Chapter 16: Fixing It Up

"Wait Claire! I'm sorry for what said!" I shouted from the front porch.

There was no response, typical; I could be waiting here for hours. I knocked on the door again, "Come on Claire! I didn't mean to offend you, as you know I can be a little selfish sometimes!"

She still wouldn't listen no matter how hard I tried. After two hours I decided to leave, I have had enough; I'll see her at school anyway. That was when I would get my chance.

As I rode back, the rain got worse and thunder could be heard, that only meant one thing... Lightning! I had forgotten my umbrella at home, so when I arrived home I was soaked, I came inside the house making puddles everywhere. "Malcolm! Clean up this mess!" My Mother shouted. I sighed; I have had one rough day.

. . .

Today was the second chance I got with Claire, she refused to answer with me yesterday and now that she has slept on it, maybe it is not as dramatic as seemed. As usual I took the yellow school bus to school. I was expecting Claire to be here today so I plead again to her.

I found Claire happily by her locker talking to Bella, as soon as Claire saw me, she had scornful look. "Claire! Listen to me, I know I said some harsh things, I want make up with you, I love you, I don't want our relationship to be like this," I called out. There was no response from Claire; she was giving me the typical 'silent treatment'.

I couldn't just ignore her; I had to do something... "Claire, could you please forgive me? I shouldn't have done something that would hurt you." She put up her hand near my face and walked off with Bella. I had been rejected once again. I didn't know how I could fix this, mere words seemed not to do it; I needed to think of something bigger.

. . .

I wasn't able to think of any ideas to at school, so I thought I could do it at home, careful planning had to occur, I didn't want it to go awry. There are so many ideas but which would really capture Claire's heart? I could go fishing at the Landgraab Science Facility, something she loves and has begged me to take her but that wouldn't cut it. "I could go to a show? There's one at Central Park, a Singer's performing, Mick Mastley," I thought, "But what about a movie? Symphony? Concert? A Football Game? A vacation? What if we go pranking again, that was a lot of fun but whom would we prank and how?"

Too many ideas were running through my head, none of them seemed enough, I had to make her feel special, make her forgive me. There was no-one I could really talk to. I suddenly then realised that I could talk to Mortimer. He's good with Bella, they are the town couple and nothing will and can break them apart.

I called Mortimer on my mobile, see if he would reply and he was, "Hey."

"Who's this?" Mortimer asked.

"Ah, it's me Malcolm, Malcolm Landgraab." I spoke in a subtle tone.

"Oh, yes, hey Malcolm, why did you call me? Is there anything wrong?" He asked suspiciously.

"Well I have been having troubles with Claire. I need some advice." I said ashamed.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Bella does it to me all the time when I said something completely stupid." Mortimer said calmingly, to try and reassure me and somehow knew what was going on.

"It's just that I have never stuffed up anything this bad before. I really don't know what to do." I told Mortimer in a nervous voice.

"You're going to have to make it to her, it probably has to be special to her, remember a relationship isn't a one way street, I learnt that the hard way." Mortimer laughed, he thought his last line was hilarious but to me it was advice.

As Mortimer told me more about their relationship it seemed that no-body is the perfect couple, it drifted away in my mind that Bella and Mortimer were always happy but that was only a façade, it made me wonder that, I am not in that bad of a position with Claire nor is Bella and Mortimer but more or less that love is a confusing thing.

"Alright thanks Mortimer, the only problem now is what to do." I said to Mortimer gratefully.

"No problem, Malcolm, what are you coming to my party this weekend?" He asked.

"No, what party? No-one's told me about this." I told Mortimer confused.

"Really? On the weekend is a party at my place, you and Claire are invited, there will be food, drinks, music." He advertised to me.

"Sure we'll go. Just have to ask Claire first." I responded.

We ended the phone call, the advice helped a little bit but I still don't know what to do, it really could be anything in Sunset Valley.

. . .

Tuesday was not the perfect day, the forecast predicted that a thunderstorm was coming; it really showed that winter is coming with the drop in temperatures. I decided to postpone the date til Wednesday, it was the safer option.

It did not rain in the morning luckily, Claire was here at school but she still refused to listen until I said with a slight smile, "Claire, I know you won't listen to me but just hear me out, I have something very special planned for you for tomorrow, I can't tell you what it is, you just going to have to wait and find out, it will be a day you'll never forget, I can promise that!"

I knew that it worked by the look on her face and the loud whispers she told Bella and Cora Francisco during lunch time.

