Chapter Two

"Phone?”

“Check.”

“Suitcase?”

“Check.”

“Lady products?”

“Mom.”

“Sorry. Just worried about you. Your father is not going to have lady products at home.” I just looked at her because words were not enough to tell her to shut up. We were at the departure terminal at JFK Airport and she was talking to me about lady products.

“Promise to call once you get down in Florida?” asked my mom as she dusted the invisible dust off my flannel shirt. Grabbing her hands, I looked at her.

“I promise.” With that, she pulled me into a tight hug, and then let go. As she started to walk away, she turned around to me.

“Aurora, I hope you get some inspiration for your romance novel down there.” She then disappeared into the sea of people. Taking a deep breath, I turned and walked into the airport. People bustled about carrying their suitcases in one hand and their phones in their other. It was like seeing clones of people. How could one fall in love with a person who is the same as everyone else? As I walked to the ticket booth, my phone rang. Rummaging through my sling bag, I finally find my vibrating phone.

    “Hello?” I ask answering the phone.

    “Aurora? It’s your dad.”

    “Oh. How did you get my number?” I ask as I hand my suitcase to the lady as she threw it onto the conveyor belt with the rest of the people’s suitcases.

“Your mom gave me all emergency numbers. Including 911.” he said with a sigh at the end. Trying to hold back laughter, I answer him back.

“Oh. So, why did you call?”

“Just wanted to tell you to text me once you touch down in Florida so I can come pick you up.”

“Sure, Dad. I will.”

“Oh and Aurora?”

“Yes?”

“I’m excited to see you. I have so much to tell you.” I take a breath. What does he have to tell me?

“I’m excited to see you, too. I got to go, Dad. Security.”

“Okay. Have a safe flight. Bye.”

“Bye.

Ending the call, I get through security and start walking to my gate. I sit down in front of my gate and get out my laptop. As I open a document to begin working on the romance novel, a voice captured my attention.

“Hi. Aurora Sitters, right?” I look up to find a girl around my age. She stood before me, clutching a book.

“Yeah. May I help you?” I ask as I straighten up in my seat. The girl then sits beside me and looks at me earnestly.

“I was wondering if you could sign my copy of It’s Time?” She said as she held out the book she had been clutching earlier. I took the book from her hand with a genuine smile and signed her book with a sweet note.  

“Are you writing a new novel?” the girl asked as I handed her book back.

“Yes I am, but don’t tell anyone it’s kind of a secret.” I say as her eyes grow wide.

“Oh of course not! Is it a sequel to It’s Time? Is Laura going to get a love interest this time?” I clenched my fist when she said that. Why is everyone so determined to give my character’s a love interest. Why can’t she go around slaying dragons happily? Must she have a man by her side? But I put a smile on my face and continued the conversation with my fan.

“Um, no. I’m thinking of writing a romance novel.”

“That’s so cool! Well, I hope all goes well with it. I’ll sure to read it when it’s out.” The girl then got up and walked away with a big smile on her face. I returned to the blank document on my laptop screen. My fingers hit the keyboard before I could think.

All I heard was the pitter patter of the rain, but all I was thinking about was him. His eyes, his full lips, his warm hands caressing my cheeks. My body shivered at the thought. I needed to feel his warmth, his way with words filling my head. Something about him made me WANT TO VOMIT AURORA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WRITING THIS IS A SHIT ASS ROMANCE NOVEL.

No. No, no, no. It was all wrong, except the last sentence. That was right. As I began to backspace this story out of my life, the flight attendant began to call people up to board. When I placed my laptop back in my bag, I grabbed my journal. But not any journal. It was my sacred journal. This was the place where I had came up with the idea for It’s Time. Maybe this journal could work it’s magic once again and help me with romance ideas. After boarding the plane, tucking my bag under my seat, and watching the flight attendant do weird hand motions, I finally opened up my journal. There were scribbles here and there with side notes about the characters and their personality. My hand ran over the writing and the indentations I made. Pushing the assist button, I waited for an airhostess to come.

“How may I help you?” whispered a young lady in her airhostess uniform. I looked around to see why she was whispering and found most of the passenger, including those sitting next to me, were already asleep.

“Oh, I was wondering if I could have a pen?”

“Here” she said as she took the pen from her pocket and handed to me.

“I hope you write another best selling book.” said the hostess as she walked away from me. Slightly surprised that she knew who I was, I opened up my journal and began to write.

Stupid romance novel. Why is it so hard to write one? I just have to make two characters fall in love and happily ever after, right? Wrong. What is love? According to the dictionary is an intense feeling of deep affection, but its definition is twisted to fit one’s opinion. What I consider love is not the same as someone else’s. How can I write a book about love when there are over seven billion definitions for it? Stupid book.

Capping the pen, I placed it in my book to keep as a page holder and started to drift off.

*

“Passengers, we have now arrived safely in Miami, Florida. It is 11:33 and I hope you enjoy your stay.” said the pilot as many people began clapping. My head dropped down as I snuggled further into my seat.

“Miss? You must get up, the flight has landed.” said the old lady who was sitting next to me. Whipping the drool from my face, I proceeded to get up, grab both my journal and bag and walk out. I thanked the air hostess for the pen and she could not have been happier for me to say that. I walked out to the bag claim and finally figured out which one was my suitcase after multiple tries. When I walked outside I suddenly realized this wasn’t New York weather where it would be slightly cooler than the rest of America, but this was Florida, the sunshine state. As I sat on my suitcase and sweated like a pig, I grabbed my phone from my bag and sent my dad a text I was here and called mom. I wasn’t surprised she picked up on the first ring.

“You were sitting right by the phone weren’t you?” I asked with a sigh.

“Of course not!”

“Mom.”

