Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 172 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:
Welcome to Freely Written, where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.
[Light piano music]
Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty, and today’s prompt is Back to School.
It’s the beginning of September. In the U.S., that means a new school year. New teachers, new classes, maybe new friends. It also means school buses are back on the roads, so please remember to stop when they do. And also drive slowly in school zones.
I do not miss my school years. But I do love fall, so back-to-school time is a lovely reminder that fall weather is on the way.
Before I get to today’s story, here’s a reminder that—beyond this podcast—I write novels. Please check out my books at my website, SusanQuilty.com, or search for “Susan Quilty” wherever you buy books.
I currently have two standalone novels with more adult themes. The Insistence of Memory is speculative fiction; To the Left of Death is a psychological drama. If you like Young Adult Fiction, The Psychic Traveler Society trilogy follows the adventures of Amanda Jones, a high school student who can travel to other worlds just by stepping through doors in an imaginary house.
If you prefer shorter stories, I also have a choose-your-ending style book called Audrey & Esther Geekify Greenville. It’s a silly book about two friends at a pop-culture con. Every few pages, you make choices that might lead them into wacky sci-fi, fantasy, or rom-com tropes.
As an indie author, expanding my audience is a serious challenge. I would greatly appreciate it if you would give my books a chance!
In the meantime, you can enjoy these quick Freely Written stories. If you’re new here, this is how it works: I sit down with a prompt and write whatever comes to mind, with no planning and very little editing. Then, I record the story and share it with you.
Here’s how that worked out today:
Back to School
On Monday, Lilah packed hummus with pita chips, cherry tomatoes, black olives, carrot sticks, and a juice box in Regan’s purple lunch box. It was the same lunch she had packed for herself, and she was quite proud of her work.
After school, her little sister was less than pleased. Most of the lunch had come home, except for the pita chips, black olives, and juice box. The tomatoes had been mashed into the hummus, and the remaining carrot sticks had been gnawed at each end.
“You didn’t eat your lunch!” Lilah scolded while cleaning out the mess.
“It was weird,” Regan said with a shrug.
“It was healthy!”
“It was yuuuck.” Regan grimaced. “Mom gives me sandwiches. And cookies.”
Lilah frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Mom is working now, and we’re helping her out. I pack the lunches, and it’s your job to eat what I pack for you.”
Regan continued emptying her backpack onto the kitchen table. Some crayons fell out of an open pack and rolled onto the floor.
“Turkey sandwich,” Regan said without looking at Lilah. “And cookies.”
Lilah rolled her eyes, muttering about Regan and her bad habits. Her mood softened when Regan started her homework without being asked.
On Tuesday, Lilah packed a cold three-bean pasta salad, bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas, vanilla yogurt, and a juice box. This time, the lunch came home untouched, except for the yogurt and juice box.
“You didn’t even try anything!” Lilah complained.
“I saved it for you,” Regan said sweetly. So sweetly that Lilah dropped the lunch box on the counter and chased Regan around the kitchen until she tripped on a chair leg and tumbled to the floor.
“Turkey sandwich,” Regan repeated her demand, unconcerned as Lilah sat on the floor rubbing her knee and muttering in anger. “And cookies.”
On Wednesday, Lilah packed whole wheat crackers, a packet of sunflower seed butter, cheese cubes, sliced cucumbers, green grapes, and a small bottle of water. Regan ate the cheese and grapes. She didn’t open the water, but she did break the crackers into little pieces.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Lilah asked in annoyance.
“Nope,” Regan said. “Why didn’t you give me a juice box?”
“I packed grapes. You don’t need grapes and a juice box.”
Regan frowned.
“Mom told you to pack me better lunches.”
“No,” Lilah said through gritted teeth. “Mom told us to work this out. I am packing you perfectly healthy lunches. I’m packing you the same lunches I pack myself. They are delicious. If I packed what you want, you’d be eating junk.”
Regan looked at the ceiling, considering, then said, “I’m okay with that.”
Lilah was not okay with that.
On Thursday, after their mom had said, Oh, just give her turkey, Lilah packed sliced turkey wrapped in lettuce leaves, carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, an oatmeal raisin cookie, and a small water bottle. When Lilah opened the lunch box after school, only the turkey slices and cookies had been eaten.
“Regan! You need to eat your lunch. All of your lunch. You are wasting so much food!”
“No,” Regan said patiently. “You’re wasting food.
“What? No, I eat my lunches.” Lilah gestured at the veggies that had been picked at, gnawed on, or smashed, but not eaten.
“You keep packing food you know I won’t eat, so you’re the one wasting it.”
Lilah stared, open-mouthed. Her face turned red, and her eyes glared in frustration.
“Well, you’ll eat it when you get hungry enough!”
Regan colored without looking up and said, “No, thanks. My friends give me food.”
“No, thanks?!” Fuming, Lilah dumped the mangled veggies in the trash. “I wasn’t giving you an option. And, you know what? You should be thanking me for making your lunch. Or at least say thank you for the cookies.”
“Oatmeal raisin, yuck. I traded those for a Twinkie.”
With a loud groan, Lilah stormed up to her room.
That night, their mom had to attend Regan’s Back-to-School night and meet her new teacher. She ordered a pizza while listening to Lilah rant about Regan’s picky eating.
“And now you’re giving her pizza,” Lilah concluded sourly, despite the fact that she had also wanted pizza for dinner.
“And what was in your school lunches when you were her ag
Lilah looked at her mom, thinking back to the simple sandwiches, chips, and cookies she’d eaten. She remembered throwing out carrot sticks and drinking juice boxes.
“I don’t eat like that now,” Lilah said defensively.
“And Regan may not eat like that at your age either. Look, Regan is a good eater at home. She eats vegetables with hardly any complaints. A turkey sandwich and a few Oreos at school aren’t going to hurt her. Toss in one veggie and don’t make a fuss about it. She’ll be fine.”
On Friday, Lilah packed a veggie-loaded salad, sunflower seed butter, and a slice of whole-grain bread in her own lunch box. For Regan, she packed a plain turkey sandwich, sugar snap peas, two chocolate chip cookies, and a juice box.
That afternoon, Regan’s lunch box was empty. Lilah stopped herself from asking if Regan had really eaten the peas. Regan settled at the table to start her homework, then casually said, “Thanks for making my lunch.”
And Lilah smiled.
The End
Thanks for listening. As always, I started writing this story without a plan. I wrote, “On Monday…” and my brain went straight to packing a lunch. Probably because it’s lunchtime, and I’m getting hungry. Otherwise, I have no ulterior motive or advice on what kids should eat for lunch. I do think kids go through phases, and pushing too hard can backfire, so take from that what you will.
If you enjoyed this story, please share it with your friends, and please do check out my books at SusanQuilty.com. Links are in the show notes.
Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you.
[Light piano music]
