Georgina the Great

Introduction: Welcome and please enjoy. Georgina the Great (possible final title) is a fiction chapter book that I have been working on for quite some time and it is in its final chapters. I would love to sample this work here and allow you great folk to give some feedback! If you love the chapter one teaser don't be shy I will only release more of Georgina if you like it. Show some love and help me discover if readers like the characters.

Georgina The Great

by: Elijah Davis

Chapter One Teaser

“Georgina! I love your hair! Are you ready to go to the commencement? I cannot believe we are finally OUT of here! We did it girlie! I am so proud! I’ll save you a seat!” Gretchen yelled as she quickly bounced away, not giving me any time to answer.

Well, as you may guess I am Georgina, and that loud girl is my best friend Gretchen. For the past few years, we have been living and learning together. I honestly do not know if I would’ve made it through law school without her. Gretchen was several things I was not; she was optimistic, motivated, and most of all she knew how the next ten years of her life would play out. Gretchen would finish law school, she was going to get a job at the most prestigious law firm in New York, and within five years Gretchen would make partner. Then there is me, Georgina. I hate law, law school, and everything in between! You may be asking, “Well, if you hate law so much why are you in Law school gathering credentials to practice law?” Well, I’ll tell you a long story and allow you to deduce the answer yourself. It was six years ago; I secured a job at a local paper and publication. I remember how excited I got when a random internship at the publication house in my hometown had alerted me to my dream job. There was a division within this publication that printed and published all sorts of wildlife, nature, and travel lifestyle magazines. I’ll never forget when I was switched to be assistant to the editor of these travel magazines. The writers and photographers of this magazine were always out on assignment. The places the writers got to go, the trails, views, monuments, awoke something in me that I had never felt before. There was an article titled “Winter Wonderland” that really moved me. The writer wrote about the soft wet drops of snow melting in her hair and how the large trees against the snow-white backdrop made her feel like a tiny particle in a vast universe! After reading that line, I made up my mind that I would be a writer for this publication, and I would write articles that inspire young women to find the truth. That us and our problems are just tiny particles compared to our vast beautiful universe. Every day for the next two months I was the first person in the office and the last to leave. I was obsessed. I knew that if I could become knowledgeable about every aspect of the magazine, then after graduation I would surely have a career in writing. At the end of that summer, I made my desires known to the editor and was able to secure a verbal agreement to be hired after graduation. I went into my last year of school thrilled to have a way out of my parent's completely unrealistic expectations. My dad always thought I would become a lawyer just like him and my mother had hoped I would become a doctor just like her. That is right, my father George was a lawyer married to a doctor. Both accomplished people of color. My father prided himself on being a real-life Anderson. I was the only child of this Doctor and Lawyer, and I felt the pressure every day of my life. Good behavior, good grades, perfect attendance, and good attitude was the theme song of my life. That is why that day after the promise of a new career I was feeling so light! The weight of expectations had finally been lifted. I would be a writer! I could hardly wait to tell my parents that after graduation I had my own plans and would not be following in either of their footsteps. I would blaze my own trail and travel to places most had never traveled! It is not an exaggeration to say that the moments right after I had unloaded the truth to my parents were the best of my life! I still remember the look on my fathers’ face! “A writer?” he asks. “That’s not a career. I always thought you would be a lawyer or doctor!” it was that phrase “I always thought” or “we always thought…” that had ruled my entire life. Growing up it was the answer I heard anytime I wanted to try something outside of my parent's laid-out plans. I was six when I told my parents I wanted to be a ballerina. “We always thought you would play basketball like me, or volleyball like your mom.” dad responded. The next season I was playing basketball, and I have been playing ever since. The day I looked at my parents and told them my plans to be a writer I had been playing college basketball for three years. That day, the day the magazine editor had promised me a job at the magazine after graduation was the day that I finally became my own woman. Finally, what my parents wanted, and thought did not matter. I had made my own way and had my own plan! Three weeks later I left for the last year of my degree and for what I thought would be my last year of college. The year went great. It was amazing! I felt confident in my journey. A new girl had transferred to our school to play basketball. That girl would become my best friend Gretchen. She lived with me and helped take our team to the national championship! We cut down the nets that year and the women's basketball team made our school proud. It was the best year of my academic life. Honestly, for the first time, I did not feel like a fraud or a pretender. For the first time, I was actually happy! Of course, I should have known it was too good to be true, but I was busy soaking in what felt like perfection. It seems to me now that the cosmos caught hold of my undeserved happiness and decided to bring my life back to a harsh reality. Just before my seemingly perfect year ended, I got an unexpected call from the editor of that life and travel magazine. The news she shared over the phone shattered my reality and broke my heart. The publication house that was the parent company of Lifestyle and Travel magazine had been bought out and all personnel and staff had been rearranged and or fired. She no longer had the ability to honor our arrangement. She truly seemed apologetic, unlike the letter that followed soon after from the new owners once again giving me the news that I did not have a position at the end of the school year like expected.

