Just_muse_me : 2.5.5. FIVE times you gave gifts and one you never delivered
2.5.5. FIVE times you gave gifts and one you never delivered
FIVE times you gave gifts
1. June 17th 2004
The last thing Audrey remembered was placing her cheek against a toilet seat, while praying to god that she won’t throw up, again. Apparently, that was karma. A university student couldn’t drink her weight in alcohol without paying the consequences. A light breeze was blowing into her face once she began to regain consciousness. Wiping her chin with the back of her hand, she thought about her surrounding. She wasn’t awake enough to remember how to open her eyelids. She knew she was sitting upright, which didn’t add up, because the breeze was too strong to be in a bathroom. She also wasn’t seated on the dirty laminate floor. The chair was actually quite comfy, and a little worn. However, that still didn’t explain the breeze. Something told her that she must’ve been in something moving… Something like a car.
Her eyes shot open, and in a panic she glanced at the driver. Her jaw dropped. His face wasn’t familiar so that led Audrey to believe she was getting kidnapped by some creep that picks up passed out girls at house parties. Wasn‘t Teagan suppose to be looking after her?. Staring at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face, she silently debated whether or not to scream. So, when he turned his head to glance at her, that was exactly what she did. A groan came from the back seat. “Shut up.” It was slightly muffled by the car seat, but Audrey recognized Teagan’s voice.
“Where the fuck are we going?” Audrey yelled hysterically, before the male laughed.
“Don’t worry, I’m taking you home. Teagan called me.” He announced calmly. Taking in his appearance, Audrey assumed that he wasn’t a university student. He had to at least be 23 years old. “It was hell and a half to get you cleaned up. You were laying in a pool of your own throw up.”
Embarrassed, Audrey sank lower into her chair. Her hand subconsciously reached up to touch her damp hair. “Please, don’t judge me.” she mumbled. The window must’ve been open because the smell alone could have killed everyone seated in the vehicle.
“No worries. I’ve been through worse.” He chuckled. “I’m Nathaniel Brookes, by the way.” Audrey didn’t bother introducing herself. Teagan must’ve already told him her name, because she could vaguely remember feeling slight taps on her cheeks, and a male calling her name. “It looks like were here.”
Glancing out the window, Audrey recognized Teagan’s parents house. Half-dead, Teagan raised into a sitting position, her eyelids half open. “Than-nate.” she mumbled. Without even waiting for Audrey, she exited the car and began staggering towards her house. Audrey chuckled in amusement. “What time is it?” She was beginning to sober up.
Nathaniel glanced at the clock on the dashboard of his car. “Looks like it’s only 3.”
“Thanks.” Audrey said genuinely. “How can I repay you?” Nathaniel shook his head in response.
“Just make sure you two make inside in one piece.” That wasn’t good enough. He had to get repaid for being a good Samaritan. Audrey opened her purse, and fumbled inside it until she pulled out a gift for Nathaniel. A turtle key chain.
His eyebrows raised in amusement, when Audrey handed it to him. “No, it’s okay.”
“No, your taking it.” Grabbing a hold of his hand, Audrey forced it into his palm before disappearing from the passengers seat.
2. June 17th 2006
“Guess what today is?” Handing a mug of coffee to Nathaniel, Audrey sat at the opposite side of the couch, before shifting to lay her legs on the cushions. He hummed while thinking about her question for a moment.
“I don’t know, Aud. Do you wanna tell me?” Nathaniel asked, his eyes not leaving the television screen. Annoyed, Audrey tapped his thigh with her brightly coloured toes.
“Your no fun, and Look at me. I hate when you do that.” She pouted, as Nathaniel threw her a puppy dog look. That wouldn’t work on her today. When he realized that, he took a hold of her ankle and pulled her towards him. Shrieking, Audrey placed her mug on the table, avoiding it from falling onto their new couches. She remodelled his apartment once she moved in, and refused to put ‘going to the cleaners’ on her to do list. They were already having money problems. Audrey settled in his lap, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Guess.”
“Audrey, I don’t know.” Nathaniel admitted.
“It’s the two year anniversary of us meeting.” She frowned, tilting her head backwards to look at Nathaniel.
He shifted uncomfortably, “Don’t do that you can see up my nose, and yes I remember. Ah, how I loved washing that puke out of your hair.” He responded with dry humour.
Audrey chuckled, “I have something for you.”
“Aud, don’t. It’s unnecessary, and you didn’t get me a present last year.”
“We weren’t serious. You have to admit, it would have been weird.” Nate shrugged in agreement.
“What? Are you one of those type of girls who gets a present for every anniversary. Like for the day we had our first kissed, had sex, moved in, said I love you. Man, because if you are, I‘m going to have to kick you out onto the streets.” He teased.
Audrey half-heartedly glared at him, playfully slapping his forearm. “I’m not, but still I thought you deserved something, but if you want to be a dick, then I wouldn’t give it to you.”
“No-no, I was just joking, Aud. What is it?”
Audrey pushed herself off of Nate, and disappeared into their bedroom. After a moment, she walked back into the living room, holding a red rectangle box. “Come here, babe. Thank you.” He smiled, reaching his arms around towards her, setting into his lap. She handed him the box.
“It’s nothing big.” She shrugged, while he ripped the wrapping paper, and saw through the plastic.
