Against All The Odds
Author's Note: Attention Readers. This is story is almost over, most of you probably predicted that, but here we go, I should say I've been looking forward to this chapter since I started writing the fanfic. So without further ado, let's get back to Todd.
Within the next half hour, I ran all the way to the bottom of the stairs and rode the kindergarten bus home. I get into my house and see my mom doing her work.
"Hi sweetie." She says.
"Hi mom." I say quickly. "I need to go to the hospital." I say as I grab a helmet and some pads. She closes her computer lid, quickly realizing I'm not the one hurt.
"Whoa Todd. I have a meeting in about an hour." I roll my eyes. "I don't have time to drive you to the hospital." She says.
"But mom, I need to see Maurecia. I haven't seen her since Tuesday morning and I have to make sure she's okay." She sets her laptop aside.
"Todd, I'm sure she's okay if she's healing."
"But I need to check on her." I say adamantly. "I just need my skateboard." She frowns.
"I thought I told you not today." I'm a little annoyed.
"You said I couldn't take it to school." I say as I pick the board up. "You said I'd get it back when I got home."
"Todd. I'm hardly comfortable with you riding it to school. Do you think I'm comfortable with you riding it into the city?" I shrug.
"I promise I'll stay cautious and wait for stop lights." I say. "Please mom." Fluffy gets into a prayerful position.
"Todd…" She sighs. "Why does it mean this much to you?" If she wants to know everything she'll be late for her meeting.
"Because mom, last night I read a piece of her diary and-" I'm interrupted.
"Shame on you Todd! That wasn't written for you to read." I sigh and continue.
"I only read Monday and Tuesday. She said that she was very worried I'd leave the school and she needed a way to keep me here, then she promised not to punch me again and hug me instead. Since I didn't know at the time or believe it for that matter, I punched her to protect myself. But it ended up hurting her way more than I hoped it would. But it hurts me even more not getting to see her each day. I need to see her again just for some reassurance. It really does matter to me." Fluffy cries a tear, my mom looks really surprised.
"You really are sorry aren't you?" She asks as I nod.
"Yeah mom and I finally heard my teacher say she loves teaching everyone because her husband died. We're like her children and she said I remind her of her father." She folds her arms.
"What's your point?"
"I've decided I'm going to stay at Wayside until my graduation." I say proudly. "But I don't want to go back if Maurecia isn't there. I really miss her." She smiles.
"Well Todd… you've really come of age." I smile.
"Thanks mom." I say as I hold my arms out. "Can I please have a hug?" I ask.
"Of course sweetie." She hugs me and gently strokes my neck. "I love you Todd."
"I love you to mom." I hear Fluffy purr. "And I do my best to be a good son." The hug ends.
"You're an exceptional son Todd and I'm very proud to be your mother." She says proudly.
"And I'm proud to be your son." I say. "But may I please go to the hospital? I know where it is." She pats my back.
"You may."
"Yes!" I throw a fist into the air. "Thanks mom!" I shout as I open the door and set the board down.
"Stay safe." She says.
"I will!" I head out and flip the board three sixty degrees. Fluffy cheers on my shoulder. "Hang on tight Fluffy! It's gonna be a wild ride!" I cheer as he gets a tighter grip. We head through the city streets, staying on the sidewalk unless we needed to cross. After about fifteen minutes we appear at the hospital. I never actually took off my backpack so Fluffy could hide if needed. When we're just outside the hospital doors I open the pack.
"Okay Fluffy, you'll need to get in the bag." He looks sad all of a sudden.
"Do I have to?" He mouths and I nod.
"I'm afraid so. Just get in and try not to move too much." He sighs, hops into the back and then folds the flap forward so he's out of sight. I walk into the building confidently until I get to the receptionist. She looks like she's in her mid-twenties. "Hello Ma'am." I greet her politely.
"Hello young man." She says back. Then she looks over my shoulders. "Um, are you here all by yourself?" She asks.
"Well yes. My mom has a meeting to get to so I had to come alone." She frowns in a sympathetic way.
