I Saw Her Standing There

Padge's POV
“I fucking asked her to fucking marry me!” I groaned resting my head in my hands.

“Can I ask why?”

“No,” I muttered back making Matt laugh.

“Dude seriously do you want to marry her?”

“Yes, well no, but-”

“Not right now?” He suggested, I just nodded in agreement.

“Not right-OW what the fuck!” Someone stood behind me and literally slapped the back of my head, even shouting ow didn't seem to stop them. The barrage of slaps continued as I tried to both duck out the way and turn round to see who was attacking me. Good to know my friends had my back, all three of them rolled up laughing. Great. “What the fuck is wrong with-” I stopped shouting as I turned to see the infamous Sarah standing behind me. “Oh fucking brilliant, what?” I snapped at her.

“You! I can not believe you are such a fucking waste of fucking space! What is your problem?”

“MY problem! Women you've just started hitting me for no bloody good reason!”

“You upset my best friend countless times!” She huffed at me her eyes borrowing into mine. “I hate you for being such a cock to her, just so you know, I think you're a twat,”

“Feelings bloody-” But I didn't continue cause this time she just kicked me.

“You proposed to her! What made you think that was a wonderfully clever idea? Hmm?”

“I-I-I don't honestly know,” The boys were pissing themselves with laughter at the sight of this.

Why was I scared of an 18 year old girl?

Oh yeah cause's she violent and definitely not in possession of a stable mind. The girl was mad.

“Padge do you love her?”

“If it was feasible I'd marry her tomorrow,” Sarah just glared at me. “But it's not, and neither of us are ready, I don't know what to do,” Sarah wasn't backing down though, she watched me as if waiting for me to say something more helpful; she should know she wasn't going to get anywhere.

“You need to do something,” She said simply pulling up a chair and sitting at the end of the table, Moose edged away ever so slightly; didn't blame him at all, though she was more likely to hit me than anyone else.

“Something like?”

“I'm not quite sure,” She pondered tapping her fingers on her chin thoughtfully; great I was fucked. “Show her you love her but-” Sarah paused again.

“Don't suggest marriage,” Matt muttered.

“Moving in?” Jay questioned, I looked at Sarah who shock her head.

“No not yet, you have to remember she's at college still,”

“I know, but she partially lives at mine now!”

“Doesn't matter,” Sarah once again shock her head and gazed round at the guys as if they were going to come up with something.

“You could get her pregnant,” Jay offered. “Nothing says lets stick together like that, look at-” But he didn't finish because Sarah kicked him hard under the table. Then she turned up me slapping my arm hard and glaring daggers at me.

“Don't you even dare,”

“Alright,” I whined. “What do I do?”

“I don't know,” Was the resounding answer from the whole table, wasn't that just great. “I think you might be on your own for this one,” Jay added as I gazed down at my half eaten bacon sandwhich.

“Yeah,”

“Just talk to her,” Matt suggested. “Before it's too late,” I looked up to see him staring down at his coffee. “Anyway I've got to get some stuff sorted, I'll catch you boys later,”

“Bye!”

“Later dude,” I muttered watching one of my best mates wonder out of the café.

“He misses her already,” Sarah mumbled sitting down in Matt's now vacated seat. “You know that'll be you if your not careful?”

“Thanks for the support,” I huffed stuffing the last part of my bacon sandwich in my mouth. “I'll work it out,”

“Hope so,” Sarah muttered catching my attention; the girl who regularly abused me was being nice. “Don't looks so surprised!” She huffed flicking her hair out of her face. “I might hate you but Rhian's pretty infatuated with you, if you two weren't together I get the feeling it would be a whole different story right now,”

“Thanks kid,” I smiled as she just glared at me. “I'll catch you around sometime,”

“Bye Padge,” She smiled standing up at the same time I did, skipping off towards a table at the end of the cafe were a guy was sitting smiling at her. Wonder if she gave him as much hassle?

“DO you call Rhian kid as well?” Jay spoke up making me turn to him.

“What?”

“Well Sarah you said Thanks kid surely she's just the same age as Rhian?” I shrugged not even considering that.

“Your point?”

“Paedophile,” Moose smirked. I was just in punching range of him, aiming for his upper arm.“Fuck!”

“You started,” I replied simply making him laugh.

