Title form Boys Like Girls’ song, Love Drunk
Keith was holding a basket. He was wearing a v-neck plain grey shirt and black shorts. There was a shade on his head. He looked like he was going to a sunny place. He struck a pose and Roxanne laughed. He gave Roxanne his cutest smile and greeted her.
“So, what are you trying to do? Kill a bunny or something? Oh… oh… I know, you want to go to the market, right?” Roxanne teased his outfit. She was extremely happy, no one knows why. She went to Keith’s side and walked with him. She was still laughing at Keith. She wondered why on earth would Keith bring a basket to school.
“I was thinking to bring you to the lake. But killing a bunny sounds like a better plan,” He faked a smile and pushed himself to Roxanne. Both giggled. Keith put down the basket and grabbed Roxanne’s hands. “So, what do you think?”
“Well, I’m pretty free today. Why not?” She pressed his hands tighter. She’s excited, as the lake is her favourite place to hang out in Nottingham. She used to hang out with Izzy, but those days were history now.
“But how about my car?”
“Leave it here,”
“Can you fetch me tomorrow to school?”
“I never thought of that but that’s sounds good to me!”
“So, let’s go, shall we?”
Roxanne wrapped Keith’s arm and walked to his car. Keith left his basket and ran back to get them as soon as he realized he’d forgotten the rose. Roxanne chuckled in the car, waiting for Keith to come back. As Keith reached Roxanne’s door, he knocked the window. Roxanne pressed the button to slide it down.
“What now?” She opened her window.
“Roxanne Bianca Payne,” He was on his knee. Why do guys in this high school love to get to their knees?
“Will you… Go out with me today?”
“I thought I said yes already?”
“That was not the same with this time. I got rose now!”
“The answer is still the same, Mr. Cooper,”
“Well, how you know my surname?”
“If you haven’t notice I’m your boss. Now, get up and drive me to the lake.”
“Your wish is my command Madam!” He stood up and got into the car.
Roxanne held Keith’s hand while he drove the car. They really looked so cute together, in fact, they are cutter than Izzy-Roxy Incorporation.
…
The sun was up, shining magnificently in the sky. The cloud arranged itself layer-by-layer accordingly like it was made for the sweet ‘little’ couple. No one was at the lake except them. Keith somehow managed to ‘book’ the whole lake that evening for only two of them. Keith also brought homemade cookies that smelled so tempting.
“You brought something in there?” Roxanne pointed to the basket Keith was holding. Keith unrolled the mat and pulled her down. He looked at Roxanne with his not-so-wide smile. He laid down on the mat, looking so calm and cool with his hair blown away by the wind even though it is short. “Roxy, I got something to tell you,” He spoke softly. His tender voice made Roxanne’s lips curved upward a little bit at the edge.
“Spit it out, Keith,”
“There’s two things; One, my hobby is making cookies. I know this sounds silly but, I love it to the max!”
“Well, that’s cute!” Roxanne patted Keith’s shoulder and grabbed a cookie from the basket. She bit a small piece and licked her lips.
“So how is it?”
“You know something? You are better than me!” Both of them burst into laughter.
“Second thing is…” He paused.
Roxanne finished her first cookie and grabbed her second one. Keith shook his head, as he loves the way she eats it. She makes a crunchy noise while eating the cookies.
“Your Izzy is with that Herman over there,” he continued with a sighed. He pointed at both of the guys who were sitting under a shady tree.
As soon as she heard Izzy’s name, she frowned. She put her hand on her chest and pressed it securely. Keith felt guilty for bringing up the topic and went to her side. He took the hand off her chest and wrapped her with his arms from her back. He put his head next to her, breathing serenely. Roxanne felt her body getting warmer and she could feel the pain was not there already. She smiled. Keith kissed her cheek and whispered to her under his breath, “Sorry,” Roxanne’s heartbeat started speeding, she felt the sparkles as he left his lips off her cheek. She braced herself to look at Izzy. She was acting beyond idiotic. She should have replied Keith’s kiss. Looks like Rapunzel preferred a rotten green than the raped juicy red apple.
She turned her face to Izzy. She saw him talking with Herman at their favourite spot on the lake. The shady tree where they carved their name and where they vowed that they would look after each other was now owned by Izzy and his new sweetheart… Herman. She felt disgusted looking at them. Suddenly, Izzy caught her eyes. A current connected them somehow. Both minds were then flashing back those memories together.
“Izzy, stop it. Stop chasing me,” They were running around the tree naively. Chasing each other like little kids and laughing chirpily as if tomorrow will never come. They were 15 but still, acting like they are new born babies. “You ate my chocolate bar! I’m not letting you go this time,” He caught Roxanne and lifted her up. She giggled as the chocolate bar finished eaten by her. Izzy let her go and made funny faces. Roxanne laughed at each faces he was making. Out of the blue, Roxanne stopped and stared at the lake. “What if I fall into the lake and drown?” She got closer to Izzy and asked him. She raised her eyebrows and waited anxiously for the answer from Izzy.
“Easy. I’ll swim to you and save you,” Izzy smirked
“But, everybody knows that you don’t know how to swim,”
“For you, I will even swim the lava lake,”
“For real?”
“I will run to Mount Everest if you want me to. Anything, for our friendship,”
“Anything?”
“Yes, Roxy. Why? You don’t trust me?”
