A while back, I wrote about one of my characters, Scott Jenkins, and where the inspiration for him came from. His role in The Secret Keeper series began as that of the sidekick, the goofy best friend who would serve as the foil for the protagonist Wil’s much more serious character. However, it turned out that the story had other ideas for Scott. In fact, one of the very first secrets Wil possesses is the dark one harbored by his best friend.
One of the things I was always certain about as I was writing this very first book was that Wil would be trustworthy. It was essential if he were to be worthy of seeing the truth of magic, which would develop in the form of Cassia (more on Wil and Cassia to come). I also knew that this trustworthiness was the crux of the relationship between Wil and Scott. Wil’s family was Scott’s family. Wil was the person Scott trusted because Wil would never betray him.
This friendship ended up becoming crucial to the overall arc of the series. Scott would later have Wil’s back because Wil always had Scott’s back. This was actually a lot of fun to write because I was able to test the limits of this friendship in various ways, and one of the absolutes I discovered is that Scott defines loyalty in this series. No matter how bad things get, he sticks by Wil. He believes in Wil, in what Wil has always offered him, and he’s able to be there when Wil needs him the most.
The excerpt included is from The Secret Keeper, the first book in the series and my very first published book. In it, the reader gets a bit of detail about Scott’s home life. While some breadcrumbs are dropped in earlier chapters, this scene is the first time Scott speaks of it. I like this scene because it illustrates the faith in each other that is the core of Wil and Scott’s friendship.
For additional reading about Scott, click on the link below: https://booksbybeth.net/2021/01/19/know-thy-character-scott/
Chapter 6
Wil slipped out of the house early. He didn’t want to see his mom or to continue their talk from the night before. Besides, the idea of being a Secret Keeper weighed first and foremost on his mind. It was that thought that occupied his mind as he walked to the bus stop, where he met Scott coming up the sidewalk.
“Whoa, this is early,” Scott commented, his voice tired and lacking its usual energy. “I was hoping for some breakfast. Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard is kinda empty, you know?”
“Yeah. Here.” Will passed his friend a pop-tart. He eyed the sandy blond boy carefully. “Something happened last night, didn’t it?”
Scott chewed on his breakfast and shook his head. “Too much Nina Selna, you know?” He tapped the side of his head and continued eating.
Wil didn’t believe him. His look said as much.
Scott sighed. “He just had a bad day yesterday, that’s all. There was a lot of…yelling, and I didn’t get much sleep last night. Honest.”
“We can tell somebody. We can tell my mom,” Wil said suddenly. “She’ll know what to do about it.”
“No way, man. Think about it, Wil. They’ll haul my dad off to some cell to dry out for a few days, and I’ll get put in some foster home. And what about our game today? No, I’ll be okay.”
“Scott—”
“It’s just a little lost sleep. No biggie. That’s why God created math class.” Scott took another bite of the pop-tart.
“Okay, fine,” Wil consented after a moment. “But you’re staying at my house tonight. Any time you want, really. Just come on over.”
Friend considered friend for a moment.
“’Kay,” Scot consented as the bus pulled alongside them. “Thanks.”
Wil waved it aside and climbed onto the bus. He settled into the seat and stared out the window. He and Scott said nothing else on the ride to school. Outside the window drifted a thin wisp of cloud.
To purchase this book, please click on the attached link: www.amazon.com/dp/1604942452