"I'm sorry young man, but I'm not allowed to let children in this hospital if they're not supervised by an adult." I hear Fluffy growl quietly so I lean forward so the bag bumps my back to shut him up.
"Is there any chance you could get a nurse or something to supervise me for a few minutes?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"I'm afraid that's not the hospital policy." I frown half sadly, half angrily.
"Ma'am, I worked really hard to make my way here." She looks a little concerned.
"Are you sick or hurt?" She asks.
"No I'm not. But someone I care about is and I'm not leaving until I get to see her." I say with determination. Unfortunately it fails.
"Look buddy, unless a child is sick or hurt they need an adult inside this building, so my best suggestion for you is to sit over there on one of those seats and call your mom or dad." I'm losing my patience.
"But they're both busy right now. Please miss, I've had a lot of stress this week." She sighs in annoyance.
"You'll only stress yourself out more if you stay here. I really do think you should leave." I make a fist but I don't show it.
"Has someone you cared about ever gotten hurt?" I ask.
"Yes, they have." She responds.
"And did you ever let your age stop you from getting to see them?"
"No because I always had a parent with me." I point my thumb at myself.
"Well I'm a very independent person who doesn't always rely on my parents. I've gone above and beyond in school and I could probably easily take the job you have right now in only four years." She glares at me. "How old are you?"
"Twenty six." She says sternly. "And I'm guessing you're fourteen?" I nod. "But regardless of your intellect you still can't come in alone."
"You can't make one generous exception for a sad and desperate boy?" I ask. I can tell we're both heated up.
"Maybe but I'm not very eager to do it right now." My glare disappears. "Now please leave." I sigh.
"Well then, thanks for nothing lady!" She scoffs as I turn around and walk firmly away. I still face her direction until I bump into someone. "Oh!" I flinch and notice a large, middle-age, man dressed in a suit and tie. He looks really fit for his age and is honestly kinda intimidating. "I'm so sorry sir." I say.
"That's alright son." He says. "I could've payed a little more attention myself." I smile lightly. I also feel Fluffy moving around again so I bump the bag forward on my shoulders again to signal him to stop. The man looks a little curious.
"Son, why do you have your backpack on?" I pause for a second.
"Well I just got home and was kinda in a hurry to get here."
"I see." He says. He has a very deep voice.
"But I gotta go now. It doesn't look like I'm allowed here." As I'm about to walk out he puts his hand on my shoulder. I stop in my tracks.
"Did see who you came here for?" He asks. I shake my head.
"No sir I didn't. That lady won't let me in without an adult." He pauses.
"Oh I see." He says as I sigh. I notice a humble smile appears on his face. "I'll supervise you for a few minutes." I look up immediately.
"Really? Are you sure?" I ask.
"Sure thing son, I came to see someone to and it's not fair to send you out just because you're young." I look up at him. "And you had to come here with a backpack?" He asks.
"Well it's not very heavy. But sometimes my shoulders get sore from carrying it." They get sore because they get punched a lot.
"Hm. I understand, but if you really want to see someone I'll walk you in." I'm no longer afraid to look into his eyes.
"Okay. Thank you very much." I say as I walk in front with him following me.
"Allow me to hold your skateboard." I hand it to him then we get back to the receptionist.
"What do you want now kid?" She asks looking annoyed. The man speaks up.
"He's with me." He says as he puts his right hand on my left shoulder. The lady raises an eyebrow.
"Is he your son because he's got an attitude?" I glare upon hearing that sentence. Suddenly the man smirks.
"He's not my son." He says humbly. "Though if you were my daughter, I'd have an attitude." She gasps and looks down at me. I cross my arms with a satisfied grin. She glares back at him.
"If you're not his dad then I can't let you in." He raises an eyebrow a glares into her soul.
"Listen young lady." She gasps. "This boy has come a long way to make it here. And god knows who he's trying to see, but I'm willing to take him with me so I suggest you let us in." She frowns.
"Do you two even know each other?" She asks.
"No we don't, but I know who I'm seeing and he knows who he came to see, so if you don't mind, I'm a very busy man who's taking time out of his job to make it here and this young man will probably have to take a test or accept additional homework to get out of school. If anyone needs a supervisor, it's probably you." She gasps again. "Should I talk to your manager?"
