NaNoWriMo 11/18/o5

Okay so I didn’t get much done yesterday and I celebrated instead. I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night! It was awesome. Yes I know, I’m a nerd. It’s okay though because I embrace my nerdiness.

Word Count; 603

Words Left; 24,197

Words Written; 25,803

Days Left; 12

Excerpt;
(Some explanation. Ellen has one more chance to get out of the speakeasy business. She dances for the boss, finds out she will be expected to do some “favors” for high end customers, and decides to leave. Not sure how explicit the favors are going to be, but she’s uncomfortable. She ends up going to her sister’s house because it is the only place she can think of going. This is the next morning.)

“So Ellen, what has been going on your life lately?” John set down his paper and gave Ellen a stern look. He obviously felt that he needed to play the father figure in this situation and that Ellen was up to no good.
“Things have been a little crazy. I thought I had a new job, but it fell through. I didn’t really know what the job entailed when I started.”
“Why did you just leave Ilene’s? She was so shocked. We were all a little worried.” Mary piped up from the kitchen.
“I’m not entirely sure. I just felt it was time I moved out and felt that I needed some time on my own. I was going to contact her when I felt more settled.”
“She didn’t think you were going to contact her again. We worried you’d gotten involved with some sort of crime scene. There are more and more bootleggers out their now it’s scary.” Ellen’s shoulders tensed up slightly. How did Mary guess so right on? Ellen never felt that Mary understood her very well, but obviously she was aware of what was going on out in the world.
“I would never do something like that Mary. Have I ever seemed the type to hit the crime scene?”
“No, but you didn’t seem the type to run off without contact information or leave a date without saying goodbye.” How had she found out so much in only a few days? Ellen felt like a little kid again trying to dodge accusations.
“What was your new job?” John asked.
“I was working at a dinner. You know waiting tables. Another waitress said I could stay with her and that would be fine.”
“You cut your hair when did you do that?” Mary asked.
“A few days ago. I’m not going to stay here long, I’ll be trying to get a new job. Maybe I could stay with Ilene for a little while again.”
“Ilene is moving out.” There was a silence. Mary never knew anything that was going on in Ellen’s life. How had she all of a sudden known so much and Ellen know so little.
“Why is that?”
“David and Ilene are going to get married.”
“What? She just met David.”
“Sometimes when you meet someone and instead of leaving them at the place you are enjoying desert, you stick around and you find out that you like them. You know James is a great guy. John occasionally sees him through work. You should really give men a chance. Being an independent woman is important, but finding someone to share your life with is important too.” Here it came, the same lecture that Ellen had been getting since she had decided to go to school. Mary had never fully approved of Ellen spending her inheritance on tuition. Ellen still stood that it was what their parents would have wanted.
“Mary, save the lecture please. I’ve heard it before.”
“I just think that…”
“Mary! You’re burning the bacon.” Ellen secretly thanked John for distracting her sister. “Great! Now what am I going to do. I can’t eat this. You are always messing things up like this!” John threw the paper down on the table and got up to leave. Obviously burned bacon meant that he wasn’t going to eat before work. His raised voice had silenced the previously gleeful children. Mary just stared at the bacon as got even darker.
“Now look what you made me do, Ellen,” she whispered through gritted teeth. Ellen just stood their as if she was made of stone with eyes wide. She wasn’t sure what to do.
“I’m sorry Mary.” Ellen lightly touched her shoulder and Mary dissolved into tears.
“Just leave me alone.”
“Mary, you obviously need-“
“I don’t need anything! All I need is to be left alone.” Ellen scuttled back to the bedroom she had stayed in. John wasn’t the only one going without breakfast.