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-> The Imamother Writing Club
Did you read Damsel in Distress on Imamother?
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Total Votes : 148 |
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amother
OP
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Wed, Dec 29 2021, 8:11 pm
reposting here for better read-ability.
[Chapter 3
Donny
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Donny held up his hands as if to shield himself from Eli’s displeasure which was literally emanating from his scowling face.
Eli lifted his hand and poked Donny in the chest, hard.
“Ow”, Donny said rubbing his chest with surprise and annoyance.
Eli cut him off with a glare and a mock whisper.
“How could you”, hissed Eli.
Donny inwardly rolled his eyes at his friend’s self righteousness.
“You mean, how could I jeopardize the study”, Donny asked callously?
“How could I risk putting ANOTHER 20 boys and another group of 20 girls through this misery”?
“What would have happened had they spotted me out there”, he continued, gaining momentum.
“Nothing would have happened, Eli!”
“We all know that. No one cares about this study”.
“And besides”, he said with a touch of bitterness. “We both know that while my father didn’t feel right bribing my way out of this study, the guards are well paid to look the other way when I don’t quite toe the line”.
As if to illustrate the point, Donny kicked his newly purchased shoes against the carpet. When he suddenly had another growth spurt three months into quarantine, he was secretly allowed to meet up with Mrs. Yates, who, while tut-tutting about how the family missed him, took stock of his growth and sent him an entire new wardrobe, including new shoes.
Donny looked up at Eli, who did not look one ounce calmer. In fact, he looked even more incensed.
“Do you think I care about being here”, said Eli?
Donny immediately thought of Chava, and Eli’s perpetual sleep talk of “cookies”, but chose wisely not to bring it up at this particular moment.
“Do you think I wouldn’t back you up for needing some fresh air”? Eli continued gravely.
“Then what’s your problem Eli” shot back Donny angrily.
“What you’re doing is against halacha”, yelled Eli. By now some of the other boys were stirring, and curious eyes were focusing in on Eli and Donny.
Donny felt his face go red. “What are you talking about”, he stammered. “I was just getting some fresh air”…
“There was a GIRL out there”, said Eli. A girl!
The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Donny decided to play it cool despite the butterflies permanently taking up residence in his stomach.
“Oh, yeah.” He said nonchalantly.
“I went out for some air and there was one of these girls exercising. I would have just left her to it but she got stuck so I helped her and then went inside”.
Eli was turning all shades of red, white and purple and back again, literally shaking.
“What about hilchos yichud”, he hissed?
“Do you want to destroy this girl’s future”. Eli yelled. He took a menacing step towards Donny.
“Rabbosai, calm down, calm down”, soothed the deep voice of Refael.
Almost immediately everyone sat up a bit straighter, and even Eli dropped his hands to his sides, fists still balled up in anger.
Refael was the unofficial “rav” among them, having received semicha and studied under a famous rabbi for some time. He was relied upon to be the calm voice of halacha and yashrus when things got heated between the boys.
Refael looked at Eli unfazed.
“Halachically, Donny did nothing wrong”. Rafael intoned, using the singsong lilt of gemara learning as he spoke.
“Since the guards or any of the 38 people behind the windows could have discovered them at any time, and they were clearly worried about that since they didn’t call for help when the girl got stuck, there was no issur yichud transgressed”.
Donny let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding.
“Awesome” said Donny. “Because there is a meteor shower Wednesday night…”
“Wait”, Rafael cut him off with a serious look.
“I think as a group we must all agree that having contact with the girls has to be entirely off limits for the duration of the lockdown, or we will all find ourselves on the wrong side of halacha. We can into this challenge intact, and we must leave intact”.
Donny felt his heart squeeze and crack a little, even as mentally he acknowledged that Rafael was right.
If there were no limitations and careful boundaries put in place, who knew what this experiment could make of 20 good yeshiva boys and 20 good yeshiva girls.
Eli, looking a lot calmer, pumped Donny’s hand in an exaggerated handshake as a display of reconciliation.
“look”, said Eli.
“I’m really sorry I misjudged you, it’s just I care about you”, he said sincerely.
Donny lifted his hands up in a mock bow and quickly grabbed Eli in a headlock.
As they wrestled and agreed to always look out for one another, Donny was already planning for Wednesday. He stood back, and with some satisfaction noted the warmth around his neck where the scarf was tied. He wasn’t sure he would ever take it off.
