I love a good writing prompt. Every 2 weeks I give myself the challenge to grab a writing prompt online that sparks an idea and try to write a piece of fiction from the prompt in and around 500 words.

Here’s my latest attempt! Enjoy 🙂

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WRITING PROMPT:
Set your story in New York, where someone’s been waiting for your character.

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Rai & Lily
Written by Jess Knaus

‘Let’s meet at Shake Shack around 4pm, yeah? Better run, see you later.’

The library was filled with warm light, draping study groups in the armchairs by the window with a warm glow. The crisp shhhh of book pages turning lulled Rai into a calm while she studied, attempting to complete the most impossible assignment for her jurisprudence class. 

Lilly had been her friend since their first psychology tutorial – their tutor had the most indecipherable pronunciation and sitting side by side they both giggled behind their hands.

‘How the heck are we supposed to pass that class? I can’t even understand the guy!’

Somehow they had passed, aligning their classes after that so at least they could wade through their immense workloads shoulder to shoulder.

They were only a few months away from graduating now, and having both worked within local law firms in Manhattan as cadets, they were preparing to find real jobs to start in the new year.

‘Sidley & Turner?’

‘Mason & Lee?’

‘Peterson & Naylor?’

‘Why are these law firm names so freakin boring?’

They laughed tears into their eyes as they threw new firm name ideas at each other across the table:

‘Peaches & Cream’

‘Bonnie & Clyde’s’

‘Milk & Cookies’

Rai packed her things into her backpack, walking out of the library onto the sun-drenched steps. She made her way to the subway, weaving past slow walkers, dropping beneath the road into the busy underground station.

She hopped off the train and ascended to the street, the Flatiron Building holding its usual place like a statue. The plaza was crawling with tourists while a few mounted police officers wandered across the street slowly.

Her shoes crunched the gravel as she walked across the park, past the fountain over to Shake Shack, hoping to catch sight of her friend. But she couldn’t see her. She mustn’t have arrived.

She parked herself at a table, placing her backpack on the seat next to her. She pulled her phone out and unlocked it, opening up a new message with Lilly.

‘Just grabbed a table.’

She was approached by someone who from the corner of her eye was not instantly recogniseable. But the voice she heard was warm and familiar.

‘Hey Rai Rai.’

Rai looked up. It was Lilly, and she was bald. She’d shaved her head.

‘Woahhh!’ Rai gasped.

Rai could hardly speak – she was just taking it all in. Her head was so…naked.

‘What…what happened?’ she asked with a laugh.

Lilly laughed back.

‘Haha Rai I shaved it myself!’

Rai paused before blurting out a surprised, ‘oh!’.

Rai stood up to embrace her, pushing them into a swaying step left, right, left, right as they squeezed tight.

‘I love it’.

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Check out more of my written work on my blog.