Chapter 13- I'll Never Leave You
Shaun had been home for one day and one night. The day after he came back, he had spent it with Mandeline doing the things they used to do in their high school days- going to the beach, watching movies, or eating out. He had felt happier than he had felt in YEARS. Being with Mandeline made him feel safe again. He felt loved, and complete.
One night, Shaun got into his old car and drove to Mandeline's house. He couldn't believe that he actually did it: he had asked her out on a date. Their first date in years. Even though he had been hanging out and going to restaurants, this was their first one lately as more than friends. It seemed funny to him because, they had been dating for over two years a long time ago, but that night, he was as nervous as he had been on their first date.
Shaun reached Mandeline's home in a matter of minutes, and he walked up the path nervously fixing his hair. It was an exact replay of their first date. He rang the doorbell with shaking fingers and he paced around on the porch waiting for it to open. The door opened and revealed a beautiful young lady dressed in a black silky dress with her chestnut brown hair pulled into a bun. The rose that Shaun had given her was tucked into the bun.
"Wow." Shaun breathed. His throat suddenly went dry and he choked slightly and started coughing.
"Are you . . . okay?" Mandeline asked with a hint amusement in her voice.
"Fine." Shaun answered quickly. He glanced at Mandeline again and whispered. "You look beautiful."
Mandeline smiled. "Thank you."
Shaun cleared his throat. "Ready?" He reached out his arm. Mandeline took it and they started down the path to the car; Shaun feeling as if he were floating in air.
* * *
The restaurant was a fancy one. Fancier than the Italian restaurant they went to on their first date. Dinner was wonderful. All through the meal, though, Mandeline worried that Shaun was still in love with her. Part of her wanted him to be, she decided, but she partly didn't want him to. After all, she WAS seeing Josh. And their relationship was getting stronger by the minute- especially now. That evening was perfect. The soft playing of the violins in the background made the restaurant seem even more heavenly. But while Mandeline was taking the beautiful surroundings, Shaun was sweating himself to death. He was constantly moving his lips around and breathing heavily. Whenever he would glance at Mandeline, looking so happy and peaceful, he would get the jitters and feel a sudden dryness in his throat.
"Shaun." Mandeline said as they ordered desert. "Why did you bring me here? Is it a special occasion?"
"I, uh, ran into Mr. Ralley the other day at the high school, did I tell you?" Shaun said quickly changing the subject and picking at his cheesecake.
"Mr. Ralley?" Mandeline said, laughing. A piece of pie flew out of her mouth while she said it, causing them both to laugh out loud. Mandeline blushed and quickly wiped her mouth and where the food had landed. "Gosh, I'm such a klutz . . ."
"Yeah." Shaun was still laughing.
Mandeline covered her face with her napkin, jokingly, and gave Shaun a playful little kick under the table. "Stop it!"
"Ok, I'm stopping. I'm sorry."
"Good. Well, what'd Mr. Ralley say?"
"Oh, nothing really." Shaun shrugged. "Just told me that I was a troubled one and I was always 'flirtin' wid da ladies'." he said it like Mr. Ralley would've. Mandeline laughed uncomfortably.
They ate in silence for a few more minutes. Both were constantly looking up at one another, but when they saw the other looking at them, too, they would quickly look back down again.
"Uh, Mandy?" Shaun said suddenly.
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Shaun leaned closer across the table. "Do you- do you still love me?" he looked at her with worried eyes.
Mandeline was speechless. She really didn't know what to say. She knew what her heart was trying to tell her. Because inside, she DID love Shaun, but she was still with Josh. She stared at the white tablecloth, troubled, and noticed a fairly small stain on the tablecloth. She folded her napkin in half, dipped it in her glass of water and began scrubbing at it furiously shaking the whole table, while saying, "Shaun. After- after all these years . . . I mean, it's been so long, that . . . "
Shaun placed his hands on top of Mandeline's. She stopped scrubbing. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm sorry. It's just that when I'm nervous or troubled, I, uh, clean or garden . . . "
"Mandy." Shaun said. Mandeline looked him. "You still didn't answer my question."
"Shaun, I-I don't know what to say."
