Rating: G
Word Count: 523
Spoilers: Nothing major, unless you've been living under a rock and don't know that Carson dies in the movie.
Author's Note: The whole Struck By Lightning story is very close to my heart for reasons I don't feel like going into right now. Because of how I relate to the story, ever since finishing the book I couldn't help but wonder what happens to Malerie?" I'm curious about the other characters, too, but Malerie most of all. So many questions were left unanswered there. The movie helped, but only a little. Because of this, I took it upon myself to expand on that short scene near the end.
Malerie hesitated outside of the newspaper room. It had been a week since she had last been in there, not since the afternoon she and Carson packed up all of the issues of the literary magazine to go to his grandma's old age home. She hadn't felt up to going in there since Carson died. Malerie couldn't even remember a time she was in there without Carson.
Taking a deep breath, Malerie adjusted her camcorder and held it out at arms length, capturing as much of this moment as she possibly could. She looked directly into the lens before speaking.
"This is Malerie Baggs entering Carson's classroom for the first time without him." she narrated. Then, with one swift motion, Malerie turned the knob and walked into the room.
She started in the direction of the student desks before thinking otherwise. With her eyes always on the ground and her camcorder always held up, Malerie changed course and headed towards the teacher's desk. Carson's desk. She set her books down and propped her camcorder up so that it was pointing at the blackboard. Then she grabbed the nearest piece of chalk and started writing.
The Writers' Club
President Carson P.
No. Carson wasn't coming back, and he wasn't sentimental. If anything, he was probably looking down on Malerie right now saying "How fitting, a dead president for a dead club." She could picture him rolling his eyes at her. She quickly erased Carson's name and replaced it with her own.
Malerie took a step back and admired what she wrote. She couldn't help but smile when she read her name. It may be a self promotion, but becoming the president of the Writers' Club was the first major accomplishment in Malerie's life and for once she actually felt proud of herself.
For the first time since entering the room Malerie turned around and faced the class. Like always, the room was empty. She was expecting that. No one ever came to a Writers' Club meeting when Carson was president and, as hated as he was, at least people knew who he was. Malerie was practically invisible to her peers and that certainly wasn't the kind of reputation that would attract new members. Still, just as Carson had done every day after school, Malerie announced the start of the meeting.
"This meeting of the Writers' Club is now in session," she began after first adjusting her camcorder to face her. "I am pleased to announce that we have a new president. With Carson unable to finish his term, I, Malerie Baggs, was happy to take over. I hope to make Carson proud."
With that, Malerie sat down at Carson's desk and opened her notebook. Pencil in hand, she thought hard, trying to remember everything the old president had taught her. And then, Malerie began writing the first original story she had ever written.
"From the day he was born, Carson Phillips was a dreamer. He worked hard every day to get him closer to what he wanted and wasn't afraid to take risks. Unfortunately for Carson, the odds were against him from day one."