Chapter 19 Sarah and Bri arrived back at the apartment at eight.  Sam had finished her unpacking and rearranging. She was busy setting up her computer. "Did you two have fun?" She asked, coming out of her room. "It wasn't for JC, it was for us," Sarah told her. "A.J planned it for us and got all the guys to help. But yeah it was okay." "When did JC leave?" Sarah and Bri both flushed, looking slightly guilty. "Ummm.... I'm not sure,"  Sara lied. "Around four, I think, Why I don't know." "He needed to think, he told us," Bri put in.  Before she and Sarah left, they'd gotten everyone to agree not to tell Sam about Sarah's outburst. "I figure, since it's his birthday, he wanted to put his thoughts in order." "He came by around five. Said he needed advice." "About what?" Sarah asked. "I'm not sure. He asked me a few questions, then when he started to tell me his problem, I stopped him, telling him I shouldn't be the one to help him." Sam laughed, but it wasn't a true laugh, or even a fake one.  It was filled with such a bleak despair, it sounded more like a sob or cry.  "I told him I wouldn't be the ideal person to ask for help, seeing how terrible my love life is." Sam sighed and stood up.  "i'm going to bed. Night," she called walking down the hall to her room. "Goodnight," Sarah and Bri called, watching her walk away worried.  Sam never went to bed earlier than ten.  Usually it wasn't until midnight, or later that she went to bed. "I hope he gets his head out of his ass soon," Bri said, worry evident in her voice. "He better."  Sarah stared down the hall, vowing that if JC didn't, she'd pull it out for him.                                   ~~~~~~~~ Chris stared at the wall for a minute, then looked at the ring.  He took a deep breathe, then glanced at the clock.  Only nine thirty.  He should do it now, while he still had the nerve. Sarah's outburst had made him realize he was wasting time.     Chris took another deep breath, letting it out slowly.  He walked to the door, pulled it open and walked out.  He stopped in front of the girl's door, raised his hand to knock, and took another deep breath.  He tapped softly on the door. "No answer, so he knocked a little louder. Still no answer. Chris pounded on the door. "Sarah, open the door, or Sam or Bri.  I know all of you are home,"  he called through the door. "Go away, Chris," he heard Sarah say. "Sam and Bri are trying to sleep, and I had just laid down." "Open this damn door, Sarah." "No!" Sarah shouted. "Fine, I'll do this right here, in front of your door, and yelling Everyone's going to hear."  Chris took a deep breath, then shouted," Will  you marry me?" A.J stood in his doorway, laughing at him. "Great way to propose, man." "Shut up, A.J, Sarah, did you hear me?" Sarah, standing in the hallway, a few feet from her door, stared at the front door, her mouth agape, in total shock. "Well?" Chris yelled.  "I'm waiting." That snapped Sarah out of her shock. "Wait all you want.  You aren't getting an answer right now." She turned around and walked into her room, slamming the door. Chris stared at the door.  A.J was laughing at him. "Like I said, Man, great way to propose." "Go to hell, A.J."  Chris pounded on the door. "Someone let me in."                                     ~~~~~~ "Are you going to tell him yes?" Sam asked softly tapping on Sarah's door. "You can come in," Sarah said. When Sam walked in, Sarah looked at her, " You already know the answer to your question. I'm just going to make him suffer a little." "When are you going to tell him?" Bri asked, coming in the room. "When he proposes properly." Sarah and Bri laughed. "Then I'm going to tell him to go away," Sam said. "He's getting annoying." Chris was still pounding on the door. "Good Luck," Bri told her. "I don't want to see him right now," Sarah began. "Why? He just proposed," Sam commented. "Granted, it wasn't the most romantic proposal, but still it was a proposal." "I don't want to!" Sam walked out of the room  and down the hallway laughing.  She walked up to the door and said, "Chris, go away. Sarah's in shock and needs to think." "Do you think she'll say yes?" "Chris, if you love her, you should know the answer to that question." "Okay, I suppose. I know what she'll say.  Tell her I'll be over at eleven for my answer." "Ummm, I don't think she's going to like the way that sounds." "Fine. I'll rephrase it.  Tell her I'll be over at eleven, to ask her again and hopefully get my answer." Sam was struggling to hold back her laughter. She could hear A.J laughing and that wasn't helping her restraint.  "Okay, I'll tell her." "Thank you." Chris sounded like a long - suffering man and that was the final straw.  Sam slumped against the door, laughing harder than she had in months. "Glad to know you think it's funny."  Chris snapped, stomping away, heading for his apartment.     After a few minutes, Sam stopped laughing and went to relay Chris's message to Sarah, then went back to her room.                                     ~~~~~~     JC walked in the apartment he shared with Joey at ten.  Joey was watching a movie. "Joey, did you find out what Sarah's outburst was about?" "Yep. They told after you left. But I promised not to tell you." "Was I the only person who didn't know what it was about?" "Well, I didn't know at first. But now you're the only one who doesn't know."   "Do I want to know?" "You might."  Joey looked at JC, who was sitting on a chair.  "Yes, I think you want to. No, you need to.  But, you won't realize the cause behind it until you pull your head out of your ass."  Joey turned off the TV and got up, heading for his room.  "And JC, dude, you need to do it soon.  Other wise it'll be too late, and Sarah and Bri will pull it out for you." "And that'll be bad?" JC called. "Seeing what that outburst was caused by, it could prove terrible." The closing of a door followed his words; JC stared at Joey's door, pondering his words, the meaning behind them, and wondering why he felt such a strong, undescribable feeling when Joey told him that having Sarah and Bri pull his head out of hisas would prove terrible.                                    ~~~~~~~ "Yes?" Sarah asked, opening the door.  It was eleven; Chris was at the door. "May I help you?" "Yes, you can. Let me in." "I don't know. I'm still kind of mad at you." Chris sighed. "May I please come in? I have a question I need to ask you." "I suppose," Sarah said, in that tone of a woman who didn't want to but didn't have the energy to argue.  She held the door open, allowing Chris to walk in.  They stood in the hallway, looking at eachother.  The door swung shut.     Chris stared deep into Sarah's eyes, then slowly sunk to his kneww. He picked up Sarah's left hadn, and pulled the ring out of his pocket. "I love you, Sarah.  Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"  Chris looked up at her, his brown eyes filled with love.  Sarah stared at him for a minute, before softly whispering, "Yes." Chris slipped the ring on her finger and stood up, pulling her close for a deep kiss.  Locked in each other's arms, they slowly moved to Sarah's bedroom. "Where are the others?" Chris whispered against her mouth. "Sam's working out, and Bri went to visit Lance."  Sarah closed the door behind her, then wrapped her arms around Chris, her hands sinking into his hair.  Chris kissed her once again, then began raining kisses on her face, and neck as his  hands worked at the buttons on her shirt.  He eased the silky material from her shoulders; it fell to the floor unnoticed in the passion of the moment.