Prelude

It's the night before my brother's wedding, and I'm pretty much stuck here at the Possible residence. It's here that all the bridesmaids are to spend the night. However, I'm not a bridesmaid. No, I'm a flower girl. You know, when I made the promise of be the flower girl to my big brother and Kim, I was nine.

I never would have guessed that I would be fulfilling that promise at eighteen.

"For a second there, I was beginning to think they'd never get married," a dark skinned woman, I believe her name's Monique, joked with the other bridesmaids that were still up.

"I know," a blonde bridesmaid, who's name I couldn't remember, laughs out. "They've strung us along for, like, ever!"

I ignore their blabber as they joke and criticize Ron and Kim around the kitchen table, all chowing down on low cal snack cakes.

Ron and Kim had actually gotten married six or seven years ago…Well, sort of. They spontaneously tied the knot in some tribal ritual after saving a village in the middle of no where. No one is really certain if its legally binding or not, but it was enough for the two of them. And besides, the two have lived together long enough to be common law husband and wife anyway. However, they promised all of us a proper wedding. But between missions and work, they haven't had the time…until now.

I personally couldn't care less. My brother loves Kim, and that's all that matters to me. Who cares if their "engagement" lasted so long? It didn't hurt anything, other than the fact that I'm doing a four year old's trivial wedding duty.

I exit the kitchen, and try to remember how to get to my room for the night. Although my family and the Possibles have known each other for a long time, I've rarely been over to Kim's parents house. But I make my way to the staircase with relative ease.

I stop midway up the stairs when a picture on the wall catches my eye. It's of my brother and Kim when they were probably nine or ten. They had their arms around each other, both grinning goofy smiles.

I glance over the entire wall now. Most of the wall is of Kim and/or her younger brothers. What were their names again? I stare at a picture of the twin siblings. They look about ten in the photo. Their faces were covered in sooth, like they had just blown something up. And judging from the smoke fuming out the small, metal box their proudly holding up in the picture, that very well may have been the case. I smirk at the image.

I still can't recall their names, though. Unlike Kim and her parents, these two Possibles are a mystery to me. The only thing I know about them is that their super smart, live somewhere on the outskirts of Upperton, and work at that rocket center place where Mr. Possible use to work before his retirement. They never pop by our house during the holidays like the other Possibles. In fact, I can't recall the last time we've been in the same room together. I guess I should make an effort to talk to my brother-in-laws at the reception tomorrow.

"Hana, isn't it a bit late?"

I literally jump at the sound of the voice, and found myself on the ceiling. My instincts really have been slipping. Guess my ninja-baby powers, as Ron calls them, need fine tuning. I swing myself back to the ground, and land face to face with Kim.

"I thought you were sleeping," I say, and she places a finger to her lips. "You went out on a mission, didn't you?"

She shrugs, as if it was nothing. She had promised earlier that she would stay put and rest up for her big day. But who really would believe that?

"Our little secret," she whispers as she ascends the stars. For a moment I think of asking her if we could go somewhere together. It's so quite and boring here. Maybe we could foil a villain's malicious plot, stop a bank robbery, flip off a jaywalker, ANYTHING! But I stay silent and watch her head to her room.

When I no longer could see her, an idea pops into my head. I smile as I creep to the door.

I find myself in line for a club. I had came here a few months ago with my boyfriend…ex-boyfriend. I roll my eyes for just thinking about him. I make it to the bouncer, flashes him my fake ID, and then I'm in.

It's just how I remember it. Loud, crowded, and colorful lights flashing on and off so wildly it could make the strongest in health have a seizure. I bump my way through the mosh pit of dancers until I found a good spot on the dance floor. I danced happily by myself, and with a random guy or two, before bumping into him.

An apology is barely out of my mouth before I actually look at him and I'm struck dumb. I stare into his deep baby blue eyes as he stares into my dark brown ones. I can hear my heart pounding over the loud music. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as I stand frozen under his unyielding gaze. Is...Is this what love at first sight feels like?

