The Proposal

Autumn came in his coat of red and orange, the streets and pavements filled with golden leaves, falling off the tree's branches. For me, it was a terrible start for the season. My grandmother died. I was very close to her. I will miss her kind, blue eyes, her warm smile, her jokes, and her classic chocolate cakes she used to bake. She died on 22nd September. The day she said she couldn't take any more. Autumn's bright fiery colours seemed to die down as I looked at the rain pour down on my bedroom window. I was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black cardigan on top of a tank top of the same colour, in respect to my grandmother. I looked freaky without any make up and my hair was a disaster. I couldn't care less. Wherever I look, I see memories of my amazing grandmother. The happiest of memories seemed to make me feel down.

In the distance there was a rumble in the skies.

Oh shoot, a thunderstorm, I thought. I always hated storms. When I was little, I used to crawl under the bed whenever there was the tiniest flash of lightening. At twenty five, I don't do such childlish things, but such weather still dampens my mood. At this particular moment, being sadder seemed impossible.

I slumped against the window sill, watching the rain fall heavily against my window. As there was another flash of lightening, I noticed a man running up our drive-in. Nick.

I glanced at my mirror and gave a gasp. He couldn't see me like this!

I heard the familiar wild knocks, something one ought to expect from Nick. Anyone who had never experienced such knocks, would think there were burglars at his door.

I ran a comb through my hair, hurriedly put on some lip gloss and ran to open the door. After the usual hunt for the key, the door was opened and Nick barged in, soaked to the skin.

I led him in the warm kitchen and I made him a cup of hot chocolate and cut him a large slice of fruit cake. Mum had also gotten used to Nick's incredible appetite. The first time he came at our house after we made up, mum was amazed at how he had gobbled up four muffins one after the other! Nick isn't fat, on contrary, he's very tall and built. He is a good six feet three while I never grew taller than five feet six!

As I had expected, Nick wolfed down his cocoa and the fruit cake was eaten in a minute.

"You're a sight for sore eyes! What have you been doing locked up here?" he asked me.

" Am I a sight for sore eyes, while wearing these clothes?" I laughed, for the first time since my grandmother's death.

"Whatever you do, you're beautiful! Alone?" Nick asked, fishing for an apple in the fruit bowl, probably without even knowing!

I told him both my parents wouldn't return until five since they were at work, and we went up to my room, which was in a chaotic state. Clothes lay all over my bed, the shoes I had worn last Saturday were still out on the floor, the room was crawling with books I had read more than a month ago, and planned on returning them to the library. Last but not least, there was the sticky mess of a broken glass which had once been half full of cola. I had accidentally tipped it off my desk and it literally flew off and finally hit the floor, creating a major mess. I didn't bother to clean it up!

"I'm sorry about this!" I apologized. I tried putting some clothes in place, to make the room look more appropriate. He helped me out and we tidied up the room in a split of a second. WELL, not as fast as that, but in less than ten minutes, the room was in a much tidier and cleaner state.

Finally, Nick walked to the center of the room, and dramatically reached for my hand and moved me closer. I had no idea what was to come next.

His eyes became serious and he stopped smiling.

"I wanted to speak to you," he said in the same chilly tone he had used with me fifteen years back at school, except that his voice is now much deeper.

My blood ran cold.

"What about?"I inquired, trying to break free of his grasp.

"Guess."

I stared in his blue-grey eyes, wrecking my brains for an answer.

"You have a girlfriend?"I asked, my voice quivering.

Nick nodded.

I smacked his cheek as hard as I could.

"...who happens to be you - why did you hit me, don't you want me to be your future husband?" he ejaculated. His cheek had turned a nasty shade of scarlet. I had obviously hurt him.

"NICK" I yelled.

I had to hug him.

"I thought you had another girlfriend,"I said, enjoying the hug thouroughly.

"I was going to ask you if you would like to marry me in a year or so,"laughed Nick.

We both looked out of the window. It was still raining but, not as heavily. Fit to go ot with an umbrella.

"Hey, whatever happened to your car?"I asked, when I finally remembered Nick had actually came to my house on foot.

"Would you believe it? I had another accident!" laughed Nick.

I sighed, smiling.

How classic - why couldn't Nick ever return home without extra scrapes added to the poor Honda?

We held hands and went out of the drive in and walked off.

I was in the seventh heaven, with Nick right on my side.