“Dude you know I'm joking,”

“Yeah no one else in the cafe does though,” I replied gazing around at the few old women who were dithering around or sitting sipping their tea. “They'll probably bloody report me,”

“That would be a turn up,” Matt muttered. “Can you imagine how fu- not funny it would be,” He added seeing the glare on my face. “Anyway when has age ever mattered to you two? Didn't matter at the start why should it matter now?” I shrugged.

“It doesn't,” I said firmly. I patted down my pockets feeling the need for yet another nicotine intake, relationships are fucking difficult. “Eh I'm out,” I huffed in annoyance. “I'm going to get fags,” I muttered standing up as the guys just nodded, Moose still eating and Jay had his coffee left. “I'll be back,”

I stepped out into the street of Bridgend, the normal dull grey colours and drearier landscape, not uplifting my mood in anyway. I walked straight down the street, my only idea was cigarettes, I made it straight down the street stepping into the first newsagents. A dingey shop, every wall filled with only the junk a newsagents felt the need to stock.

“No, the red packet,” I gazed up hearing the snappy voice of the women in front of me. Fiona.

She looked her usual self, run down, desperate and greasy. I was so drunk when I picked her up; was that an excuse? No.
I gazed down at her, a thin wool jumper than clung to her skinny figure, and fell to her butt, then a pair of those horrific leggings that should have stayed in the 80s, and a pair of those furry boats that looked liked slippers.

“That'll be £4.90 my love,” The elderly lady behind the counter said.

“Fucking expensive,” She hissed, the women looked at her and just rolled her eyes. I caught the elderly lady's gaze and smiled sympathetically. “There,” Fiona snapped passing her the money, she snatched the cigarettes and turned on her heel walking straight into me. “What the fuck do-” Fiona paused gazing straight up at me and glaring. “You,” She hissed.

“The one and only,”

“Well, well,” She laughed holding her left hand up. “Look at this,” She pointed to a ring on her finger. “Seems I can do better than you after all,” I gazed at the ring, a gold band with pink jewel in the middle of it; tacky.

“It's a ring,” I stated simply looking at her.

“I'm engaged,” I actually laughed, because I couldn't imagine anyone in this world would take that women on as a wife. What the hell talents did she have? She couldn't cook, her flat was a mess, she was the worst lay of my life and finally she had the personality of a barbie doll; ie none.

“How?”

“Davey asked me to marry him,” The man was called Davey I sensed this was already a bit of a joke.

“Good luck to him,” I smirked going towards the counter to order my cigarettes, the lady behind the counter already looking at me in disgust for talking to her former costumer.

“So you and you partner not engaged yet?” I choked out a laugh as the words slipped from Fiona's mouth; if only she knew the half of it. “I'll take that as a no, why not? You two have been together ages, you seemed really into her?”

“Fuck I am,” I muttered paying for my cigarettes and turning round. “I love her, I'd do anything for her,”

“Except ask her to marry you!”

“Done that, we're not ready,” I muttered; telling my stories to some desperate whore, was not what I had expected my trip to the shop to turn into.

“But?” She pushed as I went to walk out.

“I wanna be with her,”

“Forever?” I nodded as I let the word float around my mind. Forever.

Forever and always. For eternity.

Got it.

“Fiona it's been-” I paused staring at her. “Interesting catching up with you but I've really got to get going,”

“Okay,” She shrugged grabbing her own packet of cigarettes.

“Hey good luck with the wedding,”

“You're not invited,”

“Never imaged I would be!” I laughed turning down back up the hill and out of the shop. “Never imagine I'd want to either,”

“Good luck with your girl,”

“Thanks,” I called not bothering to watch Fiona turn to walk across the road; couldn't care less what happened to her. Finally I'd had an idea that I thought just might show Rhian how much she meant, and maybe was just the next step in the relationship we had. I walked straight up the hill, the shop was definitely somewhere round here. I got to the book shop and paused, the next shop would be the music shop and I knew full well Rhian was working. I quickly strode past, hoping she hadn't seen me otherwise she'd be pissed I didn't come in.

I kept walking to a shop I'd never been in but had always walked past; Rhian pointed it out once, a small jewellery shop that sold the strangest necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings you'd ever seen. I was only interested in the rings though.

I had a plan and this plan was going to work.

“Need any help?” The man behind the counter of the shop questioned as I walked in and out of the cold.

