Natalie sat at the front of the alter next to her cousin, whom she rarely spoke to and her cousins 2 year old daughter. She couldn't help but peer around, looking for the boy who calmed her nerves. Family events never settled well with Natalie. She could feel herself getting agitated as family members made small talk with her, asking her how college was going, asking about her boyfriend, then of course about her mother. "Is your mother coming today?" "How is your Dianne doing?" "Where is your mother"
"I don't know!" Natalie snapped a bit more harshly then she had meant too. People seemed to back off and return to their seats. A tall boy with scruffy curly hair fought his way through the crowd. Henry some how managed to make the smartest suit look like he had spent 24 hours on a half pipe, falling down each one after the other, but it somehow worked for him. For a second, Natalie's anxiety disappeared as her eyes were fixated on the boy who had turned up to a wedding wearing converse as dress shoes, but then she saw the urgency spread across her boyfriends face as he kneeled beside her bench were she was sitting. Her cousin had ran after the two year old dower girl, who could not keep still, so Natalie budged up so Henry could sit down. He grasped both her hands firmly and looked at her, as a smell spread across her face. She looked beautiful in her purple dress with flowery shoes. Her hair was curly and unruly like always, but it always looked beautiful, especially today as it was all pined up, hold together by many clips.
"Are you ok Natalie?" Was all he said, the panic still in his eyes as Natalie smiled at him tearing up.
"I'm fine Henry" She said, pulling her hand away and putting one on his face. "I just really don't want to be here" she whispered.
"I know, but i'm only over there, i'm sat next to your mom actually"
"She's here?"
"Yeah, she's sat on her own in her car. I asked her if she's coming in but she said she wanted to avoid the small talk." He paused as Natalie sighed. "She told me you can join her" He smirked.
"Did she seem…?" Natalie didn't even have to finish her sentence.
"She's calm. She rattled her meds at me as i walked over to her car, so…. Thats her sign for 'A Okay' Right"
Natalie let out a little laugh. "Yeah. Yeah ok. I just want to go home though." Henry kissed her head and stood up.
"I know Nat." He turned around to see Dan Goodman come to take his seat next to his daughter. Henry gave Natalie a knowing smile and went to take his seat.
Dan Goodman sat down next to his daughter without speaking. Neither of them looked at one another. Nat's cousin Jane sat down without 2 year old flower girl Kaya, who was getting ready to walk down the aisle. All was silent as they sat waiting for the ceremony to start. The music started to play and Natalie looked around for Henry. He was sat at the back of the room next to an old man Natalie did not recognise. A red headed women clumsily squeezed past the groomsmen who were about to make their appearance and runs taking her seat next to Henry. Dianna scans round the small room searching for Natalie and through the heads, they can just about make each other out.
It hits Natalie quick that this is the first time ever that her mother has seemed relieved and almost happy to see her. The music plays and the bride starts to walk down the aisle on the cheap rented hotel function room, towards to tacky registry desk in-between the canopy of flowers, the poor attempt at trying to make the ceremony look beautiful. Dianna makes brief eye contact with her sister who pretends she hasn't seen her and keeps on walking towards the front. The congratulating fake smile Dianna placed on her face vanishes, as she suddenly looks lost and looks towards Henry. Henry smiles politely at her and Dianna takes a deep breath and places her shoulder on Henry's head. The day already becoming to much for her.
The crowd's eyes are fixated on the bride as she meets her groom at the canopy. Everyones except Natalie's, who is still turned towards her mother and Henry.
"She's fine" Henry mouthes as Natalie nods, trying to concentrate back on the wedding.
The ceremony continues and the bride and groom begin to say their vows.
Dianna sits up once again to find the back of her husbands head. The husband she rarely sees now. Dianna left her home and family two years ago, but occasionally meets with her husband. They could spend two weeks living together, everything seeming normal, Natalie, who had decided to stay at home for college usually disappeared with Henry during these times. Dan always got his hopes up that this was it, she was back for good, but another few days would go by and then without warning, Dianna would pack up and disappear for another few weeks. This time was different though, it had been almost 9 months since they had last spoke. When Lauren's wedding was announced, the whole Goodman family were invited. Dianna had always been selfish and disgustingly jealous of Dianna. Illness meant attention, and Lauren liked the attention on her, even if it was negative. Dan was only there to see Dianna and Dianna for him. They both knew it.
Henry can't help but do the same, not being able to keep his eyes off the girl he would drop everything for. Natalie was about start her second year at college, where she was studying to become a music teacher. Natalie had worked so hard to get into college and got fantastic grades that got her in, however, when she started she realised that it wasn't everything she had hoped. Both Henry and Natalie hoped to find friends, they had each other, and that was enough, but sometimes they both needed to be reminded of how to have fun. There were of course occasions where they would have fun, but Henry was living in the middle of a divorce and with Natalie's issues, they seemed to spend most of their time consoling one another. Despite this, they still made each other happy and on many occasions, they would find themselves forgetting about what they were actually concerned about anyway. Henry would have also been going to his second year at college, that is until he dropped out. He hadn't told anyone yet and he was filled with fear and a hollow emptiness every time he thought about it. His family would be so disappointed, his dad would probably hit him, his extended family would talk behind his back, plus he had two older brothers to compete with. He knew he could get Natalie's understanding, but she was stressed enough and he didn't want to worry her. That and the fact that he felt an urge to cry every time he went to tell her, making him feel like a pathetic little boy. Both Henry and Natalie were not doing as well as they had hoped. Their grades seemed to be on the fall, with Natalie passing everything, but getting average grades in which would not get her a job, and with Henry failing tests and coursework and having to pay to retake them. They both studied and studied, but the truth was, their passions lied somewhere else. Henry resented taking philosophy. "…and everyone on my course is so pretentious!" he would complain as Natalie smirked. "I'm not pretentious Nat! Not compared to these assholes anyway. These guys are obnoxious!" Natalie had just let the stress of academic life beat her down, just like it had Henry. The truth was that they both longed to be writers and composers.
