Chapter 5: Chapter 5

He moves toward the desk. I still haven't looked up. "So, what can I do to help? Earrings or a necklace with diamonds?" He asks.

"No. My girlfriend and I are here to pick out an engagement ring for her. Says Mark. He is too good at making things up. I sometimes think it's real when I'm with him. Only a small amount. Not much at all.

I see the face I know so well when I look up. "Richie?" I ask.

"Well, then, if it isn't Savi." He says. Richie's real name is Nick, but I just call him Richie. You might not understand. Richie was like a guide for me when I was in high school.

When I was a freshman, Richie and I were paired up. He told me how to talk to the teachers and showed me where my classes were. So, in a way, he was like an angel watching over me.

You probably still don't understand why I call him one thing and he calls me another. Well, I don't remember much about what happened, but I do remember that he once asked me for my middle name and street name. I don't remember why I told him where my name came from, but I did. I'm just not sure where.

Since my middle name is Savi and his middle name is Richard, we kept calling each other by those names all year and stayed friends until he graduated that year.

Mark didn't know who the man in front of us was, why he was calling me Savi, or how we knew each other. "Uh. I think this is Nick or Richie, Mark. Nick, this is my boyfriend, Mark." I say .

"Nice to meet you." Richie Says.

"Yeah you too." Mark did what he could to be nice. He was probably trying to sound jealous.

"How are you doing?" I ask. The ring hasn't been mentioned yet.

"Good. I went to work in retail after I got my degree. I now work here." Richie pointed in the direction of the store where he is right now. "You're getting married?"

"Yep. I know, it's strange, right? I say hiding my blush. Mark looks at me in an odd way and seems to be in a hurry.

"So Yanna see anything you like?" Mark asks. Back to the reason we came here in the first place.

"Uh. I'm not sure. Richie, do you have anything old?" I ask because I want a good answer.

"I'll go look again." He says.

Mark looks at me as he walks away. "Have you gone out together?"

I look at him in a strange way. "What?"

"Have you been together?" He asks again, but this time he sounds like he doesn't care.

"No. We haven't. Before my freshman year, when I met Maya, he was just a good friend. Maya knows it's not true when it comes to her." I say.

Richie will be back by then. Mark didn't have time to ask Maya or tell her to stop. "So I looked in the back and saw a lot of rings." Says Richie.

I don't have to look at any more rings because I've already found the one I want. I picked it up. Richie takes away the tray when he sees me looking at him. I've made up my mind.

I'm not good at describing things, especially girly things, but let's just say it's rose gold with small diamonds on the band and a big iridescent diamond in the middle. At least, that's how I would describe it.

"It's beautiful." I say aw struck.

"Try it out." Mark encourages.

I do what he says, and everything goes well. I'm glad it works. It's hard to make an old ring fit better. It's possible, but hard to do.

"Is that your ring?" Mark asks.

"Uh... how much does it cost?" I don't want to say yes and then find out that the ring costs S30,000.

"Let me squeeze it." He goes somewhere, does something, and then comes back with a small piece of paper. "Here." He gives it to Mark.

"Makes sense." I take the paper in my hand. "Nope. Since you picked it, you should let me pay for it." Mark says as he rips the paper into pieces and puts them in his pocket.

"Fine." I want to sound crazy, but I can't. This ring is really nice. I've never liked something so girly as much as I do now. This ring fits me perfectly. It's strange and loud. When I was a baby, people said that about me. I was loud because I never stopped crying, and I looked strange because I could walk on my own when I was only 6 months old.

Mark gives Richie his card and pays. "Well, I hope you like the ring and that you'll invite me to the wedding."

"We'll do that, of course. Thanks Richie." I say. I want to hug him, but at the same time I don't want to lean on the counter. We don't end up hugging.

When we were not too far away, I turned to look at my ring. "You ok?" Mark asks.

"Yes. I know this isn't real, but it still makes me happy." I say.

Until we get to the car, we don't talk much. "So, what shape should my ring be?" Mark asks.

I'm a little surprised. And laughing a bit. "What?" I ask with a smile.

"You heard me." He says it with a little laugh and a smile.

"Hm. A rose gold ring with a silver center could be made. I suggest. I can't believe that was my idea. I guess all the wedding stuff is starting to stress me out.

"I like it." He says. "Where do you want to go to eat?"

"When are you next getting together?" I ask avoiding his question.

"Five, where do you want to eat?"

"I have no idea which one you'll pick." I say.

She said, "Neither do I." He says.

"You pick."

“Yes."

"No!"

"No!"

"Yes!" he says.

"Ha. You must decide." I say and smirk.

"Fine. I know of a decent restaurant that isn't too far away." Mark says as we turn left.

I see a small diner. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was close when you said it."

"Nope, I wasn't." He smirks.