“I just happened to be sitting by the phone when it rang.”

“Mom.”

“Okay, I was waiting for you to call.” I smiled. That was my over protective yet loving mother.

“I’m safe in Florida. Dad is coming to pick me up soon.”

“Oh okay. Your dad didn’t want a picture of you, you know? He said he would find you using his fatherly senses.”

“I’m pretty sure I can spot dad if he can’t spot me.”

“It’s been six-” I stopped listening to mom because someone had tapped my shoulder. Turning around I faced a man with black hair and eyes like mine.

“I think I found him. Bye mom.” I say as I end the phone call.

“Aurora.”

“Dad.” With that, he pulled me into a hug, a tight one. A little surprised, it took me a while to hug him back, but eventually I did.

“I’ve missed you so much. We have six years to catch up on.” he said as he grabbed my suitcase for me and started walking to the airport parking lot.

“Yeah. Six years.” He stopped walking and turned around to me, sympathy clear on his face.

“Aurora, I’m sorry for not being the father I should have been. I know how it must be for me to call after six years and want to see you, but I’ve always wanted to see you. Your-” he stopped talking.

“My what?” I asked pushing him to talk. I loved my sound of my dad’s voice. Maybe since I was hearing it after six years.

“Nothing. I’m sorry, Aurora.”

“It’s okay, dad. I’m here now.” I say and the two of us start walking again to his car in the parking lot. I threw my suitcase in the trunk and went and sat in the passenger seat. My dad sat in the driver’s seat, but didn’t turn on the car. Instead he just turned to look at me.

“There are so many people here to see you.”

“See me? Why?” I ask.

“Come on, Aurora. Your old friends? You do still remember going to school here right?” asked my dad with a slightly worried look. But thankfully that’s when everything clicked. I had gone to school in Florida right put until the divorce date, then my mom took me to New York and everything happened from there.

“Yeah. I remember some of them. Are they coming to see me today?”

“Yeah. I think one of them is taking you out to lunch.” Dad then started the car backed out of the lot. He rolled down the windows and I felt the warm Florida breeze against my face. Maybe coming down here isn’t such a bad idea. We passed through the city and started getting into the suburbs. After half an hour of driving, Dad pulled up into a my old house from when I was a kid. Memories of me playing in the front yard came back. Smiling, I turn to my dad who was unloading my suitcase.

“It’s just as I remember it.”

“Got some of the rooms remodeled, which include yours. I hope you don’t mind me taking out all your baby stuff. You wouldn’t have fit in the bed.” Dad cracked a smile as he jerked his head towards the front door.

“It’s open go on ahead. Your bedroom should be on the second floor, the first one to the right.” I turn the doorknob and kick off my shoes. My bare feet hit the cool tile floors as I make my way to the staircase. Skipping one step at a time, I make it to the top at a record speed. There was door to the right and I opened it. When I was little my room used to be a pale pink with polka dots all around the room and it really represented the inner girly me, but now the room was different. It was painted a light shade of yellow and orange, mimicking the sunset, and the furniture was white and my bed spreads matched the all. It was clean and was perfect. My dad really did know me.

“Like it?” asked a voice from the doorway. I turned around to find my dad standing beside my suitcase and bag.

“I do. Thanks for bringing it up.”

“No problem and Sammie is going to be here in a couple of minutes to take you to lunch.” he said as he began to leave.

“Wait, who is Sammie?” I ask.

“Aurora, she was your best friend when you were little. Remember a small, slightly chubby little girl with brown hair and always wore her hair in pigtails?” I started to go back in time in my mind and remember Sammie. The name was familiar, and then the girl popped up in mind.

“Sammie! As in the girl who fell in the mud one day and everyone called her a pig and I stood up for her, Sammie?” I ask excitedly.

“Yes, that Sammie. But don’t mention that incident. It was quite traumatic for her.” said my Dad as he started walking down the stairs. I turned to my suitcase and began unpacking my things. As I put my clothes into the drawers beside my bed, I heard the doorbell ring. I moved to the window to get sneak peek, but I realized my window was facing the backyard.

“Aurora! There is someone at the door for you.” called my Dad from downstairs. Slowly, I crept my way downstairs. I hadn’t seen Sammie in six years. Was she still that chubby kid? Would she still like me? All these questions ran through my head and before I could run back upstairs, I was in the main hall. At the door was a tall, and beautiful girl. Her face broke out into a smile as she ran towards me and caught me in a death grip.

“Aurora! Oh my goodness! Look at you! You’re gorgeous! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” she said as she finally released me from her tight hug. As I soon as I caught my breath I looked at her.

“Sammie, I can’t believe it’s you! I mean you’re absolutely stunning. You’re no longer that chubby kid with the pigtails.” I say astonished. Sammie’s smile just grew wider.

“Oh. We have tons to catch up on. I’ll tell you all about my six years and the gossip around town. And then you can tell me about your whole writing thing. Let’s go grab some lunch.” said Sammie.

“Yeah hold on a second. I’ll just grab some things.” I say as I go back upstairs and grab my bag and phone and come back down.

“I’ll see you before dinner time, Dad.”

“Have fun, ladies!” He said as Sammie dragged me out of the house.

“So, I’m taking you some place special.” said Sammie as we walked to the curb to where her car was parked.

“Where?”

“Your favorite restaurant as a kid! Waka Diner!” She exclaimed. I smiled, at least someone remembers the things I like. We both got in the car and drove to Waka Diner.

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Hey guys,

look who is back in business :) I honestly can not stop writing and this book is like my calling and I can not wait to get to some parts and just write my heart out. like this book is full of plot twists that you won't see coming and im excited the cast is absolutely gorgeous. anyways please leave comments, vote and fan.

love,

Alex :)