Writing Workshop Assignment #2: Errands

This week's assignment: Two characters have known each other a long time. Your characters can be friends, a married couple, a father and son, any two characters. Decide which of the two is your protagonist.
- Have the protagonist reveal something about themselves to the other character, or vice versa.
- Have this new piece of knowledge cause some sort of conflict.
- Have your protagonist learn something new about THEMSELVES at the end.

I had guessed (correctly) that most people would be writing stories involving romantic couples, or proto-couples, and I had just written a story involving a husband and wife, so I avoided writing a story about a couple. My first instinct was to write a story about a 'master' who seemed to effortlessly perform his or her craft, revealing to a longtime fan that the sublime effects that he or she created were the result of some sort of trickery or behind-the-scenes work. The admirer would be let down that the performance wasn't, in some sense, "real." The master would not quite understand the conflict, believing that it was the effect achieved that was ultimately important. But I had trouble figuring out the specifics in a way that would work, so I decided to run with something different.

Errands

    “Hey, uh... thanks for the ride, man.”
    “No problem at all. I have something to do in the area, myself.”
    Harold entered Simon’s immaculate green Prius, a slightly clammy sensation coursing through his body. Harold half-swallowed before taking in a purposefully deep breath of air.
    It was times like this when Harold hated L.A. Everything you could ever want to do was right there... if you had a car. And, when Harold’s carburetor decided to shuffle off this mortal coil, he faced a week of begging and bumming rides from his buddies. Now, this was okay when it was something simple like a supermarket run, but he didn’t like the idea of people knowing where he was going from day to day, and really wished he could take today’s trip alone. And of all the people who might volunteer to take him there! Simon just had to step up.
    Now, Harold didn’t have anything against Simon; he considered Simon to be a pretty cool guy, all things considered. He even wrote reviews for a local alt-weekly... like, he was literally paid to be cool and above it all. Which was the problem.
    Harold’s eyes widened as the car started, and an unfamiliar melody started to emanate from the speakers. Some sort of ‘world music,’ he thought. Harold concentrated for a moment, and thought he could detect a steel drum, and perhaps a hint of didgeridoo. But really, he had no clue. Harold sighed, and looked plaintively inside his messenger bag. There, sandwiched carefully between a biography of Hemmingway and a worn-looking Moleskine notebook, was the reason for the day’s outing: a comic book.
    Harold furtively peered at the cover of the comic. In the center, there was a very silly drawing of a caped hero fighting a squid, and the title “Titanius #23: The Undersea Epic Concludes!” was splayed across the page. Towards the bottom, an unpretentious credit, reading “created by Jon Husk,” was visible. Harold became tense. The reclusive Mr. Husk would be signing at a local comic store today. He could feel his heart beating. Still, Harold wasn’t sure whether he was excited about getting his memento signed, or nervous about the possibility that Simon the Critic would find out what he was doing, and the trash he was into.
    “So, where are we going again, exactly?,” inquired Simon.
    “...Just drop me off on the corner of Vermont and Lexington. I’ll call when I’m ready to go.”
    “I’ll go ahead and park, unless you’re in a hurry. I need to get out too, after all.”
    “N...no. Not in a hurry.”
    Simon pulled over, got out of the Prius, and put some coins in the meter. Harold slowly rose and extricated himself from the passenger seat. Simon locked the car door, and the two guys, one relaxed and one tense, began heading east. ‘If I hang back, Simon’ll go wherever he’s going, and I’ll slip in the comics shop, and get the thing signed, and shake Mr. Husk’s hand, and be outta there and Simon’ll be none the wiser!’
    Simon turned. “Harold, did you hurt your leg? You seem to be walking a bit slowly.”
    “Oh, no. I’m fine!” Harold blushed as he scampered up. ‘There’s a vintage record shop just around the corner and I bet that’s where he’s going and if I can just pretend I’m going a few stores past and I double back and go back to the comic store then...”
    Simon stepped inside the comic store.
    Harold stood still. “Simon, what are you...? Are you, um, reviewing an art comic this week?”
    Simon smiled broadly and grabbed something from his satchel... it was another Titanius comic. This one had the hero facing off against a tribe of Amazons and their pet tigers. Harold blinked. “Nope, I’m just here for the Jon Husk signing. I know this comic is pretty ridiculous, but you have to embrace what you love, right?”
    After taking a deep, calming breath, Harold nodded, and, smiling for the first time that day, he proudly followed Simon into the shop.