Shaun leaned forward. "Say what you feel."
Mandeline took a deep breath and gathered up all of her courage. She looked straight into Shaun's eyes and said the words Shaun had been longing to hear for years, "Yes."
Shaun let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Well, do want me to be happy?" [sound familiar?]
Mandeline laughed softly. "Absolutely."
Shaun got up out of his seat and walked to Mandeline's side of the table. He stopped next to her and knelt downward on one knee, keeping both of them bent. Mandeline stared in shock. Then, Shaun took out of his jacket a small box. Confidently, he opened it and recited, "Mandeline Morrison. Ever since the day I have started loving you, I have been the happiest man alive. And I want to continue being that man . . . until death." He cleared his throat. "Mandy . . . will you-" "Mandeline!" said a man's voice in the background. "Mandeline, what are you doing here . . ." the man glanced at Shaun and his eyes narrowed. Shaun snapped the box shut, and stood up quickly, tucking the box behind his back. The two men were soon face to face studying each other closely. "Oh, I know you." Shaun said cheerfully. "Your Josh, right?"
"Right, I am." Josh said. "And you're Shaun."
Shaun nodded. "It's nice to see you again, Josh."
Josh nodded as well. "You too." They shook hands, completely unaware of the troubles soon to happen. But Mandeline wasn't.
"You . . . you two know each other?" Mandeline asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, we met on the train." Josh said. There was silence for a few moments. Josh looked at Mandeline. Then Shaun. Then Mandeline. Then Shaun. And he noticed something strange in the air. "Uh, do you two know each other?" he asked uneasily. No one answered. "Mandeline, what are you doing here?"
"I'm, uh, with here with . . . Shaun."
Josh's eyes darted toward Shaun. Like a snake ready to eat an innocent mouse.
"What are you doing here with him?" Josh asked Mandeline as if Shaun weren't even in the room.
"Nothing, Josh, we were just having dinner." Mandeline said persuasively.
Josh quickly scanned Mandeline for any clues of a lie. Then he looked at Shaun, who appeared to be hiding something behind his back.
"Hey." Josh said to him casually. "What's that?"
"What?" Shaun asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"Behind your back." Josh circled around him. But Shaun kept turning so that Josh couldn't see behind him. But Josh quickly circled the other way around him, knocking down a vase with a flower in it and a glass of water.
"Josh, be careful!" Mandeline said pretty loud, and scrambling to clean up the mess.
He finally caught sight of the box. Josh froze. "So . . . it's a box."
"Josh, don't take this the wrong way." Mandeline said, pleadingly.
Josh ignored her. "What's in that box?" He said to Shaun, fairly loud.
"Look, I really don't think there's any reason to get-"
But before Shaun could finish his sentence, and without even knowing it, he had lost grasp of the box and it had fell to the floor. It dropped heavily and crashed open, revealing the RING. Josh stared at the ring for about a minute or two. Mandeline was slightly crying and Shaun was unaware of why his plans to get engaged with Mandeline were so harmful. And then he remembered: the conversation on the train.
***flashback in Shaun's mind***
Shaun noticed Josh seemed to be fidgeting a lot. He was constantly shifting in his seat and often wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. Soon, Josh's fidgeting was beginning to irritate Shaun so he asked, "Are you OK?"
Josh raised his eyebrows. "O-oh. Y-yeah I'm f-fine."
Shaun looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm sorry." Josh said. "I'm j-just very nervous." He cleared his throat. "I'm planning on p-proposing to a girl tonight."
Shaun smiled. "Really? That's funny because I'm--"
Shaun was interrupted by an announcement on the train saying that they have reached their destination. The two men got up and shook hands again.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Josh." Said Shaun.
"You, too, Shaun." And he stalked away.
***end of flashback***
Josh glared at Shaun, then Mandeline. "You didn't tell him?" he said loudly to Mandeline.
"Josh, I couldn't have." Mandeline said in her own defense.
"Why not?" By now, Josh was shouting. "Is it because you would rather be engaged to him than me?"
"Wait-" Shaun chimed in, confused. "You two are engaged?" He looked at Mandeline who was crying softly.
