FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY SOMETHING READS? This is nuts! Thank you so much! <3 <3 <3 <3 (Sorry I overuse the <3s) Im also so sorry I haven't been updating as much. I'm absolutely buried in school assignments.
Laura POV:
The air feels thin and allows sound of cars passing by and bells on storefront doors jangling to echo off every surface. Dan's on the phone with the manager, but I tune it out. The afternoon lunch rush makes everything around us have a busy feel. We pass a storefront that reminds me of Honeyduke's Sweet Shop from Harry Potter. Dan lets out a heavy breath. I turn to notice he's hung up the phone.
"Sorry about that." He says.
"No problem." I say. He puts his phone in the pocket of his maroon bomber jacket. He motions towards a cafe, which has a sign that say's Kristi's Bakery and Deli.
"Here we are." He says in a (probably unintentional) posh voice. The smell of freshly baked bread fills the air as we enter. The decor is mainly green and red with a bunch of windows near the front. Most tables near the window are full with groups chattering as they eat. A counter snakes around the dining area. Workers dressed in black uniforms happily take people's orders. Quiet piano music is played over the speakers. I look up and see a large menu that is painted on a chalkboard. My eyes scan the menu and the most appealing sandwich is called The Pizza Guy. It has tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperonis, and black olives, all on a sandwich.
"Get whatever you want." Dan offers.
"Could you order for me?" I ask. "I hate to admit it, but I've never actually ordered my own food."
"Sure." He says. "No problem."
"Could I get the pizza guy?" I ask, gesturing to the chalkboard over the counter. "I was going to get the same thing! It's really good." He says.
(A couple minutes later, at their table)
Dan POV:
I do and don't want to ask her this question. It's about her mum. We're having a mostly pleasant day, and I don't want to ruin it. I decide that it's actually important and I should weave it into the conversation.
"So." I say, trying to break the 'this-sandwich-is-really-good-and-I-just-want-to-swallow-it-whole' silence.
"So." She replies with her mouth full.
"Whats one thing that you absolutely hate?" I ask.
"You." She replies. "Kidding. It's bananas. They're the worst, most awful, terrible, horrific, disgusting, nasty fruit to ever exist on the far of the earth." She says with passion.
"Well." I say. "I've been to the International Banana Museum." I say.
"That's a place?" She asks, sipping her water.
"Yeah. It's in California. Let me find the pictures." I say, pulling out my phone. I scroll to the beginning of my camera roll because I had just gotten a new phone.
"Ignore Woody." I say, showing her the photo.
"Oh my." She says. "I've never seen such a frightening haunted house." She giggles at her own joke.
"Jesus Christ, Laura." I put my phone down on the table and take another bite of my sandwich. (Which is especially good today). Crap. I was going to ask her something. What was it? UGH. Oh yeah, about her mum.
"And, about your mum." I start.
"Yeah?" She says. I hear a lump in her throat that completely changes her voice.
"Did she still pronounce tortilla like-"
"Tore-till-uh." She finishes for me. "It's so annoying! If I were to ask we to pick up tortilla chips from the store, she would tell me to 'pronounce it correctly' or whatever."
"Can you... er... tell me about how she was otherwise?" I ask. I don't want her to cry, but she looks like she might.
Laura POV:
I decide to sugarcoat the truth and not tell him she was basically a prostitute.
"She worked at... er... Hot Topic during the day. She would always check on the box of things you gave her and she would know when I rifled through it." I twist my watch around my wrist. The lump in my throat grows. My eyes feel hot. I'm suddenly a lot less hungry, and half of my sandwich is left. "She really respected my privacy and loved me a lot. She just didn't know she did." I say. Everyone has that one thing they wish, over everything else, they could unsay or undo. That was it for me. Kill me now.
"What do you mean?" Dan asks.
"Forget it." I say. My eyes felt like they were burning. I can't cry. I decide to excuse myself to the restroom. I stand in a stall and wait to cool down. There was another woman in here so if I let the tears fall, I'll have to try to do it quietly.
Dan POV:
My counterpart was right. I shouldn't have asked that. I can't look too bothered, because I see some girl just walked in with a WWCOMMS tee. I decide to pretend I'm on the phone so I'm not bothered. I notice she attempts to smoothly take a picture of me.
"Hey, Ralph. You texted me earlier about how you need to talk to me?" I say. I've done this pretend to be on the phone thing before, and it's always worked.
"Yeah." I say into my phone, which is turned off.
"Oh my god! What happened?" I think the girl has bought that I'm on the phone. I decide to keep it up and hope she's just getting a muffin or something and leaves before Laura comes back. Since I'm sitting near the counter, I hear her ask for a bottled water. That's it. Phew! She leaves almost the exact moment Laura comes back out into the dining area.
"I'm really sorry I stormed off." She says.
"And I'm sorry I asked about Ashley." I reply. "I shouldn't have..."
"Could I bring the rest of my sandwich home, or is that an American thing? Like, asking for a bag?" She asks.
"They probably have them, but nobody really ever asks." I reply.
"I'm gonna go ask." She says, hopping into the line. It takes her about thirty seconds to return with a bag. She has a faux grin plastered on her face, but I see the pain behind it. She picks up her sandwich and sets it in her bag.
"Ready to go?" I ask.
"Yeah." She pushes in her chair and follows me out.
"So, what artists other than Ella, the 1975, and Panic! do you listen to?" I ask. "Um." She starts. "Bishop Briggs, Foster the People, Chvrches, Aroura, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, You." She says.
"I just got Tame Impala's Currents on Vinyl." I say.
"Awesome!" Before I know it, we've already gotten to my/our building.
"After you, m'lady" I say in a weird voice because I feel like it.
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Sorry for the crap chapter. I wrote this on the plane to LA. :)
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Lost Dad: Dan Smith
Fanfiction"Hello, Mr. Smith. We're calling about a child you had with..." Theres a pause, "Ashley Caraway." - "Laura, about your Dad... He wants to meet you."
