Writing Creative Writing

[Omar Harris]

This is a story I had to write for my college creative writing course. Enjoy:


Mike Green sat on his bed, holding his cell phone to his ear. His friend, James was on the other line chatting away. ?So have you thought about it yet?? said James.
?Thought about what?? Mike replied back.
?You and Maria.? Mike stopped for a moment to think. For the last few weeks of the school year he had been trying to ask out Maria Gomez, the daughter of the owner of the local convenience store. She was everything Mike wanted in a girl; beautiful, smart, and wit a great personality. Her black hair was as dark as the flowing river of space itself, and her brown eyes looked as if some higher power had planted the finest stones within her head.
?I have, I guess.? He finally replied.
?You guess!? You guess!? Geez man, what are we gonna do with you? Remember what she said after the game last week? And I quote ?You looked great out on the floor. I?ve never seen some one as impressive as you.? Take it from me: She?s interested.?
?This coming from the raging homosexual of Lincoln High.?
?Whatever do you mean?? said James with an obvious hint of sarcasm in his voice. ?Hey at least I have someone for the Homecoming. Can?t say the same about a certain someone.? The Mike let out a small laugh, nothing hearty, but merely playful at most. As he and James went silent, he heard the sound of a car pulling out of the family driveway. He looked out the window to see his father, dressed in full mechanic gear, heading off to wherever it is where guys go to work on car, drink themselves dead and escape the ?women folk.?
?The enemy is officially out of range.? He said softly.
?What?? replied James.
?Nothing. My dad?s just left, as usual. And today I am officially bored with life.?
?Well find something to do. Damn, do I have to teach you everything? She?s at the store, working for her dad today. Hint, hint, wink, wink.?
You don?t draw me a map. I?m going.? He wanted to lift himself off the bed, but lethargy had other plans. ?As soon?as I getup.?
?Lazy sack of??
?Shut up.? Said Mike. ?I?ll get up; soon enough.?
?Yeah, whatever. You better hurry. She?s not going to wait on you forever.?
?How many times have I heard that? I?ll see you tomorrow. Five bucks says she on my arm by Friday?s game.? Said Mike, projecting his occasional flare of playful overconfidence.
?Chump change. Make it twenty.? Said James, projecting his own, reactionary arrogance.
?If, I had that much you think I?d waste it on you. I got to go.?
?Alright. See you tomorrow then.?

Mike finally sat up, releasing a sigh of boredom. He stared into the mirror for some time. He was not handsome, but not exactly ugly, by definition anyway. He was a fair looking young man, semi-attractive in his appearance. If he paid closer attention to said appearance he would probably be the talk of all of Lincoln High School.
He is African American, with the typical brown eyes, medium skin tone, and a limited amount of black hair atop his nearly skin-shaved head. On any other day, Mike would find something to do with his time. His parents rarely get along, especially due to his father?s own over-bearing, male chauvinistic attitude. ?I work all damn day; bring home enough to keep us going just for the month. The least you could do is having me a damn meal fixed.? His father would say.
?I don?t have time to worry about cleaning the house, doing the laundry and takin? care a you and the kids whenever you want me to.? His mother would reply back. Needless to say, they almost never talk or hung around each other, except for that one time three years ago?
Crying could be heard downstairs. Mike?s three-year-old brother, Rob, had obviously gotten into something else. Mike wondered what it was this time: hand on the lit stove eyes, bitten by the sleeping and angry dog next door, stung by a bee. Trouble always had a companion in little Rob.
As the smell of fried pork chops and collared greens floated to Mike?s nose, he decided to leave the house before it got too late to do anything of use. He walked out the door and descended down to the kitchen. ?Mom, I?m going out.? He said as he noticed his mother, in her usual jeans and t-shirt, trying to stop Robbie?s crying. Mike thought back to the invisible tally in his head. ?Stove top. Second time this month.?
?Where you going?? his mother asked him.
?Just for a walk.?
?Alright, be back before dark at least.? He left out of the house and traveled through his neighborhood, noticing such ?fine? details as the graphiti on the fences.
He arrived at Martin Luther King Avenue, to find the ?Quick Stop? convenience store and went inside. As James had predicted, Maria was working behind the counter lovely as ever. He thought for a moment about what to say to her. First he thought about being cool, like the rappers on BET, but he knew she wasn?t into that type of guy.
?Hey Mike.? She said. He walked over to the counter and laid across it with his arms crossed in front of him. ?Hey, I was just??
??gonna get off my counter. I just washed that.?
?Oh sorry.? He couldn?t help but stare at him and his mind began to wonder off again. Maria, will you go out with me. He thought to himself. Just as simple as that right? Right?
He couldn?t help himself and just froze the entire moment. ?Were you gonna get something?? Maria said.
?oh, uh, yeah.? He went down the aisle, picking up a bag of BBQ chips and a cream soda and put them on the counter. ?This is all.?
?Lets see, fat, fat, fat and fat. Oh wait, lotsa calories, yum.? She said jokingly, looking at the labels. ?Lighten up. I?m just kidding. You need it to be a big stwong athlete right??
?Uh.. yeah. I was thinking?uh?well.?
?What??
?Never mind.?
?OK. Paper or plastic.?
He walked out the store with his head held in utter shame. Never Mind!? Never mind!? You waited all day and all you could say was never mind!? He thought to himself. However, he in his self tirade he failed to notice another young black man, wearing his hair in dreadlock, walking in front of him.
?Man, watch where you going.?
?Sorry man.? The two walked off in their separate ways

Late that night, Mike sat in his room, trying to practice what he would say to win Maria over. No matter what he did though, he doubted himself and tried to figure out some other way of accomplishing the task. It seemed everything was easier when it was said on TV.
He sat on his bed and turned on the TV, deciding to have something to take his mind off his recent failures. As he flipped through channels he stopped to notice something that caught his eye. A news crew stood on what looked to be Martin Luther King Street.
The reporter stood in front of the Quick Stop while the cameraman panned over the scenery to show a broken down door. On the corner of the building, Maria?s parents could be seen, her mother?s eyes full of tears, while Maria?s father comforted her.
Out of the front door appeared a duo of police officers, straight faced as ever, carrying a man, the same man Mike ran into on the streets, in front of them in handcuffs. And following behind were a medical team, with a stretcher, covered by a blood drenched sheet. Mike dropped his remote and sat staring at the TV in awe and knew that he could try to make his pickup lines, but no matter what happened, Maria would never be seen again.

[Vegitto4]

Wow. That was well done. I think the ending could have drawn out a bit, but I liked it. Kept me interested. Once I read him bumping into the guy, and him turning on the TV, I knew that she was either robbed, or killed. One of the two. It was a good read though.