Severing Ties (Book 2. Ties)

25. Luke

It was Monday and my classes were over for the day. I made my way through the sidewalks towards the subway. As I walked, my phone began to ring. "Luke," I questioned into the speaker.

"Mackenzie! I was not sure if you were going to be in class or not."

My steps slowed down, and I scowled at no one in particular. "I'm done for the day. Er, what's up?"

Even over the cell phone I noticed Lucas sounded nervous. He cleared his throat a couple of times, before saying anything. "Would you have any time to see me today?"

My slow steps halted. "For what?" My suspicion sounded obvious even to my own ears.

"It's about Stephanie; I need help with something."

What would he need help with? Did he want to break up with her? Why would he ask me then? He should have asked Frank for help not me. "When would you like to meet? I don't have a lot of time."

"Can you do now," he asked, and I answered with a "mhm." My response was followed by his instructions of where to meet.

I still got on a subway, but got off a few stops early. I went to the McDonald's Lucas had told me he would be at. When I entered, I searched for him, but I spotted him nowhere. I sent a text message to his phone, and he said he would be there in four minutes. So, I did what any sane person would do; I ordered a number one with everything. My number was called, so I picked up my tray from the counter. When I turned around, Lucas was walking in. He waved his long hand and smiled.

We picked a table and sat. "Are you going to eat?"

He shook his head. I unwrapped my burger and began to eat, since he was not. He had not gotten me out of the dark about the purpose of our meeting. I finished chewing my first bite and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "So, are you ever going to tell me why we are here?"

His forehead started to perspire. "You're Stephanie's best friend," he stated.

I bit the burger again. His comment was unimpressive, so I stared at him with annoyance.

He knew I was waiting for more, so he continued. "I need advice," he ended with.

"If you want to break up with her, I am not helping you. Did you think I would," I asked angrily.

With panicky eyes, he began to speak. "No, no! Why would you think I want to break up with her? I love her."

I was beyond confused. "Oh. Then what type of advice do you need?"

"It's more like confirmation instead of advice... If I asked Stephanie to... marry me, would she say yes?" Everything about Lucas was emitting anxiety.

My mouth remained on the burger buns in mid-bite. I was frozen out of shock. I would have won the red light/green light game if I had been playing. But, after a few seconds of looking dumbfounded, I pulled the cheeseburger away from my lips and set it down on the white wrapper with pink letters it had been encased in.

All I could do was stare at him. "Are you trying to humor me?"

"Mackenzie, please," he begged me to be serious. But, what he told me had been so unexpected. How he expected me to react to something so momentous in Stephanie's life was unfair.

"She's twenty-years old and still going to school. Don't you think you should wait a bit?"

With a scowl, he addressed my concerns. "She will still be able to go to school if she were to marry me; why would that be a problem?"

Stephanie and I were the same age and in the same point in life. The difference was that she was with the love of her life, and he was a great boyfriend. He was responsible, educated, had a job, was loving, and most importantly, mature. Maybe my objection was that I would have said no, if I had been in her shoes. But Stephanie loved him, and she was not a person who easily fell for feelings. The fact that Lucas had brought out that side of her meant something.

"She would say yes if you asked her."

He breathed out loudly, began to smile, and it was contagious. "Thank you... Now I need your help."

"I thought you just had a question," I accused with an eyebrow lifting.

"I need help with the proposal." He smiled.

"I am not creative."

"Yes, you are. Besides, I already know what I want to do, but I need your expertise to make it happen."

My head cocked to the side with perplexity. "Let's hear it."

"Have you ever seen the show Mobbed?"

Unwillingly my mouth upturned. He was a romantic. "You want to dance for her?"

"Well I would prefer just to show up at the end; I am not much of dancer, but you are. So, could you help me organize people to dance for Steph?" His shock of blue eyes begged me like a little puppy. There was no reason to say no... except for the time commitment. I would find a way to make the proposal happen though. It was for my friends. I had to do it.

For a second I thought about it though. The planning. "I can see if some of my cheer kids would want to do it, but no promises; they will volunteer if they want to." I was not going to force anyone to do it, but there were some people I could convince into it.

I then asked a set of questions. "Would Frank do it? How about your mom and siblings?" I continued offering names of our friends and family that could help.

We began to plan and decide. I had my backpack, so I had a notebook to write things down only making things easier.

We finished after an hour and a half of planning, and Lucas offered to take me home; I accepted. I had two weeks to have the dancers, whoever that ended up being, and the routine ready. It was incredibly exciting and stressful all at once. I would make it happen, and Stephanie was going to love it.

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Let me know what you think of the story this far. Things are only getting crazier:)

[Song "TMWYKAL" by SoMo]