Boasting of Humility

Like you, my parents taught me not to brag and boast. That is why I am not going to mention that I just took first place in the League of Utah Writers annual writing contest in the Young Adult category. It’s very unbecoming to sing your own praises like that and not something I would ever do.

Ooops, how did that picture of my first place certificate get there?

In celebration of my humility, I will post a page a day of my winning first chapter over the course of the next week. Here’s the first page:

Paul, Big and Small

When I first met Lily, she burped in my face. We were only seven at the time, but it was still disgusting. I remember closing my eyes as if that might somehow protect me from the warm, moist air that erupted from her stomach spilling the smell of peanut butter and Fritos over me. I was trying to get a drink from the drinking fountain at a small park near my house. I thought she looked suspicious because she appeared to be trying too hard to look casual with her arms folded and legs crossed leaning against the cinderblock wall of the restrooms and staring off into the sky. Plus, all her friends were nearby giggling into their sleeves. I knew something was going on, but I walked up to get a drink anyway. I think I was a little curious and, I have to admit, it’s not so bad being the victim of a girl’s prank if she’s cute enough, and Lily was pretty cute. Just before I got to the drinking fountain, she cut me off, leaned over, and took a big drink.  

I thought, That’s not so bad. Why’s everyone giggling if that’s all she was going to do? Then she lifted her head up from the fountain and leaned toward my face. For a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me and I was sort of thrilled and terrified at the same time. Then, only an inch from my lips, she let out a deep, gaseous belch. Her friends burst into an explosion of laughter and Lily just stood there and smirked at me. I tried to pretend that it didn’t bother me in the slightest and gave her what I hoped was a bored, “you’re-so-immature” expression. She was standing in my way so I said, “Excuse me, I’d like to get a drink.” For a moment she didn’t move. She folded her arms and continued to smirk at me while her friends started laughing even harder. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Should I push her out of the way? Should I turn and walk off? I didn’t want to look like a sissy, but she was taller than me and if she punched as hard as she burped, I was really in for it. Just before I decided to walk off, she stepped aside. 

As I was drinking she asked, “What’s your name?”  

“Paul. What’s your name?” 

“Lily,” she said.  

I looked up into her face. The first thing I noticed was her huge smile because she didn’t have either of her two front teeth. Just glistening pink gums where they should have been. The second thing I noticed was that she had a mole on the side of her chin. Not a huge mole, but a normal looking little mole. The reason I noticed it was because I was afraid of moles. My mother had a mole on her back that turned out to be cancerous. 

“Is that a mole?” I asked pointing to her chin. Her friends quit laughing and watched. 

Her hand went to her chin and her smile vanished. “Yeah, so?” 

“Is it cancerous?” 

“What’s cancerous mean?” she asked. She sounded mad. I don’t think she liked me pointing out her mole and I don’t think she liked me knowing a word she didn’t. 

I stepped back and said, “It means you could die from it.” 

“You can’t die from a mole,” she said. 

“Yes you can. My mom did.”  

Her expression made me step back again. “No, you can’t,” she said. She was mad for sure now. Her hands became fists. 

I knew I should shut up, but it was true and she had a mole and she might have cancer and she needed to know that. They said my mom might have been fine if she had known about the cancer sooner. I said, “It’s true and you could have cancer and you could die.”  

Then she punched me in the face.

I'll post page two tomorrow.