"That won't be necessary. Please go right in." She says defeated.
"Thank you." I say with satisfaction as we walk by. We head inside the elevator. "And thank you very much for helping me get past her." He smiles lightly.
"My pleasure." He points at the buttons. "Which floor are you going to?" I shrug.
"I'm not really sure. This is my first time here since the incident happened." He sighs and presses 7.
"Well I'm going to the seventh floor." The doors close. He holds out his left arm. "My name is Jerome by the way. I'm here to check on my daughter." I shake his hand.
"Oh that's nice. I'm Todd." I say, suddenly he flinches.
"Your name is Todd?" He asks and I nod.
"Yes sir it is." He pauses for a second and stares at his hand.
"Interesting. I'm always hearing stories about a boy named Todd." I look up.
"Who tells you them?" I ask. He clears his throat.
"My daughter Maurecia." I flinch within the very next microsecond and I swear my heart stopped. This is her father? I'm actually pretty terrified now.
"Mau-Maurecia?" I stammer to ask. He nods.
"Would you happen to be that very same Todd from Wayside school?" He asks while grinning.
"Y-Yes." I shiver a tiny bit. The door opens and we step off the elevator and walk down the hall.
"That's pretty neat. I'm finally getting to meet the boy my daughter moons over." He gives a hardy laugh. "So Todd what do you think of my Maurecia?" I sweat a little.
"She's very… cute." I say nervously. He chuckles.
"I'm glad you think so. So who are you here to see?" I freeze. "Uh… Todd? Are you alright?" He asks me looking concerned. I finally break free of my emotional paralysis.
"Sir, I'm-"
"You can call me Jerome, son." He interrupts.
"O-Okay. Jerome…" He raises an eyebrow. "I'm the one who punched your daughter!" I close my eyes tightly. I hear him sigh.
"You did?" He sounds disappointed. I only nod. "May I ask why you hit her?" He asks as I open my eyes.
"I thought she was going to punch me so I retaliated. Though the stair part wouldn't have happened if she was wearing shoes." He sighs in disappointment.
"I kept telling her skates weren't very safe." He says. Suddenly Fluffy pops out of my bag and jumps into my hands.
"Fluffy, what are you up to?" I ask.
"Isn't that her pet porcupine?" He asks, Fluffy nods and waves.
"Yes sir. I've taken care of him since yesterday. He's actually a very sweet friend." Fluffy turns around and gives me a heartwarming smile, and then he hugs my chest. Jerome looks a little pleased but also a little sad.
"Todd, I told her to stop punching you and I thought she would've listened." He says as we get to her room. "I guess she just couldn't help herself."
"No sir. I couldn't help myself. I thought she'd punch me again and I tried to stop her." He sighs in disappointment and opens the door.
"I understand Todd." I look down. "Actually should we look around for your person first or would you mind stopping here first?" I look back up.
"Actually Jerome, I came to see Maurecia to." He lets the door close.
"You did?" I nod. Suddenly I see him cry a tear. "You came all this way on your own to make sure my daughter was okay?"
"Yes sir I did. I didn't want to go back to school not knowing how she was doing. I really miss having her in class." He smiles.
"Thank you Todd, you're a good man." I still have my head down.
"I am? Doesn't punching her make me naughty or even a little sadistic?" He shakes his head.
"No son. Sadists don't show any concern over people they hurt." He pats my shoulder again. "Thank you Todd."
"You're welcome." I mumble. He opens the door again and holds it.
"Shall we see her now?" I look up and nod.
"Yes we should." I say. Fluffy pats my cheek a few times and then we enter.
I notice Maurecia is lying on a large white bed with white sheets and blankets and there is a heart monitor attached to her pulse. I can't help but notice she's not wearing her helmet. She has her blueish purple hair down and it's much longer than her usual ponytail. Dare I say she looks… hot? Who am I kidding? She looks so gorgeous! Jerome finally speaks up.
"Well Todd, here she is." He says quietly. I turn towards him.
