I've Done It

  I slump over my notebook, busily scribbling out the last few words of my writing. I am so tired. There's too much on my mind with this project that I can't help but scribble at this rate.

  For the entire month, I've been doing a challenge for National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. Most people will go out of their way to write a word count per day type of goal, but I really didn't want to do that. I had a lot to do during the month as it stood (especially with the Thanksgiving/Christmas double whammy), so I needed something short and sweet that still made progress. Instead, I focused on writing one journal page of words a day. I have no idea how many words that was, but I was determined to do it. This first draft of this story was in desperate need of progress, and - oh boy, howdy- I was going to get some progress made on it.

  Now sitting here on the last day of November, I finished the last word. I stared at the page for a second. That was long enough before setting my head on the desk and grunting. Amethyst has been sitting close by my desk on a nearby couch. She looks up from her reading and just chuckles at me. "Are you finally done?" I grunt positively. I can't think of anything else to say. "Nice timing, given that you've got a lot of other things to do." She comments while she goes back to her reading. "Especially if you are going to do stuff with Aki." Ah, yes. Aki, or -as most people know him- the Norwegian streaming friend TDCharles. We've been playing Stardew Valley for months at this point, and it's been something else. But that's as much thought as I am willing to put into that. Right now, my brain is in the process of dying. I am so tired. It's barely after noon, and I still have to type this all out before the end of the year. "Take a break, Ani." I hear Amethyst say as she grabs a glass and a large green bottle out of the mini-fridge next to me. I try to remember what I had in there that even remotely looks like alcohol.

  I glance up to see Amethyst hand me a glass of sparkling grape juice. If there was ever a drink I enjoyed with the same sophistication as a glass of wine, it was this. I don't really care of alcohol in my life, but this was basically it. I enjoyed it like any other adult enjoyed a glass of wine or bottle of beer. She pours a different glass for herself and holds it out to me. "To finishing the challenge." She toasts.

  I say nothing, but clink our glasses together and throw back most of the glass like it was a life-saving elixir. The bubbles immediately wake me up and a smile covers my frown. I sit up and back while putting my feet up on the desk. "I did it." I said repeatedly in a whisper to myself. It was the first time I finished this type of challenge completely. I'm glad I did. Now I have more material to work with, and more notes on world-building stuff that I can possibly imagine.

  I did it, everyone. And now I can rest.

  "You can't rest now." Amethyst giggles, "You have a lot of crocheting to do for Christmas.Then you can relax."

  I hit my head on the desk, almost knocking a few drops of grape juice onto the floor. "Way to remind me, Amethyst."

  She pats my back. "You're welcome, Ani. Still, enjoy the progress you made."

  She's right. I did it. Now I can rest - at least for the day.