When your main character helps to make your day – SOLSC Day #15

What a morning!  Every so often, my main character’s actions help to make my day.  This morning, Griffon, the main character of the story that I’m writing, finally has something good happen to him.  An author once told my class and I, “You have to thrown your main character into the fire.”  Poor Griffon has been in the fire since the start.  Until this morning.:)

Here is an excerpt:

The latch of the locker is loose.  Someone’s been in my locker.  Again.  I slowly open the door and find an envelope attached to the top shelf.  Griffon Evans is scrawled across the front.

I pull it down, look around to make sure that no one is paying attention to me, and I open it carefully.  Stevie and Max are still gathering up their stuff, so I place the letter on the top shelf until they leave.  By the time I am dressed, the locker room is nearly empty and coach’s door is still open.

I pull it off the shelf and read it:

Griffon Evans,

I’m inviting you to come up to varsity and join the team for the playoffs.  You’ve been playing good hockey and you’ll fit in perfectly in the second offensive line.

Come see me in the morning!

Coach Miller

This is the last thing that I expected.  Am I ready to play varsity?  Did anyone else get asked?  I wonder if Coach knows?  I pack up my skates, grab my stick and the letter, and head to coach’s office.

I knock on coach’s door as I walk in and hold up the letter.

“Coach Miller’s a traditionalist.  Always puts it in writing and seals it with a handshake.” Coach says as he leans back in his chair.

“Any advice?”

“Yeah, enjoy it!  He thinks the team is going to make a state championship run.  If he didn’t need you, he wouldn’t have asked.”

“How long have you’ve known?”

Coach gets up, comes around from behind his desk, and shakes my hand.  “I’ve known all season.  Griff, you are good.  You are the best hockey player I’ve coached since coaching your brother.  I can’t wait until you realize it.” He pats my back, grabs his coat, and leaves the office.

I place the letter on the desk and sit in the chair in front of the desk.  I take a deep breath. Lay my head back on the chair and smile the biggest smile that I can remember smiling in two years.  Varsity hockey.