Claddagh
A few days later
"C'mon Mal, what the hell are we looking for?" Alton complained, as I strode along. I'd managed to sneak off for the weekend, dragging Alton with me to London in the bike, although, I hadn't told him what I was doing. "You lookin' for a hooker or somethin'?" He snickered. I turned and glared at him, before turning down another street. "Jeez, I was kiddin'."
I stopped, in front of the store, checking the name on the piece of paper I had in my pocket. Seemed like I was in the right place.
"Any time you wanna tell me what we're doing in front of a jewellery store, I'm all ears." He said, standing next to me and also looking up at the sign. I just looked through the window, at the various bits of jewellery on display. I'd asked the clerk at the desk of the hotel we were staying at for somewhere where the engagement rings were affordable and he'd given me directions for this one. The rings weren't exactly cheap, but at least there might be something I could afford. Since I'd decided I was going to marry her, I wanted to get it done sooner, rather than later, even if I had only just asked her out.
I looked around and around, trying to see something that would suit her. And then, something caught my eye. A thin Claddagh ring, with a sparkling, pearly-rainbow gem set in the heart. £250!
"Can I help you gents?" a voice asked. An elderly gentleman stood in the door way, poking his head around to look at me, while I stared into the glass. He stood by me, looking at the same ring. "Ah, the Claddagh ring. Lovely little piece; 18 Carat white gold, with a heart-cut Opal setting. Are you looking to get married before they send you off lad?"
I nodded and Alton looked surprised, "Yes sir."
"Well you might want a wedding ring too. We've got some nice matching sets." He pointed to a display of couple's rings. There was a set of plain ones, but with the price of those, I wasn't sure I could afford those and an engagement ring. My face seemed to say as much and the old man offered to throw them in with the Claddagh ring for another £100. I was just £100 short. Sensing my frustration, the old shopkeeper offered to keep them in the back for a week, so I could get enough money together.
As soon as I got back, I went straight to my best buddy, Skip.
"Hey Malark, where you been?"
"London. I need a favour."
"Let me guess, you lost all your money in another craps game?" he sighed, shaking his head. "How much do you need?"
"You oughtta stop borrowing that big mick money. He loses he loses!" Bill told him, as he lay on his bunk, reading a magazine. I rolled my eyes and brought Skip over to where Bill was. We were the only ones in the barracks, but I still wanted to keep it quiet.
"If I tell you what I gotta borrow it for, you promise to keep it quiet?"
The two of them looked at each other dubiously, but agreed none the less. So, I told them about my plan. They seemed to be stunned into silence, until Skip, then Bill broke out into a huge grin.
"Why didn't you say so?" Skip slapped my shoulder. Well, they seemed pleased. Pleased enough to borrow me what I needed. So the next day, I dragged Alton back to London, got the rings and started to think of what I was going to say to her.
Four days later
Over the past couple of days, we hadn't seen much of Lith and the rest of the ACS. Lith said that Ossy had given her a ton of combat reports to write up in-between teaching Hall Russian and Norwegian. We were sitting around in the mess hall, with nothing else to do but play cards and shoot the shit, when we heard the sound of a jeep rolling by. We glanced over to see that said jeep was pulling into the field in front of the mess hall. Ossy, Hall and Wyoming got out, but Lith wouldn't budge, crossing her arms with a pout. She was eventually coaxed out by Ossy, offering her a candy bar. With puffed cheeks and an adorable scowl she wandered over to the mess hall and found a corner near Lip to sulk in.
Wyoming walked by, on her way to Liebgott and Bill stopped her, asking what the matter was.
"We got our medical this morning."
We all raised our eyebrows expectantly. Wyoming glanced at Lith, who was still sitting with puffy cheeks and a pout.
"Well, the last medical she was 5'4… now she's 5'3."
"That's why she's upset?" Skip snorted.
"Ah, she's worried she'll emb-"
"Shut it Taylor!"
"All right, all right!" Wyoming wandered over to her and squished her puffed up cheeks, "You're so adorable when you're sulking!"
"Dob bake fun ob be!"
