Love Is Black And White

14. Ruby

It's okay if he doesn't like it. 

My leg kept shaking as I waited for my turn to talk to Professor Bristol. After class, I was sitting in the first row of chairs and watching his conversation with my classmates. I was the last one. And the wait only made me feel more and more anxious, I would finally hear a writer's opinion of my story.

Maybe I'm better with comics. Maybe I wasn't born to be...

"Leon?" Professor Bristol's voice brought me back to reality.

I gave a small smile, got up and walked slowly towards him. When I stopped in front of him, I took a deep breath, and he looked at me.

"It's a great story, you have talent, Leon." He said, and I smiled, relieved, "I left comments and suggestions to improve the flow of the story, but nothing too alarming... My biggest concern is with the characters... Well, one character in particular."

I undid my smile, "Oh, which one?" I asked.

"Ruby." He replied, and realizing I was still confused, he explained, "You've changed her personality throughout the chapters... You introduced her to us as a strong, courageous and confident woman. But in the last few chapters, she became..." He frowned, trying to find a suitable word, "Vulnerable."

"Oh..." I said, frowning, "I didn't realize that."

In silence, he stared at me for a few seconds, his hand pinching his chin, and furrowed brows.

"Are you writing another story?" He asked.

"No, not at the moment." I answered.

He took a deep breath, removed his glasses, and approached me, with folded arms, "Leon, creativity is a splendid talent, but we need to learn to control it. Otherwise, we go crazy." He laughed, "I want to show you something about our mind..."

I nodded.

"Sing any song... And don't stop." Professor Bristol said.

I laughed, thinking it was one of those jokes that are told before a serious matter. But he was looking at me with furrowed brows.

Still looking at him confused, I started singing Hey Jude. The first song I thought of at that awkward moment.

"Oh, Beatles... Nice." He said, smiling and shaking his head to the beat of the song, "Well, shake it up, baby, now!" He started singing Twist and Shout, happily, shaking his head and snapping his fingers to the beat, while I was still singing Hey Jude.

I looked at him even more confused, but I tried to keep singing my song. He told me not to stop. A few seconds later, I got lost in that insane moment.

"Why did you stop?" He asked me, frowning.

"I got lost." I answered.

"Oh, did I confuse you?" He asked, his hand on his chest.

"Yeah..." I replied, even more confused than before.

He laughed at my face, and then took a deep breath. "Listen, Leon... When we hear one song while singing another, we get confused, we get lost. This also happens with our stories. Like the songs, the stories have different lyrics and melodies." Smiling, he seemed proud of his own words, "I believe a mind like yours didn't create just one story. And the stories you're not telling are affecting the one you're trying to tell, because they also want to be told."

I smiled at him.

"So tell them." He said at last, with raised eyebrows.

I knew I should tell a story. But I didn't know which one.