I didn't spend much time with her between the accident in the street and the actual wedding day. I would only look in from time to time. I saw her being very busy. Her and her family were constantly surrounded by wedding cakes and flowers and invitations and everything in between. She had little time to work, much less relax, and the same went for her fiancé. I didn't pay much attention to him; I had grown to feel that she was really supposed to be mine, even though I knew it wasn't true. I treated him as a thief who had stolen something precious from me. Of course, I didn't hurt him any, seeing as how I was always invisible and unheard.
I couldn't stand to be around her for longer than an hour or two, so I would check in and then wander away. I myself was very busy. Deaths here and there, keeping me on my toes, not giving me much time to rest. I welcomed the distraction. But the day drew nearer, and although I tried to forget it I was fully aware when it was the week before the wedding.
I went to see her quite early in the morning. The wedding wasn't scheduled to begin until nearly four o'clock, and it was barely eight, but she was wide awake. Still in her pajamas with her red hair a mess. I smiled a bit, seeing her like that. But she, being very busy, was up almost immediately.
"Breakfast, shower, bridesmaids, dress, beauty salon, church... or was it church and then beauty salon?" She paused for a moment before smacking her forehead. "No, you idiot! Why would you go to the church and then the salon?" She continued to run around her room, muttering things incoherently like a deranged lunatic. It was cute.
"Breakfast first... pancakes. Wait, do I have any pancake mix? No? Darn it. Muffins? I don't know." She sped off into the kitchen.
Today's the day. She's getting married.
Yes, I can see that.
Are you angry? That she is no longer yours?
She was never mine to begin with.
You seemed to think so.
Shut up.
Gladly.
. . .
My hands were sweating like crazy. I didn't want to smear it on my clothes, which I would have normally, but at that moment my 'clothes' just happened to be a beautiful white wedding dress. I looked very nice, I had to admit it. The gown was tinged a slight silver, because bright white didn't work very well with my skin tone (about as pale as the moon, in my opinion), and my normally wild red hair was tamed into a fun but elegant up-do. The jewellery and graceful tiara set it off nicely.
I thought I looked nice, but Katie was under the opinion that I looked like a goddess or something. She kept fawning over me all day long.
"Now, hold still!" the makeup artist chided, poking at me with a mascara wand. "I haven't finished your eyelashes!"
I sighed. "I still don't know why you talked me into this much makeup, Katie."
"You know why. Your eyebrows and eyelashes are so blond they're practically invisible." She gave me a cheeky smile. "And are you sure you want to wear your glasses? I got you new contact lenses, if you remember."
I shook my head. I loved my large black 'geek glasses'. They were a huge part of my personality. So what if they looked a little strange with the dress?
"Alright, alright. You can keep the glasses on. But the Converse sneakers? I draw the line right there."
"Why not? They look great – and besides, Danny loves them." Danny being the name of my fiancé.
"No, no, no! Your poor mother spent nearly fifty dollars on those beautiful wedding shoes and darn it, you're going to wear them!"
After a minute-long staring contest, I sighed in defeat. I pulled at the laces of my beloved sneakers and kicked them off, replacing them with the silver jewel-studded heals. They did look nice, but I was nearly six feet tall! Did I really need a pair of high heels? Apparently I did, because Katie would not let me take them off after that.
With growing tension, I sat and waited for the rest of the bridesmaids to get ready. My palms were still slick with sweat and I my stomach was beginning to churn. Was I ready for this? Yes, because I loved Danny and we'd been dating since the tenth grade... but hell, I felt like I was about to jump off a building. In a way I was; jumping off the building of singleness into the abyss that is marriage.
Actually, that's a really bad metaphor. Let's just forget I said that.
My father came into the back room when it was almost time to walk down the aisle.
"You ready sweetheart?"
"Almost, dad." I was still wrestling with my shoes, trying to fit my larger-than-average toes into the tight fitting heels.
I could tell my dad was on the verge of tears. I never had the greatest relationship with him, especially since the divorce between him and my mum, but I loved him and I knew he loved me.
"Two minutes!" the wedding planner cried, running into the room and then out again.
I took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes nothing." I stood up, managing not to wobble on my feet. I took my father's arm.
"You look beautiful, darling."
"Thanks dad."
One minute. I felt like I was going to throw up.
Forty five seconds.
Oh hell, what was I getting myself into?
Thirty seconds.
Here goes nothing.
Fifteen.
Almost time to go.
And then the music started.
My dad took my arm. Katie was lined up at the door, and then she began to walk. This was it. I was getting married. I would finally be able to spend the rest of my life with the only man I had ever loved. And yet I felt strange, like something wasn't right. Was I forgetting something? I sure hoped not. It was probably just the nerves. Like when you're going on a trip and you keep feeling like you've forgotten to pack something, but then you find out you had everything you needed. That must've been it.
My dad gave me a nudge. "Time to go, darling."
I took another deep breath and set off down the aisle.
Happy long weekend everybody! I may be posting two chapters next week.
