Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
AND A RING
"MUST YOU GO?" amy said, as you and meg embraced her.
"honestly, i still can't believe annie invited us, either." you say with a pout. you really were going to miss the second youngest march. "but besides, we won't be away for too long."
you turned your head, hearing feet slam against the rubble pavement. laurie was running with jo, towards the house and they battled for the lead as they raced each other. you noticed they were wearing near to matching outfits, making your chest tighten. that used to be your thing. you hadn't spoken to laurie since your fight and had almost been ignoring him all together.
"hurry you two, meg and [ y/n ] are going to be gone for a week!" amy yelled to the sprinting two.
"coming!" laurie called, rounding the corner and running into the gates.
you walked over to mr. laurence and gave him a great, big hug.
"i'll miss you," you said.
"i'll miss you too, darling. have you said goodbye to theodore yet?" mr. laurence stepped back as he patted your back.
you sighed as you looked away guiltily. "after we fought, we've been so awkward and we don't say anything at all. i'm just afraid if i'll say something now, it'll be worse."
"you should, [ y/n ]. trust me, my grandson misses you a lot more than you realize." mr. laurence said, and shooed you off. you wanted to say something to him, but you couldn't bring yourself to. he and jo just looked so perfect together, matching outfits and all and you truly did recosider if you were in fact being selfish or not.
they were playing ninja, and laurie had this adorable defiant look on his face that which made your heart swell. you ached to speak to him, but thought better of worsening his mood. next thing you knew, you saw jo get down on one knee, and propose an outlandish ring to him. a big gem in the middle sitting atop a gold band, like a promise ring. you watched as heat rose on his cheeks and jo left him, to go say goodbye to meg. he slid the ring on his ring finger and watched it intently. the worst part about it, was the ring that you had given him, a signet ring, was long forgotten as it layed atop his pointer finger.
"goodbye, [ y/n ]!" jo said, and threw her arms around you. "take care of meg for me. see you soon, [ n/n ], me and teddy'll miss you,"
at the sound of his name, laurie turned to face you both, and looked at you for the first time in a while. his eyes grazed over your dress, which was no longer one that complemented his like usual. it was instead a simple white dress with a black belt and lace on the neckline and arms.
"i wish i could go to the debutante ball." amy pouted.
"oh amy, your time will come, trust me. suitors will be falling in line to marry you." you laughed and she giggled.
"don't forget about us," jo says to both of you.
"we won't jo, it's only a week!" meg said, but truly it had been the longest she had been away from her family.
"she needs to have some decent shoes," hannah said, as she handed marmee a gorgeous pair of shoes.
"thank you again for the carriage mr. laurence, i don't know how to repay you." meg expressed.
"nonsense, it was all [ y/n ]'s idea." at which meg turned to you and smiled.
"but there is one thing, it occurred to me that my daughter's piano suffers from want of use." mr. laurence said. you knew what he was getting at, he wanted the young beth to play. you played too, but only hardly, usually just when you were sad or bored.
"wouldn't one of your like to run over, and practice on it now and then, just to keep it in tune? if they don't care to come, why, never mind." mr. laurence baited as he turned away.
"oh sir, but they do care. very, very much!" beth's soft voice bursted from behind marmee.
"are you the musical girl?" mr. laurence said so gently like he's never said before as if not to scare the girl off.
"i love it dearly, and i'll come. if you're quite sure nobody will hear me and be disturbed." beth said, voice becoming stronger.
you climbed into the carriage next to meg, and waited for laurie to shut the door.
"not a soul my dear." mr. laurence said clearly pleased.
"goodbye," you uttered softly, not even daring to look at laurie's blemish-free face. he leaned into the window and he got impossibly close.
"goodbye, choupette." after so many days of no consultation, the way the nickname rolled off of his tongue startled you and made your heart thump hard in your chest, and he was so close you were sure he could hear your nerves.
"right, um—" you stuttered, sitting up straight and facing forward. laurie just stood up and pecked the corner of your mouth, and strolled back over to jo, as to say that it was innocent.
"you take the other carriage and surprise them—make sure neither of them fall in love." jo, turned to laurie. maybe jo had ulterior motives, but she wouldn't let him know that.
"yes, captain jo!" laurie said, with a silly salute.
"you. like. LAURIE!" meg gasped, when you were out of earshot.
"that's completely and utterly stupid and impossible, i don't like my best friend, meg. you're clearly delusional." you said as you rolled your eyes, and looked out of the window. but you couldn't deny the ache in your heart and the pressing thought in the back of your mind telling you to kiss him the next time you saw him. but instead you remembered jo, and the ring.
