Rekindling the Flames

by CoJoThom98

Ch. 3.5: Seeking Advice

Author's Note:

Before you begin reading, you should know that this isn't really another "chapter." In fact, I am writing this about two weeks after the publication of chapter 3. This is more of a deleted scene of sorts. It something that one of my editors suggested but unfortunately, chapter 3 was already published by the time he made the suggestion. However, it was so good I couldn't pass it up.

What this is, is a discussion between Flash and his dad about the events of in Chapter 3 and Flash seeking advice about what he should with Sunset. Now if you would rather just skip ahead to chapter 4, feel free to. However, if you are curious what Flash's dad has to say, then go right ahead.

Flash pulls into the drive way of his home. The sun still hangs in the sky though it is beginning to dip. He turns off his car and pulls the key out. Before he gets out, he places his hands at the two and ten position of the steering wheel and hits head against the top of the wheel, keeping it there for a moment. What the hell was I thinking? he wonders, Why would I bring up such a suggestion, especially after how our last relationship went? He lifts his head off the wheel, opens the door, and steps out. He reaches behind the driver's seat and pulls out his bookbag, he then closes the door and saunters over the front door of the house. I didn't really think I could win her back by being her friend, did I? Do I even want her back? Does she even want me back? He opens the door and is greeted by the barking of a German Shepherd. The dog rushes towards Flash and lifts himself so his paws are holding on to Flash's shoulders. The dog welcomes Flash home with a flurry of licks. Flash laughs, enjoying the welcome but trying to get the 70 lb. dog off of him. "Down boy, down," Flash commands. The dog obeys, receiving a head rub as reward. "It's good to see you too, Ranger."

"Ranger!" a gruff voice calls from the living room, "Come here boy!" Ranger runs off to the living room at the end the entrance hallway. Flash walks up the hall, following the source of the voice. He looks and see's his dad, Thunderchief, standing in the entrance to the kitchen with a sports drink bottle. He's a man in his late 40s, medium lean build, has a dark blue crew cut, and he's wearing gym shorts and a sweat soaked, grey shirt with "Air Force" written across the chest. "Sorry about that Flash," he says, "we just got back from our run and he's still a little excited."

"It's okay Dad," Flash says as he drops his bag next to couch and takes a seat. He leans his head back, lets out a deep sigh, and rubs his eyes.

Thunderchief walks over to his recliner, in the far corner of the room, and takes a seat. "I'm guessing the paper turned out to be a lot harder than you expected?" he jokingly asks.

"No it's... something else," Flash says, holding his position.

"Oooh dear," Thunder remarks, reading the signs, "things didn't go so well with your friend, eh?" Flash slowly shakes his head no. "So, do you wanna tell me what happened, or are going to keep calculating the rpm of the ceiling fan?"

Flash sits up and tells his dad about the events of the study session. He tells him about both of their friends kept thinking that it was a date, how she even asked him if it was a date, which it wasn't. He then tells him about how he brought up that dating wouldn't be such a bad idea, and how Sunset reacted to such a proposal. "She then stormed off and left me alone in coffee shop. I stayed for another 15, maybe 20 minutes after she left."

Thunder rubbed his lip with his left index finger. "Well," he starts, "from the sound of how she stormed off, it seems you might have scared her."

"Scared her?" Flash asks with a confused look, "how can you tell?"

"Because she sounds exactly how your mother reacted when I first asked her out," he says, walking to the kitchen to throw away his now empty sports drink bottle. "We had been friends for about two months, back when we were in college," he shouts from the kitchen, "We enjoyed each other's company, and I was starting to really like her." He walks back into the living room and sits back down in his recliner. "One day, I ask her if she wanted to go out and get a bite to eat, or get a cup of coffee. She reacted the same way your friend did, accused me of only wanting to be her friend just so I get into her pants."

"Why did mom accuse you like that?" Flash asks.

"Because, not long before we first met, she broke up with sleaze ball who had that same goal in mind," Thunder explains, "Me asking her out was like opening up an old wound for her."

"What did you do?" Flash asks.

"Well, the next morning, I went to our campus's coffee shop, got her favorite cup of coffee, gave it to her in our first morning class, and apologized," he says, "After that, we remained friends for a few more months and then we went out on our first date." Flash looks down at the ground and ponders his father's actions for a minute. "Listen Flash," Thunder says, Flash looks up at his dad, "There is no use in rushing a relationship. This isn't like one of your games where romance happens after a few clicks of some buttons. These things take time. My advice is you first need to apologize to her tomorrow and afterwards, start by being her friend. You need to have a friendship before you begin a relationship. Do you understand?"

Flash slowly nods. "Yeah," he says, "yeah, I understand."

"Good," Thunder says as he slaps his knees and gets up from his chair, "now are you hungry? I'm going to grill some T-bones tonight?" Ranger, who had been laying by the recliner this entire time, perks his head up and lets out a small bark. "Yes boy, I even got a small one just for you," Thunder says chuckling as he scratches behind the dog's ears.

"Actually," Flash says as he gets up from his seat and grabs his bag, "I'm gonna get this paper done and turn in early. Goodnight."

"Ok son, try not to work yourself to hard, sleep well," says Thunder.

Flash makes his way to the stairs and begins his ascent towards his room. As he walks, he ponders over his dad's advice.

He agrees that he needs to fix this mess and start being Sunset's friend, but a relationship? Is that something he really wants? Despite Sunset's accusations, he doesn't want to be her friend so he win her back, but because she's different. She's more considerate, selfless, and honest now, a far cry from what she used to be. He wants to be her friend because of those qualities. Then again, would having an intimate relationship be such a bad thing? He was the one to suggest trying dating again, perhaps the two of them can finally make it work out this time. On the other hand, the pain from their previous relationship still lingers a bit inside him. Is he even ready to go down that path one more time? Well, it's like dad said, I need a friendship before I have a relationship. I need to make sure I apologize to her tomorrow morning. Now what was her favorite kind of coffee, Venezuelan? Or was it Columbian?

Comments

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

Nice bit. Good to see an introduction to one of Flash's parents here. ^_^

[redandready45]

Flash's parents seem like wise people.

[BenRG]

If there is anything guaranteed to make a guy pause it's to be told: "Yeah, that's more or less how it started between me and your mom!"

[KittyrinnAiko]

OK, I know that the Thundercheif was a jet, but it also looks a great deal like a native American name. Is Flash Native American in this?

[CoJoThom98]

10697153
No, he's just named after the jet.