2016 – Day 31

Start writing a story that...

Step 1: Takes place: in a big city

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Dana sat at a small table along the back wall of the city's hot new restaurant. The bar area to her right was two-deep with people calling out drink orders and reaching over each other to get the bartender's attention. The rest of the room was filled with tables and booths overflowing with diners. The majority of people in the room were students at the university, and Dana recognized several classmates two tables away from where she sat.

"Can I get you anything else?" The waiter stood over her, glaring. She had only asked for coffee refills for the last hour as she stretched out her dinner.

"Could I have another refill?" she asked, pushing her coffee cup toward him.

He sighed loudly and left.

Dana couldn't afford to keep ordering food for hours, but she had learned that the only way to get into the restaurant was to get seated right at 6:00. The bouncers who only let in the beautiful people didn't show up until 7:00, and no one had reservations before 6:30, so she could get seated and then move toward the bar once things got busier. Except as much as she wanted to be part of the conversations, she felt anxious each time she made the smallest move to to talk with anyone.

The waiter returned with the coffee. As he refilled her cup, he placed the check on the table.

"Anytime you're ready," he said.

Dana knew her time had run out. She checked her phone. It was 8:00. She could sip the coffee for another 15 minutes, but then she'd have to leave or make her move toward the bar. She eyed the situation there now. There was a crowd of guys in polo shirts, laughing loudly and drinking beers. She guessed that they were part of some school team, though she never attended games and couldn't recognize any athletes if pressed. They weren't the crowd she was looking for.

Further down was a group of six guys and girls all talking together. The girls were seated on the bar stools and the guys stood closely behind them, their arms draped over their dates. At least one guy had his hand on the ass of the girl in front of him. There is no way to join a couples crowd as a single, Dana thought.

At the section of the bar near the front of the restaurant, across from the makeshift stage setup against the front window, sat yet another group. They wore flannel and skinny jeans and knit hats. They talked loudly and she saw piercings glisten as they light bounced off of their noses and cheeks whenever they leaned back to laugh. Dana assumed they were waiting for the band to begin playing. Maybe they were even friends with the band.

When she closed her eyes, Dana could picture herself with that crowd. They exuded a cool presence that Dana admired, and she desperately wanted to learn from them. Before school ended, before she was stuck living her adult life as the awkward, boring person she was now, she needed to take action. Gulping down the rest of her coffee, Dana put her money on the check, grabbed her things, and walked slowly toward the front of the bar.