"I'm so sorry this happened!" I say pretty loudly feeling more tears coming. Fluffy caresses my left cheek. "I really wish I could go back in time and undo this. But it's too late." I calm down. "What's done is done." Jerome sighs.
"I know Todd." He says in a rather sad tone. "I've said long and heartfelt prayers the past couple of nights for her. She's my baby girl and she means my whole world." Tears finally leave my eyes slowly.
"I understand." I say in a broken voice and I sniffle. "And I- And I don't like going to Wayside with- without her!" I hiccupped twice on that sentence. Jerome gently strokes my back.
"It's alright Todd. I'm not mad at you." First Fluffy and now her dad? Even if it's illegal I thought he'd at least want to slap me.
"Are you sure?" I ask, making direct eye contact but I'm barely able to see him because these tears are making my vision blurry.
"I am Todd. I know you were scared and it's a shame this happened. But I know you mean well." He turns back to her. "And honestly you're a boy I'd trust my daughter with." I'm astonished.
"I am?" He nods.
"You're not one of those idiots who plays and cheat on girls or cheats on tests. From what I'm told you're a freakishly hard worker who gets straight A's and still doesn't care about free time unless everyone around you is happy." I'm surprised he knows all this. I thought Maurecia would just say I'm cute and stop there. But maybe she wanted to tell her dad all of this to get his approval.
"That does sound like me." I say as my crying slows down. He sighs one more time and holds his head down for about a minute. I don't interrupt but I do stare. He doesn't make a single sound during this minute.
"Okay." He looks back up. "I'm done."
"What happened?" I ask.
"I was saying a prayer for her. I hope God is willing to protect my Maurecia and she'll get through this. But odds are she'll be asleep until Sunday at best. The doctors predicted her coma will last a few more days." I sigh.
"I don't want to go back tomorrow and not see her there." Jerome looks at me.
"Well son, I heard you might be leaving Wayside and returning to your old school. So really it's only for one more day."
"Actually today I made my final decision. I'm not leaving." He smiles lightly.
"Oh really? My daughter will be so relieved when she wakes up." He says confidently only for me to speak up.
"If she wakes up sir." I correct him and he's silent. "Mrs. Jewls said her husband suffered the same injury, they thought he'd be awake next week but he ended up dying. He had epidural hematoma but they thought it was intracranial hemorrhage." His voice breaks slightly.
"Are you sure?" He asks. I only nod. "That's so sad!"
"I know." I mumble as he turns back to Maurecia.
"My poor baby!" He suddenly begins crying. Fluffy lets out a sad purr. I feel so ashamed.
"Jerome, I couldn't stop thinking about Maurecia this week. I only had about three and a half hours of sleep last night because I found out about her feelings." He turns towards me.
"How'd you find her feelings?" I sigh.
"I read her diary." I slow down a little. "Only Monday and Tuesday though. She said you told her to hug me instead of punching me." He nods.
"Yeah Todd, I wanted her to comfort you." I look down.
"I could've used the comfort. I am sorry this happened, and I'll never forgive myself for this." I sniffle. "But I need to speak to her." We make eye contact.
"Alone?" He asks, halting his tears. I nod.
"Yes sir." I say quietly. "Could I have a little time alone with her please?" He smiles lightly.
"Alright son. Please be careful with my daughter." Fluffy jumps off of my shoulder.
"Fluffy? You to?" He nods. "You don't want to stay here?" He shakes his head then points at me. "You're right. I have to do this alone." I hold him out. "Here sir." Fluffy holds his hand out for a second then turns toward me. "What's up Fluffy?" He pauses, looks back at me, then he crawls up to my head and hugs my face. I feel his soft fur tickle my nose.
"Awe. That's pretty adorable." Jerome says. Fluffy then let go and stares into my eyes. He's smiling proudly and a tear falls out of his left eye. "I think he loves you." Jerome says and I smile.
"I love him to." I say as he pats my forehead twice. He's officially my best friend now. After about five more seconds he crawls back down and I hand him back. "Here." I say as he jumps out of my hands and into Jerome's.