"I'm so sorry, Shaun." Mandeline said, compellingly. "I meant to tell you, I really did."
Shaun shook his head, in pain. "No- just- just forget it. It's ok." And he rushed out of the restaurant.
"Shaun, wait!" Mandeline started to go after him, but Josh grabbed her arm.
"No. Don't." Josh said staring at Shaun as he ran into the pouring rain outside. "Let him go. I'm here now."
Mandeline struggled to loosen Josh's grip. "Let go of me! Josh!"
Meanwhile, outside, Shaun stood outside of the restaurant's doors crying. It was raining hard and the raindrops were like darts crashing down on his body. But he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He felt like he had already gone. There was an empty feeling about him, like his heart was empty. Never in his life did he feel so tormented. He felt like he wasn't loved. By anyone. He walked to his car and started the engine carelessly. He drove along quickly, unaware that he was breaking almost every rule driving. He didn't even know where he was going. Just away. Away from all of the pain.
'Why me?' he thought. 'I'm the one for Mandy. I'm the one who's supposed to love her. And now it's all being taken away from me. The one girl that I ever cared for. My first true love. And my last.' There was a crash of thunder.
Shaun cried deeply not even looking where he was going. He didn't care. His hopes, his dreams, and plans for love- they were all over now. For Mandeline was HIS only hope for love. He didn't know if he could love anybody ever again. He closed in eyes in misery.
Then, it happened.
He was driving so fast the car slid on the wet road causing Shaun's car to spin and crash sideways into a big truck's side. As soon as they collided, Shaun's car crashed on the side where he was sitting and the car flipped over. Then his world . . . went black.
* * *
"Shaun!" he heard shouting. "Shaun!" He heard, but saw nothing. Then he felt his cheek being slapped. His head shook and with all of the strength he had, he managed to open his eyes. He peeked out and Mandeline kneeling over him. 'Where am I?' he thought. His body was sore all over. He couldn't feel anything. Surprisingly, though, he still had his memory. He was laying down on the pavement, the rain crashing down on his face. He blinked. Mandeline was crying over his body, whispering some words.
"Mandy . . ." he whispered. His throat was dry and sore. He could barely speak. "Mandy . . . I'm not gonna make it." He was breathing hard, barely having any air.
"Shh, shh. Don't say that. Of course you will." Mandeline struggled to believe it, but even she couldn't. She continued to cry.
"Mandy . . . before I go . . . I want you to know that . . . I've always loved you. Don't worry about me. Go on and live life happily . . .with Josh."
"Shaun, no! I would never marry anyone but you. I promise. I love you more than anyone."
This caused Shaun to smile slightly, but it hurt. "I'll always love you, Mandy. But promise you won't let me detain you."
"Don't talk like that, Shaun. You'll be alright."
"Mandy, just do me a favor." Shaun said.
She gasped for air. "Anything."
Shaun cleared his throat and blood came up through his throat. "Tell Josh . . . that he's very lucky . . .to marry you." He whispered through the blood.
"No, no. Listen to me, Shaun. You're going to make it, ok? And when you do, I'm going to marry YOU. I promise. I love you. I'll never leave you, Shaun. I'll never leave you." Mandeline wept over his body sorrowfully.
"Mandy . . . " Shaun struggled to speak. "I . . . I love you." And his eyes closed.
"No!" Mandeline shouted. She cried even harder, here eyes were red and swollen. She laid her head on his chest and cried, whispering, "I'll never leave you . . . I'll never leave you . . ."
An ambulance came, at last and took a look at Shaun. Mandeline watched as the EMT (emergency medical team) exchange a sad look, symbolizing that there was nothing really that they could do. They took him onto a stretcher and took him into the ambulance. Then drove away into the darkness with its lights blaring.
But Mandeline stayed there in that same spot until the end of the night. The spot where she had last seen Shaun. She fell to her knees and bowed her head, buried in her hands. She stayed there and wept until there were no more tears to cry.
