Spoilers
Read the Story First! Pay no attention to that woman behind the curtain!
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A concept of a person "ghosting" a field trip at the art institute. That's what it started with. Then, "I don't just know him, I am him", and then dragging the girl friend into lunch.

That line wouldn't leave me alone.

That's the recent origin of the story.

Then the idea of a school uniform in a thrift shop occurred to me. (I admit I'd seen it in other stories, but I hope that is generic enough not to count against me. The observation that, dressed appropriately, you can access secured areas is a Trope's trope. I can remember reading it in Westlake's excellent "Dancing Aztecs", even now.)

So I started in to writing, and then I realized:

I'd tied myself, hook, line, and plot line to the academic calendar, and I only had scenes at the start and end of it. There are MONTHS between those.

I'd sworn to pay more attention to time when, writing "The Answer", I found I was setting an outdoor wedding scene in central Illinois, in DECEMBER! Ah, well; at least that one had been a pre-existing story of mine, although the wedding scene had NOT been.

As It is, I tried to paper over it with vagueness...

As I revised my story, I found myself paying more attention to the women around me; that one had hair just like I remember my sister's. Another one had a slightly thick body, so I should pay attention to her fashion choices for my own.

And now I'm to the point where I'm happy with this draft, merely lightly going over the words, and adding "darlings" that I may want to kill later. (Writers are advised to "kill their darlings", which the latest interpretation I've found is "Remove all the flourishes and language you might have added the does NOT ADVANCE THE PLOT!").

There's a thing in software called "second system syndrome", where trying to fix ALL the problems of your first system bogs down your next effort in the pursuit of perfection. In theory, there is no "third system syndrome", as, learning better the second time, you don't repeat that mistake (instead you make new ones...)

So as I'm learning, I put the narrative asides and references that break the fourth wall into the piece. My instincts tell me I should have cut about half of them, but we'll see.

I found there already a story titled "Field Trip" , as well as "The Field Trip" online, so I changed this to "A Field Trip", at the last second, having taken four days to intensively pour over it and make changes (instead of the program I was supposed to be writing...) I corrected the title and reposted. On to chapter 2.

Some of you may have caught me correcting later chapter's titles, after posting.

The biggest disappointment? I thought of another plot element to add, but supporting it would mean adding several scenes, and I'd already posted the first chapter. It would mean changing the middle and ending of the story, too, and losing one element that I was in love with for scenes not yet written to assess their impact. Ah, well. DONT post until the story has mulled for a bit, was the lesson. I may salvage that concept in a sequel. (Although writers thrive on comments, and the story has garnered fewer than normal of those; A sign I should instead move on to another idea? Or perhaps take up house painting, instead...)

But there had been a bit of a gap in postings already; I am not a fast writer, is the lesson.

Denise (Doug) has been through a bit of evolution here. Originally added as a mere impediment, sans name, their motivation grew in the telling, and required more support. There was one scene with the altered punch, and a relatively more sinister intention, but I have trouble writing harsh or venal characters, which limit does change my plot lines, I'm afraid, and that draft, unfinished, disappeared. Doug was redeemed, and instead the theater scenes appeared, with the kindly Mrs. Phelps. I can't help but feel it was a good trade.

The original draft was wholly chaste. I hope the scenes that approach teen dalliance don't appear bolted on; as I rewrote, I realized that my protagonists had normal teen urges, but being responsible, intelligent teens, would be patient. They are both as yet under 18, and the strictures of society might seem arbitrary, but they so have consequences. As Sally indicates, if they are still a thing after they are both 18, it might be a different story.

So here it is, my most self indulgent story yet, and no where near novel length, still.

And the audience reaction, initially very positive, down to no comments. Kudo's are fine and I should be writing for myself, but I can't help but feel hurt when no one feels motivated to comment on a work... But I know I'm being unfair to those of you that DID comment on Chapter one, and the rest of you simply weren't engaged enough at my usual literary tricks to be engaged enough to comment, and that's fair.