"You did a wonderful job taking care of him Todd." He says. "I'll be in the lobby until you're done." He says as he walks out.
"Okay sir, I'll see you in a little while." I turn back to Maurecia. She's still asleep but the heart monitor doesn't lie, she's still alive. That's the only bit of relief I truly have right now. I step up to the right side of her bed and kneel. I'm about to pray for her. She deserves a few words said on her behalf… and I think I owe her them. There were many times she's tried getting my attention and I simply ignored her, sometimes blanking her out of my vision like she didn't exist. But ever since she got injured she hasn't left my conscience. I grab her right hand. I know she always wants to hold hands, since she's in the hospital it'd be wrong to deprive her of it now. "Okay." I clear my throat and take another look at her. I notice she has a small bruise on her forehead from where my fist hit her. Then I finally begin.
"Maurecia… I don't think you can hear me right now but a small part of you hopefully can. I'm so sorry I punched you. I wish there wasn't a staircase behind you and if I could go back to the moment I hit you I would've stopped myself. I would've chopped off my own hand if I'd known this could've been avoided. It's been a very painful week for me and I've lost a lot of sleep the past couple of nights thinking and worrying about you. But I've made my final decision, the decision to stay at Wayside until my graduation." I feel more tears coming but do my best to fight them.
"But it hasn't been the same without you. I thought your presence in my life gave me nothing but constant pain in my shoulders, but your absence is even more painful to me." I stop for a minute and listen to the sound of her breathing. She's really cute when she's asleep. Then I move on.
"Not having you at school has been much worse than getting punched every day. And I know you probably won't wake up until next week but…" I open my eyes and see her still lying motionlessly. My voice begins cracking.
"But please don't leave my life. I don't want you to die. You didn't deserve this fate and I want you to overcome this coma." A few more tears fall down my cheeks. I continue.
"So… even if you don't wake up this week, or even next week, please come back to me as soon as you can. I'm not ready to go back to Wayside tomorrow without you, but knowing you're alive and breathing will give me the strength to endure your absence further." I open my eyes and stare at her for a few more seconds.
"So… take care." I sniffle. I'm still holding her hand. This is the longest I've ever held anyone's hand. I take one more look at her beautiful face and feel a rush of unfamiliar emotional energy. "I'll see you soon." I say as I lean forward, and plant a gentle kiss on her bruised forehead.
"Goodbye." I look around for a few more seconds and then close my eyes. Then just before I'm about to get up and leave I feel my hand move slightly, except I didn't move it. "What?" I say as I feel Maurecia squeeze my hand lightly. I gasp audibly as she rolls around a couple of times and releases a quiet yawn. My eyes open and widen instantly.
"Oh." She says weakly as she slowly opens her eyes. "My head." This is all too good to be true!
"Maurecia!" I exclaim. "You're awake!" She lifts her head up lightly.
"T-Todd? Is that you?" She asks as she regains her vision.
"Yes Maurecia. It is me!" I exclaim happily. "And you're not unconscious anymore!" She moves very slowly.
"Todd. What happened? Where am I?" She asked in a drowsy tone. I can tell she's still really exhausted.
"Well, what do you remember?" I ask concerned.
"The last thing I remember was I was on the thirtieth floor and you were right in front of me, then I'm guessing someone hit a baseball or something that hit me in the head." A baseball? I didn't think I could hit that hard.
"No Maurecia, I punched you." I say depressed. Her eyes shoot open and her usual energetic spirit comes back.
"You did?" I nod. "Todd, you punched my forehead while I was on my rollerblades?" I nod sadly.
"Yes Maurecia. You rolled down the stairs and crashed head first into the wall." I say in a sad tone. "But after that I carried you down all the stairs." Her eyes widen.
"You did?" I nod. "You carried me down all thirty floors to help escort me to the hospital faster?"
"Yeah Maurecia I did." She notices I'm holding her hand.
"Oh Todd! Thank you!" Her face lights up. Mine however is still very dim.
"You're welcome Maurecia, but I had a rough week knowing you could've easily died from this injury." She pauses.
"I could've died?" I nod and let go of her hand.