Natalie turned around again to look at Henry who had a serious look on his face, a desperation in his eyes.
"I love you!" He mouthed. Natalie didn't turn back round this time, instead she just stared back ignoring the people behind her that were getting frustrated with her constant shuffling. She took a deep breath.
"I love you so much Henry!" She whispered, even though he couldn't hear from across the room, knowing he would read her lips.
The music made them jump, the ceremony had ended. People began clearing out. Henry was still sat as he looked to his left to see Dianna had gone. Natalie made her way to Henry and kissed him. They sat silently holding hands as the room cleared.
"Natalie Goodman, Promise me something" Henry said calmly.
"What?"
"When we get married, it won't be in a shitty tacky registry office" Natalie laughed and placed her head on his shoulder, just like her mother had done twenty minutes before.
"Deal Snow" She smiled squeezing his hand.
Throughout the dinner and the speeches, Dianna was nowhere to be seen. Natalie, Henry, Dan and a few other relatives sat bored on a table nearest the top table, making it impossible for Natalie to be able to sneak off and look for her mother. As soon as the main reception began and the music was blaring, everyone was up off their seat and dancing, Natalie and Henry decided this would be a good time to look for Dianna. Dan was left sitting on a table gloomily with his 4th drink of the day, talking to Dianna's parents.
Henry and Natalie had searched the whole hotel, even running down corridors.
"I am about to give up, she can't be here"
"We should go check if her car is here. Maybe she is sat in it again"
"Of Fuck. She can't drive when she gets like this"
"She seemed ok Nat. She just seemed fed up of all the staring and bullshit"
"I can't blame her. No one here gives a shit or a thought about us. We get judged now we are here, but when i told them that we thought we were't coming they got so mad. I can't deal…"
"Nat!" Henry grasped both her shoulders and smiled at her. "It's ok. We are all that matters"
She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry…Lets just go check her car." She said relaxing a bit.
"Ok, i have to go pee first" Henry ran to the nearest bath room as Natalie sat against the wall of the hotel, not wanting to spend another minute on the heels she was wearing.
"Erm…Nat" Henry peered from the mens bathroom door. "You might want to come in here."
Natalie scowled. "Are you fucking serious Henry?"
"I don't mean….Just come in here" He tried to say in a hushed voice. Natalie got up and quickly looked around before dashing into the mens bathroom. Inside, a door was ajar, thick smoke coming out of it letting off strong fumes.
"Look who i found!" Henry said in a fake enthusiastic voice.
"YOU WIN!" Dianna yelled, laughing and pointing at Henry, a joint in her hand. "Are you having a nice Marryin'?" Dianna giggled looking back n forth at them both.
Natalie stormed into the cubicle and grabbed the joint out of her hand hand and flushed it.
"It was medical" Dianna nonchalantly said, watching the joint spinning round and round, drowning, until out of site forever.
"Are you going to go back in there or are you going home?" Natalie raised her voice, speaking to Dianna like an angry mother would speak to their dysfunctional teenager.
Dianna composed herself as best as she could and looked at them both. She placed a hand on each of their faces, smiling sadly at them both.
"You two are so perfect." Henry smiled sadly back at her and Natalie just looked confused. "Why the fuck are you still here?" Dianna finished, and turned and walked out the mens bathroom and back into to the wedding.
Natalie and Henry stood in the bathroom, taking in what had just happened.
" Well….she's done worse i guess" Natalie shrugged. Henry laughed looking at Natalie. " Ahh, we were that age once" he joked. Nat and Henry had both given up that habit a long time ago.
"What do you think she meant 'still here'" Henry asked.
Natalie sighed. "I really don't know. But….."
"But what?" Henry looked at Natalie intensely. He had been thinking about it for a while…..but it was too crazy. Immature and romantic, but it wouldn't work….Did she…?
"….Nothing" Natalie sighed and made her way into his arms. Henry was silent. 'Should i tell her what i was thinking? Should we…? Now is the right time. Better then any. I'll ask her now.'
"I dropped out!" He blurted. 'FUCK, i should have asked her!'
"Henry!" Natalie pulled away, still gripping his arms, so she could look at his face. All she could see was terror and distress.
"I'm sorry Natalie, i just could't take it. I'm not as strong as you when it comes to that sort of pressures, i can't cope, but i feel awful, i was supposed too…"
"HENRY!"
"…Support you, i want to be able to look after…"
"HENRY!"
"….You, and if we have children i want to look after…"
"HENRY!"
"..them, you deserve so much better, i don't want to be a lose.."
"HENRY!" She shut him up by kissing him, her eyes filled with tears the size of raindrops.
Henry had begun to tear up as well, a single tear sliding down his cheek, as he tried to hide it getting embarrassed by his weakness. "I'm sorry" He whispered.
"I was thinking about it too." Natalie whispered back, then both holding each others faces lightly, whispering to each other. "I hate college. I hate the people who are just interested in partying. I wasn't going to go back"
Henry took deep breaths. He felt almost relieved that Natalie had done the same, but he also wanted the best for her and college was a good route to 'the best'.
They stood there in silence, holding onto to each other, occasionally whispering "I love you."
"So whats our plan" Natalie sniffled, letting out a bit of a giggle at their blubbering.
"I did have one, but its childish. Something 15 year olds would do."
"What?" Natalie whispered, her face buried in his chest.
Henry took a deep breath. He felt a rush of confidence through him.
"We could make our lives on the road"
Natalie took her face out of his chest and looked at him, still clinging round his waste.
"Run away with me."