"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"

Clare began writing when she was a young girl. She dallied in poetry and lyrics writing. She could not play an instrument, but she had a head full or melodies. Writing took a back seat when she hit her college years. Years filled with boyfriends that would come and go. Some stole her heart while others became a fleeting memory. (Me, Myself and I) she would always say. She did not need a boyfriend on Valentine’s day and there was no shortage of people reminding her that her clock was ticking but as she walked away from her date she said. (“Thank U, Next”, as he said, (“Blow Me One Last Kiss!”)

One day while catching up on Facebook Clare ran across an announcement for a writing contest. Reading through the guidelines and rules her heart started racing. She had missed her one true passion, writing. The ad was for a screenplay competition. She had never written a screenplay before but she decided at that moment that she would do it. She grabbed her keys and out the door she went to the local bookstore. There she found a book on writing screenplays, she bought it and hurried home to begin reading.

Three hours later Clare was sitting at her computer jotting down ideas. The contest rules stated that one could write for a current television show. Sixty-minute television shows require a minimum of eighty-six pages of dialogue. She wasn’t detoured. She just had to pick the right show to write for and quickly because the deadline was in forty-five days. Just then Clare’s phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Tony was already speaking, “Where are you?” he said. Clare answered, “I’m at home working, why?” Tony continued, “You were supposed to meet me for dinner so that we could talk about us!” Clare put her pen down and stood up responding, “I’m not obligated to do anything with you, and there is no us!” Clare was now irritated. Tony responded, “But you said you would talk about getting back together!” Clare trying to be calm continued, “Tony, (We Are Never Getting Back Together) and I’ve told you that before. Please don’t call me anymore”. Clare hung up the phone.

Relieved that the relationship was over, she sat down to think about her favorite tv shows. Her all-time favorites included Supernatural and NCIS. She loved the SY-FY type stuff so she decided to write an episode for Supernatural. With the short deadline she would have to write every free moment from work and school.

A couple of days later Clare was at work in the emergency room and had just sat down at the registration desk when a man walked up to her window. She looked up and saw the biggest blue eyes she had ever seen. She caught herself staring and noticed that he was holding his arm. She finished checking him in and directed him to a seat. Moments later he was called to the back and Clare walked him in. Carefully she helped Louis take his coat off and headed back to her desk. It took about thirty minutes to catch things up and get back to Louis. She walked in as the doctor was trying to set the arm. Louis was in such pain; Clare couldn't take it and left the room to stand in the hallway with her clipboard. When the doctor came out Clare entered the room when the nurse was giving Louis some pain medication. The nurse left as Clare approached the bed. He looked so uncomfortable and his arm was in traction above his head. Clare asked all of the demographic questions and then asked for his insurance and license. Louis said, "You have to get the wallet out of my back pocket". Clare moved around the room and as Louis pivoted, Clare got the wallet. He asked her to remove his license and insurance cards and she did. Once she scanned them, she put them back into his wallet and put it on the table beside him. She said thank you and walked away. About an hour later the nurse told Clare that Louis was leaving and had asked to see her. She went to his room and his arm was now in a cast. He asked, "I was wondering if you would sign my cast and maybe include your phone number?" Clare could feel her face turning red as she pulled out her pen and began signing the cast, including her phone number. She walked him to the exit and said good-bye.

Clare spent all day Saturday writing. She had not even noticed the sun going down and her light source going away. She picked up her phone to check the time and realized that she had been writing for seven hours. Twenty pages of the required eighty-six. The light on her phone faded and it was now dark. Clare was now (A Writer in The Dark). Clare jumped as her phone rang and she answered it to a familiar voice. "Hi, it is Louis!" Clare asked, "How are you feeling?" Louis replied, "Much better, the pain is much better. I was wondering if you would like to meet for coffee and dessert?" Clare responded, "Actually, I've been writing all day and I would appreciate the break". "Great!" Louis replied and they agreed to meet at the Sunrise café.

Clare and Louis were sitting having a great conversation when Tony walked up to their booth. "Well, I see that you have moved on, rather fast don't you think?" Clare looked at Tony and said, "What do you want, this is a private conversation?" Tony replied, "You hurt me and now you are just running around like nothing happened?" Louis spoke up, ("Everybody Hurts), you need to more on. If you would please excuse us, we were talking". Tony stood silent for a moment and then turned to Luis and said, "(Love Stink), don't get involved," and then walked away.

Clare immediately apologized to Louis and he said, "You have nothing to apologize for, let's forget it". The twosome began talking again while sharing an apple pie alamode. "So, you're a writer, what are you writing?" Clare told Louis about her project to write her first screenplay and told him that between work, her final semester in college and writing the screenplay that she was very busy. "Do not worry," he said, "I'm a patient man and if I can help just let me know". He was looking at her and smiled. She said "What?" "Nothing," he said, ("You Remind Me of Someone I Used to Know").

Day twenty-three of the writing project and half-way through her last semester, Clare signed the final page of her script. Dean and Sam solved another case, jumped back into the car and headed to the next case. Clare placed the script in the large envelope and headed to the post office.

Two months later Clare was getting ready for graduation. Louis picked her up and they drove to the ceremony and two hours later Clare was a graduate. Louis took her to dinner and as they were talking, he pulled a gift out of his pocket and handed it to Clare who quickly opened it. Inside was a necklace with a quill pen laterally attached to a chain. Clare did not know what to say. Louis took the necklace and asked, "May I?" Clare fighting back tears nodded in agreement. Louis put the necklace around Clare's neck and kissed her cheek. "The perfect gift for a writer, don't you think?" Louis said. Clare wiped her tears, hugged and thanked Louis. They finished their dinner and headed home.

When Clare got home, she found a large envelope in her mailbox. They went inside and Clare opened it and screamed, "Oh my goodness, I placed in the top fifty with my screenplay, I can't believe it!" They celebrated with a glass of wine. Sitting face to face Clare looked at Louis and said, "I think I made a major decision today". "What is that", Louis asked? Clare sat her glass of wine on the table and said, "I want to be a teacher, I want to teach writing and maybe eventually write more screenplays, books and songs." Louis reached for Clare and held her tight. "I am so proud of you," he whispered. "You are everything I have ever hoped for." Louis took Clare's face in his hands and said, "I love you; I want to share my life with you and I will support whatever you choose to do". With tears rolling down Clare's face she put her hands over Louis's hands and said, "I love you too!" They kissed gently and Clare sat up quickly and spoke. "You know, (Breaking Up Is Hard to Do) so you are stuck with me for life!"

The End