Salted Caramel Coffee (COMPLETED!)

Chapter Five} P¡żżå

     "That sounds incredible, Black," I say, shoving a piece of pizza into my mouth. I was starving- my mother hadn't pulled over once on the way here to eat.

     "Really?" She takes a sip of her iced coffee and shifts on the ground. "My agent rejected it when I sent it to her."

     I swallow and reach to take a sip of water. "Hell yeah! Your agent's crazy. If you really had to change anything though, I'd have her become friends with Damien towards the end."

     Black cocks her head to the side, her eyebrows knotted down. "Wouldn't that be a bit cliché? You know, protag meets villain, villain acts all evil but is actually a cinnimon roll?"

     I arch my brow slyly. "Not if he's pretending. Once she thinks he's actually on her side, he'll strike again." I suggest. "I'm pretty sure the only reason she rejected it was because it's a bit too predictable."

     I imagine this girl, Nisa, as a girl who lets people in her heart too easily. She has a boyfriend who's not a bad person, but just takes her for granted. Damien doesn't wouldn't let enough people into his heart. Of course, it would be too predictable to have it be the type of thing where Damien teaches Nisa not to be a pushover and Nisa teaches Damien not to be such an ass. It would seem like that at first. After the war of a lifetime, the two should grow close, realizing that there is no purpose to fight.

     Purpose shmurpose. WE WANT DRAMA!

     And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you write a good plottwist.

     We sit on the pavement outside of Mario's Pizza Palace with an extra large pizza sitting in a cardboard box in front of us. It's a warm day, the kind with just enough breeze to make it absolutely perfect. Black hasn't brought up my mother once yet, which is nice. I kind of need a break from her.

     Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

     "See, Emma? You're a natural. All you have to do is put those thoughts of yours to words." Black winks at me before taking another whopping bite of pizza.

     "You would think," I mumble. I've heard that line a million times, and it never changes a thing. My thoughts still fly out of my head, and I still hate my job. I just don't understand why nobody can just listen to me when I tell them that I'm not a writer. There's always some reason why I am- why I have to be.

     "What do you mean?" Black asks, adjusting her bun.

      I sigh. "I mean, it's just not that easy for me to put my thoughts on paper. I- I get ideas sometimes, but they never stick. It's like trying to catch a bear with a flytrap."

     There's a moment of silence where I think she's judging me. Her eyes are narrowed, sweeping up and down my body. "Hold on." She says abruptly, making me jump. She rises up onto her knees, digging through her front and back pockets. After a second, her hands emerge with a large, blank and crumpled post-it note. She sets it in front of me and sits back down, sighing.

     "What?" I ask, looking at her as if she's grown a second head.

     "I don't have a- wait." Then- much to my surprise- she actually reaches into her bun and pulls out a fucking pen.

     Like deadass she pulled a pen out of her hair.

     "Here," she says, handing it to me.

     I look at it, then up at her. "Um... yes?"

     Black laughs. "You're going to write down your thoughts." She urges. When I still don't get it, sets down her coffee and looks me in the eye. "When I look away, I want you to write down the first prompt that comes to mind, okay? It doesn't have to be good, it just has to be an idea."

     "I really don't think this is going to-"

     "Just try it. Have an open mind, Em. You said it yourself, it's like trying to catch a bear with a flytrap. Your ideas are huge. You just need something bigger to catch them."

     And here I was thinking we weren't going to talk about writing.

     Black breaks her gaze with me, and I immediately look down at the wrinkled post-it in front of me. Thoughts come flooding into my mind faster than I can write them down, then flow out equally as fast as they came.

     Her eyes bore into me, piercing mine like razor sharp- icicles hang from every roof top, sparkling. It makes the village look as if it's been draped in a blanket of fairy- lights blast toward me, causing me to go blind for a minute. When I finally regain my sight, I'm shocked to- see? He's not who we thought he was. And look who's the fool- now there's nothing I can do about it. All there's left to do is sit on the ground like an idiot and eat this damn pizza.

     I throw the pen back at Black. "I can't."

     "What do you mean you can't? Literally any idea. I won't judge you, I promise." She assures me, trying to force the pen back at me.

     I shoot up, dropping my pizza back into the box. "Why does nobody listen when I tell them I can't! I'm not who you think I am, and I never will be." I try to storm away, steam practically shooting out of my ears.

     "Where are you going?" Black calls after me. I don't reply. "How are you supposed to get home without the car?"

     I stop short, every muscle in my body tightening. Slowly, I turn back around, my hands balled tightly into fists. "If you say one more thing about my writing while I'm here, I swear to god I'll run away."

     "Em-"

     "Test it out," I walk right up to her, getting so close that I can feel her tense breath on my face. "I dare you."

     Black isn't stupid, and neither am I.

***

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I hope you liked chapter 5 of Salted Caramel Coffee! I worked really hard on it so let me know what you think. Ily all!💞
- Shayna