“Yeah I'm looking for a ring,”

“A engagement ring?”

“No excatly, just a ring to-”

“Eternity ring?”

“Yeah,” That sounded much better than just a special ring.

“Any particular ideas?”

“Yeah actually, my girlfriend saw one in the window ages ago and liked it, it was like silver with-” I paused trying to remember exactly what it had looked like. “It had like a heart and hands maybe?” I questioned the man looked at me before smiling.

“The Claddagh ring,”

“The what now?”

“It's irish,” He explained walking towards a cabinet. “And you say in silver?”

“Yeah,”

“It's actually white gold, bit more expensive but, here,” He held brought a trap of rings out, all different yet still possessing that heart with a crown on top and two hands holding it, some were gold, some silver, some white gold, some with diamonds, some as bands, there were so many; not as easy as I imagined. But then one caught my eye.

A white gold ring, with bright blue diamond stone; beautiful.

“That one,” I pointed the ring I'd seen.

“Ah a fine choice,” The man smiled picking the ring up from the case. “An aquarium diamond set in white gold, very beautiful,”

“Yeah,” I just nodded.

“Would you like to look?” he passed the ring over letting me twist it around in my hand, it was definitely the right one. “The ring has some history, the Claddagh ring made in Ireland, it's meant to symbolise love, friendship and loyalty. Let Love and friendship regain forever,”

“It's perfect,”

Buying that ring could have been the best or the worst idea of my life; but I wasn't going back on it, I was going to give it to Rhian and hope she took it the right way.

And there was only one place I could give it to her.

That music shop had good memories anyway; first place I'd seen her beautiful figure standing behind that counter. Watched her completely confused as Jay and I requested different sets of strings, I had just watched her in interest; she was in my opinion beautiful.

Only over this whole year I'd realised she'd just become more and more beautiful, talented, funny, smart, and perfect in my eyes.

Love does fucking stupid things to your mind.

I stepped through the music shop door, the little bell at the top dinging. Rhian was sat behind the counter her nose in a book, her thick red hair covering most of her face. The bell obviously scared her slightly as she jolted up and gazed straight in my direction.

“Padge!”

“Hey,” I smiled watching her hop off her stole. I walked to to meet her half way, suddenly engulfed by a tight hug. “You okay?”

“Missed you,”

“What?” I laughed kissing the side of her head before she moved away, she pecked my lips quickly before leaning back against the counter and staring at me.

“I missed you! This morning sucked, I was so worried things would be awkward between us after last night, but when I saw you just then it was-” She paused gazing up at me and turning bright red. “Well you know,”

“No I don't,” I smirked moving closer to her, resting my arms either side of her body and leaning into kiss her lips. “Tell me,”

“Perfect, things we're perfect,” She giggled kissing me again. “Things with us are good yes?”

“Very good,” I smiled. “I have a present for you,”

“Ooo! But I have nothing for you,” She pouted at me.

“Doesn't matter, this is kinda special,” Rhian eyed me suspiciously as I produced the little gold plastic bag the man had put the box in. “Here you go,” I smiled handing her the little bag. Slowly she opened it peering in, and staring at the little blue box inside it.

“Padge what is it?” She questioned leaning back on the counter as she placed the bag down and produced the box.

“Open it silly,” She looked and smiled before popping the little box open.

“Padge!” She gasped staring at the ring inside. “Fuck,” She whispered

“It's a Claddagh ring, it symbolises love and eternal friendship,” I said simply taking her hand and slipping it on. “Wearing the rings on your right hand with the heart facing your wrist , is a sign of friendship prior to a wedding, or that your heart is taken,” I explained making Rhian look up.

“It's like an eternity ring, I wanna show that even though marriage is not on the cards right now, I do plan on spending the rest of my life with you,” Rhian bit her lip just staring at me, I could see she was welling up but wasn't going to actually cry.

Rhian opened her mouth to speak but just couldn't shaking her head she opened her arms again and pulled me into her.

“I love you,” I whispered kissing her forehead. “When I first saw you standing here, I knew you were the one I wanted to be with beautiful,”

“I love you too, and this, this means everything,”

I held her hand leading her back round to the counter and leaning her against it before pressing my lips firmly aganist her's.

I saw here standing here when she was only 17.
And here we were, I had fallen in love with her.
That girl who was just standing there.