Cal's Character contest.
this is the link: http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic33572.html
#3 Word: 32: question Picture: 16
****
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked Wesley nervously. Even after two years of dating, I still wasn’t used to his kind of originality. Anything he could do that would be different he went for. Anything he could do that would be new, unexplored, adventurous. But holding produce in front of our faces for the Christmas card picture? That just seemed weird.
“Of course! Do I ever have bad ideas?” he asked arrogantly.
I remembered the time he tried to have a diet of only cupcakes. He claimed it would obviously make him a cheerier person; cake was the ultimate happy food, after all. He ended up eating cupcakes for three days and spending the third night throwing up and falling asleep on the bathroom floor.
I rolled my eyes at him.
“Oh, come on, Annie. This isn’t like those times.” He must have realized that I was thinking of his many bad ideas. “This is just harmless fun.” He grinned impishly at me.
I smirked back. Wesley was impossible. I looked down as I fiddled with my red beaded bracelet. I was so much more self-conscious than him. I got embarrassed so easily. I didn’t know why he would stay with me. I only held him back. My eyes watered up, and I was thankful my face was going to be covered in the picture.
He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. He kissed the tip of my nose. “I love you,” his voice lost all it’s arrogance. I smiled weakly.
“Oh, come on. This isn’t that bad of an idea, is it?” His eyebrows met together in the middle, worried. I instantly felt bad. I didn't want to make him upset.
That pulled me out of my slump. I smiled back at him, this time meaning it. I was lucky he loved me, and I shouldn’t worry about why. “I love you too.” I reached up and kissed him lightly before the photographer came into the room.
“Ok, I’m ready for you now.” He held the curtain away from the door, leaving it open for us to walk through. Wesley jumped up, excited once again and bounded into the room. My smile grew even wider. He was so freakin’ adorable! Almost like a little kid in his maturity. Or maybe lack there of.
I followed him into the room. I dutifully held my leaves of lettuce in front of my face while the photographer took the pictures. At first they were just straight on, but then in the classic Wesley fashion, he got bored. He started posing in odd ways, he kissed me behind my lettuce, he posed as a macho cabbage man. He even did a stare-down with the head of cabbage. I just kept laughing at him.
If there was one thing that boy could do better than anyone else, it was entertaining people. By the time we were done, the photographer was in stitches. He shook Wesley’s hand and winked at me as we left.
“Anyone else up for a salad?” he asked once we were in his Gremlin. I rolled my eyes. I stared at his face for a minute. I wondered how he didn't get bored of me, but I was so glad he hadn't. I couldn’t live without him.
“I know I feel like cupcakes,” I giggled.
“Ugh! Don’t remind me. Please.” He grimaced. “But a brownie might hit the spot right about now…”
Of course it would.
***
About three weeks later, and four days before Christmas, I got a call from my mom.
"Hey, Annie. How are things?" Her voice was stiff. I knew something was wrong.
"Fine, fine. I'm just setting up the tree right now actually. How are you and Dad?" I held the phone between my shoulder and ear as I fixed and fiddled with the ornaments on the tree.
"We're good. We just got your Christmas card," her voice turned sour, and I felt dread creep down my spine.
"What? Was it stupid? I told Wesle-"
"So it was Wesley's idea, then? Yes, I thought so. You know what your father thinks of that boy. It was a good thing I got the mail before he did, or he might've very well had a heart attack! What were you thinking sending something so vulgar as a Christmas card?" she shrieked at me.
"Vulgar? I hardly think lettuce in front of my face is vulgar," I answered hotly. I wasn't going to let anyone talk about my Wesley like that. It was just a silly little picture.
"You don't think having a man you're not even married to, holding up two heads of cabbage in front of your... chest isn't vulgar?"
"What are you talking about?! We didn't send that picture!" I felt my face get firey red. I needed to sit down.
"Oh, yes, you did! How many people did you send it to? I sure hope not your grandma. Oh, and Henry and the kids..." she kept muttering about who I sent it to, and how horrible this was.
Like I didn't know!
"Look, Mom, I have to go. I'll talk to you later. I apologize that we sent you that picutre, but I assure you, it wasn't on purpose."
"Yes, yes. Fine. Bye, honey."
"Bye." I hung up, and dialed Wesley's phone number immediately.
"Do you know what picture was on our Christmas card?" I prectically yelled.
"Um... the one with lettuce and cabbage?" he guessed, half laughing.
"Stoppit! We sent the one when you held the figgin' cabbage in front of my boobs! To my parents!"
He started cracking up. That just got me more pissed off.
"Stoppit! Stop laughing!"
"Annie, baby, you really don't think that's funny?"
"NO! I think it's horrible! And vulgar! And embarrassing!" I took a couple calming breaths. Then I remembered something else. "I sent that to my Nana!"
"Baby, it's not that bad. Really. It's just a joke."
"Did you do that on purpose? Please tell me you didn't! Please, please, please!"
He hesitated before answering, "Well, it was my favorite one..."
"Oh!" I shrieked. I didn't know what else to do, so I just hung up. I was so furious! This was just like the time on Seinfeld when Elaine sent the Christmas card with her nipple showing. Only her boyfriend didn't do it on purpose!
I paced the house for a little while, and finally stomped into my room and picked up a book to read until Wes got home. Finally, he came in when I was almost asleep.
He gently came over to my side of the bed, and knelt down next to me. "Annie? Baby?"
I grumbled.
"Annie, wake up for a minute, please?"
"Mmmm," I groaned, but my eyes fluttered open. I glared groggily at him. "What do you want?"
He grinned, and pulled out a boquet of flowers from behind his back. It was beautiful! It had every color you could imagine, and they all worked together to make the prettiest set of flowers I'd ever seen.
I gasped, "They're beautiful."
"I just wanted to say I was sorry, and I didn't know if you would listen unless I distracted you first, hence the pretty colors." He laughed, and so did I. "I love you," he continued. "Please don't be mad. I was only trying to be funny, but from now on, no more of that kind of funny in front of your Nana." He put his hand over his heart. "Promise."
I sat up in bed, and held the flowers to my face. I sniffed them a couple times before answering. "Ok, fine. You're forgiven. But no more of that kind of stuff."
"Mhm. I promise," he nodded, and leaned in to kiss me once, sweetly.
I watched him cross the room to his closet and get his pajamas. I even watched him get changed, while still clutching tight to my flowers. He came over, and climbed into bed next to me.
"You know what the best part of making up after a fight is?" he asked softly, rolling over and getting really close to me. He took the flowers away, and put them on the table next to the bed before rolling back and pulling me close.
"I'm not sure. What is it?" I asked, playing along.
And then he kissed me. Not the sweet kind, but the urgent hungry kind that just knocks my socks off.
And that was probably the longest I've ever stayed mad at him.
. I thought it was cute. It just needs a bit more characterization, as this is, after all, a character contest (I myself am pulling out).