Her friend laughed, "I'm not! I just can't help it! You're so cute and fluffy, like cotton candy!"
"I dob wab do be fuffy!" Lith complained and Wyoming let go of her face. "How is anyone going to take me seriously when I only come up to their bloody shins? Stupid company full of fucking trees."
Hall snorted, "Did you just call us trees?"
"Shut up Hall."
"Jeez, you're really crabby when you're tired huh? Just like a kid!"
"Fuck you Hall." Lith flipped him off with a grumpy pout.
"Yeah Hall, fuck you." Wyoming said. Hall scowled, seemingly confused.
"Yeah Hall, fuck you." Ossy piped up too.
While Wyoming tried to placate Ailith, Ossy suddenly appeared over my shoulder, whispering that a little birdy told her I'd been on special kind of shopping trip, for a certain someone. I glanced at Skip and Bill, who shrugged as if to say it wasn't us.
"So, did you get one?" she whispered eagerly, her grey blue eyes sparkling with excitement. I wondered who'd be more thrilled if Lith and I got engaged; her or her sisters. I glanced over to Lith, to make sure she wasn't paying attention before I pulled the ring out of my pocket. Ossy said the ring was perfect and Lith would love it. "How'd you know how to get opal, anyway?"
I frowned, looking at the ring, "What do you mean?"
"Opal's the October birthstone?"
"It is?"
Huh, well, whaddaya know?
"C'mon Bubbles, what does it matter if you're only 5'3? People still listen to Frank and he's only knee high too!" Wyoming was still trying to placate Lith, with no great results.
"Hey, fuck you Wyoming." Perco called from across the hall.
"Well Cheez-Whiz Frank, I never knew you were so interested in my sex life!"
"Taylor." Lith admonished her, while Perco flipped her off with a red face.
"Wha~t." Wyoming rolled her eyes with a smile. "Come o~n! At least Malark can reach the top shelf for you."
"Don't bring him in to this!"
"Why not? Isn't he your boyfriend? Aren't boyfriend's supposed to reach top shelves?"
"What sort of relationship standards are you setting for us, you weirdo?" Lith snorted, the corners of her lips curling up. "Do you base 50/50 relationships on height? The tall one gets the shelves and tall cupboards and the short one gets the cupboards under the counters, is that it?"
"Now you're just being smart." Wyoming scowled.
"No, no, you're quite right; in fact that's the main draw of our relationship. He doesn't have to bend down to pick things up because I'm just that short and I don't have to pretend I'm rock climbing when I want a loaf of bread. Isn't that right Don?"
I nodded, playing along, "Real convenient arrangement." Wyoming glared at me, as if to say don't you start too.
"Don't look at him like that. If you hadn't brought it up and just let me sulk, I wouldn't be taking the piss out of you!"
A few hours later, we were stood outside of the laundrette. Lith was stood between Penk and I, with my arm around the back of her waist, resting on the wall, as we waited for Buck and Bill to come back with the laundry. Since getting together, our relationship hadn't changed much, aside the fact that we were dating and not just friends.
Lith was still sulking, but I guessed that it wasn't because of her height this time, as Bill came out and told us my laundry wasn't ready yet. It'd been there almost a week, so we all guessed Miss Lamb was just using that as an opportunity to get me alone to flirt. Again.
As I went to cross the road, Lith beat me to it. She was adorable when she was jealous. A few moments later, she returned, triumphant, with an almost smug look on her face.
"You jealous already Mouse?" Bill snickered.
"No. There's just no need to fanny around, that's all." Lith looked down the road at something invisible, hugging my laundry packet to her chest as her freckled cheeks turned pink. "Anyway, why would I be jealous of someone taller, prettier and who actually looks her age?"
I see, I thought, she's worried about her looks.
"There's no one cuter than you, Mousy." Buck told her, patting her head with his laundry packet. Lith huffed, turning her back to us and wandering off ahead.
"I hate being cute."
I loved Lith. I loved her freckles that went across her nose from one cheek to the other, I loved her big chocolate eyes, and I loved her coffee coloured locks that were wavy some days and straight other times. I loved that way she laughed, I loved the way she loved others, I loved to hear her sing and to play the piano. I loved how she got jealous and tried to cover it up. I loved everything about her, I was in love with everything inch of her.