~ Authors Note ~ This story will be continued. The next chapter is my last! And then it will be finished! So please say tuned cuz this story is not over. Thanks! -LyLacLuva
Shaun had been home for one day and one night. The day after he came back, he had spent it with Mandeline doing the things they used to do in their high school days- going to the beach, watching movies, or eating out. He had felt happier than he had felt in YEARS. Being with Mandeline made him feel safe again. He felt loved, and complete.
One night, Shaun got into his old car and drove to Mandeline's house. He couldn't believe that he actually did it: he had asked her out on a date. Their first date in years. Even though he had been hanging out and going to restaurants, this was their first one lately as more than friends. It seemed funny to him because, they had been dating for over two years a long time ago, but that night, he was as nervous as he had been on their first date.
Shaun reached Mandeline's home in a matter of minutes, and he walked up the path nervously fixing his hair. It was an exact replay of their first date. He rang the doorbell with shaking fingers and he paced around on the porch waiting for it to open. The door opened and revealed a beautiful young lady dressed in a black silky dress with her chestnut brown hair pulled into a bun. The rose that Shaun had given her was tucked into the bun.
"Wow." Shaun breathed. His throat suddenly went dry and he choked slightly and started coughing.
"Are you . . . okay?" Mandeline asked with a hint amusement in her voice.
"Fine." Shaun answered quickly. He glanced at Mandeline again and whispered. "You look beautiful."
Mandeline smiled. "Thank you."
Shaun cleared his throat. "Ready?" He reached out his arm. Mandeline took it and they started down the path to the car; Shaun feeling as if he were floating in air.
* * *
The restaurant was a fancy one. Fancier than the Italian restaurant they went to on their first date. Dinner was wonderful. All through the meal, though, Mandeline worried that Shaun was still in love with her. Part of her wanted him to be, she decided, but she partly didn't want him to. After all, she WAS seeing Josh. And their relationship was getting stronger by the minute- especially now. That evening was perfect. The soft playing of the violins in the background made the restaurant seem even more heavenly. But while Mandeline was taking the beautiful surroundings, Shaun was sweating himself to death. He was constantly moving his lips around and breathing heavily. Whenever he would glance at Mandeline, looking so happy and peaceful, he would get the jitters and feel a sudden dryness in his throat.
"Shaun." Mandeline said as they ordered desert. "Why did you bring me here? Is it a special occasion?"
"I, uh, ran into Mr. Ralley the other day at the high school, did I tell you?" Shaun said quickly changing the subject and picking at his cheesecake.
"Mr. Ralley?" Mandeline said, laughing. A piece of pie flew out of her mouth while she said it, causing them both to laugh out loud. Mandeline blushed and quickly wiped her mouth and where the food had landed. "Gosh, I'm such a klutz . . ."
"Yeah." Shaun was still laughing.
Mandeline covered her face with her napkin, jokingly, and gave Shaun a playful little kick under the table. "Stop it!"
"Ok, I'm stopping. I'm sorry."
"Good. Well, what'd Mr. Ralley say?"
"Oh, nothing really." Shaun shrugged. "Just told me that I was a troubled one and I was always 'flirtin' wid da ladies'." he said it like Mr. Ralley would've. Mandeline laughed uncomfortably.
They ate in silence for a few more minutes. Both were constantly looking up at one another, but when they saw the other looking at them, too, they would quickly look back down again.
"Uh, Mandy?" Shaun said suddenly.
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Shaun leaned closer across the table. "Do you- do you still love me?" he looked at her with worried eyes.
Mandeline was speechless. She really didn't know what to say. She knew what her heart was trying to tell her. Because inside, she DID love Shaun, but she was still with Josh. She stared at the white tablecloth, troubled, and noticed a fairly small stain on the tablecloth. She folded her napkin in half, dipped it in her glass of water and began scrubbing at it furiously shaking the whole table, while saying, "Shaun. After- after all these years . . . I mean, it's been so long, that . . . "
Shaun placed his hands on top of Mandeline's. She stopped scrubbing. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm sorry. It's just that when I'm nervous or troubled, I, uh, clean or garden . . . "
"Mandy." Shaun said. Mandeline looked him. "You still didn't answer my question."
"Shaun, I-I don't know what to say."