We stay like this for a few more seconds before we snap out of this weird trance.

Well…he does, anyway.

"Hey, I'm Tim," he offers warmly with a smile. Some wild dancer pushes me from behind, and knocks me up against him. I grab hold of his red jacket as he catches me by the waist. I ease myself back on my two feet, and giggle at how awkward this all is.

"I'm Hannah," I sputter out before realizing that I mispronounced my own name. I soon forget my stupidity as he smiles down at me.

"Wanna Dance?" Tim asks. I answer by doing a shimmy, laughing at myself as I did so. One dance turns into two, and two turns into infinity. We kept dancing, laughing, and making fruitless efforts of conversations in between it all.

"Hmm," I hear myself moan as Tim's kisses stray from my lips to my neck. Making out in an alleyway, pressed against a brick wall with my legs wrapped around his waist, behind a nightclub wasn't exactly my plan for the evening. No, I just wanted the cheap thrill of sneaking out and going clubbing. I've never done something like this before, let alone with a stranger. Not to mention the hard bricks feels rough against my back.

"Y-you're so beautiful," he gasps between kisses, making me shiver.

I can live with the back pain.

I look up at the sky, and all I see are stars. My vision turns blurry, and I suddenly feel a bit light headed. I feel like stars are surrounding us. As if the universe is telling me we belong together. I ignore the universe. It has no idea what it's talking about. He's a stranger. And probably in his mid twenties, while I'm barely legal. No. The universe doesn't have a clue what it's talking about.

Even so, I tangle my fingers in his brown hair as another small moan escapes my lips. I can feel him smile against my skin. He brings his mouth back to mine just as the stars began to close in on us. My hips buck on their own accord, but he grinds right back into me. A strange feeling strikes through my lower body. He grinds into me until I can slightly feel him bulging through our clothes. He slowly slides my skirt up, and I can feel the bulge much better now. There's a part of me that wants to be with him. Telling me to relax, and relish the feeling.

However, a more rational part of me is sating I should slow things down. I knew little to nothing about this guy, despite this overwhelming feeling of love shooting through me at his every touch. After tonight, I'll probably never see him again. And I really don't want to lose my virginity in some alley…even if it's covered in stars. No, this isn't what I want at all.

I hit his arm, but he keeps kissing me. So I hit him harder, and he immediately steps back so that I'm on my feet again.

"I'm not that kind of girl," I say teasingly, fixing my skirt. He smiles back at me. It's then that I glance at my watch, and I realize just how late it really is. "I...I gotta go," I say before attempting to leave. But he grabs my arm, halting my steps. And his large hand swiftly slides down my skin to hold my hand. I become motionless.

"Wait, I…" his voice trails off as he stares straight into my eyes. My heart skips a beat. I feel like he's looking straight into my soul. I can feel his longing, his hand squeezing mine. I wonder if he can feel my sadness. "Can I at least get your number?" he finally asks with a hopeful smile. It seems I'm not alone on this boat of love. However, him calling me might not be the brightest of ideas.

"I don't think…"

"How 'bout I give you mine?" he cuts me off, probably sensing the rejection. I pause for a second before nodding.

I yawn as Mrs. Possible fawns over Kim in her wedding dress. Tim and his sweet kisses feel more like a dream now. I can still feel his tender lips on my neck, however. I shake off the memory, and I focus on Kim. She is really beautiful…I can see why my brother would want to marry her.

"Can Kimmy and I have a moment alone before the ceremony," Mrs. Possible calls out, forcing me and some bridesmaids out the room.

I walk the hall where we are to line up for the ceremony, which will be any second now. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and froze. My peach colored dress with fake flowers decorating the straps clung to me unbearably. I guess that's what happens when you're fitted for a dress three years before an event. I try to stretch it, because it looks horrid. Plus, it looks like it was designed for a toddler to wear. Music begins to play, and I run to take my place in line behind the pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen. When the last of them descends, I can see Kim and Mr. Possible approaching from my peripheral.

