Those Summer Nights

Chapter Two

Barry stared at the blank untitled document on his laptop with wide, overtired eyes. He had been in Starling City for two and a half days, yet he still couldn't find any inspiration to write. He dug his hands into his chestnut brown hair and his blood began to boil with frustration. Then as if on cue, his cell phone vibrated with a text from an unsaved but familiar number; which read: how goes the novel, Mr Allen?

Barry's heart stopped as those five words echoed throughout his mind. The widest of smiles spread across his face as he swore he could hear Caitlin's voice whilst reading the text a second time. His fingers danced across the phone's miniscule and solid keyboard as he typed his response: non-existent :( I just can't seem to find anything to write about. Not blaming Starbucks, but I do miss Jitters.

Caitlin's response came through just minutes later: maybe you could use a break or another set of eyes? I'll join you.

I've got a better idea. Meet me at Felicity's. Barry replied.

Caitlin always appreciated living just across the street from Felicity. She was never without someone to confide in whenever things with her mother got too intense; which they were more often, seeing as all Carla wanted to talk about was Caitlin's future. But more recently, Caitlin found another upside to her best friend living so close. Felicity and Donna graciously offered Barry a place to stay while he was in Starling City.

"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked with a chuckle as she found Barry escaping from the window of the guest bedroom an hour after their exchange via text message.

"Right now, I'm realizing why Coach Kreisburg failed me during my rope test in gym class" Barry said, hunched over as he tried to catch his breath. He was seconds away from collapsing before he fell forward into Caitlin's arms; knocking them both down onto the Smoak family lawn.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Caitlin laughed as she helped Barry up. Her cheeks would eventually go on to hurt from smiling too much.

"Yeah. I'm fine" Barry said, dusting himself off and ensuring that nothing was forgotten. "But we better get going if we're going to make it to the movie".

                                                           ~

They say that the journey is half the fun of the final destination. Caitlin and Barry found that to be very true as they boarded the bus to the drive-in movie theatre. The moment Barry opened his laptop to show the little progress he had made with his novel, it seemed like they were the only two people in the world. It hadn't even occurred to them that the once clear skies overhead were beginning to darken. A storm of Mother Nature's tears was moments away from flooding the city.

"I don't know. Nothing has really inspired me since I got here and I'm suddenly forgetting about everything that I like" Barry said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well maybe you need to write something shorter. Simpler. You know, to get yourself back in the groove" Caitlin suggested.

"Like this?" Barry asked as he opened up a document entitled: Late.

Submission deadlines never met or
Simply waking up after you've hit snooze,
One too many times.

They say you have no sense of urgency.
But don't they know you're going
As fast as you can?

Hopefully you are
Punctual when it matters.

"I know. It's not that great. Just a bunch of words strung together in the hopes of forming some kind of random thought" Barry said.