Rene Ford

 "Rumble!!!"

"Boom!!"

"Crash!!"

Picking up his pace, Rene Ford ran, clutching the bouquet in his grip and the jewelry box in the other, while the rain pounded around him like a waterfall. 

The streets of the campus were deserted and he was the only one on the patch of dark road, the sound of thunder reverberating through the air and lightning crackling above him. 

He ran with all his might, ignoring the flower petals that scattered onto the sidewalk, and kept going as fast as he could. His lungs burned as his heart pumped blood into his veins at a fast rate but his legs didn't even quiver. 

"This is bad!! This is bad!!" He kept repeating under his breath, the words turning into a mantra.  

He wasn't sure if it helped to calm himself or not. But he had no time for hesitation now. Tonight was the night he planned to risk it all and nothing was going to stop him.

Finally, he busted threw the double doors leading inside, slamming them shut behind him and taking out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. 

The hall was empty and a sigh of relief escaped his lips, as he slumped against the wall to get his breathing back to normal.

Pulling away from the wall, Rene's footsteps echoed in the empty corridors of Layla's dormitory. 

His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nerves as he finally reached her door, pausing to look down at the sorry state of the flowers. 

The petals were wilted, and some had fallen off completely. He sighed but steeled himself. It wasn't about the flowers... it was about the love they represented.

'I am going to tell Layla today and then inform my family about her.' He thought as he raised his hand to knock on the door. 'I'm gonna do this!'

"Don't stop! Please, Jason! I am not ready to come yet!" A muffled woman's voice suddenly reached his ear with a loud moaning following after, and Rene felt an involuntary shudder crawl its way through him.

'That sounds so familiar....' he thought, but he shook his head, laughing faintly, 'It can't be.'

"Aha! Jason!!"  The woman cried again, and Rene felt himself tense up, biting his lower lip to stop himself from shouting. 'Oh my... That voice.... oh shit!'

"Layla?!?" He called softly, feeling his heart jump into his throat. "Are you in there?!"

The room immediately went quiet, and Rene's nerves started to eat their way out of his body as silence reigned in. Suddenly, something hit the door hard, followed by a muffled thud, which made Rene flinch.

Immediately, he reached for his phone and dialed a number, pressing the phone to his right ear, his left shoulder still leaning against the wall as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

The sound of Layla's ringtone echoed in the hallway like a gunshot in his ears. Rene held his breath, his heart pounding madly in his chest while sweat gathered across his brows and his palms turned clammy with nervousness.

"Layla!! Who are you in there with? Did Jessica bring home a partner?!" Rene said when the call went to voicemail his breath caught in his throat. "Layla! Answer me dammit!" He shouted but it came out more as a whisper. 

His entire body tensed up when he realized it. 'She's probably not going to answer.'

Suddenly, his frustration reached its limit and he slammed his fist  against the door, his voice coming out in almost a shout, "Answer me, damnit!" 

Afterward, it went quiet and then the doorknob turned, making him hold his breath.

The door creaked open, and when it pulled open, Layla stood in the doorway, wearing a robe, sweat glistening on her skin and hair damp as she looked at Rene with dead eyes.

Immediately, he grabbed her by the shoulders and asked with concern dripping in his every word, "Layla... Are you okay?"

But she suddenly shoved him, causing Rene to lose his balance slightly, and as he tried to get a grip on his feet, she raised her hand and slammed it against his face with a resounding slap.

Her expression remained blank though, no trace of emotion evident on her face as Rene stumbled backward, losing his grip on the bouquet, and the flower fell from his hands, scattering in front of him.

"What do you think, Theo Harrison?!" She spat as she stepped out of the room. 

'This is my girlfriend, right?' Rene thought as he stared wide-eyed at her. 'I don't know her to have a twin... Am I dreaming?... It's not April first... right? It's July first... So this can't be a prank... This is the woman I am about to propose to, right?"