Garfield

The Proposal: Rachel

Rachel

Planning the party helped take my mind off things, off what I was going to do. I decided not to think about that. I decided just to think about the fun and the friends and all of the events I had planned. It would be one hell of a birthday bash thanks to me, and perhaps that's just what he needed to loosen him up a bit. We both needed it honestly. I needed something real. I needed to be around people who were real, like my family and friends. I needed a night of just pure fun. And that's exactly what it was. We'd sung happy birthday. The next step was to get drunk! Louis was playing drinking games with the guys and I decided to go in and mix some cocktails for me and the girls.

"I didn't know you were a barista as well" said Martha, one of my college friends.

"Well, I pack a lot of surprises"

"Can't wait to try!" said Diane

"What would you like to try?"

"Surprise us!" she responded

So, I was going in the kitchen to work my magic when Louis burst in on me and the atmosphere grew thick and heavy. He grabbed me and yelled at me for inviting Garfield. Well forgive me for trying to hope he had a good time. Forgive me for not getting it all perfect. I refused to let my eyes well up with tears. I stood there, stone faced staring back at him. "You're hurting me!" I yelled, which was true. He was. Then I could see his expression change, as if he was calculating something. Then he looked up at me, clearly ashamed of what he'd done. "I'm sorry" he said.

"Just go" was the nicest thing I could muster on his 28th birthday.

An hour later he called me into the living room with the other guests

"So everybody, I have an announcement to make to somebody in this room, somebody very special to me." The room got silent at that, and people turned their eyes on me. "Love, is like a rollercoaster" he started "It starts off slow, then before you know it you're zooming in and out through unexpected turns." I rolled my eyes. This was just as ingenuine as anything else he'd ever done. "Yeah, it has its ups and downs but with every passing turn you get to unravel a new part of each other. Parts you didn't even know were there and parts you grow to love." I started paying attention when he said that. "Well, I've grown to love every part of you. And I know I haven't always been the best to you, and we've had our ups and downs. But the way I feel about you has stayed the same since I met you. And that is, I think you're perfect. And I want you in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to keep learning about you and unraveling you, and that's why I gathered everyone here, because I want everyone to know that. I've been ashamed of a lot of what I've done in my life but meeting you, that wasn't one of them. You've shown me some great times and helped me become a better man right here, and under the covers." I had to admit I had to smile a bit at that one. We had some good times there for sure. Then I heard something that almost made me cry, our song on the sound system. I held my hand over my mouth hard as if somehow, the tighter I squeezed it the more I would prevent tears. Unchained Melody, "Our song" I blurted out.

"Will you marry me" I heard him say. And for a split second I wanted to say yes. I think I might have if it wasn't for what happened next. Louis' old friend Garfield stormed out, and to my surprise, my would-be fiancé went after him. No, ran after him. And I thought, he would never run after me like that. Then I saw Garfield charging toward me with pure rage burning in his black, windowless eyes. I was so scared; I thought he might put his hands on me and try to choke me to death. Then he said something "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into!" he blurted into my face. I could feel the boulders flying and I could see every wrinkle in his face and every crevice in his teeth as he directed his rage toward me and I was frozen in fear. And that was when I knew what was going on. He played Garfield, and now he was playing me, using me to get his dream life. It wasn't about Garfield and it wasn't about me. Maybe that was the wakeup call I needed. After Garfield left and nearly broke the door, the place went dead silent. I figured now was my chance, so I took the opportunity to cut the silence.

"Louis" I said "I do love you" I paused, looking into his eyes as I said what came next. What he needed to hear. "But nothing you said is true. What you said about getting to know me, about...unraveling me, that isn't true. You don't know me, Louis, and I don't think I know you either."

"Rachel"

"No! Let me finish!" I demanded "If you did know me you'd know that I'm not perfect, I never have been. I have problems too. I have issues. I have weaknesses. I have times I needed someone to be there for me and you weren't. You were too busy wrapped up in your own head, and I felt like I had to be the perfect girlfriend for your sake. I felt like if I didn't' burden you with my problems you'd finally open up to me but you didn't! You never did Louis! And you know something? I don't think you love me. I think you love the idea of finding miss perfect. Of having the perfect family, the perfect career, the perfect kids. But guess what Louis? This is the real world. Nobody has that!" I couldn't hold the tears back now, and I let them stream down freely. They traversed down my neck and down my silver chain, all the way to the breast of my blue cocktail dress. "You don't even know me! But I can see you did have something real. You had that with the man that just walked out that door. I've lived with you on and off for six months. I've seen the way your eyes lit up when you came back from being with him and they never lit up like that when you were with me, ever! I love you, but I want you to be happy. And if you love me you'd want the same for me. So let's just stop pretending this is working out when it isn't. You want to be happy Louis? Being perfect won't make you happy. Being fake won't make you happy. Go find something real. And if I didn't know any better I'd say that thing just headed out the door, and I'm sorry the first time we ever really talked is when I'm about to break up." I walked up to him and caressed his cheek. "We could have been something, Louis" I said, softening, looking up into those lovely brown eyes. "But we're not"

Louis stood there, stunned, looking around the room at the confused faces. I could tell he felt exposed. His parents were there. Louis had always wanted to please his parents, and if he walked out that door, if I knew anything about Louis is that they wouldn't approve. He walked up to me, he kissed my cheek. "Thank you" he said.

"For what?"

"For telling me what I needed to hear. I didn't want to hear it, but I needed it, and I think I have a better use for this" he said, taking the ring out of his pocket. I gasped "It's beautiful" I said, still tearing up. He looked into my eyes one more time, thinking of what we could have been I suppose, and then he got into his car and left.