"So, I want you to punch me again. Punch me as hard as you can." I say under self-spite.
"But Todd I don't-" I cut her off.
"No Maurecia! I deserve it." I open my eyes for a second. "I won't even flinch this time. Just go and resume the moment before I punched you." I close my eyes again. I'm waiting for her to break my shoulders… "Whoa!" But instead, out of nowhere, she pulls me into her chest and has her arms around the back of my head.
"You're my hero." She whispers. My smile reflexively reappears on my face.
"I am?"
"You are!" I wrap my arms around her back and begin hugging her to. "And I'm sorry I felt the need to punch you all this time. But I forgive you for what you did."
"That's nice." I chuckle a couple of times before lifting my head up. She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen and the gentlest touch I've ever felt. We stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds.
"I love you Todd." She says. Then she continues to hug my head.
"Hey Maurecia." She loosens her grip and looks down at me.
"Yes Todd?" I feel my heart flutter.
"I love you to." I say sincerely and a joyful tear rolls down her face.
"Oh Todd! Do you really mean it?" I nod.
"Yes I do Maurecia."
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that!" She strokes my back a few times.
"And you don't know how long I've been waiting to say that myself." She drops me.
"Todd, you've loved me from the beginning?" I nod.
"Yes Maurecia, I have. I just didn't know it at the time." She smiles.
"Awe, you're so cute!" She squeezes me so tightly she almost chokes me.
"Uh Maurecia."
"Yes Todd?"
"Could I reposition myself real fast?" She lets go.
"Ooh. Sorry." She apologizes.
"That's alright." I say as I adjust to head level. Then I move back in and hug her again. "And I did learn a couple of things about you." She flinches.
"Did you read my diary?" I pause.
"Fluffy told me to." I say nervously and I notice she's glaring at me intensely. "I'm sorry." Suddenly she squeezes me again.
"I'm just kidding Todd! I still love you." She opens her right eye. "But which parts did you read?" She asks.
"Not much, I remember you calling me Romeo." She blushes deeply and I hear a redundant beeping noise. I turn left and notice the heart monitor. "I forgot that thing was on."
"Me to." She says as she rips the wires off of her chest. Then she turns back to me.
"So you think I'm extremely cute and have a funny feeling when around me huh?" Her face changes its shade of pink each second.
"Well Todd, yes I kinda do get that feeling." She looks around having a hard time making eye contact with me. "Is that weird?" She asks. I smirk.
"Actually I find it pretty adorable." She giggles.
"You do Todd?" I nod.
"Yes Maurecia I do." I chuckle a couple of times. "What does it feel like?" I ask and she shrugs.
"It's hard to explain but it feels good… in an embarrassing kind of way." She says nervously. I raise an eyebrow.
"Well this 'funny feeling' has caused my arm so much pain over the past year in a half."
"Well Todd, I don't think that-" I interrupt.
"You'd punch me because you got this feeling whenever I was around and you were too nervous to tell me." She's defeated.
"Yes Todd I was." She sighs. "I thought you'd think I was too desperate if I got affectionate around you." I grin.
"Except when we were in the trash compactor?" She shrugs.
"I thought we were both going to die." She says. "I thought it didn't matter anymore."
"Interesting." I say grinning. "Maybe we need to get used to this funny feeling." She blushes.
"How Todd?" She asks looking nervous. I place my hand on her neck, she feels slightly feverish.
"Hm." I move close her face and I feel her temperature rise.
"What are you doing Todd?" She asks. I hold our heads closer together. Her face is bright pink.
"Relax Maurecia. I'm just helping you get used to having me next to you without you needing to hurt me." She chuckles nervously. "Now, are you ready for the last part?" I say with a seductive grin.
"Um, I don't know Todd. What is there to-" I pull her face in and give her a powerful kiss on her lips. Her eyes shut after a second and I feel her kissing me back. After about ten seconds I stop.
"How'd that feel?" I ask a little exhausted. She takes a few seconds to catch her breath.
"It felt amazing." She says while panting. I sit next to her and put my arm on her shoulder.
