary said...

The open windows remind me of my boarding school days. We actually had boys climb the fire escape with a hose; unfortunately they aimed it at a nun who was walking throught the dorm.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 10:19 AM , Anonymous Imelda said...

What an adventure! I can gear their laughter from where I sit.
This reminds me of Huckleberry Finn and his friend, Tom Sawyer. :-)

 
At May 22, 2012 at 11:23 AM , Anonymous Tara R. said...

I had to hunt for the prompt too. You make this look effortless.

 
At May 23, 2012 at 6:50 AM , Anonymous Annabelle said...

That really made me laugh. Great read!

 
At May 23, 2012 at 12:22 PM , Anonymous Gina said...

Where was the word "wild"? I had a feeling it was a set up but not to that extent.So hysterical!

 
At May 23, 2012 at 7:59 PM , Anonymous Carrie said...

Lol! I'm surprised his cousin wasn't made about the trick he pulled.

 
At May 23, 2012 at 8:25 PM , Anonymous Jester Queen said...

I was also surprised that the cousin got the humor! I thought it was completely hilarious, and I loved the reveal that came only when he shone the light on his piano teacher's window.

 
At May 24, 2012 at 9:22 PM , Anonymous JannaTWrites said...

This was hilarious! I love how the cousin set him up. Yep, that' s a story that can haunt someone for the rest of his life!

 
At May 24, 2012 at 10:19 PM , Anonymous Trifecta said...

Once again, a great job of bringing us in to your characters' world. The scene is ridiculously easy to imagine and the dialogue is just right. I'd like to see more adventures of Hal and Billy. Thanks for linking up.

 

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