Friday Excerpt: A new subplot

After having a lot of trouble getting any fiction writing done for the last several weeks, I’m finally back on track and working hard on a draft of Be(Longing). This small segment is part of a subplot that I think I’m going to put in. Gives Dylan more reason to work hard at achieving his dreams as a musician.

Word Count: 300

###

Sandra swallowed and pursed her lips. “Yes,” she said after a moment. “But you have to understand. I’m barely surviving. We haven’t seen Dale in years. He left me with a handicapped child, working two jobs.” She gestured at Dylan, who sat slightly behind her, his hands in his lap. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. By this time, he knew his part. This was not the first time his mother had used him to try to get strangers to take pity on her.

It was working too. Dylan watched as the man cast his eyes towards him. The man began to shift from foot to foot, as though suddenly acutely aware of standing and how much he liked being able to do it.

“We’ve got to get that money recouped,” the man said in a much softer voice than before.

“I understand,” Sandra said. “Just please understand our situation and give us some time to work this all out.”

Again the man’s eyes went to Dylan. “Sure, sure,” he said, trying to give a warm smile, but only succeeding in looking like he was being strangled.

Dylan couldn’t help squirming in his chair. The edge of his t-shirt felt too tight against his neck and he felt hot. He didn’t want to do this anymore. He had never wanted to do it. He hated that it was so easy to play on people’s fears about being like him. How horrible it must be.

People should want to be like him, not be terrified of it. As he pushed back out into the parking lot, the cold night air a blessed relief in his lungs and on his skin, he resolved that he wouldn’t do this again. He’d find a better way to help his mother.