The Bride's Brother

One - The Binder

ONE

April left me a four inch, purple binder that she titled:

Wedding Checklist
 Mary and Drew

I opened it, while waiting for Drew to show up at my apartment. We were supposed to plan this together no matter how much I despised it. 

The first page had a blank paper with the word Budget on it. Underneath had a blank line, where Mary filled out, $22,000. 

She left the money in Malcom and hers safe, in the very back of her closet. Only Drew and I knew the code and that was the way it was going to be; it's a lot of pressure to know things like that, I've realized. 

Finally, I heard the buzzer, and closed the binder. 

I opened my door to see Drew in a very fancy suit, with a navy blue tie. 

I looked at him with confusion, "You do know that I invited you, not the president," I said sarcastically.

"Very funny," he said, with no amusement. "I always dress like this..."

I opened the door wider for him to come through.

He welcomed himself in, and said, "When do we get started?"

I closed the door, and walked toward the binder on my creamy-colored, glass coffee table. "This is the binder she left us, with all the things she wants us to do. Now, I suggest we -- "

"I can't believe she thinks this marriage is going to work out," he chuckled, with no delight in his eyes. "She met the guy like two months ago, and now she wants to marry him..."

I was apalled. He's her brother; he should support her! 

"When you find a love like that, it doesn't matter how long you've known each other," I said, seriously.  "Why are you so against marriage anyway?"

"Doesn't matter," he ignored the subject. "What were you saying, again?"

I cleared my throat. Man, I forgot how easy it was for Drew to get on my nerves. "I wanted to suggest that each of us could do our own, like I would pick the venue, for example."

The only item checked off that list is the bride's dress. April chose that before she even knew she was getting married. 

"Why can't I pick the venue?" Drew argued.

"Because I already called it," I argued back. 

Oh my goodness. We sound just like we did when we were eight. 

"Hey, wait -- that's not fair. I just found out about this binder, when you've had some time to look at it, and call everything you want to do."

I couldn't compete with that; he had a point, which was very rare. 

"Fine," I said slowly, feeling defeated. 

He opened the binder, and made himself comfortable on my plush, tan, leather couch. 

"I'll be in charge of the guests," he said, flipping the pages.

"Hire a photographer," he called.

"And caterers,"

"And arrange the transportation,"

"And choose the music,"

"Okay, okay. How much are you planning on doing? Leave some for me!" I exclaimed.

"I did. You're choosing the bridesmaid dresses, picking invitations, the cake, hair and makeup stuff, the flowers, plan a bridal shower, if April's even going to attend it, and many more incredibly boring stuff," he said.

"Can you at least pretend to be happy for her?" I asked, annoyed.

"Fine, I'm happy for her," he said, unconvincingly. 

I groaned, and walked over to my kitchen, which put Drew directly into my view, over the counter.

As I was fixing us some tea, I recalled a moment Drew and I had years ago when we were still little. April and I were playing the bride and groom, and we needed Drew to marry us. Of course, he denied and I argued wit him about it for an hour straight. At the end, I won, and he had to marry us.

I always thought he was against marriage because when he was sixteen, he had a girlfriend he thought he was "so in love with," which caused them to break up over a nasty fight. 

You would think he would get over it, right? Apparently not.

 "Hey, Mary," he said, interrupting my thoughts. "When are we going to start doing these things we signed up for?" 

"Whenever we have free time. I know we both are busy with work, but there's the weekends and the hours we're not busy with work," I answered, while pouring the hot water into the teacups.

I brought the tea to the glass table and set it down. Drew looked at it, looked at me, then mumbled a simple "thanks."  

I nodded for a response, and sat down staring at my side of the binder. He had written down on a plain sheet of paper, the items he was responsible for.

I cannot believe I have to bond with the one person I can't stand in the whole universe!

_____~_____~_____~_____

alright, alright... i know it was a sucky chapter :/

better luck next time, right? 

lol