Every day after felt like a waking nightmare. I remember feeling like such a failure. Despite the successful year, I had. It was like at that moment the world showed me who and what I was. I did not like my reflection, I was scared, insecure, and I was lost. I would only admit this to myself while I went back to pretending. At the time I was living with Gretchen and with graduation, right around the corner, everyone was asking us about our future. Of course, Gretchen had her plans, they had never changed. At first, I was envious of her rattling off the same story I had heard since the beginning of the year, “Law school, Law firm, and make partner.” Then the question would be asked of me. I would stumble through my answer. I am sure it made people wonder how we were best friends. I began to feel less motivated, less successful, and even less attractive compared to Gretchen. All of this was just my way of isolating myself from any reminders of my slipped dreams of being a writer. Only Gretchen and my parents had known about my lost career at the lifestyle and travel magazine. My parents were happy to remind me that it just was not in the cards for me and that I already had a plan, so they suggested I stay the course. At the time it seemed as if things were wrapping up for me while they were just beginning to start for Gretchen.

It all changed when Gretchen found out I had been accepted into her choice law school. It was the day and conversation that may allow you to deduce the answer to the question previously asked, “if you hate law school so much Georgina…” On the day my acceptance letter arrived, I had been in the gym. However, Gretchen was there to retrieve the mail. I never genuinely loved basketball, as you recall I wanted to be a ballerina, but you may also recall I only had two choices, basketball, or volleyball. At the wise age of six, I decided volleyball shorts looked uncomfortable and would make me cold when it came time to just sit on the bench and daydream of dancing. I chose to play basketball because they offered long sleeves and I figured I would just stay on the bench and be warm. I wish I would have known that daydreaming was not going to be an option. Choosing basketball meant dad would be my primary coach and my mom secondary. Had I chosen volleyball my mom would be the primary coach while dad played the supportive role. Either way, it seemed I was destined to spend most of my free time with both of my parents cultivating my skills in the gym. No bench time. All these years later I still would not say I’m in love with the game. Basketball taught me a lot, kept me close to my parents, gave me my best friend, and a love for training and sweat. That is why I was in the gym playing pick-up basketball for hours the day Gretchen found my acceptance letter. I felt better after my sweat session and was ready to figure out my life. I was thinking about the possibility of even coaching basketball. It did not feel like my destiny, but it did not make me want to vomit, or panic like the thought of being a lawyer or doctor did. When I pulled up to our place that day, I saw the blinds shift so I knew Gretchen had been waiting for me. I’ll save you the play-by-play because Gretchen can be a gal with a lot to say when she gets hyped up! Fast-forwarding to the end of the conversation that will once and for all answer your question. After almost an hour of begging, Gretchen concluded “Come ‘on Georgina! Let’s go to law school together, it will be so much fun, and I need my best friend! It’s like destiny!”

So, my plans to work as a writer at lifestyle and travel magazine fell through, and this opportunity was right in front of my face along with my best friend. With little time to decide what to do and needing funds for another home, I told Gretchen I would go with her. So, in conclusion, I was in law school because my best friend would be there. After all, it would be “fun”.

