Warm Fuzzies 3

The blogfest continues over at Juliana's blog. This week's challenge is all about character arc.

"There’s something spectacular about the trauma main characters go through and the way they manage to come out on the other side healed. Sometimes, I wish I could experience a complete character arch like that, but in reality, being an MC would be awful.

This week, take a moment to look at the trouble you get your MC into. How do you kick them while they’re down? Without revealing too many secrets about your WIP- take us through your MC’s arch.

The challenge for this week is to visit as many blogs as you can and based on their exerpt/summary, come up with a title for their WIP. Your title can be funny or serious, whatever you’d like."

So, here goes....

My MC starts off the book shy and kind of blending into the background. She tries to stay under the radar, letting her more outgoing brother and sister take the limelight at home, and her vivacious friends everywhere else.

Here are a few lines to demonstrate her arc...

The telephone on the table beside me rang, making me jump. I reached out to pick it up. My hand sank into the leaping orange flames that shot up with each electronic bray. The color was so intense I could taste the heat and for a moment the sensory overload was so great, I couldn’t even move to pick up the receiver. Hannah did, and handed it to me. It was a surprise when it wasn’t hot.

On Monday, I stepped into the lunchroom with caution, eyes scanning the crowd. There. Hannah sat at our usual table, Sam’s head bent toward hers. I started in that direction, stopping when I realized Mel was at the same table, across from Hannah, her hand nestled into Eddie’s. As I watched, Eddie raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. I guessed the weekend went well for both of them. I headed toward them, stopping when I realized there wasn’t a seat saved for me. A sick feeling punched my gut and I turned, my backpack twisting with momentum behind me. The swinging doors whapped open and shut as I hurried out.

Bianca bent her head and her lips settled upon mine. They were warm and soft, slippery with lipstick. I shivered and pressed my own lips more firmly agains hers. Her mouth opened a little, and I followed, admitting her inquisitive tongue. It tickled mine, darting in and out, waltzing across my tastebuds. The flavor of wine, exotic and sour at the same time, flooded my mouth.

“Oh! There….” A voice speared into my consciousness. A familiar voice. Hannah’s voice. It made no sense for a second, and I thought I must be imagining it. Bianca’s weight jerked away from me. I opened my eyes and found Hannah in the doorway, staring at me.

Bianca peered at the tickets, reached over and fingered one, then looked at me with questions in her eyes. “I thought you…”

“I know.” I cut her off. “I know what I said. But I walked past the table, and I just really wanted to go with you. So I bought them. I wanted to surprise you. Ummmm…Surprise?”

The music changed. The anthemic rhythm grew softer, the notes melodious as they drifted around me. Pastel colors threaded their way between Bianca and me. I drew her closer, my arms around her waist as we swayed with the rhythm. My head rested on her chest and I could hear the slow heavy beat of her heart. My own heart soared. This was heaven. Nothing had prepared me for the perfection of this moment.

Now, can you think of a title for this story??? Pretend like you don't already know what it's called if you're a regular follower...