Shaun leaned forward. "Say what you feel."
Mandeline took a deep breath and gathered up all of her courage. She looked straight into Shaun's eyes and said the words Shaun had been longing to hear for years, "Yes."
Shaun let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Well, do want me to be happy?" [sound familiar?]
Mandeline laughed softly. "Absolutely."
Shaun got up out of his seat and walked to Mandeline's side of the table. He stopped next to her and knelt downward on one knee, keeping both of them bent. Mandeline stared in shock. Then, Shaun took out of his jacket a small box. Confidently, he opened it and recited, "Mandeline Morrison. Ever since the day I have started loving you, I have been the happiest man alive. And I want to continue being that man . . . until death." He cleared his throat. "Mandy . . . will you-" "Mandeline!" said a man's voice in the background. "Mandeline, what are you doing here . . ." the man glanced at Shaun and his eyes narrowed. Shaun snapped the box shut, and stood up quickly, tucking the box behind his back. The two men were soon face to face studying each other closely. "Oh, I know you." Shaun said cheerfully. "Your Josh, right?"
"Right, I am." Josh said. "And you're Shaun."
Shaun nodded. "It's nice to see you again, Josh."
Josh nodded as well. "You too." They shook hands, completely unaware of the troubles soon to happen. But Mandeline wasn't.
"You . . . you two know each other?" Mandeline asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, we met on the train." Josh said. There was silence for a few moments. Josh looked at Mandeline. Then Shaun. Then Mandeline. Then Shaun. And he noticed something strange in the air. "Uh, do you two know each other?" he asked uneasily. No one answered. "Mandeline, what are you doing here?"
"I'm, uh, with here with . . . Shaun."
Josh's eyes darted toward Shaun. Like a snake ready to eat an innocent mouse.
"What are you doing here with him?" Josh asked Mandeline as if Shaun weren't even in the room.
"Nothing, Josh, we were just having dinner." Mandeline said persuasively.
Josh quickly scanned Mandeline for any clues of a lie. Then he looked at Shaun, who appeared to be hiding something behind his back.
"Hey." Josh said to him casually. "What's that?"
"What?" Shaun asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"Behind your back." Josh circled around him. But Shaun kept turning so that Josh couldn't see behind him. But Josh quickly circled the other way around him, knocking down a vase with a flower in it and a glass of water.
"Josh, be careful!" Mandeline said pretty loud, and scrambling to clean up the mess.
He finally caught sight of the box. Josh froze. "So . . . it's a box."
"Josh, don't take this the wrong way." Mandeline said, pleadingly.
Josh ignored her. "What's in that box?" He said to Shaun, fairly loud.
"Look, I really don't think there's any reason to get-"
But before Shaun could finish his sentence, and without even knowing it, he had lost grasp of the box and it had fell to the floor. It dropped heavily and crashed open, revealing the RING. Josh stared at the ring for about a minute or two. Mandeline was slightly crying and Shaun was unaware of why his plans to get engaged with Mandeline were so harmful. And then he remembered: the conversation on the train.
***flashback in Shaun's mind***
Shaun noticed Josh seemed to be fidgeting a lot. He was constantly shifting in his seat and often wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. Soon, Josh's fidgeting was beginning to irritate Shaun so he asked, "Are you OK?"
Josh raised his eyebrows. "O-oh. Y-yeah I'm f-fine."
Shaun looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm sorry." Josh said. "I'm j-just very nervous." He cleared his throat. "I'm planning on p-proposing to a girl tonight."
Shaun smiled. "Really? That's funny because I'm--"
Shaun was interrupted by an announcement on the train saying that they have reached their destination. The two men got up and shook hands again.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Josh." Said Shaun.
"You, too, Shaun." And he stalked away.
***end of flashback***
Josh glared at Shaun, then Mandeline. "You didn't tell him?" he said loudly to Mandeline.
"Josh, I couldn't have." Mandeline said in her own defense.
"Why not?" By now, Josh was shouting. "Is it because you would rather be engaged to him than me?"
"Wait-" Shaun chimed in, confused. "You two are engaged?" He looked at Mandeline who was crying softly.
