Dream with Me ✔️

22: Zombies are Our Common Ground

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Aurora ☪︎
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Chapter 22:
Zombies are Our Common Ground [Edited]

"Yes, I know." I sigh heavily at my father's lecture. During my earlier call with him, he had overheard a conversation between Theo and I about my headaches and dizzy phases. Ironically my father is a neurosurgeon, he messes around with brains and spines for a living.

"You know, maybe you should come back down here for the weekend. I can assess you at my hospital and know for sure that you got it checked out too because I would have done it," he suggests, which I immediately decline, not wanting to take drastic measures.

"That's not necessary," I say firmly, getting a little frustrated at this point. I can't just go to another city 6 hours away whenever I want. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

Apparently, I've hit some kind of nerve where he thinks I'm starting to catch an attitude. "Tone it down on the sass, Aurora," he warns. "Fine, don't come down here. But I want to get some physical proof you've gone to the doctor, and their number to discuss it."

Something about this causes me to tick, my emotions suddenly doing a full change, and unexpectedly, he's my enemy. "Oh so now you want to be acting all fatherly? Maybe I should get into car crashes more often so you can pay more attention huh?"

He's quick to fire back, which makes me flinch slightly from his loud tone. "Stop that nonsense! You know that isn't true, I thought we had already passed this whole thing."

I scoff, thinking back at the two times I've gone to Los Angeles to visit him. I went a second time during winter break because they wanted me over for Christmas. I made them promise they would not be getting me any big or expensive gift. It wouldn't sit right with me and I don't need their money.

I never said it was okay for him to act like he's suddenly my dad. "Are you being serious right now?" I scoff, my temper and my voice rising. "I said I was giving you a chance to be back in my life, not to be my parent to make up for the loss of time and your guilt. I'm sorry if I did not make that clear to you."

I'm anything but sorry. I don't care if this isn't what he wants to hear, but it's nothing but the truth. This had all been based on his guilt of not being there for me when I was younger. I'm only in his life right now because my mom convinced me to.

The phone stays silent, all I hear is ragged breathing and sighs of frustration. I can hear some distinct chatter in the background, Alice saying something to him in Chinese, knowing I wouldn't understand.

Before he gets the chance to respond, I continue on first, not even wanting to keep talking to him anymore. "I'm going to go. Bye." I hang up, tossing my phone on Theo's bed. I realize that his friends have probably overheard my phone call which makes my groan in embarrassment. I had come here a few hours ago to hang out with the three of them before going to the party all together, not wanting Theo to make an extra stop just to pick me up.

"Everything okay?" Theo knocks on his own door, making me laugh humorlessly.

"You do know this is your own room, you don't need to knock at your own door," I reply, which he takes as an invitation to come into his room. He looks a bit hesitant, his eyes landing on my face to search for any answers the moment he walked in.