Everyone breathed easier.
At the first sign of spring, when every young man’s fancy should have been turning to thoughts of love, the young men enrolled in Brickeram’s Collegiate Academy were so bitterly embroiled in the business of year end exams they didn’t have time to dream about love- let alone ponder it.
All of them that is, accept Marky Mailor.
Marky had long ago given up any hopes his mother may have ever had that he would be accepted into a suitable college and thus spent the time all the other lads were knee-deep in numbers and charts staring out the window hoping against all hope to catch a glimpse of the object of his year long obsession, a Miss Eileen Simpson, better known about campus as the Independent Study Coach.
Marky had made no secret of his desire to pursue Miss Simpson as a love interest the moment he was dropped from the Colligiate’s roster, and thus this fine spring morning whilst the collective school body was breathing somewhat easier because they had received promising grades on their exams, Marky was nothing, if not exuberant in his own epic failure.
Proud as punch, and armed with his sorely failed exam, he headed immediately to the office of Independent Studies to inform the ever lovely Miss Simpson of his burgeoning intentions.
“Is Miss Simpson in?” he asked the clerk at the counter gaily.
“She is. To anyone but you.” The clerk answered shortly, and extended to him a small square of folded notebook paper.
Opening the paper cautiously he saw it was written in what he knew to be his beloved Miss Simpson’s own hand.
Mr. Mailor,
It had been my hope that seeing the engagement ring I have been wearing for upward of three weeks would have put an end to your exasperating pursuit, possibly even redirected your efforts toward at least trying to pass your exit exams.
Sadly, I found out just this morning this has not been the case.
I have petitioned the Dean of Studies to allow you to retake your exit exams citing special circumstances.
Best of luck to you in all future endeavors.
Respectfully yours,
Miss E. Simpson
Not one to be easily dissuaded, Marky asked the clerk for the momentary use of her pen, scribbled a quick, “So, is that a no, then?” on the reverse of Miss Simpson’s note, and handed it back to the smirking clerk.
It wasn’t until the door slammed tightly behind him that the gravity of Miss Simpson’s dismissal hit him like a baseball bat to the thorax- and he found himself momentarily unable to catch the breath- that had seemingly come, so without effort, just moments before..
This piece is a combination of the first line provided this week by Dylan Hughes First Line Friday’s on MLMM and the three phrasal prompts offered on this week’s OLWG #144. The first line was: Everyone breathed easier at the first signs of spring. And the phrasal prompts were as follows:
- is that a no, then?
- staring out the window
- numbers and charts
pheew, slave to his hormons poor chap
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And likely to pay dearly for it…
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definitely
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But he gets full marks for enthusiasm!
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That he does, Miss J. And thank you ever so much for the reposting….
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Really welcome, Violet…
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Ha, ha, ha… you got everything right on this one.
Wonderful, Thanks
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Well it’s about time wouldn’t you say? Thanks!
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Nah, you always get em right.
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Brilliant Violet. I feel for the young man.
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Thank you Sadje. I think he is still young enough to get over it and find a more suitable match..
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You’re so right! Always a pleasure to read your stories.
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I have a feeling he’ll make good. But it just might not be till he has the right woman behind him instead of in front of him so to speak… Thanks Sadje.
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You reminded me of one of my Beau’s… who I dissuaded with a ring that he thought another had given me…
I found out much later that he went back to another gal he had originally pursued before me and they actually got hitched. Obviously he and I were not meant to be a ‘couple’ 😉
Hopefully ‘Marky’ will get his act together. 😉
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They say there is someone for everyone. Even Marky…
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All hope dashed… but we all love a trier, don’t we?
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We do. A part of me wanted him to propose to the next girl he saw, but Marky didn’t want to go that route….
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Written with as much passion as Marky pursued Miss Simpson 🙂
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Thank you Crispina. Just a little story that needed telling…
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Yep, guessed that. 🙂
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You tell a good story, Violet!
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Thank you Eugenia…
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Most welcome, Violet.
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Wow – what a silly guy! Bet he still fails on the next go, sadly.
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Marky’s got a little to learn about love…
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