"One more question Maurecia." She faces me. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Her eyes sparkle.
"Oh Todd! Of course I will!" She hugs me again and I participate. "You're the sweetest boy I've ever met." I chuckle.
"And you're the sweetest girl I've ever met." I say. The hug ends, then about two seconds later she pulls me in for another kiss, I can't protest. My heart is pounding very intensely right now and I'm sure hers is to. After about fifteen seconds we stop. Both of us are out of breath.
"So, how was that?" She asks me while panting.
"It was, very, sensational." I respond panting equally as her. After about thirty seconds we finally catch our breaths. "I've never kissed anyone like that before."
"Neither have I Todd." She says as she strokes my shoulders. "But I didn't know it'd be that much fun. We should kiss more often!" This time I can't disagree.
"Okay we will." I say while chuckling a couple of times. "But now that you're okay we should probably get out of here." She nods.
"Okay Todd, I just need to get my skates on. Do you know where they are?" I get up and look around a little.
"I think your dad took them with him." She rolls her eyes.
"He's always telling me skates are dangerous and I shouldn't wear them in public. And I don't want to walk around downstairs without footwear." I notice she only has socks on. I sigh contently for a second.
"Do you want me to carry you down?" I ask. The idea seems pretty unexpected and a little embarrassing, but if we love each other so what have I got to lose?
"Are you sure Todd? Won't I weigh you down?" She asks. I grin.
"If I can carry you down twenty nine staircases, then I'm sure I can carry you in an elevator." She gets into my arms in bridal style.
"You really are a true romantic Todd." She kisses my left cheek and I blush.
"Thanks Maurecia." She giggles. "Well, let's go." As I step out of the room she wraps her arms around my neck.
"Did I ever tell you how much I admire you?" She asks and I shake my head.
"No, I think you skipped that part."
"Well I've always admired how hard you work no matter what the task is." I smile proudly.
"Thank you." She continues.
"And how you always go out of your way for others, it's incredible how much or your potential you use." I blush again.
"Thanks." I say as I step onto the elevator. Maurecia hits the ground floor button. The elevator ride is pretty quiet until she speaks up again.
"I love you Todd." She says as she gives me a heartwarming smile. I return the same face.
"And I love you Maurecia." I say as then the elevator dings and the doors open. I step out and across the room I see Jerome sitting down and petting Fluffy.
"Hi Daddy!" Maurecia exclaims and he raises his head extremely quickly.
"Darling?" I walk up to him with Maurecia in my arms.
"Here's your daughter." I say as Fluffy jumps onto her chest.
"Oh hi Fluffy. Did you miss me?" She asks and he nods repeatedly and he looks ready to cry. Then he looks up at me. "What did Todd do?" She asks him. I smile.
"Fluffy and I are friends now." I say and he pats me on the stomach. "We've had each other's backs since yesterday morning." Jerome pats my shoulder.
"Todd." He pauses. "How did you wake my little girl up from her coma?" I shrug.
"He confessed his feelings for me." She says. "From the distant world I was in during my painful nap, I heard his voice." She pulls me closer to her face. "An everlasting flame inside my heart for Todd refused to die out!" I blush again.
"Maurecia, not in front of your dad." I say feeling a little embarrassed. "Not in front of Fluffy." Fluffy stands there with his arms crossed like he's waiting for something.
"Who cares?" She asks. "The bond you and I have overpowers anything else." She pulls me to kiss me on the cheek again. I just let it happen, though my entire face is bright pink right now.
"EYEEH!" Fluffy cheers and raises his fist.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Jerome laughs in a hearty manner. I chuckle a couple of times before she stops.
"I've always wanted my dad to meet you." She says while caressing my shoulder.
"He's a pretty good boy." Jerome says. "You did not cheat yourself when choosing him." I'm pretty flattered to hear that. Then Jerome pulls out his car keys. "Hey Todd, it's only twelve fifty. Would you like a ride home?"
"Yes please." I say. Maurecia hugs my shoulder again.
"I guess we'll have a little more time together." She says blushing.
