The Narrow Path Part 2: Day 2 of 5

The Narrow Path-Part 2 Copyright © 2019 Nicole Donoho This 5-Day blog series story is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in this story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.
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“Lexi? Lexi?”
 
The pounding on my bedroom door got louder. I sat up and realized I had fallen asleep on the floor. “Yeah?”
 
“Hey, are you ok?” Avery asked through the door.
 
“Yeah, why?” I yawned.
 
“Well, your door’s locked for one. Also, Mrs. McCallister asked me if I knew what all the yelling was about yesterday.”
 
I rolled my eyes. The nosey old woman downstairs. I unlocked the door and walked out. “It was nothing. I guess Xander and I were a little louder than I thought.”
 
Avery laughed. “You and Xander were yelling at each other? I guess there’s a first for everything.”
 
“Yeah, I guess.” I opened the cabinet next to the fridge. No cereal. No bread. I opened the fridge and pulled out the yogurt tub. The soured smell hit me as soon as the lid popped. I pulled out my phone and compared the date on the side of the tub. Three weeks old, lovely. I tossed the tub in the trash and opened the freezer. Cookie dough ice cream, the breakfast of college champions.
 
“Um…is everything alright?”
 
I nodded even though everything was not alright. I had rejected Xander’s proposal. Who knew where that put us? I scooped out another spoonful of ice cream and slowly licked it off the spoon.
 
Avery pulled up a chair and sat down at the table. “Lexi, you’re eating ice cream for breakfast.”
 
“Yeah, I need to go shopping.”
 
An image of Xander slamming the door crossed my mind and tears began to form. Stupid, stupid tears.
 
“What’s going on?”
 
“You wouldn’t get it, Avery.”
 
Avery laughed and sat down at the table. “Seriously? How many times have you found me eating ice cream at the table?”
 
“Quite a few.” I pushed the ice cream away and wiped my eyes. “I don’t know, Avery. I’m not even sure I know where to start.”
 
“What were you and Xander yelling about?”
 
I rolled my eyes. “He proposed.”
 
Avery blinked quickly. “What?”
 
“He proposed.”
 
“I heard that.” Avery scooped out some ice cream and put it in her mouth.
 
I wiped my eyes and stared at the ceiling. Tears continued to form until they blended together and blurred my vision.
 
“And?”
 
I glanced at Avery who waved the spoon as if trying to scoop out more details from me.
 
“And I told him that I didn’t think we were ready to do that.”
 
“Why!? You and Xander are like the perfect couple. Honestly, it makes me sick sometimes how perfect you are.”
 
“Believe me, we’re not perfect at all.”
 
“Well, you sure put up with more from each other than anyone else I know.” Avery raised her eyebrow. “I thought you guys were going to wait until after you graduated.”
 
“That was the plan.”
 
“Well, how did he propose?”
 
“He proposed he in the living room.”
 
“In our living room?” she asked with a mouth full of ice cream. “Like that one right there?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Hmm.” She scooped another spoonful of ice cream. “That doesn’t sound like him at all.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“Well, he’s usually over-the-top romantic. I would have expected him to do something romantic.” She stared at me, “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
 
“No!”
 
“Seriously, you can tell me if you are.”
               
“Why would you think that?”
 
“Well, it sounded like he was proposing out of an obligation. He’s a pretty simple guy. When he does something from the heart, he’s insanely romantic.”
 
“I think it has something to do with this book I’ve been reading.”
 
“That missionary one?”
 
“Yeah, I’ve been telling Xander that I don’t think we should have sex. Well, at least not until we’re married.”
 
Avery laughed. “Well, just be glad he proposed instead of getting it elsewhere.”
 
“Xander wouldn’t do that.”
 
Avery rolled her eyes. “Lexi, all guys do that.”
 
Avery’s phone rang. “It’s my sister.” She swiped the phone and put the ice cream back in the freezer. “Hello? Yeah, I’ll be right down.” She hung up. “Do you want to come shopping with us?”
 
“Not really.”
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