Chapter four

I slammed the door as hard as I could. How could he say I write terrible? I’ve written a book, for crying out loud! He barely even knew what was going to happen between my characters. Judgemental teenager. I stormed down the hallway. But as I neared the entrance to the kitchen, my footsteps softened. My dad was on the phone. This normally wouldn’t have surprised me, but he whispering into the phone which made me suspicious.

“She isn’t ready. There is a time and place for everything. I don’t want to talk about it now. I got to go. Bye.” My dad hung up the phone and that’s when I walk in. He looks up at me a little startled.

“Hey, so you got your journal back and you got to see Theo.” At his name my mind went from my suspicions on Dad to Theo.

“God, I didn’t think he would become such a rude person.” I say as I take a seat on the bar stool.

“Theo? Rude? What happened?”

“He told me I was a bad writer.” My dad started laughing.

“Aurora, you have been told you’re a bad writer by many people. Yet, when Theo said it, it makes you angry?”

“Well, those were writing critics. They are just old, cranky men. But Theo is a teenager and my writing is aimed at teenagers. He is the first one to tell me that I write bad.”

“Are we talking about this romance novel? Your mother mentioned it to me.”

“Yeah. He said my characters didn’t love each other.”

“Well, maybe he is right.” I look up at my dad like he was crazy.

“You just need to find out what love really is.” he said as he rubbed his hands up and down my arms. Sighing, I let my shoulders slump. I just can’t write romance. What’s so special about love anyways. You’re just having your heartbroken over and over again, until you think you’ve found the right one. But even then your heart is still fragile and can only be held together by hope. My dad could see I was in deep thought so he grabbed my hand and lead me to the stove.

“Why don’t we a nice father-daughter dinner?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve been reading those parent magazines.” I say rolling my eyes, but still smiling.

“Guilty as charged.” It was funny how my dad said that as he was a lawyer.

“So what are we making?”

“I think we should throw it back to the old days. Spaghetti?” Dad knew that was comfort food for me. Smiling, I open up some cupboards and found a pot. As I walked over to the sink to fill it up with water, the phone rang. Thinking it was for my dad, I started to fill the pot with water. The phone continued to ring as my dad stood beside the phone.

“Dad. Pick it up.” I say as I place the pot on the stove and turn it on.

“It’s your mom.” Walking around the kitchen island, I pick up the phone and walk into the hallway.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Aurora! How was your first day in Florida? How’s your Dad?” she asked in a rushed tone.

“Yeah it was nice. I met up with childhood friends. Like Sammie.” And Theo, I added mentally.

“Oh that’s nice. Is your father okay?” There was a edge of nervousness in her voice.

“Yeah, he is fine, Mom. We’re just making dinner. Do you want to talk to him?” Deep inside of me, there was this small hope that maybe if my parents talked they would some how rekindle their undying love. But in reality I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“No, it’s okay, Aurora. I just wanted to see how you were. Have fun in Florida. I’ll call later. Bye, Aurora.”

“Bye, Mom.” We both end the line and as I walk back into the kitchen, I find my dad holding the salt shaker above the pot. He looks over at me as I put the phone back in the charger.

“Mom says hi.”

“I bet she does.” My dad says as he stirs the spaghetti around in the pot.

“Oh dad, who were you on the phone with, by the way?” His back immediately stiffened. Something was up.

“Oh that was just someone from office. We are holding a surprise party so we couldn’t tell her you know.” Not once during that conversation did he look at me. He was hiding something, but I was in no mood to pry.

“Okay, let’s just not overcook the pasta, Dad.” The two of us made an acceptable plate of spaghetti and ate in peace. There was some chit chat, but all soon died down and we were in a comfortable silence. After dinner, I cleaned the dishes while my dad loaded the dishwasher.

“I’m going to head in for the night, Dad.”

“Goodnight, Aurora. Oh, Aurora. The car will be in the garage if you need it.”

“Thanks, Dad. Night.” As I head upstairs, my thoughts came back to Theo. How could you just tell me I’m a shitty writer? I mean he is entitled to his opinion but I mean, I’ve written a best selling novel loved by the entire teenage generation. I didn’t understand why Theo’s words stuck to me so much. He implied that I didn’t know what true love was. No one knows what love is. Pulling on an old shirt and heart pajama pants, I get into bed and immediately drift into sleep.