Who could blame me? It was the perfect and only solution to my problem. Gretchen was motivated and I mean REALLY motivated. Every morning before brushing her teeth she would proclaim her goals in the mirror out loud. After living with her for a year I had almost tied myself to her and her dreams. Again, it seemed perfect. After all, I did apply to the school and told my dad about it just to get him off my back. At this point, I would like to say two things. First, I would like to tell you that I love my mom and dad very much with all my heart and I am thankful for all that they have done for me. Second, I must apologize to you because I do not wish to waste any extra time on my parents, or my past. I wish to use this time at the cabin to tell you my story. Since this is my story and I am a girl who loves to focus on the present, not the past, please forgive the brief flashbacks. I find it tiresome to dwell in the past and I only want to give you the necessary background to catch you up to speed on why and how I find myself in a cabin alone far from other humans at the ripe age of 26 years old. The past 8 years of being an adult had not felt that liberating, even though I had acquired several new privileges! Leaving home, going to college, it still seemed like they had a hold on me and my life from thousands of miles away. Ever since I could remember my parents had this way of pretending to give me options but truly staying completely in control of my life. As you may remember with how I became a basketball player I could try out basketball and volleyball and then I would get to choose. I told you earlier I chose to daydream about being a ballerina in the basketball long sleeves. Well, that was how it happened with sports when I was a little girl. As I grew older more of my parent's plans for me began to be exposed and it was quite sinister. Again, my parents seem to give me options; basketball or volleyball; but stayed truly in control by withholding the option of ballet. Please remember earlier when I told you how much I love my parents and don’t enjoy dwelling on the past before I continue. For you to understand me I must speak honestly about how I came to apply to Gretchen’s dream law school. This isn’t really about the day I submitted my application, oh no this click of a button goes way back. It says something to consider that before my mom had me 26 years ago, I would wager that my life was already being planned before then in the mind of my father. I did not know my father then and now that I have existed for over 26 years what I know about him is a shortlist, but I wish to share what I know of this man’s life. My father’s name is George. He was raised by a single mother who was always working. My father spent his days alone watching tv after school waiting for his mom to get home, and when she did, they would eat dinner together. He was happy, he loved his mom, and he enjoyed his everyday routine, tv watching in which he could watch movies and tv for hours. His favorite show was the Anderson show, which starred a black family. The dad was a lawyer, and the mom was a doctor. They lived in a nice home and had three kids. When my dad was 11 on a Saturday his mom woke him up to gift him a basketball, walked him to the park, and told him to be back by dark. I know this story well. He said it was the best day of his young life. The story continues that my dad had a great day and he planned to be the best player at the park and to always win. Things changed for my dad that day after school he played till he saw my grandma and then they had dinner. He mentions that grandma and he discussed his plans to win state and play college every night after that day she bought the ball! He says every day with her was the best, which made me jealous because I never got to meet her. Dad’s senior year in college his mom died. I was born 10 years later. By the time I was born my dad was a lawyer, he had married a doctor, and he had a nice large home. My dad had planned for a boy named George Jr but had to settle for me, Georgina. When I was young my dad would share about his childhood with his mom, basketball stories, college stories, and those college stories were the best! As I grew older my dad told me fewer stories and began to tell me more of his plans. My parents continued trying to have kids, for several years after I was born without success! Soon they gave up and Dad's plans changed. He switched from a civil rights lawyer to a corporate lawyer when I was 12 to make more time and money for my basketball training. I understood that my dad had sacrificed his plans for me and now our plans were all that mattered to him. I could not articulate it when I was young, but I felt bad for my dad. When his mom was alive, and he had basketball I felt that he was the happiest. When she passed and he stopped playing I felt he lost the joy of his life. When George jr. turned into Georgina lost a little joy there too. When he and my mom stopped trying for more kids, he lost even more joy, then after the career change, I felt he had no joy left. That is the day when I felt responsible to make my dad happy and he was always happiest when his plans came to fruition. That meant I had to win. I had to get straight A’s, I had to have a good attitude, and I had to completely let go of my dreams of being a ballerina. I realized dad had sacrificed so much for me that if I could make his plans for me come true, that would somehow make up for me not being George Jr. So, I applied to Gretchen’s school in the same spirit. The plan was to do research and prepare applications to the best civil rights law schools and make my choice. The day my Dad asked me my choice I spewed out Gretchen’s dream law school because I had heard it from her that very morning. It was my saving grace. I could not have named another school because I had not done my research.

TO BE CONTINUED. Hope you enjoyed GEORGINA THE GREAT, remember if you want to read more tip, comment, and share. The books with the most hype I will release more of.