Character Interview - Sudden Hope by Daniele Lanzarotta
Me – “Hi Alec, it’s nice to meet you.” I reach out and shake his hand. He was a few minutes late so I already got us a booth in the diner. “Please take a seat.” His body language is confident, his eyes give away his nervousness though. “Don’t be nervous, I won’t bite. You’re a baseball lover. Tell me, if you had a chance to play baseball with anyone, who would it be?”
Alec – Nice to meet you, Devyn. Sorry… I’m not used to doing these types of interviews. *Takes a deep breath* Actually, thanks to Sky’s uncle, I got to throw the ball around with the guys from my favorite team. That was a dream come true. I would love the opportunity to play with them again, and I’m not picky. They are all great.
Me – “That’s awesome. Okay, we broke you in with that simple question. I’ve heard a lot about you and your journey. You and Skylar were friends early in life. I can’t remember the people in my Kindergarten class. How is it that you and Skylar didn’t make up until you’re both in high school? That’s a long time for two people who live next door to each other not to talk.”
Alec – It was a pretty good mix between me being stupid, and life getting in the way. There were so many times when I wanted to approach her and make things right, but something always happened to keep that from happening. And then Kyle got involved. He has been my friend for the longest time. He knew exactly what to say to get me to talk to Sky again.
Me – His face lights up as he talks about her. “Someone told me that you had a no dating rule. When was the exact moment you knew that rule wouldn’t hold up anymore?”
Alec – I’m not sure there was an exact moment, mostly because I was in denial. It was just something that built up overtime. If I hadn’t screwed things up so badly with Sky, there is a pretty good chance that rule would never have existed.
Me – “You and your mom are pretty tight, right? What did she think when she found out about you and Skylar?”
Alec – Yeah, we are pretty close. She was happy about it. I kept myself from… living my life for so long. She was just happy that I was slowly starting to ‘live’ again and Sky was the reason.
Me – “Okay, now we can get down to the nitty gritty. Bullying at your school got out of hand. Why were you friends with Lizzie and Mandy? You seem like a pretty nice guy, why would you want to hang around girls who bully other girls?”
Alec – They were more like acquaintances. We were friends by association, only because they hung out with the guys from the baseball team. Honestly, I was so wrapped up in my own world and in my own problems; I didn’t even realize the bullying problem was as bad as it was… not until it became personal.
Me – “Mike was having a lot of issues about your and Skylar. Do you think he wanted her as a girlfriend? He was incredibly jealous of the two of you. Tell me, do you think it would have ended differently if you and Skylar never got together? To me, I’ve played the scenario around in my head and to me, I think it would have happened anyway. His grief was not being addressed by professionals. What do you think?”
Alec – I hope Sky never reads this… I think you are right. He didn’t get the help he needed and one thing or another would have set him off eventually. There are times when I think he might have liked Sky, but from what people told me, he acted the same way toward Kristi. I think he was just a really obsessive friend. You know, one of those people who don’t want their friends to have other friends, or have a life outside of their little circle.
Me – “Final question. Tell me, what can schools, students, and administration do to put an end to bullying? It must be hard knowing she’s still going to be in school without you around. I’m sure you worry about Skylar being alone. Is there something that can be done to end bullying right now?”
Alec – It is terrifying that she will be there alone. I mean, her whole support system has graduated, and her best friends are gone. It’s going to be tough for both of us, but I’m trying to look at the positive side with the fact that Lizzie graduated and won’t be around her.
Bullying is such a tough problem and there is no easy solution. Having ‘no bullying zone’ signs all over the school is not enough, and unfortunately, the same applies to just talking about the issue and not doing anything about it. I mean, most times, the consequences for bullies’ actions are not enough. It’s like a slap on the wrist, you know? They are not getting professional help to get to the bottom of the problem, and they may stop bullying others for a while after they get caught, but eventually, they tend to go right back to bullying. And I know so many schools make an effort by having someone available to talk to students, but what are the chances that students will feel safe enough to do so? I think it would help to have some sort of anonymous hotline where students being bullied can talk to someone and even share names of who is bullying them. Maybe then, school staff can watch those students a little closer, and go from there.
Me – “Thank you, Alec. You’ve been a good sport about my interrogation. Good luck.”
Thank you!
Synopsis:
Alec is a seventeen-year-old who has endured more in life than anyone should have to. Seeing his neighbor and ex-bestfriend, Skylar, struggle after a tragic loss, Alec makes it his mission to show her that life is worth living.
Little does he know that he will learn that same lesson.
Signed Paperback: https://squareup.com/market/daniele-lanzarotta/sudden-hope
Biography
Daniele Lanzarotta is the author of YA and NA paranormal/fantasy/contemporary novels, including the Imprinted Souls Series, Academy of the Fallen, Sudden Hope, and Mermaid's Curse. Daniele started writing as a hobby, but it didn't take long for her to be consumed by her stories. That is her passion, and she now has several projects under way. She also works at multi-media company, Rocket Science Productions, and studies digital cinematography at Full Sail University. She enjoys watching hockey, playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero and spending time with the family.