There was a constant beeping beside me. Rolling over in my bed, I placed my pillow over my ear to block out the noise, and the beeping stopped. I sighed as I began to get comfortable again, but then the beeping noise started up again.

“God damn it.” I move my hand around the table beside me to find something moving around. It was my phone vibrating. Grabbing it, I opened one eye painfully and pressed the green button.

“Hello?”

“Aurora!”

“Sammie? What happened? Are you okay? It’s like two in the morning.” I say frantically.

“Oh god, Aurora. It’s twelve in the afternoon and I’m fine.” Confused, I throw off the covers and look at the clock on the wall. Both hands were on the number twelve and the sun was shining outside.

“Wow. It really is twelve. Okay. Time to get the day started. Why did you call?” I ask Sammie as I put the phone between my ear and shoulder as I put some toothpaste on my toothbrush and began brushing my teeth.

“Oh yeah. That’s was because Theo called.”

“Uhu.” I say with a mouth full of spearmint toothpaste.

“And he wanted me to tell you to come down to the diner, whenever you can.” I spit out my toothpaste.

“Wait, Theo wants me to come down to the diner? Why? Did he say why? And why is he talking through you?”

“He didn’t say. He wouldn’t tell me. But I suggest you dress nicely and behave nicely, Aurora. You might get a date out of this.” I could just imagine Sammie winking at me while she said that.

“I think I might know why he called me down. I’ll tell you what happens later.”

“Bye, Aurora.”

“Bye, Sammie.” Ending the call, I place my phone on the counter and wash out my mouth. Theo had called me down to the diner. He was going to apologize for calling me a bad writer. With a smile, I get into the shower and later change into shorts and a plain t-shirt. I take my journal from my bedside table and put in my bag along with my phone. When I go into the kitchen I find a note from Dad telling me to grab dinner from the diner and to be safe. I smile at the note and take the keys from the basket beside the phone. Next stop, Waka Diner.

*

“Hi. Would you like to order?” I look up to find a girl about my age wearing an apron around her waist and holding a notepad in one hand.

“Oh, no. Sorry. I’m here to see Theo. Theo Simmons?” The girl cracks a smile.

“Yeah he is here. He’s been waiting for such a long time.” she said as she walked away from my table. I looked back down to my journal. Was my romance novel really that bad? As I doubted my “Fabio falling in love” skills, Theo slid into the seat across from me. I looked up to see his blue eyes fixed on me, and a smile playing on his lips. I wanted to talk, but the words were lodged in my throat. After a couple of seconds of looking like a fish out of water, I spoke.

“I know why you called me down here.” I say with as much confidence. Theo’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Really? Do tell me why I called you down.” God, he was smooth.

“You wanted to apologize for calling my writing shitty.”

“Oh. That’s not why I called you down. Your writing is shitty. That romance novel was horrendous.” My eyebrows furrowed as my mouth dropped open. If I wasn’t in a diner I would have strangled him.

“What is wrong with my romance novel? I haven’t even finished it or anything! How could you know its bad by reading one paragraph?” I was outraged by this point.

“Aurora, I’m not saying you’re a bad author. I’ve read your other book and it was amazing. It’s just this book isn’t good. Look, Aurora. You’re characters weren’t in love. There was no passion, no chemistry between them. If you’re going to right a romance novel, know a little something about love.”

“Is this why you called me down? To lecture me about how I don’t know what love is? Well, you know why? My parents are divorced and they won’t even talk to one another. How am I supposed to know what love is?” I was riding a rollercoaster of emotions. I started off angry, flailing my hands around, but by the end I had my head in my hands. How am I an author when I can’t even create a connection between my characters?

“Rory?” My head shot up from my hands to find Theo looking at me with a look of nostalgia.

“Don’t call me that. You know I hate that.” I say as I look at him with a frown.

“Come on. I was just trying to lighten up the mood. Listen. I can help you with your romance novel.”

“And how is that?” I ask. I was willing to do anything to fix this horrendous romance story.

“How about I take you on some adventures?” There was a hint of mischievousness in his tone.

“And what would I get out of these ‘adventures’?”

“What love really means.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey guys,

okay, I know its a short chapter and its a filler chapter. But I found it necessary I put this in. I promise you next chapter is where all the fun begins :)

So vote, comment, fan idk do whatever you want (except drugs. no drugs)

and Happy Valentines Day! <3

Love,

Alex :)