The Ditch and Clean

“Why do you always have to make a mess out of everything?!” Lauren yelled at Nixon. “Everything was just half cleaned and it’s destroyed again, I would like to be out of this place by 11pm, not next morning thank you very much!” “Oh I’m sorry, I was trying to find what you yelled at me to find.” Nixon snapped back. 

Lauren was frustrated because the party host who said they’d help clean up the party area left with the rest of the guests. Leaving her and Nixon to clean up the area before different people arrived the next morning. 

Nixon was unsure about everything, he was tired but didn’t want to stress Lauren any more than she already was. Even though he didn’t want to he still had by messing up what was already cleaned looking for something small. He felt terrible and was looking at the ground like a guilty dog. He felt like a guilty dog. 

After a few minutes of silence Nixon chose his words carefully hoping not to make Lauren burst. “..Do you want me to move and stay out of your way..?” He said softly, still looking at the ground. 

Lauren was pushing stuff around angrily into place. When she heard Nixon speak that way she looked up at him and her expression softened. “..No, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” she said making her way towards him. She wrapped him in a hug, she was acting like it was solely for him, but she was the one who needed one in the first place. 

They stayed in their hug in silence for a few minutes and Lauren buried her face into Nixon and started quietly crying. Nixon started sliding to the floor with Lauren in his arms until they were both sitting on the ground. He held her in his lap swaying slightly and letting Lauren cry and relieve herself of some emotion and worry. 

“Where do you think we should continue., the front area, the bar or the dining hall?” Nixon quietly asked. Lauren searched her mind for a good answer trying to figure out what to do. Soon she said, “How about, the dining hall, after that we’ll work our way to the bar and finally to the front area where the doors are so we can leave right away.” Nixon smiled, “Good idea, now let’s get going.” 

They walked into the dining hall- which was the only room they hadn’t touched at all yet, they braced themselves for the worst. They didn’t brace themselves hard enough. There was broken glass on the floor and tables, trash everywhere, empty wine glasses in random places and food -mostly cake- everywhere. They looked up to see handkerchiefs hanging from a few of the chandeliers. 

“How are we ever going to get this clean tonight!?” Lauren yelled. Overwhelmed by just looking at it, she didn’t know where to start or what to do. Nixon stood in disbelief at what he saw, “I thought this was supposed to be a prim fancy party not a game of trash!” 

Lauren started to take deep breaths thinking through a plan in her head of what to do, but to be honest she couldn’t have been further from sure. Eventually she decided what to do first, she was unsure what to do after but she’d figure it out as she went. “Let’s get the handkerchiefs off the chandeliers since there’s only a few and we can put them in baskets, as well as table cloths once we get them off. But first them.” she stated looking determined at the ceiling to get them down. “Get a ladder please Nixon.”  

                                              5 minutes later

“I’m too short! How am I supposed to reach these things!?” Lauren yelled at the handkerchief as if it would just come down for her by yelling at it. Nixon was watching from the side smiling at her trying her best, but not saying anything. He was somewhat enjoying this, just waiting for her to finally lay down her pride for a minute and ask for help. 

After a few more minutes Lauren sighed and looked at Nixon, “Could I please, maybe, get a little help.?” Nixon smiled and jokingly bowed, “It would be my pleasure m’lady.”

This little act made Lauren crack a smile pretty stupidly looking at Nixon, and she felt a little flutter in her chest. Although she pushed it away as she climbed off the ladder. 

“Let me try and reach that from the ladder where you were.” Nixon said. He took a look up the ladder and slowly started climbing. By the time he got to the top he was within arms reach of the handkerchief. He reaches up and easily grabs it before looking down at Lauren with a bragging like expression. 

Lauren crossed her arms and held her breath embarrassed about asking for help and then seeing someone else do it so easily. “Catch!” Nixon yelled as he threw the handkerchief down towards her. “Got it!” she says running towards it, before missing it by inches and it falls on the ground. “Nevermind I don’t got it” she says looking at the ground ashamed she couldn’t even do that correctly. 

She walked over to the place where it fell and picked it up as Nixon came down from the ladder, “Don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s just a handkerchief, so what if you missed it.” She looked up trying not to cry from something stupid, “I can’t seem to do anything correctly tonight, first I made you feel terrible, then I couldn’t reach the handkerchief, then after you got it I couldn’t even catch it. I should be the one sitting to the side staying out of the way.” 

“No, don’t say that.” Nixon looked Lauren in her eyes, and continued talking, “Everyone makes mistakes like that, neither of us even knew we would be cleaning up after this party. You’re just tired, we can do it together. So don’t even think you are in anyone’s way. Now come on, let’s get the rest of these things ready., you start cleaning off tables and put the dishes in that bucket as I get the rest of the things off the chandeliers.” They shared a quiet glance before splitting up to continue working. 

They finished their first two tasks relatively quickly and looked out at the room from a place to the side, “I think we’ve done an amazing job so far, it looks much better.” Nixon said confidently. 