The week passed in a blur, until Wednesday evening when most of the boys had already fallen asleep. Donny looked around, stretched, and headed to the bathroom. He checked his reflection, pleased with what his saw, and headed to the exit.
He tried the door, but the handle seemed stuck.
He tried again.
He jiggeled it.
It just wasn’t moving.
He slowly began pushing against the door, finally calling to his roomataes and making quite a racket.
“Sorry, Donny”, said a voice he knew to be Eli’s.
“We can’t let you do this”.
Donny felt a mad wave of desperation pass through him.
“Eli! Open this door”. He managed.
“I’m really sorry Donny”, Eli said firmly. But once you stand her up then she won’t expect to see you anymore, and this will be over. You can explain what happened after the lockwodn is over and you can meet in a proper setting.
Donny didn’t even bother responding, just immediately proceeded to the window.
His friend had done a fine job. The window bars were secured in ways that would require either too much time or power tools in order to remove them.
Donny was vaguely aware of his friends commenting outside the door, but his head was entirely focused on one thing. How could he get a message to Kayla that he was not standing her up?
Donny willed himself not to panic. He felt the worries start swirling in his head.
What if she was the one?
What if everything was getting messed up?
What if she thought he was toying with her, or worse, setting her up to look stupid?
From his brief encounter with Kayla, he already got the feeling that she was nobody’s fool. She didn’t seem the type to give someone a second chance to make her feel small.
Donny reached deep. He took a few deep breaths. Hashem would help. Donny knew he was never alone.
He inhaled deeply.
He heard the tell-tale click-clack of Kayla’s heels moving up and down the fire escape. He knew the landings didn’t reach as high as the bathroom ledge, but he peered down. Sure enough he caught a glimpse of a giant fur, and smiled to himself as he recalled his initial fright, thinking there was an animal on the fire escape.
Donny closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
What was that sweet smell?
He looked around confused, then smiled as he saw the shampoo bottles. Aha!
Donny grabbed a bottle of the same shampoo he had poured over Kayla’a head just two nights earlier, and climber onto the tiny window ledge. Holding the bottle out the window, he slowly began pouring shampoo down, down past the ledge, until he heard it hit the stairwell.
This might actually work…
To be Continued…
size=18] [/size]
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Revafe
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Wed, Dec 29 2021, 8:19 pm
Love it love it!! More more!
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amother
Cognac
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Wed, Dec 29 2021, 10:20 pm
Awesome!
You’re very talented!!
Waiting anxiously for next chapter lol
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amother
SandyBrown
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Thu, Dec 30 2021, 8:48 am
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shanarishona
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Tue, Jan 04 2022, 10:29 pm
Loving it!!!
More please!
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amother
Whitesmoke
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Wed, Jan 05 2022, 4:26 am
Great spinoff! Please keep going!
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SYA
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Tue, Jan 11 2022, 8:55 pm
Bumping this.
OP, is there another chapter coming soon?
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shanarishona
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Tue, Jan 11 2022, 8:58 pm
Pretty please but no pressure
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amother
OP
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Tue, Jan 11 2022, 10:18 pm
Aw guys thanks for your support!!! I will buckle down and get you something!!
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a2z
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Sun, Jan 16 2022, 5:53 pm
Sorry for being a shnuk but I hope you verified the yichud thing right?
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amother
OP
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Sun, Jan 16 2022, 6:34 pm
a2z wrote: | Sorry for being a shnuk but I hope you verified the yichud thing right? |
Totally a great question! Yes I did no yichud on a fire escape when they were afraid the guards, the boys. Or the girls could catch them at any moment.
Sorry everyone -we’ve had a couple weeks of whatever was going around and I had no time to write. But the next chapter is planned in my head and I’ll get it to you!!
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Winterb
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Sun, Jan 16 2022, 7:11 pm
I was waiting for this! You didn’t disappoint. Thank you!!!
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amother
Mauve
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Sun, Jan 16 2022, 7:14 pm
Really enjoyed! Thank you for writing!
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amother
Glitter
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Mon, Jan 17 2022, 2:27 pm
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SYA
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Mon, Jan 24 2022, 2:17 pm
Bumping this thread. Any update coming soon?
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amother
Chestnut
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Wed, Feb 16 2022, 4:57 am
Bump. Any updates in the works?
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amother
Chestnut
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Sun, Mar 20 2022, 6:28 am
It’s been 2.5 months, OP. Any update soon?
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