I pick up my basket and walk down the aisle, tossing petals to the ground. My brother smiles at me from his spot at the alter, and I smile back. God knows I wouldn't be doing this if he wasn't my brother. I glance over at the groomsmen, many of whom I've seen little to nothing of since this thing went into full swing. And then, it happens. My eyes connect to blue ones, and I'm dumbstruck. There he is…Tim, my dream man…My universal lover…My…My…OH GOD! He and his twin stands on the sidelines of the alter with the other groomsmen, and it clicks so horridly inside my head.

HE'S KIM'S LITTLE BROTHER!

My soon to be brother-in-law!

At first, when our eyes initially meet, he smiles broadly at me. Clearly happy to see me again. However, his face quickly turns into that of confusion, and then transitions into an expression that must mirror my own. Shock. Stricken.

My feet feel like lead. I just stand like a statue in the middle of the aisle. My heart is pounding wildly. I feel light headed. Everyone's eyes are on me, as if they knew that I…That we...

Okay, I need to calm down.

"Hana?" my father whispers from the bench behind me. "Are you alright, dear?"

No, I'm not alright. I feel like I'm going to faint. I want to dash out of here, and eat my weight in ice cream like in some chick flick. Instead, I just nod to my father. The invisible shackles on my feet break, and I finish flowering the aisle. I avoid looking at Tim, though I can feel his eyes on me, as I take my seat. The music changes, and Kim makes her way down the aisle.

The newlyweds have just left the reception hall for their (second?) honeymoon, and I'm still hiding among the crowd at the buffet. I refill my cup with punch as I keep a watchful eye out.

It's all very humiliating.

I never planed on seeing him again. Let alone as a relative at my brother's wedding reception!

I down the fruity beverage, and quickly refill my cup again. I cling to this crowd of eaters, in hopes he wouldn't try a public confrontation. And I know he won't, since it has to be as embarrassing for him as it is for me. Not to mention the fact that I doubt anyone here will happily go with this whole 'keeping it in the family' thing that happened last night. Crap, I lost sight of him…

"Hey."

"Ah!" I hear myself yelp as I turn to meet his face. He laughs, and apologizes for surprising me. I immediately calm down once realizing that it isn't Tim, but his twin.

"I guess you're officially my sis now, huh?" he jokes, slightly pushing me aside to get to the punch bowl. Somehow, his statement makes me want to vomit. "It's weird how we knew you our whole lives, yet I probably couldn't have identified you until today," Jim laughs. And it's now that I wish these two had been more apart of my life. So last night, when I saw Tim in that club, things would have turned out differently…Way differently.

"Yeah, life's funny like that…" I reply, a bit sheepish.

"So, Hana, have you seen Tim?" he asks to my dismay. "I can't seem to find him. It's not like him to ditch me like this…Though he did do this last night too, when we…" his voice trails off as he remembers that he's talking to me, a young girl. Unknown to him, I knew how that sentence ends. He changes the subject, telling me how beautifully I've grown since he last saw me (an event I myself still can't recall),and asking me things about school. The normal things an older, distant relative would ask. And in turn, I inquire about his and Tim's job and if they still do crazy experiments the way I heard they use to. It's strange how Jim and Tim look just alike, yet I don't feel that weird connection with Jim the way I do with Tim. Then again, it wasn't Jim kissing me last night. With that event once again at the forefront of my mind, I decide to hide out the night in the girl's restroom. I excuse myself from Jim and take quick, wide steps to the restroom.

To my dismay, however, there's only one, non-gender designated restroom with one stall. I frown as this news is given to me by the women in front of me, awaiting the current occupant of the restroom to exit. The wall in front of me appears to be a closet, most likely filled with either coats or cleaning supplies. It's definitely a good hiding place, since option one is out of the question. A man comes out the restroom, and the lady in front of me zooms inside. I glance at the closet again.