“I believe each and every word from you, Izzy,”
Roxanne set herself back in reality. She was still in Keith’s arms. She felt like it had been so long dreaming about the past but time paced slowly. Keith was smiling looking at Roxanne who was staring far to nowhere. “Let’s get to the bridge,” Roxanne got up and pulled Keith. Keith couldn’t stop her, he’s afraid he will be a dream-crasher if he do so. They ran to the bridge, holding one another’s hands.
As they reached the bridge, Roxanne tried to sit on the bridge but she was not strong enough to get herself up. She narrowed her eyebrows, signaling Keith to lift her up. “Oh…” Keith finally realized after much fake coughs from Roxanne. He got her up there and she was delighted by the view of the lake. She could see her own reflection under her. The water was not really crystal clear but the reflection was visibly seen. He will save me, like he promised. Roxanne was the stupidest girl in the town; she thought Izzy would save her. So, she jumped off the bridge. Keith was indeed in shock and couldn’t reach her hand to save her. Roxanne thought the water was not deep but she was wrong. She couldn’t reach the bottom. The water was cold and numbed Roxanne’s legs. She couldn’t swim back to the land. She was drowning and reaching out for help. Izzy who was looking at her deviously since he caught her eyes got shock too. He ran to the bridge and pushed Keith. “What were you thinking?” He thought Keith pushed her. Keith was speechless and empty-minded. Izzy shouted for help but no one was there. “Move aside,” Keith opened his shirt and pushed Izzy to the side. He jumped into the lake and swam to Roxanne. Izzy was flabbergasted to see Keith who barely knows Roxanne jumped to save her life. I’m the one who should be swimming to her right now, I promised her. His heart spoke and regret was all over his soul.
Ah. Rapunzel drowned herself to find her long lost love. She really needs someone to show her what long lost love really means. It’s gone Roxanne, dead and gone!
Keith swam to Roxanne and managed to pull her to the land. She was half past dead by then. “Breathe Roxanne, Breathe!” He shouted repeatedly as he giving her the CPR. He checked her nerve at every set of the CPR. All Izzy could do that time was looking angrily at Keith.
“Keith!” Roxanne threw up a big amount of water and grabbed Keith’s hands. Izzy pushed Keith’s hand away and held Roxanne’s. He got closer to her and hugged her. Keith stood up and turned away. He felt like she didn’t need him. He took his first step away from Roxanne, a small little tiny step. Suddenly…
“I want Keith, please,”
“But I’m Izzy,”
“You are not the one who saved my life, stranger! Keith, come back here!”
Keith smiled and turned back to Roxanne. Roxanne pushed Izzy off her. “Go, please…” Her voice sounded so desperate to get off Izzy and be in Keith’s arm. Izzy released her unwillingly and stood up. Keith pushed him and got to Roxanne. He hugged her as strong as he could. They both breathe rapidly at the same rate.
“Take my cloth, it will warm you up,” Keith grabbed his cloth and put it on Roxanne. “Do you need my pants?” He looked down at himself. He was bare-chested and was about to get fully naked. Roxanne laughed at him, sickly. She got a thunderstruck and felt so cold. She objected Keith’s idea on giving her his pants by shaking her head. “Well, let’s get back home,” He lifted her up. “Please stay,” her voice was too soft, too mesmerizing till Keith couldn’t reject her wish. Then, Keith brought Roxanne to her shady tree as she commanded him to. He put her down on the grass and leaned on the tree. Roxanne moved to Keith and placed her head on Keith’s chest. She felt warm on his no-string-attached chest. “Look dear, sunset,” Keith was excited as he saw the sun was going to set. This was his first time watching sunset with his lover. “But I love to look at you more,” Roxanne’s hand ran to Keith’s cheek. She blushed.
Finally, the wait is over. Rapunzel doesn’t need a Prince Charming to save her. An ogre, which is much better than Prince Charming, saved her instead. She’s loving someone she thought she never will. However, Prince Charming did come to save her but his timing is off. He should be faster than that. Oh Charming, didn’t your mom tell you that timing is really important? It looks like she didn’t taught you well. Time is what we want the most, but... what we use worst. Poor Charming.
On the other hand, Herman ran to Izzy who was pacing alone back to his car. “Let’s go. Leave them alone. They need more space,” Izzy’s voice was full of sadness. Herman followed him to the car. On their way, Herman curious was to know why he ran to her as if she’s something precious to him. “So, what are you guys actually? You guys were just friend isn’t it?” He asked Izzy, heads looking down on the pavement. “Yes, we are. Nothing more than that!” Izzy replied and sounded annoyed. Why am I not with her in this type of situation? Why do I leave her alone unsecured? Vulnerable? God, I’m such an idiot! Izzy looked at Herman pathetically. They got into the car and Izzy drove them back home.
In the car, both Herman and Izzy kept their mouth closed. They wouldn’t want to break the ice. Herman was so scared to speak up and Izzy really didn’t feel like talking at all. The atmosphere was extraordinary for both of them. They usually can’t stand a second not to talk to each other.
“Okay, that’s enough! You have to tell me why you brought me there?”
“Where? The lake? Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It’s for that girl, right?”
“No… it is for…” Izzy ran out of words.
“I knew it,”
Herman frowned and turned away from Izzy. He stared wretchedly outside the window. He didn’t say any words till reached his house.
Charming regretted of what he chose. He chose a new trend clothing but it didn’t fit his size. There’s a lovely but old one on the other shelf, but he’s too blind to see that the clothing was meant to be his. Now, the clothing is owned by somebody else. Crying is what he needs to get used to now.
S.O.S! Save his soul before it’s too late!!
