Let's Get Married

Little Miranda Bailey ran through the busy hotel and into the one room that she knew was off-limits. Her dress flounced behind her and her shiny black shoes made no noise on the carpet. She was scolded as soon as she crossed over the threshold. "Miranda Bailey, what are you doing in this room? Didn't I tell you—" Her mother, Elena, pulled back her hand to pop her.

"Auntie, it's okay. That's my flower girl you're yelling at," Miranda's older cousin, Raven said. She winked at the younger girl. Elena huffed with a laugh and walked away. Miranda exhaled softly and looked at Raven. She was eighteen and just about to get married. The brown-skinned girl stood in front of Miranda in a beautiful off-white dress, her hair was swept up and surrounded by a tiara. She was gorgeous.

"You look like a princess," Miranda told her in a high-pitched voice.

"Thank you, Mandy, but why are you running around getting all sweaty?"

"There's a boy chasing me," Miranda answered.

"Aren't you the lucky one?" One of Raven's bridesmaids said passing by.

"No. He's annoying." The girl's declaration shook the entire room with laughter. She screwed up her face. They just didn't know just how annoying he was. Whoever 'he' was. She'd been outside playing with her cousins when a little boy came up to them. He'd introduced himself and they were all having fun, but every once in a while, she would look up to see him staring at her. Well!? She'd yelled at him. What are you looking at? He'd taken a step in her direction with a smile on his face. You. Then he'd turned and run in the other direction.

Miranda looked out of the room and saw the boy rushing by the room. She hid behind Raven, almost stepping on her dress. "Mandy, out!" Elena said pointing.

Miranda slinked out of the laughing room. She grumbled as she walked down the hall, hoping not to run into him again. He really was weird. She spotted her cousins and they all danced in front of the mirrors covering a hallway wall. In the glass, she looked past her brown body in white lace and saw him coming again, his head turned away from her. She ran back in the bride's room. She looked around, glad that her mother was nowhere to be found. In fact, Raven was all alone. "Come here, Mandy." She walked in the room. "You know your momma is going to get you, doing all of that running and playing with boys."

The girl smirked. "He's coming."

Raven gestured for her to get under the long train of her wedding dress just as the boy was passing by. "Hey, you! Little boy!"

"Me?" He poked his chest, moving his tie a little.

Raven nodded. He started to walk into the room. "Uh-uh, ladies only."

The boy stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"

"I know you. You're Tamra's little brother, right? Benjamin, right?" The boy nodded and said that he was. "Mmmhmm. Your sister and I go way back," she said sounding older than her eighteen years. Miranda peeked out from underneath the dress. "Are you chasing after my little cousin?" He nodded again, fiercely. "Why?" Raven tried to hold back a chuckle. Miranda wanted to pinch her and punch him.

"I like her." Raven awww -ed. "Do you know where she is?"

"I'm sorry, handsome, she ran out about ten minutes ago."

Miranda watched his face fall and she smiled, but her stomach lurched. "Thank you." He started to walk away and then stopped again. "You look very nice." He bowed and ran off.

"He's gone. So come on out, Mandy." Miranda lifted the dress and crawled out. "He's nice." The girl shook her head, unconvinced. "And cute. I think he likes you."

"Ewww!"

"Oh, stop! Don't you want to get married like me? And have a pretty dress and a big party with all of your friends and family?" Raven smiled more to herself than to Miranda. "And a husband who would do absolutely anything for you? And who you would do anything for?"

Miranda shrugged as Raven wiped a tear from her eye. "Why are you crying? Are you sad?" Raven shook her head. "Scared?"

"Maybe." The two girls laughed. More than a decade separated them, but they were close. Any secrets Miranda had, she took them to Raven first. And Raven, although older, never hesitated to expound her teenage trouble on the seven year old. They hugged and Raven kissed her forehead. "Give him a chance. At most you'll have a lifelong friend."

Elena came back into the room. "It's time, beautiful." Miranda let Raven go and watched as she walked out of the room.

At the reception, Miranda sat alone at the bridal party table. No other kids had been in the wedding. There was supposed to be a ring bearer, but the boy had gotten sick just days before the event. So, the seat next to her was empty. Miranda put her feet up and watched Raven and her husband, Eddie dance in the middle of the large room. "Can you move your feet please?" Miranda looked up to see the boy called Benjamin standing right in front of her. She shrugged and put her feet down, they clicked against the hardwood. Miranda turned away from him slightly. "Hi."

"Hey," she said over her shoulder. Through the crowd, she could feel her mother glaring at her, urging her to be polite.

"I am Ben."

"I know." She waved at him and he wave back. "I'm Miranda, but everyone calls me Mandy."

"Miranda. Miranda." He rolled her name around a few times. "I like that," he decided. They both turned to watch the dance floor begin to fill up.

His eyes. She felt them again. "Stop looking at me!" She grunted.

"Why? You're pretty."

Miranda blushed and turned around to face him. He was kind of cute and his smile for her had never faded. She smiled back for the first time and his smile grew. "Thank you."

After a long silence, he said: "Let's get married."

"What?" She started to push him and he leaned back, unbalancing her. He smirked. "I'm not marrying you."

"But I think we should get married. Like them," he said, pointing to the newlyweds who were walking around to the different tables.

One of the groomsmen laughed and turned to tell the guy next to him what he'd overheard. Miranda blushed again, this time embarrassed. "I think… that you should go away." The men howled.

"Want to dance?"

She looked the boy right in the eye: "No."