A Minority of One: An Excerpt from the Novel by Sharen Conner

The following is an excerpt from a recently published novel written by Hanover High School Special Educator, Sharen Conner. This is an electronic novel; free software for Macs and PCs can be downloaded right from the Amazon.com site.  This software is available on the same page as the book (a Kindle is not necessary in order to read it). The price of the novel is $4.99.

“Hey ‘Lasto! What did you say to her to get her so upset?” She heard someone call as she reached the staircase. She leaped up the stairs as the first sob wrenched its way up from her diaphragm. Reaching her room she collapsed on the bed, struggling to breathe between the spasms that wracked her body.
Her fit of crying was so violent she was getting nauseated. Breathe deeply, she commanded herself, calm down. She gulped air and hiccupped. Slowly now, breathe in and let it out.

She concentrated on this for two minutes until she calmed down to weeping weakly. She heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs outside her room and then a thunk. The footsteps retreated back down the stairs. Curious and still sniffling she opened the door. On a chest in the hallway sat a pint of beer. No one was in sight. She regarded it suspiciously. They probably spit in it or even pissed in it. I wouldn’t put anything past those bastards, she thought. She left it there. Her bitterness was overwhelming. It frightened her to feel such fury. She wanted to hurt them, torture them, make them scream in pain, get down on their knees and beg her forgiveness. She indulged in sadistic fantasies for a few moments, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She didn’t like feeling that angry. Her whole body was taut with rage. She tried deep breathing again, and began to relax slightly. She clenched her toes and released, then her calves, working her way up her body in an exercise she learned in drama class. It was just beginning to really work when someone knocked on her door. Maybe it’s Jackson, she hoped, getting up to answer the door. She was astounded to see Paul standing there.