The World You Never Expected

Shawn: Part 2

Shawn felt his eyes slowly, finally open, after what felt like years in an endless world of black and glittering gold-blue lights. He found himself laying flat on his back, on a familiar sofa, in a room with familiarly painted walls. And he saw sitting next to him, nose in a book and a box of tissues resting on her lap, a very familiar looking girl.

"Ngh..." he muttered, so softly it was barely audible. Sarah took off her glasses and glanced over at him, doubtful, but still faintly hopeful.  He saw her for the first time in an eternity, her glittering green eyes sparkling with gold. It was like the evening Sun, when it shone bright hues of yellows and orange onto a grassy meadow. Her eyes, those lovely eyes, were like an escape from the world, just one glance into them made everything better. And as she looked into his eyes, she smiled.

"SHAWN!" she screamed, and she leaped off of her chair and collapsed on top of him, giving him the biggest hug ever. He held her there, right next to him. He laughed and kept back a grimace of pain coming from his back.

"Hello there," he said, and a tear rolled down his cheek. I thought I would never see her again...

"You-you're alright!" she said. He smiled and looked himself over.

"Yeah, looks it. How long have I been unconscious for?" he asked. She quickly said the words, like she'd been keeping track for ages.

"Three weeks, two days, five hours," she said. He laughed.

"How long exactly?" he joked. And she laughed, that sparkling laugh that could stop the world for a second.

"I'm so happy you're alright," she said. He leaned in and kissed her.

"Me too, Sarah." He paused for a moment, and in silence they sat for but a moment. "So, what exactly happened to me? I remember bits and pieces, like us driving somewhere, but..."

"That's about where you lost consciousness," she said.

"After that, I took you to Emily's old house, they had some supplies I needed for the ritual in their basement. I figured that would be a good place to set up. It was quite sweet, actually, Nate ended up walking in, and he sat there watching the whole time. I began to cast the spell..."

"But it wasn't working, was it?" Shawn asked.

"How'd you know?" Sarah asked. He laughed.

"That's always how it happens in the movies," he replied. She smiled and kept talking.

"I thought back, it was quite ironic, actually, my dad did research on a cure for Spellscars. And I tried to remember, being in his research lab the day he... Anyways, the memory that kept playing in my head was when he said his last words. 'Jackie Gall...' Then it clicked- in Botany, we learned about a flower. It was called the Jackie Gall Geranium. So, I teleported Nate to the store, and told him to grab the biggest bundle of Jackie Gall Geraniums he could find. And when he came back, I added them to the ritual. Then the room kind of lit up, and the Spellscar stopped spreading. I wasn't sure if it had worked, so I took you back here. And I set you up on the sofa... and waited."

"And now I guess I'm all caught up, huh?" he said. She nodded, crying a little. And he kissed her.

"I've just.. I've missed you so much..." she muttered softly to herself. He hugged her a little tighter.

"All I could see was black, and a little gold here and there. Whenever I saw the gold flicker by, I thought of you. I thought I would be there forever, sightless and alone. I thought I would never see you again..." he said. "And that's why I'm taking you out to dinner tonight, at my place." She looked up at him, happy.

"That would be great."

***

"Sarah, are you ready?" he asked, knocking on the bathroom door.  He heard a sigh from inside.

"Almost!  I want to look nice now that I know you own the fanciest restaurant in town!" she said back.  He sighed, and twiddled the object in his pocket, a smile on his face.  Suddenly, the door swung open, and out walked Sarah, struggling with one of her earrings.   She walked out wearing a long flowy red dress, hair pinned back by what appeared to be a matching set of rose hairclips and earrings.  Her lips were deep red.

"What do you think?" she asked.  His mouth hung open in awe.

"Damn, that's what I think!  You look flawless, and I thought I was dressed up all fancy!"  He flattened out his tuxedo.  She laughed, and leaned in to rub his eye. 

"Is it alright?" she asked.  He squeezed it shut.

"Yeah, it's just- it's gonna be weird, to walk outside with it.  People are going to ask what happened."  Sarah sighed.

"It's no big deal, if you ask me, it looks kinda cool."

"I'm assuming the fact that one of my eyes now being bright gold is a side affect of the Spellscar?" he said.  Sarah nodded.  "Well, alright then.  I'll live with it, heck, I'm just happy I'm able to live!  Anyways," he held his arm out to escort her.  "Let's head out!"

***

"The usual, I assume?" Yasmine asked.  Shawn shook his head.

"Actually, if you don't mind, tonight I'm treating me and the lady to the fondue platter," he said.  Yasmine smiled happily.

"Right fine, Mr. Sewman!  We'll get right on it.  For now, I'll bring you some cider."  She walked off.  Then she turned behind her.  "And I'm sorry about your eye infection, but I'm glad you're better.  We really missed you around here!" she said, before ducking into the kitchen.

"You hired some really nice folks to work here," Sarah said before tucking her napkin into her lap.  Shawn smiled.

"Yeah, nice people are all around tonight huh?  The valet parker, the waiters, course you're the best one around," Shawn said.  Sarah giggled a little and smiled.  Shawn sighed.

"Look, Sarah, I'm just going to up and say it.  You are the most beautiful, smartest, amazing, flawlessly perfect girl I think I've ever met.  Everyday I see you next to me and I realize I am the luckiest person in the world to just be privileged enough to stand next to you, let alone call you my girlfriend.  Every single day is worth living because of you, you deserve the world.  And those three weeks I spent, alone and thinking I was dead, there was only one regret I had in my life.  It wasn't not going to college, it wasn't not saying good-bye to my parents or not travelling the world.  It was the fact that I never would have gotten to tell you how much I love you.  Sarah, you are my world, and just seeing you breath is the only thing that kept me living when you were in the hospital for three years.  Since the day in Junior year, when I first saw you, I can't think of anything else.  I have loved you for three years, and I will love you forever.  And I now realize that my only wish..."

He got up from his seat at their table and reached down deep into his pocket, only to pull out a small gold ring with sparkling silver stones embedded into it.  He got down on one knee in front of Sarah.

"Is to be able to call you my wife.  Sarah Littlier, will you make me the luckiest man alive, and marry me?"