Chapter 8
Dedicated to Abi Dyall for loving my book and the only one including me to like my fringe. love you Abi.
My first day back had been fun but Alice still wasn’t talking to me. However I wasn’t going to think about that, not tonight, tonight was about me and Alec. He’d said that he would cook for me but the last time Alec cooked something was in food tech and he nearly burnt down the whole school.
“So what time are you coming home?” My mum wasn’t allowed in my room without my express permission. While was getting changed she stood at the top of the stairs shouting through my door.
“I’m not, it’s a sleepover remember mum?” I shouted back while ripping the tag off my new top.
“Well maybe I should ring Claire, it being a school night and all?”
“NO!” I shouted back. If my mum rang Claire then she would find out that they were going out and that it would just be me and Alec. Then she would never let me go. “I mean Alice has told her everything she needs to know and she’s fine with it all.” If the door was open and mum could see my face then I would be busted straight away.
“OK then. Do you want me to pack your pills and stuff?” Mum was trying to be too helpful now but it would save me some time.
“Yeah please, could you do it now?” I needed to get rid of her because she was really beginning to bug me.
“Ok I’ll leave it on the table.” I didn’t reply because I could hear mum’s footsteps go down the stairs.
*
I arrived at Alec’s house at about half five, I had to walk because if mum had driven me then she would have seen that the cars weren’t there and she would have changed her mind. I walked up the path with my suitcase in one hand and my ‘Paul’s boutique’ bag in the other. I saw a curtain flicker and as I placed my finger on the doorbell the huge white door swung open.
“Hello beautiful!” Alec said with a beaming smile. I’d spent almost every second since I was home doing my hair and make-up, trying to make it look like I’d done it in two seconds.
“I’m not beautiful.” I said as Alec snatched my suitcase out of my hand and replaced with his warm soft hand. “So don’t you ever say that again.” Alec led me into the house, dumped my suitcase in the hall and sat me down on the sofa.
“Yes you are, you’re gorgeous and you’re all mine.” He lent in to kiss me but I pulled away.
“Alec can you smell that?” I sniffed a few times and so did he, it smelt like burning pastry.
“Oh no!” Alec screamed. “The pie.” He stood up and still holding my hand, ran into the kitchen. He let go of my hand when he saw the cooker, I leaned over the wooden topped breakfast bar facing the cooker. Alec opened the cooker door, wafted the smoke out of his face and coughed a few times. He clicked the oven off and put his mum’s pick oven gloves on and pulled out a cremated unrecognisable pie.
“Ha-ha, aw babe it’s not that bad.” I said moving round the counter. Alec pulled off the flowery oven gloves and slammed them down on the oven hobs.
“No it is bad, I wanted to do something nice for you and it just all went wrong.” Alec swept around the counter and grabbed me by the waist.
“I know you meant well and that’s what matters.” I couldn’t help but giggle, I knew it would happen.
“So I guess it’s take out then? What do you want?” Alec still had one arm around my waist but with the other he was reaching down the folder that was pinned to the notice board that read. ‘Favourite take away!’.
“What?” I pulled away. “You mean to tell me you had money for takeout all this time and you still tried to burn your house down?” He really did worry me with his lack of common sense some times.
“Yeah I wanted to do something special. Anyway Chinese or pizza?” Alec grabbed the phone and menus into one hand and my hand slotted into his other and he lead me into lounge.
A few hours and two ham and pineapple pizzas later Alec and I were still talking and laughing we were half way through a pot of Ben and jerry’s phish food ice cream when it happened. It was so sudden and I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I got up to go to the loo and when I came back the whole room had been changed. I didn’t think I'd been gone that long but apparently it was just the right amount of time. The light was dimmed and there was something I think it was dido playing in the background there were candle and Alec was there in front of me knelt down on one knee with a box in his hand.
“Alec don’t mess around get up. You look like a complete idiot!” I said not really wanting him to get up but beginning to get really confused.
“No I'm not being stupid come here.” He had something strong in his voice so I wasn’t about to argue. I walked slowly over and Alec looked up into my eyes. “Elle,” His voice was suddenly soft and caring. “I love you Elle, and now that we know you don’t have very long left-“
“Don’t talk like that Alec; you know I don’t like it.”
“-sorry, but anyway, I wanna tell the whole world, so I was wondering if in 8 months and 12 days when you’re 16 you would do me the honour of marrying me?” He opened the box and there glinting in the candle light was the biggest diamond I'd ever seen.
“Oh my god Alec of course I will” my smile grew and grew and Alec got up and slipped the ring on to my finger.
