Alternate Tings

Tori & Shae

A thick cloud a tension floated around the small room they were in. Each couple was off in their own little corner, yet everyone remained quiet- dissatisfied with events of that night. Everyone had their own little bruises, cuts, or rips on their skin or clothes, each with their own version of how it all went down. No one would have guessed that they would have ended up in a holding cell after midnight among people they once saw as friends ..

Earlier that day

Tori

"Zay", I said peeking from inside the bathroom.
He didn't hear me of course, he was wrapped up in some game on his phone.
"Zay" I said again, a little louder this time.
No response. This nigga.
"Xavier", I said even louder, becoming irritated.
"Yes Cecilia", he said , still not looking up from his phone, yet him calling me by middle name always hinted at his frustration.
"Don't get an attitude, you should've answered me the first time. Hand me my dress before we're late", I said pointing to a new burgundy tshirt dress laying on the bed.
He handed me the dress and kissed my forehead. "Now hurry up so we aren't late", he said going back to play his game.
I playfully rolled my eyes and put the finishing touches on my look. I shook out my freshly washed fro and was ready to go in a matter of minutes.

This day couldn't get any better for either one of us. We're heading to a graduation cookout in our honor. Just a few days ago, I had graduated with my bachelors of science degree in medicine, while Xavier just finished his masters in pharmaceuticals. We've been together since my sophomore year in college and over the years we had become inseparable. We had easily become the smartest and most well liked couple on Howard's campus.

We pulled up to a beautiful park where each of their families had come out to support us. As soon as we got out the car, the smell of food and the sound of music overwhelmed both of us.
"How they partying when the guests of honor haven't even arrived yet", Xavier said shaking his head and grabbing my hand.
I laughed and intertwined my fingers with his. He didn't look nervous but the sweatiness of his palms suggested something else.
"You alright", I questioned, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.
"Yeah just been a minute since I've seen your family, that's all", he replied almost too readily.
I squinted at him for a moment but decided to let it go. I know that my family likes Xavier and even if they didn't, I wasn't looking for their approval anyway. Everything was falling into place and I'm happy, nothing could take that away from me.

As the day progressed, family came and went. Children played and laughed, adults sat around gossiping, and the music continued to pump through the speakers. "This really feels like family", I thought as I laid my head on Zay's shoulder. This was a big deal considering I wasn't always too fond of my own. Zay looked down at me and smiled as if we were thinking the same thing but our moment was abruptly interrupted.
"Eh-ehm, excuse me", Zay's mother said speaking quietly into a microphone that seemed to appear from nowhere.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched her. She definitely commanded attention without even trying. In this way Xavier is a spitting image of her. His presence in a room is breathtaking and it has always been one of my favorite things about him. His mother gave a heart warming speech about Xavier and his accomplishments in life and then went on to congratulate me on my achievements and thank me for becoming a part of their family. I instantly felt an array of emotions come over me but I simply looked his mother, smiled, and mouthed thank you, trying to hold back tears. Just as I was about to turn back around to Zay, I realized all eyes were on me and mouths were open in shock. I immediately felt uncomfortable and wasn't sure what was going on. "Did I react wrong? Did I spill something on me", I thought. I turned around trying to ignore the prying eyes but Zay wasn't standing behind me like he was before.

He was now on one knee in front of me, holding out a ring, with the brightest eyes and biggest smile on his face. I was in complete shock. I knew I loved him and that I wanted to be with him but marriage was such a huge step.
"Tori Cecilia Washington, I fell in love with you the minute I saw you and ever since then, I have grown to love you even more. I want to spend the rest of my loving you and building a life with you. Will you marry me?", he asked me with the most sincerest look in his eyes.
I could barely respond, tears started to run down my face and I just shook my head yes as I covered my face with my hands. Both families yelled and clapped for the newly engaged couple as Zay picked me up and kissed me.
We kissed for what felt like hours but I knew it was all in my head. I really could not believe I agreed to marry him. It's not even something that we had ever actually talked about even though deep down we knew it probably would end up there. He put me back down and I could not stop staring at him. I really was looking at the rest of my life right here in front of me and it was such an overwhelming feeling.
"Tori, I haven't even put your ring on yet", he said laughing and snapping me out of my trance. I held my hand out as he slid the ring on my finger. It was gorgeous. A beautiful circular diamond sat in the middle while the band itself was covered in small diamonds. Once again, I could feel the tears starting to come. Before I could cry again, both of our parents were coming over to congratulate us. I wish I could say it was a pleasant conversation but the rest of the cookout became a blur.