I
said it many times, I hated my teenage years. 
When I look back, there are so many things I wish I could go back and
change.  But I can say that those
experiences are fodder for my books. 
There are two things I’d change. Here is the first one and the scene
where I used my experience. I’ll share the other one next week, so be sure to
check back.

I’d have safety
pinned my bikini top on before I jumped off the high dive at the local pool.

Yup, it really happened.  I was lucky that I found it, but I didn’t
even realize it was gone until after I stood up in waist deep water.  So yup, I pretty much flashed everyone.  When the air hit the boobs, I dropped back
down to chin deep so fast, you’d have thought a shark yanked me under.  It was humiliating.  And while I was quick, I know some people saw
me.  Talk about embarrassed.  I never went back to that neighborhood
pool.  Thankfully, Dad built our own pool
the next year.

 While I’ve never had a heroine lose her bathing suit top—yet—I have had Leah, in This Heart of Mine, yank her hoodie out of the dryer and rush to leave with her guy boyfriend Matt, not realizing that, due to static electricity, she had a pair of lacy panties stuck to the back of her jacket.  I can say I borrowed the embarrassment I felt in the pool to write this scene.

Ponytail in place, I dig through my closet for my new long-sleeved burgundy shirt and matching hoodie. I remember I’d worn it over the weekend.

            I tear off to the laundry room to see if Mom washed it. It’s in the dryer. Still warm.

            I ditch the blue sweater.  Yank the static-electrified tee and hoodie from the dryer, and put them on. 

            I’m still dressing when the doorbell rings.  I fit my arm in the hoodie, grab my purse, and run out.

            Mom, phone to her ear, comes to the kitchen opening. She offers me a wave and returns to the kitchen and her conversation.

            I open the door.

            Matt’s there.  He wears the same thing he wore to school, but he gives me a quick once-over. 

            Approval lights up his eyes.  I like approval.

            “Where’s Lady?”

            “In the car.  I didn’t know if I had to come in and I’m not in the mood to pick up shit in your house again.”

            I laugh. We head out.  I feel him staring, but when I glance at him, he looks away.

            When we get in the car, I drop my purse to the floorboard. Lady tries to get in the front seat.  Matt tells her no. 

            “Uh…”  Matt’s looking at me strangely again.  Almost smiling.  Almost not.

            “What?” I ask.

            “You have . . . something stuck to the back of your jacket.

            “What?” I look over my right shoulder.

            “Here.” He reaches behind my left shoulder and pulls off a wispy piece of material.

            It takes me one second to recognize my new lacy wine-colored panties.  The static must’ve gotten them caught on my hoodie.

Giveaway!!

If you are older, what is something you would change from your teen years? If you are a teen, what would you like to change now?  Leave a comment and one person is going to win a one of my new tote bags with some SWAG (Promotional Items) in it. (Sorry, but this giveaway is for U.S. residents only.)

Don’t Forget My Contest!!

You can pre-order In Another Life now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Then if you send a link or a screenshot of your order to me at [email protected], you’ll be entered to win an Ancestry DNA kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.  (Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)