Can You Keep A Secret (Denis Stoff)

21

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I woke up to the sound of Denis swearing while he shuffled around me. 

"Den?" I asked, sitting up myself. "What's wro-"

"NO TIME! I've gotta go! I've gotta go now!" He frantically ran about my flat, grabbing the small bag that he'd brought with him. 

"Wait, I'll-" I put my hands up as I stood up to go and get my car keys. 

He was at the door. "Never mind that. I've got to go." He opened my front door. "Love you, bye!" He shut it behind him before I could get so much as another word out. 

Did he just say what I think he said? I rushed over to the hook on my wall with my keys and took them off of the hook. I gripped them in my hand for a moment. I'll think about this later, I need to go and help Denis now. I ran out my door and into the darkness of the night while I approached my car. I opened the driver's door and sat in the seat. I put the keys into the car and listened to the engine start up. It must be a miracle. That never happens on the first try. I pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street until my eyes found a figure that was shaped like Denis. I pressed my hand to the horn several times until the wimpy sound finally caught his attention. I pulled over and motioned for him to get in. He raced over to the passenger side. "Go!" He ordered.

I put my foot on the gas and sped down the road even faster than before. "Before you said something," I began, not taking my eyes off of the road. I had to know before he left for a while again. 

"Oh, slip of the tongue. Sorry."

"So then you didn't mean it?" I resisted the urge to stop the car and look at him. I really needed to know.

"I-" Denis stopped. "I don't know how to answer that."

"Yes or no!" I snapped. "Yes or no!"

"YES!" He yelled back. "I meant it. Are you a blithering idiot?! How could you not see it?!"

"What?" I was thoroughly confused at this point.  "What do you mean how could I not see it? We're not even together! You can't just through words like that around!"

"I'm sorry. I told you that it slipped out. Leonard and Penny. Need I say more?"

"Why does everything always tie back into that American sit-com?" I asked. Personally, I found it distasteful and offensive to women. It made them out to be either too emotional, or too  obsessed with having rights for all women. Is that how men look at us? Sex toys with tears and voices to be mocked? "And if you're referring to Leonard's proposal during sex, then may I just say eww?"

"If you didn't want to have this conversation, then why did you initiate it?"

"You know what? You're right. I'm done talking to you." I parked. "We're here. Have a wonderful flight." I added the last bit with a little bit too much ice in my tone. 

Denis didn't move. "I'm sorry," He whispered the words. 

I wouldn't be swayed by him though, so I simply crossed my arms and sat back in the seat. He sighed and exited the car not looking back until he was almost to the front entrance of the airport. He looked back for a moment, convinced that I wouldn't see him. But I did see him. I saw his tiny wave, too. 

I came back to my flat a little while after that. By now I was usually either asleep or overworking myself. I'll admit, having company over for a bit was kind of nice. If only the company and I felt the same way about each other. 

I mean, I like him, sure. But I just feel like he's letting his own emotions take control of all of his actions. Does he have no regard for anyone else? Or is the issue here that he doesn't know how to have regard for anyone else? Maybe being lonely for all of this time has made him so desperate for attention that he's willing to go to whatever length he can to get it. 

Now I feel sorry for him. How can someone be so lonely, so desperate to have something, that they don't even think before they act?

THAT'S IT!

That's what my characters have been missing. The reason why no one's willing to publish my books is because my characters don't ever do anything stupid. They all think things through. The reason why they seem fake is because there's no separation from me! The characters aren't me, they are their own, separate people. They don't think like me, they think like themselves. To view Denis as a character, he doesn't think about consequences, he just does whatever he chooses to. He's driven by emotion, not logic. 

That's what people want in a character. I need to write in a crazy, illogical character who lets their emotions determine their actions. Their choices anger other characters because they don't think about consequences until later. A "do it now, remember it later" attitude. 

I would call Denis to thank him, but I'm not sure whether or not he'd take offense. I mean, I'd pretty much be thanking him for being emotional. That might not come out the right way. That, and he's also probably currently on a plane right now and cannot answer me anyways. 

At least I'll be grateful in the back of my mind. Yippee.