"I'm so sorry, Shaun." Mandeline said, compellingly. "I meant to tell you, I really did."
Shaun shook his head, in pain. "No- just- just forget it. It's ok." And he rushed out of the restaurant.
"Shaun, wait!" Mandeline started to go after him, but Josh grabbed her arm.
"No. Don't." Josh said staring at Shaun as he ran into the pouring rain outside. "Let him go. I'm here now."
Mandeline struggled to loosen Josh's grip. "Let go of me! Josh!"
Meanwhile, outside, Shaun stood outside of the restaurant's doors crying. It was raining hard and the raindrops were like darts crashing down on his body. But he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He felt like he had already gone. There was an empty feeling about him, like his heart was empty. Never in his life did he feel so tormented. He felt like he wasn't loved. By anyone. He walked to his car and started the engine carelessly. He drove along quickly, unaware that he was breaking almost every rule driving. He didn't even know where he was going. Just away. Away from all of the pain.
'Why me?' he thought. 'I'm the one for Mandy. I'm the one who's supposed to love her. And now it's all being taken away from me. The one girl that I ever cared for. My first true love. And my last.' There was a crash of thunder.
Shaun cried deeply not even looking where he was going. He didn't care. His hopes, his dreams, and plans for love- they were all over now. For Mandeline was HIS only hope for love. He didn't know if he could love anybody ever again. He closed in eyes in misery.
Then, it happened.
He was driving so fast the car slid on the wet road causing Shaun's car to spin and crash sideways into a big truck's side. As soon as they collided, Shaun's car crashed on the side where he was sitting and the car flipped over. Then his world . . . went black.
* * *
"Shaun!" he heard shouting. "Shaun!" He heard, but saw nothing. Then he felt his cheek being slapped. His head shook and with all of the strength he had, he managed to open his eyes. He peeked out and Mandeline kneeling over him. 'Where am I?' he thought. His body was sore all over. He couldn't feel anything. Surprisingly, though, he still had his memory. He was laying down on the pavement, the rain crashing down on his face. He blinked. Mandeline was crying over his body, whispering some words.
"Mandy . . ." he whispered. His throat was dry and sore. He could barely speak. "Mandy . . . I'm not gonna make it." He was breathing hard, barely having any air.
"Shh, shh. Don't say that. Of course you will." Mandeline struggled to believe it, but even she couldn't. She continued to cry.
"Mandy . . . before I go . . . I want you to know that . . . I've always loved you. Don't worry about me. Go on and live life happily . . .with Josh."
"Shaun, no! I would never marry anyone but you. I promise. I love you more than anyone."
This caused Shaun to smile slightly, but it hurt. "I'll always love you, Mandy. But promise you won't let me detain you."
"Don't talk like that, Shaun. You'll be alright."
"Mandy, just do me a favor." Shaun said.
She gasped for air. "Anything."
Shaun cleared his throat and blood came up through his throat. "Tell Josh . . . that he's very lucky . . .to marry you." He whispered through the blood.
"No, no. Listen to me, Shaun. You're going to make it, ok? And when you do, I'm going to marry YOU. I promise. I love you. I'll never leave you, Shaun. I'll never leave you." Mandeline wept over his body sorrowfully.
"Mandy . . . " Shaun struggled to speak. "I . . . I love you." And his eyes closed.
"No!" Mandeline shouted. She cried even harder, here eyes were red and swollen. She laid her head on his chest and cried, whispering, "I'll never leave you . . . I'll never leave you . . ."
An ambulance came, at last and took a look at Shaun. Mandeline watched as the EMT (emergency medical team) exchange a sad look, symbolizing that there was nothing really that they could do. They took him onto a stretcher and took him into the ambulance. Then drove away into the darkness with its lights blaring.
But Mandeline stayed there in that same spot until the end of the night. The spot where she had last seen Shaun. She fell to her knees and bowed her head, buried in her hands. She stayed there and wept until there were no more tears to cry.
~ Authors Note ~ This story will be continued. The next chapter is my last! And then it will be finished! So please say tuned cuz this story is not over. Thanks! -LyLacLuva