“Don’t get too excited yet, we still have lots to do, there are still two more places to clean and we haven’t even finished this one, now go start washing dishes as I take tablecloths off to wash later as well.” Lauren reminded Nixon. 

Soon Nixon left to go wash dishes and Lauren looked at the table cloths which were white, many had been stained and all were disgusting. Lauren slowly started peeling them off tables, holding her nose even though they weren’t that terrible. She threw them into a big bin with the handkerchiefs from earlier. Slowly working her way around the room she got all of them off before going to check on Nixon. 

“Hey Nixon, how are you doing with the dishes?” “Good, I’m about halfway done.” He replied. “Only halfway?!” Lauren was shocked, “I thought you would be finished by now with how long that took me!” Nixon looked down, “Are you mad.? I’m sorry I-” Lauren cut him off, “No, no, sorry I’m just stressed, what if I were to help you, I bet we would get it done faster.” “Good idea,” Nixon said as Lauren walked over and stood beside him to begin. 

Before she started she pulled her hair up to be out of her way. Nixon couldn’t help but stare at her as she did this because she never put her hair up, He felt his heart flutter as she started to work. “Why are you looking at me that way?” Lauren asked looking into his eyes. Nixon was quite surprised she noticed him and quickly looked at the sink. “Nothing I- I-..” He paused and in a whisper said, “you’re so pretty with your hair up.” “What was that?” Lauren said, turning Nixon’s head to look at her. Nixon turned his whole body and grabbed her in a low hug, “You m’lady, are absolutely stunning with your hair up.”  Lauren turned red and looked at the ground. Her heart was pumping a million beats a minute. She couldn’t come up with something good to say back so she shoved herself into Nixon’s hug and squeaked out a “Thank you!” 

They hugged each other, both longing for something much more than a hug deep down, but afraid to say anything to each other. “Let’s get this done now.” Nixon said awkwardly. “Yea!” Lauren answered. She quickly pulled away from Nixon and looked down at the dishes feeling embarrassed for all that had just happened. 

They got the dishes done within a half an hour then they moved on to the final thing in the dining room which was sweeping the floors. They both started on either side and worked their way to the middle. By the time they both made it to the middle there was a lot of trash to sweep up in the dustpan and throw away, but all that mattered to them is that they were finally done.

“Now that this room is done we’re much closer to finishing m’lady,” Nixon said to Lauren. “Would you please stop calling me ‘M’lady’!?” Lauren yelled at Nixon, annoyed and hiding the fact she loved it. “Awe, you’re no fun m'lady.” Nixon teased. “Seriously?” Lauren looked at Nixon clearly annoyed. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop,” Nixon replied holding in a chuckle. Lauren rolled her eyes, “Come on doofus, let’s start in the next area which is the bar.” 

The bar was relatively easy since the bartender seemed to be a neat freak and kept everything mostly clean. The most they ended up having to do was take the trash out, restock the cabinets then wash a few dishes and pick up any cloth to wash. 

“That was easy, and it took only a few minutes with both of us working wow.” Nixon said proudly towards Lauren. “Yep, but I’m completely exhausted, what time is it..?” Lauren asked Nixon carefully. “10pm it seems, and when was the dinner again?” “Around 6, so it’s been four hours since we started, wow. I just wish we were out of here by now.” Nixon sighed, “Yea me too, but we can’t linger on that,” He paused and looked Lauren in her eyes confidently, “But.. it’s going to be ok, we can do this, we’re so close.” 

“Then let’s do this already!” Lauren yelled, grabbing Nixon by the arm and dragged him to the front area to start cleaning.  Nixon smiled seeing Lauren get the sudden burst of energy and it rejuvenated him as well to get going on it. They started by packing boxes of decorations which were closed into the attic. Soon they started packing loose decorations to be put in the attic as well. Nixon picked up chairs and stacked them in the closet where they went, and pretty soon they had most of the room done. 

Lauren looked out on the room and then at Nixon, “I am tired and this room isn’t very big.. Do you mind sweeping it for me.?” She looked down, ashamed as she asked. Nixon bowed, “Of course m’lady, anything for you.” He smiled as he looked up at her in his bow.

“If only she knew I actually loved her, not just a joke.” He thought as he walked away to start. 

“If only he knew I actually loved him, and am not annoyed at all.” She sighed quietly as he started sweeping on the other side of the room. 

A few minutes later he had the room swept and started looking around for Lauren. Soon he found her fast asleep against the wall by the doors. “That’s adorable.” He said walking towards her, giving her a kiss on the forehead, he talked as if she were listening, “I guess you really are tired, Goodnight m’lady, sweetdreams.” Before he sat down beside her. She didn’t know he loved her so, but helping her tonight was simply all he needed to fall in love, and he would never get over this girl. “We will be together one day m’lady, even if that’s not now, I’m willing to wait for you,” Nixon thought before moving her to a lying position and falling asleep together on the ground.