Okay, this is stupid. Why should I hide in some closet? It's not like he's going to kill me or anything. I sigh, deciding that I to return to the party. That is, before something grabs a hold of my arm and pulls me into the dark closet.

"You're Hana!" a male's voice booms like thunder, and there's no need to wonder the identity of my captor.

"Tim," I squeak out, becoming nervous. My eyes adapt to the dark, and I'm able make out his figure pacing back and forth in front of me.

"I can't believe this! Y-you're…I…We…Oh, man!" he says in a mock whisper, his voice filled with varied emotions. "I can't believe that we…that I almost…Damn, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not like I knew who you were."

"You could have told me your age! What are you, twelve?"

"I'm eighteen," I bark back, feeling a tad insulted.

"What the hell were you even doing at that club, anyway? This is all—"

"Hey, don't try to pin this all on me!" I cut him off in a huff. "Don't act like you weren't into me last night."

"That's just it…It's killing me that I'm attracted to you. I shouldn't have these feeling for you! I mean, do you have any idea what could have happened last night! Do you?" he yells, and a bit of reality sets in. Things could have been ten times worst, if I hadn't left when I did. For a second, I felt like rubbing the fact that it was me who stopped us in his face. But then he says, "God, I feel terrible," and I know he's letting this eat away at him. "If I knew that you were Ron's…Oh, man, Ron! He's going to kill me! I…"

My eyes grew wide, and I quickly latch on to him, forcing him still. "Ron doesn't need to know about this! No one needs to know about this," I say as clam and as clear as possible. I let go of him, and lean back onto a wall. We're silent for a while, and I strain my eyes to see him."Can you come here, I'd like to say this to your face," I whisper. I hear him fumble around, his hand taps my breast, and he promptly recoils it. When my eyes are able to make out his face, I let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry…For misleading you, I mean," I say carefully.

"What happened last night was a mistake. It'll never happen again."

His words are like a kick in the stomach. In a way, I don't really regret what happened last night. I just don't like the circumstances. The odds are really against us, with the age difference and us being in-laws now. And yet, I can still hear the universe whispering in my ear that we're meant to be. Stupid stars.

And then our eyes lock.

The mood instantly changes. My eyes then roam over him. He's really sexy in tux. I notice he's looking me over as well, and I curse having to wear this made-for-babies dress. I then remember how it clung to me, realizing he's paying very little attention to the dress's design, and more to what lies beneath it. Our eyes link again.

My heart's racing. My breath is caught in my throat. He leans into me, pressing our chests together. His lips are only inches away from mine. I can feel his scattered breathing as our eyes continue to stare into each other. I ease forward, causing our lips to brush ever so lightly. A zap of electricity surges through me. I can feel him backing away, so I pull him into the kiss. His body stiffens, but slowly relaxes into me. I grip his hair and deepen the kiss. I'm not a fool. I know full and well that the moment we walk out of this closet, this connection we have will be erased from existence. And it's because of that that I'm remembering every detail of this heart wrenching moment.

A year later…

Tomorrow is Ron and Kim's first anniversary. I wonder if she'll be back from her solo mission in time for the party?

I crawl under my bed, pulling out my gift. I open the box and pull out the crystal glass globe. I wonder if there's a place on earth they've haven't been already…

I lift up the globe, allowing the light to sparkle through it. Beautiful. The colorful reflections on the ceiling kind of look like spirals of galaxies and stars. The universe dances across my room, and I'm in awe. For some reason Tim comes to mind. Strange, since I haven't thought about him in months. Haven't seen nor heard from him since the reception…Not that I'm surprised. It doesn't matter.

I snap out of my dream like state just as my mom comes busting through the door. She looks hysterical.

"Mom, what's the matter?"

"Hana, Kim's…gone."

Gone?

Breathing became an unbearable chore. My body began to tremble. I'm gasping for breath. The globe slips from my fingertips. My world shatters in more way than one.