GUTTER GIRL

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Jace

"Twenty-five chapters," I said as I pressed publish.

That was enough to be considered for the Scribbles Award for Fantasy Romance category. Winning a Scribby was a huge honor.

I had about fifteen chapters or so left to post, depending on how it all shook out. Here I thought I'd had the whole story mapped out, but things were changing. The characters were evolving.

Especially Masrin.

I glanced at my character corkboard where all my notecards with character pictures and descriptions were tacked. Normally it was stored in my closet when I wasn't writing, but I dragged it out to give it another look.

McKenna's yearbook picture was taped to Masrin's card. The evil Masrin. I'd put her picture there because of her darkness, her standoffishness along with the dark clothes, nails, and Goth look, but now...as I got to know her a little, it didn't fit the card anymore.

There was a lot more to McKenna Storm than met the eye and I kind of wanted to keep figuring her out. I leaned back in my desk chair and clasped my hands behind my head, staring at my board.

Sitting beside her at the abandoned schoolhouse flashed through my mind. Her soft hand in mine. The subtle smile that curved her full lips. It was like my own personal smile. One only I got to see. An image of me kissing those lips ignited in my mind and a streak of heat shot down my spine.

McKenna Storm, what are you doing to me?

I shook my head and checked the time on my phone.

I had about thirty minutes to get to school, but now was when the house was quiet. Mom had gotten back from her shift, said, "Hey," then went to bed. Dad had taken Lily to school so it was peaceful around here for once. Nobody in here, no dad asking me about college applications, no Lily climbing all over me... Nice and quiet.

Speaking of which. I clicked on my browser and pulled up an application to the University of Minnesota. I didn't have any intention of going there, but the application would get Dad off my back for a week or two.

I was still leaning toward UW-Parkside, since they had a D2 football team and a creative writing program. I had a few months to man up and tell Dad I wanted nothing to do with the future he had planned for me.

Maybe if I won a Scribby, I'd tell him. Show him that I really did have potential in the writing world.

I finished the application while I downed some cereal and a protein shake. Five minutes to spare before I had to hop in the car.

My phone vibrated consecutively about five times in a row, each notification from Scribbles.

Sweet. People were probably eating up that chapter I'd posted. Comments had been ragging on me that the readers didn't like having to wait for Wednesdays to read the next chapter. But that was the fun of it. One chapter, each Wednesday.

Plus it gave me more time to fine-tune the plot and the characters' arcs.

Hanging with McKenna on Saturday at the abandoned school had really helped with the story. She had great ideas with the dragon and we even hit on adding some trolls and hellhounds. I couldn't wait to hear what people thought of the evil birds scoping out the fallen kingdom's whereabouts. That was genius. She'd brought up the scene at the end of the first Hunger Games movie. I'd read the books, but it had been a while. What about how those dogs are placed in the game to draw everyone together? she'd asked. You should add something similar, but with another goal in mind. If they're looking for the fallen kingdom, the stakes would go way up. Damn if this girl wasn't a freaking genius!