Still I had to think of the plans, what I should do for Claire; I decided to go to a symphony, which is something she's not gone to before, it is something that is truly mesmerising, the sights and especially the sounds and maybe after that, we'll have a little dinner... I don't know how things will go from there.

. . .

The next day, I was excited about my plans and I knew that Claire would be hysterical about the concoction I have planned but the only problem now is to execute it well. She finally started talking to me but only really asked about what was going to happen tonight.

After school, the time to do everything right was now on. Without a second to lose, I quickly grabbed Claire and took her down to Wilsonoff Community Theatre.

"Where are you taking me?" Claire asked confused.

"You'll see." I said with a smirk on my face.

We went inside; you could already hear the soothing classical music playing, I had hired out the symphony for just the two of us, so there was no trouble in us getting comfortable. The atmosphere was like heaven, all around was beautiful music that captured the beauty of us as a couple.

Claire's face lit up for the first time to classical music, the rawness of the music, showed as if it was not weird and torture but something else...

But there was no point spending hours and hours listening, we had other places to go, this wouldn't be enough to make amends to Claire. We exited the theatre, it was hailing, not the perfect day to go out and eat. We decided to eat inside the packed, Little Corsican Bistro. A fine lady needs to eat high-class and Hogan's Deep Fried Diner is too cheap for the standards I'm looking for.

Inside the crowded Bistro, Claire and I munched on some Lobster Thermidor and for dessert; we had some heavenly Baked Angel Food Cake. I nearly choked on the food but it was a close call, Claire and I had a chat about life, things that have been going on, it felt really relaxing. It was the first time in ages that we spent time on ourselves, I'm not trying to selfish but it was something that was needed.

The next thing I had planned was to go to Landgraab Industries Science Facility and let Claire fish for Robot Fish, Claire had been begging me to do this since... well forever.

"Where are we going next?" Claire asked, knowing that there was more.

"A place, I know that I have to take you to." I said smiling, hinting a suggestion to where I was taking her.

We quickly arrived at 2 Pi R Cilium Lane, the Landgraab Science Facility. Claire and I both ran out to the back gate where it was unlocked by security for us, Claire was ecstatic, this was the only place to Robot Fish in the whole of Sunset Valley.

"Malcolm, I can't thank you enough, I'll go catch some fish for my mother," Claire spoke in a high, elated pitch, some of the fish we caught were 200kg each! By the time we were done, it was nearly 8:00pm, I had one last thing to do, something special.

"Claire?" I asked.
"What Malcolm?" Claire replied.

"I... I need to show you something?" I said embarrassed, scared what was going to happen next.

"What is it?" She questioned, started to get annoyed as her tone went higher.

I pulled out my grey Sonaflux Guitar, after weeks of practice, I tried my best attempt at swooning my love to Claire, I had tried serenaded her. My song was mellow, 12-beat melody, it sounded awful in my ears but in Claire's ears, the sound didn't matter, it was the meaning behind it.

Singing was not my cup of coffee, so instead Claire started making up her own words to the song, it sounded like a bunch of gibberish to me, the words had no meaning but it went with the song but as long as Claire was having fun, it's okay to me.

Instead of trying to be romantic, it became funny as Claire started to do the Smustle to the beat of the beat of the slow, relaxing song.

As soon as I stopped, Claire came rushing at me, faster than a cheetah, to hug me, she had appreciated all the effort I had taken to do this. I took her home, I stood at the front porch, where only three days earlier I was rejected and shouted at by Claire. But today was different, she asked me if I wanted to come inside, I insisted I leave as it was getting late.

"I have to go." I told Claire.

"Don't leave; I want to be by your side." She tried arguing her way out of me leaving.

"I serious, my parents will kill me otherwise."

"Alright you can go, as long as I can give you a goodbye kiss..."

Claire stepped outside and kissed me tenderly on the lips, I couldn't let go off her hot red lips, only after five minutes I had finally left to go home, when the weather was clear, a first in Sunset Valley for a while now as it is Autumn/Fall.

. . .

On Thursday Claire couldn't stop thanking me for last night, she had finally gotten over our argument, so everything was finally in the clear and my relationship with Claire has never been stronger than ever.

I finally told Claire about the party at the Goth household, she freaked out about the idea that she was invited, I would advise thought otherwise with Bella being her friend but oh well at least we're going and that Claire's happy about it.

I asked my parents and they agreed, what could Mortimer Goth do? I was allowed to go; nothing could hinder my excitement for what happening on Saturday. I felt carefree; there was nothing to worry about except for fun!