I Make Them Good Boys Go Bad.

~9~

“Guys, I have an idea.” I said sitting down at the dining room table where Joe and Nick were snacking.
“If it doesn’t involves the words pogo, yodel, beaver, harpsichord, squirrel, OR bacon…let’s hear it.” Nick said looking at me.
“What’s up your craw?” I asked him.
“He’s a little pissy because he hasn’t seen Aniza in so long.” Joe rolled his eyes.
“Anyway…idea, right, forgot what I was saying. I hatched, what I think, is the perfect plan.”
“Hit me.” Joe said smiling and looking at me.
“Well…I was thinking I could go talk to Lucy’s dad when she’s not there and convince him to let me see her again.” I smiled.
“That’s your genius plan? Why haven’t you just done that already?”
“I’m not done! Ha ha…ha ha.” I nodded my head slowly. Nick closed his eyes and shook his head. “Any who, I’m going to talk to him and try to convince him to let me ask Lucy to marry me.”
Joe spit out the juice he was drinking, “No, you’re not.”
“I am.”
“Does mom and dad know?” Nick said, looking surprised.
“They do. I just talked to them about it. They told me as long as they think I’m using good logic and think it’s the right thing, then it’s going to happen whether they like it or not. They said they’d talk to her parents for me, but I told them it would be okay.”
Joe looked at Nick with raised eyebrows, “Whatever you think it right, bro.” Nick put a hand on my shoulder.
“What he said.” Joe said nodding.
~~~
I knocked three times on the door and heard foot steps. I didn’t see Lucy’s car in the driveway, so I figured it was a good time. The door opened to Mr. Collins and I smiled.
“What?” He asked, hatefully.
“Can we please speak?”
“Did Lucy send you to do this?”
“I can promise this is 100% on my own free will.” I smiled.
He gave me the up and down, “Come in.” He said motioning inside. I went in and felt very claustrophobic all of a sudden in the small foyer. We stood side by side, me waiting on him, and him waiting on me. “Go into the living room. I’ll be there in a minute.” While he goes and gets his shotgun, I thought.
I nodded quickly and sat on the couch. He only took a few moments and was on the lounger across from me.
“Now, Kevin, is it?” I shook my head.
“Yes, sir.” I said.
“Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“I wanted to clear my name,” my voice raised an octave due to nervousness, and I cleared my throat. “I wanted to clear my name and ask something of you.” I spit out.
“Alright, let me hear it.” He pulled a cigar out of a box beside him and lit up. I wouldn’t say he was a large man, but he was big in a sense. His stature was taller than man, but it was like his bones and muscles were bigger. I freaked out for a second, then came back down to earth.
“Okay…I just want to throw it out there, I was not here that night you supposedly found the wine bottle opened. I’ve never even tasted alcohol,” Okay, a white lie, but it looks good. “I just want to say that. I also want to say, your daughter has to be the brightest, smartest, sharpest, most beautiful person I’ve ever met, and I love her very much.”
He looked like he was contemplating it, and took a long drag of the strong cigar. He offered me one, I declined, but took it as a good omen. “That she is all of those things…and I believe you when you say you weren’t here that night. I’ll have to do some forgiving on my part for that one after accusing her.”
“Thank you, sir. But there is something else.” I didn’t mean to interrupt but I wanted to get it out there before he said anything else.
“Yes, you can.” He said simply.
I looked around in confusion, “Excuse me?” I asked.
“You can ask her to marry you. I knew it was coming. Let me tell you something, son, I was three dates in before I asked Lucy’s mother.” He laughed a booming laugh that I’m pretty sure the couch shook from.
“How did you know?”
“You two are in love…I know she has your phone, I stay up late working, and my office is under her window. I know everything you guys have said to each other over the lawns.” Creepy.
I smiled though and laughed a little, “So it’s okay?”
“Yes, but let me say this…I am not afraid to go to prison again if you hurt her.”
My eyes grew into saucers and my mouth dropped open.
“I’m kidding. Relax!” He said, booming laughter emanating again from his mouth. I giggled nervously and shook my head. “Go plan a way to ask her, I want her coming home screaming because it happened.”
“Thank you SO much Mr. Collins.” I shook his hand.
“Please, call me Ed.” He held the cigar in his mouth and smiled at me. I went to the door and waved back at him. I ran to the house and quickly found Joe and Nick. I was panting from running so fast and they looked up from the Xbox to look at me.
“What happened?” Joe asked.
“From the big grin on his face, I think it went okay.” Nick said. I shook my head really fast. “And you asking her to marry you is okay.” I shook my head faster, still panting. “And…her dad is cool.”
“Yes.” I said in between gasps for breath.
“Kevin?” Joe said looking at me. I felt hot and cold at the same time from the run.
“What?” I let out a big breath.
“Lay off of the fast food.” Joe said, looking at me weird.
~~~
I waited on my porch, head resting on my fist, waiting on Lucy’s HHR to pull in. I knew she was at a game this afternoon, but I hadn’t seen her since yesterday morning when she left to go shopping with Anna. Who knew they’d make such great friends?
Anna was a sweet girl, I liked her, and she fit Joe. Short, cute, great personality, hopelessly in love with everything she sees. We were at the mall once and she saw a stuffed bear and said it was the cutest bear on earth. She then quickly ran to another one and said the exact same thing. I wonder about her and Joe sometimes…like if they’ll mentally make it through a marriage one day.
It then hit me. I should ask her at her game. I leaped off of the stoop and got into my car. I drove as fast as my little Jeep could go to the softball fields. When I got there, the game was still going on and I secretly thanked God for it.
I jumped out, making sure she didn’t notice me. I went to the media booth were the microphone was to announce calls made during the game. I opened the box and made a motion for the man not to say a word.
I covered the mike with my hand and stooped down. “Please let me use the mike…I need to ask Lucy something over the intercom.”
“Be my guest.” The man who sounded like Droopy D. said to me. I tapped the mike twice, getting everyone’s attention.
“He-hello? Can you hear me?” I said into it. I heard several people yell ‘yes,’ so I went on, “Okay…hey. I’m Kevin Jonas.” I heard a girl scream from the bleachers, but when on like it was a concert, “And I love Lucy Collins…and I wanted to ask her something. Lucille Mae Collins, will you marry me?” I said into the mike. I looked up and tried finding her. I saw all the girls on the field swooning and high-fiving.
She didn’t come or answer, so I got out of the press box and went down on the field. A few of her team that I knew patted my back. Isobel gave me a big hug and I finally made my way to the bullpen. Lucy was standing there crying.
“Honey!” I said jumping to her. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t…my father-”
“I asked him…everything is okay…”
“Are you sure?” She looked up under her lashes and I shook my head ‘yes.’ “Yes then, YES!” She screamed and jumped into my arms. I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Everyone on the field started clapping, but I even heard that one asshole that always has to be there complaining because I interrupted the game.
“We’re going ring hunting tonight.” I whispered to her.
“It doesn’t matter. I love you.” She whispered back. I smiled looking at her in her coach uniform, hair in a ball cap and it made me love her more.
“I love you, too.”