Monday, October 11, 2010

Stories of Jeff Excell - The Phantom of the Library

It quickly became tradition to immediately look for Jeff as soon as we walked into Jeff's second home - the library. One day Kenz and I were in a hurry to finish our creative writing assignments, so our initial scan for Jeff was not as thorough as usual. We sat down at two computers and went to work in a wild frenzy.

Kenz finished her assignment faster than she expected, so she started talking to me. She stood up and casually looked around, "Hmmm... that's weird. I wonder where Jeff Excell is today." I broke away from my homework to glance around the library, "Yeah. I don't know."

Kenz leaned over to get something out of her backpack. Sitting right behind her, suddenly revealed, was Jeff Excell. My eyes bugged out of socket. I gasped in amazement and shock. Jeff had seemingly appeared out of no where. I was tempted to check the floors and ceilings for trap doors, but I resisted the urge.

"Jeff Excell! Oh my goodness. We were just talking about you," Kenz said.
"I know. I heard," the Phantom of the Library responded, "What's this, Sarah?"

I had been working on the dumbest assignment of my college career. I had to write an act from a play. Draft after draft, I could not prevent it from being even cheesier than an episode of Full House. I was not proud of my work. My embarrassment reflexes snatched my play from Jeff's reach the moment his attention was drawn to it.

"That's nothing. I hate that I had to do that assignment. Don't look at it."
"You should let me read it. Is it a play?"

After much debate, the world's worst play snippet entered the Phantom's hands. He let me know he would read it and have it back to me later. My red face and I left the library and went to class. Jeff stayed in the library and scribbled out my play's love-struck characters' names and replaced them with Sarah and Tanner (name has been changed, I was dating him at the time). There was a side boy who liked "Sarah," but she didn't like him back. The Phantom renamed that character Jeff.

I think the Phantom knew the side boy usually ends up with the girl... if the cheesy play is ever finished.

3 comments:

Kim said...

Cute story! And I'm sure we're all glad that "Sarah" ended up with the side boy.

Rebecca said...

I've never heard these stories. Keep them coming!

Kenzman said...

hahahaa. I remember this.... and yes i am stalking your blog right now. Where has that screenplay gone!? I want to read it! And I know who "tanner" really is.... does it start with a g and end in g too? ???????