Assignment: Story...Plot: Good/Bad News... Element: Cell Phone

The tail lights leave a red path down the fallen snow. Slowly, the red lights fade, and a young man steps out of his silver sedan. He seems to be a bit frustrated, as he paces back and forth, leaving the white, crisp blanket of snow shaken in turmoil. He lets out a deep breath in to the cool dark air leaving a trail of smoke behind him.
He frantically searches in his pockets, only to be startled, he opens the driver’s side door. He quickly peaks his head inside to grab something and closes the door in such a fashion that you wouldn’t even notice his presence. He catches his breath and takes one step down the old cobblestone driveway only to be closer to the house.
Suddenly he comes to an abrupt halt; it’s as if he is frozen. He has a stone cold look on his face that only a chisel could break. Suddenly, you hear the sound of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony playing; the young man frantically reaches in his pocket, only to answer his cell phone. He says “Hello? …Mom? ... Listen, I really can’t talk right now. I’m in the middle of something. … I’ll call you back later. Okay? ... Love you, bye.”
At this point, he has beads of sweat falling from his forehead; he pulls a hankie from the right pocket of his leather jacket and wipes away the perspiration. Gently, he folds the hankie and places it back in his pocket. With hesitation, he takes another step towards the front door of the house. A frantic look comes across his face, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes glazed over; he only has a few more steps to take before he’s at the front door.
He takes three more steps, and extends his hand to the doorbell. As he is about to ring the bell, you hear Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony again. He reaches into his pocket only to shut off his phone completely. Again, he extends his arm and this time he presses the doorbell, only to hear the “ding-dong” noise come from inside the house. He takes one step back to allow the person inside to open the door, but no one arrives. He takes a deep breath, letting out a big sigh and rings the doorbell again, “ding-dong”, this time a young woman with shoulder length blond hair, hazel eyes, dressed in a white t-shirt and boxer shorts that read “Eat my shorts” answers the door.
The woman says “John! What are you doing here? It’s Wednesday, you never come to visit on Wednesdays, especially when it’s snowy like this outside.” He takes a deep breath and lets it all out. Smiling at her, he lets out a little chuckle. “What’s so funny hon?” the young woman says. He leans towards her, wraps his arms around her and says “I just came because I missed you and needed to see you, is that okay Meliss?” “I suppose…but why don’t you come inside, it’s cold out there!”
John walks inside the house and Melissa removes his jacket and hangs it in the hallway closet.
“John, can I get you something to drink? How about coffee or something hot?” “No….nothing hot, just a bottle of water.”
Melissa comes back with an ice cold bottle of water and sits down beside John on the couch, as the watch the end of Family Guy.
“So John, why did you come up? I rarely see you during the week. I usually see you on the weekends.”
“Well Melissa, there is something important I need to talk to you about.”
“What?”
The room suddenly has a hush of silence; the television is shut off and no one else is in the room except John and Melissa. John gazes into Melissa’s eyes as he begins to speak.
“Melissa, we’ve been dating for four years now, right?”
“Yes…”
“Well, I think it’s time…”
“Time to what?” she says frantically as tears begin to fall down her face.
He softly kisses her cheek and wipes away her tears; pushing her hair behind one ear. She closes her eyes tightly as a waterfall of tears flows from her eyes, running streaks of black mascara down her face.
“Well, I think it’s time… (He gets down on one knee) time that we take the next step and spend the rest of our lives together.”
Blindsided by what has just happened Melissa’s frown turns into smile, yet the tears are still pouring down her face.
“Yes” she responds.
“There is nothing more I’d like to do than spend the rest of my life with you.”
John is overjoyed; he now has a full-on smile. It seems as if his hesitation, pacing back and forth, and excessive perspiration all paid off. Melissa looks at John with a cockeyed look on her face.
“I thought you were about to break up with me for a second, but this turned out to be the best day of my life! We have to share the good news…who should we call first?”
John went to the hallway closet and pulled out his cell phone and dialed his mother’s phone. After three rings his mom answers.
“Mom? Melissa has something to tell you.”
“Mrs.Doughty? Your son just asked me to marry him!”

TO BE CONTINUED….