“A gold tie. Audrey you got me a gold tie.” Sounding less then impressed, he complained. “What am I going to do with this? It’s incredibly tacky.”
“I thought you could wear it to Lucas’ wedding, but I guess not. It’s not that terrible.” She frowned.
“How much did you pay for this? 1, no 3 dollars? We may have financial problems, but I’m sure you could have picked up a decent tie.”
That comment landed Nathaniel several nights spent alone on the couch. Needless to say, he wore that god awful tie to the wedding.
3. October 19thst 2006
“What is this?” An amused Nate questioned, turning the package in hands. Raising it to his ear, he gave it a shake. Audrey cursed loudly, placing her hand on the box preventing him to hear what jiggled inside.
“You promised your wouldn’t shake it!” Audrey cried, with a large grin on her lips.
“It’s not fragile, is it? And besides I didn’t hear anything.” He reassured her, momentarily resting his head on her shoulder. Dallas, Leon, and several other guests shook their heads in response to his question, amused as he was, they promised not the give away the secret of his gift. “Babe, can I open it now? I’ve been in suspense for almost an hour now.”
“I guess you can.” Audrey finally agreed, staring at his expression as he opened the box. It was no wonder he didn’t hear anything, it was jam-packed with tissues, but once he shifted his hands around in the box he heard a familiar clang. His eyes lit up, while his smile increased once he realised what was inside. He pulled out a key ring with a BMW key starter.
“Your fuckin’ kidding me.” The surrounding crowd either began clapping loudly while laughing, or shook their heads, smiling widely. Audrey was one of the latter. Nate’s arms curled around her waist as he pulled her closer to his chest. Showering her cheeks and forehead with small kisses. “I fuckin’ love you, Audrey.” He announced.
“It’s outside, Mr. I‘ve-never-had-a-new-car-before.” Audrey grinned, raising to her feet, while pulling Nate up with her. She was lucky enough to take a step backwards before Nathaniel’s buddies threw themselves onto him. Shaking her head in amusement, she decided that she was never going to live this down, his next present to her would have to be ten times better then this.
And it was. Later that week, Nathaniel lowered himself onto one knee, a much much smaller velvet box held in his hands.
4. November 15th 2007
Audrey wrinkled her face in concentration, as she attempted to perfectly fold the corners of wrapping paper around a small box. It was more difficult then she originally thought. Often times, when she folded it over, the blank back would be visible, and then it would just look tacky. Cursing under her breath, she folded it once more. 8th time’s the charm.
The argument’s between the couple were becoming more frequent as their wedding day approached. Nate was also beginning to spend more time at Dallas’ and less time at home. This present was her plead for forgiveness. Unfortunately, she couldn’t give it to him because she had to go to Radio City, so him stumbling across the present when he came home from work would suffice.
5. January 5th 2008
Using the windowsill to keep herself standing upright, Audrey slowly twisted the blinds to Nathaniel’s room window open. “There… that’s much better, isn’t it?” An orangey glow filled every corner of the grey, chilly box of a room. Using every strength in her body, she painfully shifted her feet forward until she could lower herself into the chair by his bed. Wires that monitored his heartbeat were attached to his chest, while a mask covered Nathaniel’s mouth and nose, gaving him the oxygen he desperately needed.
Every movement pained the young dancer, but she needed to be here, she needed to see he was okay. Appearance wise, he looked far from okay. He didn’t even resembled the man she fell in love with. His left eye was swollen to an alarming size, a bandage wrapped tightly around his head. “Oh, God. Nathaniel, I’m so sorry.” She sobbed, gingerly lacing her fingers in between his. Having absolutely no energy, Audrey lowered her head onto the bed. She absentmindedly gazed at their intertwined hands. Mesmerized by the prefect design of a ring that previously belonged to her mother. Audrey twisted it off her thumb, carefully lowering it down Nathaniel’s middle finger. It wasn’t too tight; in fact, it fit almost perfectly. “It looks way better on you then it ever looked on me.” She chuckled before quickly regretting it. Pausing, she tried to recover from the throbbing pain in her chest. “You know, you can keep it. I‘ve never liked it anyways.”
ONE you never delivered
1. October 19th 2008
The bouquet of roses were beautiful, freshly cut, expensive apparently worth every penny, yet Audrey didn’t think they were enough. It felt almost meaningless, too clique for her liking. Nate was always against unrealistic ‘fairytale’, gestures, and hands down he’d classifiy this as one. Placing her chin on the steering wheel of her car, Audrey wrinkled her face in frustration. Today, October 19th, was his birthday. If he were still alive, he’d be 28. Not only would they be celebrating this day, they’d be married. Audrey would’ve been a Brookes. She wouldn’t be stalling in her car, parked on the side of the road, across from a nearly empty graveyard.
Nate deserved a better present, something that complimented his personality, not something that would eventually dry out and loose it’s beauty. Heck, he didn’t even like flowers. Impatiently, she tapped her thumb on the wheel, before sighing loudly. Gazing at the bouquet made her heart ache. In all honestly, she’d been parked at the very spot countless times before, yet she couldn’t build the courage to leave the car and visit his grave. She thought about him a lot, everyday actually, but would speaking to a headstone really be satisfying? She didn’t give herself much of a chance to find out. Adjusting the clutch until it was in third gear, Audrey speed off. The bouquet tossed out on the side of the road.
Muse: Audrey Graham
Fandom: Original Character
Word Count: 2,027