Love, Lust and A Baby

Day 4: The past and the present.

I woke up to breakfast in bed by the kids. The scent of the delicious waffle and a cup of hot chocolate wafted up to my nose as I opened my eyes.

"Good morning" the kids shouted happily.

"Oh my God! you guys" I squealed in surprise wondering were they got the ballon that read WE LOVE YOU.

Annabel's grip on the ballon was very tight. She was the shiest in the group and was almost invisible.

"Well, we wanted to cheer you up and wish you a happy day ahead". Tracy plopped on the bed and grabbed her hands in mine. She was showing off a pair of perfectly filed dentition. 

"Well, I could live with this" I muttered collecting the breakfast tray from Emmanuel, I've never heard him talk.

The taste of the waffle exploded in my tongue as I took the first bite. 

"God! this is so delicious" I rolled my eyes in pleasure. 

"Guys tell me the truth, where did you buy this?" I asked taking another delicious bite.

"Emmanuel made it" Theresa answered. 

I looked towards Emmanuel who just stood there with an embarrassed look on his face.

"This is really delicious Em, where did you learn how to bake?" I asked in between my third bite.

Emmanuel just shuffled and shrugged his shoulders.

Emily leaned towards me and whispered, "He doesn't talk much".

I nodded I took a sip from the hot chocolate. I was in heaven.

"Oh My God! who made this?" I groaned in pleasure taking another sip.

"I did" Jason replied. He looked pleased.

"Really?" my eyebrows shot towards him.

"Yea!" he sighed "I know I look like a spoilt brat but I always took hot chocolate to my Nanny every morning, so I have 12 years of experience" he grinned.

"Well Kids, I appreciate these gestures and you have no idea how special and loved I feel; just remember you can count on me all always". I opened my arms for a group hug.

***

"Rise and shine"  Archie's voice echoed, meanwhile the delicious scent of a hot cup of freshly made chocolate reached my nose dragging me out of my sleepiness. I was a sucker for well-made chocolate. A cup and I start talking. This was the first time or rather the first morning I am sharing with my boyfriend. 

My boyfriend! Oh, God! I could not believe my eyes. I just shared a bed with the hottest boy in school who also happens to be my boyfriend. 

"Did you sleep well, Precious?" Archie asked me pulling me into his warm embrace. I was thankful I remembered to brush my teeth last night.

"Uhm..." I muttered into his chest, taking in all of his scents. I am the luckiest girl in the whole wide world.

"The waffles are almost ready," he told me again.

"Wait! how did you know I love my waffles with hot chocolate?" I pulled away from his chest to look at him.

"Well Precious..." he paused raising my chin with his left hand "when you love somebody you don't forget anything about them".

"Archie..." I muttered burying myself in his arms again. 

The memories of the proposal still fresh in my head.

We were playing with a school from abroad, so for weeks, Archie trained every single second. We became friends right after the incident at the parking lot and I was always spotted with Archie, went to all his games even had the privilege of going to their locker room and sitting down in front rows for every game. I was known as Archie's girl. We were friends right from my Sophomore year till Junior year and Archie was a senior.

I was seating at the front row of the fully packed stadium wearing a WILDCATS jersey and a cap cheering as if my whole life depended on it. Archie had been acting strange all week; it had to be the training. I stared at the scoreboard anxiously it was remaining 5 minutes to game over although we were 30 points ahead of the other team I was uneasy. Anything could happen. 

After 300 seconds, the game was over and we won. Suddenly the lights in the stadium went off plunging us in total darkness. What was happening? I wondered squinting into the darkness. 

Then, suddenly a light came on and I saw Archie kneeling with one knee to the ground. Was this part of the game? Then there was a shiny bright light on the scoreboard as ALLIE PLEASE BE MY GIRLFRIEND was moving slowly on the scoreboard. 

I gasped in shock and turned to Archie who was still kneeling. His teammates were behind him each holding cardboard that read  BE MY WOMAN.  

Someone ran into the court and handed a microphone to Archie.

"Allie, I am not so good with words but I just want to let you know how much I love and respect you, you make me feel so good, you bring out the honest man in me and..." a tear dropped from his left eye.

Behind me, the crowd whispered "Awwww..."

"Allie, please just love me the way  I do you, Will you be my girlfriend?"

I walked slowly towards him and dropped on my knees next to him. 

"Yes Archie, make me your woman". With that he slipped the diamond ring on my finger, it was a huge rock. 

We hugged and kissed each other as the crowd cheered. 

"There's nowhere I'd rather be than in your arms Archie Williams, I love you" I whispered.

***

The last activity today was cooking class, I watched silently as the students rushed to finish their task before the timer stops.

"Girl, haven't seen you in ages" Joan broke into my mid-morning thoughts dropping wearily in the seat beside me. She looked like a sleeping mess.

"I am sorry Jo!, I have been so preoccupied with the kids".

"Tell me about it, this camp is the definition of fun; there's this beach bar we went to yesterday, it was totally a blower" my best friend squealed in excitement.

"But I thought no one was allowed to leave the camp and who looks after the kids?" 

"Estelle got someone who has the same grade as us to cover for us, cheer up girl a lot of fun goes on here " she whispered "I saw Samuel too, he had a cute blonde who didn't leave his side all night and g-girl...that guy is hot" she teased.

"Anyways, tonight all the counsellors will be having a meeting today, see you then-girlfriend and wear something hot" she winked at me.

We started digging into the food as soon as the cook judges finished evaluating the student when I saw him. He came into the hall and was looking around for something, started a conversation with a co-counsellor who was staring at him with an animated face. Yes, Archie had that power. He was looking around the hall when our eyes met. For a split moment our eyes held, I thought he was going to look away but he whispered something to his little chat group and started coming towards me, eye contact not broken.

I shivered inwardly, I wasn't ready to face him and yet I was still attracted to him like a magnet. I just couldn't pull away.

"Hey Precious" he smiled sadly his hands underneath my chin.

"How are you?".

I could feel a tear gather at the side of my eyes, Oh! how I love and cherish this man. I stepped back, away from his probing eyes.

"I am fine" my voice hid the tremors shaking my body. 

He wanted to touch me again but I pulled away again. I could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Al..." he wanted to continue talking instead he turned and left the hall.

"You're a coward Archie Williams" I screamed at him.

He turned and came towards me "you're a bigger coward Allie Pat" he replied his eyes burning in anger.

***

"Archie you can't keep walking away or shutting me out whenever we have a problem, you don't treat people you love that way" I wailed following Archie all over the room. He was getting ready for practice and barely acknowledged my presence.

"Archie I am talking to you" the tears were already streaming down my cheeks.

I stood at the doorway blocking his exit.

"Al, I need to go to practice, please leave the door," he asked gently.

My chest was heaving up and down as I stared at him in anger. 

"Who was the girl at the mall?".

He simply brought out his phone, typed a text message and lay down on the bed, his hand over his eyes. 

"darling" I sat on the bed beside him "okay, I am sorry".

He stood up picked up his practice bag and left without a second glance.

Archie was that type of guy.