"I guess so." I respond. A few minutes later we're in her dad's car and he's driving us back. We're both sitting in the back seat holding hands and Fluffy is in Maurecia's lap.
"So Todd?" Jerome asks. "When did you develop feelings for my daughter?"
"Well sir, it's kinda hard to say. It was early last year when we first met and it clearly took some time to get used to her. But it was only last night I realized how pure she was and she became the center of my conscience. I didn't know it at the time but I now realize I was in love." Maurecia just stares at me with a loving smile.
"See dad. I told you he was a true romantic." She says. Jerome chuckles.
"I see. And what do you like best about her?" He asks.
"I like how energetic she always is. Most of the time I can't even keep up with her and that's pretty hot to me." Fluffy purrs and gives me a cool guy grin. "But whenever she's around me she fights hard for my attention and now I doubt I'll ever consider ignoring her again." She strokes my shoulder.
"And I promise I won't ever punch you again Todd. You do have some very strong arms and there's no doubt they've gone through so much." I chuckle nervously. "But now they won't need to worry anymore since they've supported me when my life was at stake." Jerome seems confused.
"What do you mean darling?"
"I mean after I hit the wall, Todd carried me to the bottom floor so I could get to the hospital faster." We make eye contact and her eyes are sparkling. "No one else I've ever met would've even thought of that. But Todd is a very special person. He's not one of those people who puts themselves first, but the people around him." I blush. "And that is my favorite thing about you Todd. That is the main reason I love you, because you care so much about everyone else. But it is I who cares most about you. I hold you very dear to my heart and I always have." A single tear leaves my left eye.
"Wow." Jerome says.
"Do you really mean all of that Maurecia?" I ask. She nods and winks.
"When have I ever lied to you Todd?" That's very true, she hasn't.
"That's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me." I say as joyful tears flood my eyes.
"Well you're the most beautiful blessing I've ever had in my life." She says with a content loving face. Jerome suddenly stops the car.
"Well Todd, is this your house?" He asks. We're at 344 South Fairview.
"Yes sir it is." I unbuckle my seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride." I'm about to step out but Maurecia pulls me to her. I'm about two and a half inches from her face.
"Have a nice night Todd." She says. "I'll look forward to seeing you again at school tomorrow." I chuckle.
"Me to." I say casually and I notice Fluffy is pointing up at her face. "Goodbye." I say before pulling her head in so we share one more kiss. She wraps her arms around my head as well.
"Heh, heh, heh." Fluffy chuckles contently as he watches our mouths in action. I'm happy he approves of this.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Jerome gives his usual hearty laugh. "You crazy children, I don't have all day." He jokes. After almost twenty five seconds we stop kissing.
"Bye Todd." She says in a content tone. "I can't wait for school tomorrow." I grin.
"Me neither." I step out of the car. "One more thing." I say catching her attention.
"Yeah Todd?" She asks as I point at Fluffy.
"Please spend more time with Fluffy. He's truly my hero." Both of them smile and look at each other.
"Will do Todd." She says as both of them wave goodbye. "Bye Todd."
"Bye Maurecia." I say as I close the door and walk towards my house. She quickly rolls down the window.
"I love you Todd!" She shouts. I turn around immediately.
"And I love you to Maurecia." I say casually as Jerome drives off. I don't turn away from the car until it's out of my sight. And to think that seemingly against all odds, me coming to see her led to her waking up from her coma? It's truly a miracle. I've had a stressful week but today I found an unfamiliar feeling, love. I will have a nice sleep tonight knowing Maurecia is okay and I'll get to see her again tomorrow. It's given me the strength I've always needed to be a happy student at Wayside.
Author's Note: And there you have it. A romantic ending! I wanted to include romance in the genres but I only had two categories and labeling the story romance probably would've made the ending too predictable. But here it is, Todd is staying at Wayside, Fluffy is his friend, and he's fallen in love with Maurecia. Both of them are very happy and they're going to enjoy the rest of their eighth grade year hand in hand until it's over. :) … And should I consider writing a following story in the future? We'll see. Criticism is always welcome! Thank you for reading this story and have a nice week.
Edit: There's one more chapter.