"I already told you, I don't like Miss Lamb!" I chuckled, catching up with her. "Are you going to be mad with me all day?"
"I'm not mad at you. Can I not just sulk in peace?"
"No?"
"Spoilsport." There was a small smile on her lips, but she didn't meet my gaze. Man, she was really jealous. "You spoil all my fun."
"I thought I was all your fun?"
"D'you know, if your head gets any bigger, you'll get stuck in the door!" She said, hitting me with my laundry packet. "Just like Buck's big bum."
"What's like my big butt?"
Lith pointed to me, "His head. Gets a girlfriend and now he thinks he's God's gift." She rolled her eyes as she teased me.
"Huh, I thought it looked bigger." Buck joked. Bill asked if he meant his ass or my head. Lith replied she thought it was both. As we walked back to the barracks, Buck asked Lith what she was doing at the weekend.
"Nothing, I don't think. Tay's in London… again… Dan's busy… again…" She shrugged from in front of us, the wind gently whipping her hair up. She caught it, holding it behind her ear, out of her face, as she looked back around at us. "Why?"
"You mean Malark ain't asked you on a date yet?" Bill asked, incredulous. Lith looked at him, then me innocently.
"Is he supposed to?"
"That's kinda the point, when you're goin' steady…"
"Oh…" She turned back around, looking up at the clouds. Bill shot a look at me.
"How many boyfriends you say you had again?"
"1?"
"Not including Malark."
"Oh… none, then." There was a long pause. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" Lith asked, as all of us stared back in a kind of comatose surprise. All of us were lost for words and that apparently unnerved her. "Wha~t? What did I say?" She asked, dancing around on the spot, a nervous look on her face.
"You've never had a boyfriend? Never been on a date?" Skip asked her, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair. Lith tugged her ear and fidgeted.
"No… I don't think it counts when your brother takes you out for your Birthday, does it?"
"No. No it does not."
None? None at all? She'd never had a boyfriend? Never been on a date? Holy crap. My sense of self-importance suddenly shot up… as did my sense of chivalry. I never actually realised she'd never been anywhere near a guy before, I just assumed that maybe she'd had a boyfriend or two, considering how pretty and outgoing she was.
"Oh dear…" her face was by now, a nice cherry red, as she looked up at Bill and Skip. "Is that a bad thing then?"
"Nah, it ain't a bad thing… we just thought you of all people would have had a boyfriend or two before."
"What do you mean, me of all people? What kind of person do you think I am?" she protested indignantly, a hand on her hip. Bill waved his hands around, trying to dig back out of the hole he'd made by telling her that it was because she was cute that he couldn't believe she'd not had a boyfriend before me. Lith sighed, with a smile and turned back around, looking up at the sky again.
"I didn't have any friends growing up… they thought me and my family were weird and someone even started a rumour that my brother was actually my dad, which isn't true by the way… I even had to get my name changed before I started secondary school."
"You never told me you had your name changed."
"I didn't want to tell anyone, really… and before you ask, it was Rolandsdotter. Where mamma is from, your surname could be your father's name and if you were a son, you'd be Rolandsen, like Finny was. So, imagine that; Ailith Solveig Astrid Rolandsdotter. Awful." Lith chuckled, kicking a rock by the road. "The other kids spoke to me of course, but they kept their distance… but things got better when I got to college and I made a few friends there, like the guys in the band."
"You were in a band?" Joe asked, his eyebrows disappearing too.
Lith cocked her head to the side, a curious smirk on her lips, "Yeah, didn't I tell you? I was supposed to go to theatre school… before… well, things don't always pan out, do they?" She sounded a little sad towards the end.
"Y'know, I could see you on the stage." Bill told her, trying to cheer her up. Lith laughed and told him she was on stage.
"I went to Performing Arts College, so we did shows all the time… Dan and Taylor came to a couple… Dan might even have the video still…"
"Video?"
"Er, the film thing… oh don't worry about it- Danni's got the recording, so maybe I'll show it to you… one day."