Latent Response - A Weekend Not-Quite-Freewrite

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"I like hats." That's what Donald said the day before he killed Sally.

Hats seemed like a good thing to like, and Donald wanted them to become his thing. More than a fashion statement, the hats were an expression of his individuality that could be compressed into a single sentence and easily understood by anyone.

Who was Donald? Donald was the guy who liked hats.

It was really so simple, but Sally laughed at him.

"What kind of hats?"

That was such a stupid question. It didn't matter what kind of hats. Any hats were fine, as long as they could sit on his head. The hats were part of his identity. The details didn't matter.

His tongue felt thick in his mouth as he tried to explain.

"Just, you know, hats."

Again she laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Donald's cheeks flashed warm and the heat spread downwards, turning his neck red. Why didn't she understand? Why couldn't she say something nice?

In that moment, Donald decided that he hated her.

Rising to his feet, he excused himself to use the restroom. Instead, he headed toward the door.

The night air cooled his face as he stepped outside and pulled out his phone to text his sister.

She found him at the Terminal Bar and Grill. He was sober for a change. His hat sat low on his brow as he stared at the melting ice cubes in his glass of scotch.

The stool next to him scraped against the floor as she took a seat, but he barely glanced in her direction. He spoke softly into his drink.

"It's so hard, Karen. I'm trying to become a better person. I'm trying to find things to replace the drinking, but it's not the same."

"You're doing good, Donnie." She put her hand on his shoulder and he winced. This happened every time. He would reach out for support, just like everyone told him to do, and end up regretting it. She was only saying what she thought he wanted to hear because he had asked her to. If that worked, why was he still like this?

Donald picked up his glass and emptied it in a single sip. The scotch had turned tepid and didn't give him the icy burn that he craved. He ordered another, finally turning to meet his sister's eyes.

"Yeah, Karen. I'm doing real good."

His sister sighed. She withdrew her hand and slung her purse over her shoulder.

"It's your life, Donnie. I can't stop you."

The clicking sounds her heels made against the floor faded as she walked away.

A few drinks later, Donald started to remember the time he caught a fly ball. It was the bottom of the ninth, and his team was ahead by one run. Tommy Tolbright had been standing on third base, ready to slide home and tie the score. Instead, he was sent walking back to his team in defeat. The look on his face had been priceless.

Donald laughed. Even after all these years, he still hated Tommy Tolbright. That boy had made his life hell in school, always reminding him that he didn't fit in. Watching him get shut down like that was one of the best moments of Donald's life.

Sally was just like Tommy. She sat there making him feel inferior, trying to push his buttons with stupid questions. He liked hats. They were comfortable, they looked good, and they made him who he was.

That would never be enough for her.

She was probably still judging him. She wouldn't see him as Donald, the guy who liked hats. To her, he would just be the awkward guy who walked out in the middle of their first date. She'd end up marrying someone like Tommy, and they would laugh at him together.

He had to fix that. His phone slipped from his hand as he took it out of his pocket, and he retrieved it from the floor to send her a text.

"I'm sorry I left. I was nervous. Will you come meet me?"

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Inspired by the Weekend Freewrite Prompts provided by the lovely @mariannewest!

This is not quite a freewrite. It took a bit of editing to make all three sections flow together, and a bit more editing on top of that to make me satisfied with the result. This is three five-minute outlines that were later shaded and filled in.

I hope you enjoyed reading it, and please check out the #freewrite tag if you want to write your own!

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