Ruby Sparks (Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2012)

2

CHAPTER 2

I took Scotty out to do his thing. That’s what we always do first thing in the morning. While waiting for him to finish, I leaned at a tree and sat, opening a book in the process.

“She’s so cute.” I looked up to what I perceive a very familiar voice and saw her standing in front of me again.

“What?” I asked, dazed.

“Your dog. She’s so cute.”

“Oh. He’s a boy dog.”

“He just peed like a girl.”

Why is this girl talking to me? I creased my brows and asked, “have we met before?”

“I don’t think so. Do you mind if I draw him?” she asked, smiling at me.

“Yeah, but don’t get too close. He’s a little scared of people.”

I stared at her in awe and realized I must be dreaming again. I saw that girl again! Now I can see her crystal clear. Evidently, her hair was auburn. She was wearing a beige, lace-y dress with purple tights. She sat next to me and she took out her sketchpad.

“You’re an artist?”

“Yeah. I’m super good!”

“Really?”

“What’s your dog’s name?” she started scribbling.

“Scotty.”

“Are you Scottish?”

“No. I named him after F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

She looked up to me and then back to her pad again. She has beautiful, electric blue eyes! “Who?”

“F. Scott Fitzgerald?” I creased my brows, surprised that she do not know a prodigy. “Novelist. The Great Gatsby.”

She frowned, “I don’t read a lot of fiction.”

“You never heard of Scott Fitzgerald?”

“Why? Is he really famous and important?”

“Well,” I chuckled. “He’s probably one of the greatest novelists who have ever lived.”

“Isn’t that disrespectful?”

“What?” I widened my eyes.

“Naming your dog after him. That’s a little disrespectful.”

“It’s a gesture—”

“Yea. An aggressive gesture. Think about it, you’re a novelist. You think this guy’s the greatest so you named your dog after him and cut him down a size. This way, you can put him on a leash and you feel superior. Kill your idols, man, I’m all for it.” And she briefly pointed at Scott.

I just stared at her conclusion. Well, that was deep. I never thought of that. Stunned, I shut my book and stood up. “Okay, Scotty.”

“Hang on.” She finished the sketch with a few more strokes and tore it out of her sketchpad. She handed it to me with a bit of conceit.

“This is beautiful.”

“Yea. Your dog might pee like a lady but I like him anyway.” She reached for Scotty and petted him.

“Hey, what did you just say?”

“I like him, just the way he is.”

And with that, I woke up.

I sat upright with wide eyes and tried to understand what just happened. I quickly shuffled off from my covers and started screaming yes! a multiple times as I hurried to my typewriter upstairs.