Creative Writing Series 2

2.     A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.

Valentine’s Day was Leo’s least favourite day of the year. Lovey-dovey couples everywhere showing off the extent of their love for one another. It was sickening. He hadn’t a girlfriend. He didn’t need one. With a girlfriend came the nagging and the disgusting PDA’s and worst of all the need to make romantic displays especially on days like today. Yes, he was getting off lightly.

Even his favourite local tea shop, who served the especially delicious chocolate cake and the amazing scones, where he spent his breaks between lectures had been infected with it. Couples taking up all the tables. Streamers and paper hearts covering the place which before had a lovely vintage appeal with an old nineteen twenties style.

Whoever decided that red was to be the colour of love anyway? To Leo, red was the colour of those old musty leather-bound books that his grandmother kept in her bookshelf. Contained within those books, that was true romance.

That kind of romance was something he could be interested in. Instead of romance that’s only end was to get into each other’s pants. Having a girlfriend he actually liked and not just someone to define himself by.

He finally managed to find someplace to sit in the busy tea room when he saw her. She was stepping out of a taxi with her boyfriend holding the door open for her. They couldn’t have picked somewhere else to eat?

Lilith was his step sister. Her father had married his mother when they were sixteen. With their parents away working a lot he was the one who had to suffer her.

How long had she been with this one? He wondered. She usually had a new boyfriend every week or so. Each one thinking they were special. Until she grew bored of them that is.

He tried to avoid her gaze. But she found him anyway. She led her newest companion over to the table seated opposite him which just happened to be the only free table available.