Jenny Williams 11N
The big day was finally here. Months and months of planning, making arrangements and raising the money, weeks of outfit fittings, and hours of contacting friends and relatives. It all came down to one day. Today.
Gabriella and Troy were reunited about a year ago. It had gone so fast she could hardly believe it, but she was certain Troy was "the one". They had their first kiss on their first date, a record for her. She stayed over at his after only 2 weeks. She sat, thinking of all the time they'd spent together in the past, and all the time they would spend in the future, starting with the honeymoon to the Bahamas on Saturday, for two weeks. Sure Troy wasn't her normal type of guy, with his blonde hair and deep blue eyes (She preferred brunettes with shimmering green eyes usually), but he was so sweet and romantic, and she still had all the feeling she used to have for him, back in high school, who could refuse?
She closed her eyes. Memories of their first date drifted into her mind. The local park, one midsummer day, Troy had brought a picnic. It may not have been a traditional way to spend a first date but, so what? It was special, romantic.
Troy stood in his room, his bow tie in his hands. This was his big day. A year of planning. She had been insistent on it being a big wedding.
"Girls find importance in some weird things." He thought as he fiddled with his cummerbund. He remembered that day 4 months ago. He had spent weeks searching the jewellery stores. The ring had to be perfect, that was a definite. He finally found the one he had been looking for, a ring, which made all other rings seem obsolete. It was stunning. It would suit her perfectly. He found it tucked away in an exclusive little shop in the outskirts of London on a trip to England. It reminded him of one his grandmother used to wear. It was thin and curvy in all the right places, with one single glittering diamond in the middle. He stared at it, his face reflecting hundreds of times in the smooth diamond's face. He entered the shop to the chiming of a bell. It had been a fairly simple purchase. The shop owner placed it carefully in a tiny black box lined with satin and replaced the lid. It may have been slightly more than he had planned to pay, but it was completely worth it. The minute he left the shop, the ring tucked safely in his jacket pocket, he began making arrangements. First he went to ask her mother for her blessing, which he obtained once he emphasised how Gabi was the love of his life, and showing Mrs Montez the engagement ring. Then he had to plan exactly how he was going to propose.
Gabi opened her eyes. That first date was amazing. But even better than that was the night they became engaged. Troy had called her in the early morning, but she had been asleep. She got his message an hour or so after he left it. He was coming to pick her up at 7 o'clock, it was a little early but she didn't mind that. He told her to dress fancily, so she did, in her best outfit, a long, flowing black dress and petite black heels, which she only wore on very special occasions, mainly because they killed her feet, but then, beauty is pain.
He had worn his best suit that night. He hoped she had received his message, because if not it might be slightly embarrassing. He stood nervously at the door and when she opened it…
She opened the door slowly and there he was standing in his suit, one she had helped him pick. Pure white with a smart black shirt. The lapels shone in the moonlight. She knew it was going to be a night she would never forget.
He led her down the path and into the horse and carriage that stood at the end. He knew she loved them and had found a small company who supplied them for hire.
They sat side by side, holding hands. He couldn't stop staring at her, she looked like a movie star. The romance and love that surrounded them was so strong it felt like it would never break. They rode in the carriage across town to their favourite restaurant, a little Italian place in the local village, where they had a romantic candle lit dinner. Her favourite part had to be their slow dawdle along the sandy beachfront at around 11 o'clock. The reflection of the moon shone in the sea and the sand was soft. She settled down upon his jacket and was staring at the stars. That's when he fell to one knee, producing the ring in its elegant black box.
When Troy proposed the joy which filled Gabi's body was immense. She flung her arms round him and whispered "yes" while tears came streaming down her face. He knew it would work, she'd always loved the romantic stuff he did, especially when it was a bit different.
That evening had been the most perfect night of her life, exactly how she had imagined it would be, dreamed it would happen, ever since she was a little girl. Somehow, though she wasn't quite sure how, maybe because it was him, it was even more amazing.
A knock at the door brought him back to his senses. This was it, the big moment. He walked proudly and confidently as ever out of his room, closing the door carefully behind him.
She placed her veil on top of her carefully styled flaming red hair, two hours she sat in the hairdressers to get it right. First they had added mouse brown highlights, which had been slightly lighter than she had wanted, then the hairdressers curled her hair loosely with straighteners, something she never knew you could do. The final step was putting parts of it up with grips, and only 3 hours later it was coming undone. She looked in the mirror.
The dress wasn't her normal style, but then none of this relationship was. It was white with a tight corset bodice covered in minute beads, which must have been awful for the dressmaker to deal with, as she had to remove every single one to alter the dress. It had a long, flowing, semi-transparent train, which was short enough for her to walk in without any assistance. The skirt was slightly flared and had a pink tinge in the light. When she put it on for the first time she knew she had to have it. It made her feel like a princess going to a ball with her Prince Charming.
She had declined to get a veil at first as she felt it may have been slightly too over the top, but then, while getting Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi, her friends from high school, fitted for their bridesmaids' dresses, which were light blue strapless (like her dress) dresses which fell gracefully to the ground, Sharpay had said that it "completed" the outfit, and after that, how could she refuse?
The time had come and she gently swept out of her room.
The band started to play the traditional wedding march, filling the hall with perfectly pitched notes, along with excited whispers and swivelling heads. Everyone stood up and turned to face the old oak doors. The bridesmaids came first, and then it was her turn.
There she was, standing in her full glory, looking like the traditional bride in her white gown and veil. Troy stood there, feeling anxious and unbearably guilty, yet somehow happier than he had ever been. She stepped down the aisle towards him to the beat of the music, trying to calm her pounding nerves.
She glided down the aisle. This was it, the day she had fantasized about since she was only a little girl. How had he made it so perfect? The decorations made the hall look like a palace, with long drapes, flowers everywhere and the music, well that was just the finishing touch.
She took her final step and was there, standing next to him, the smell of his aftershave filling her whole body. He glanced over to her and met her gaze.
It still felt magical to her, more like a dream than real life, she was sure that any minute now she would wake up, and she could see in those big puppy dog eyes of his, that he felt the same way. This past year had been like some kind of fairy tale.
When their gaze met there in front of the altar it felt exactly as it had done when they had been reunited, almost a year ago, there was the same excitement, the same anticipation and, most importantly, the same utter love and devotion.
The day they were reunited, that was another brilliant and unforgettable day in her life. So many of them happened when Troy was around. She had been dreaming of seeing Troy again since they were split apart after their graduation. It had started like any other day. He strode into the coffee house where she worked and "accidentally" knocked right into her, sending the contents of the tray she was holding, which included a fresh steaming hot cup of coffee, crashing to the ground. She had fallen back under his spell in an instant.
He had meant to bump into her, it wasn't just him being clumsy, though he would never admit it to her. He had seen her a few weeks before, working in that coffee shop, looking like a modern day Cinderella, and had found it hard to get his courage up enough to ask her out, especially after the way their relationship ended after graduation, the tears and the pain. He had it all planned, down to the last detail. If anything went wrong it would be ruined. Thankfully it had worked. She had fallen back in love with him instantly.
"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the vicar enquired in his deep meaningful voice, trying to pretend he hadn't said those very words more than a thousand times in his life.
"I do", Gabi stated clearly and with a determined manner. It was one of the things he loved about her, her ability to be so certain of things. He was happy, deliriously so. The day had come, all the planning and all it came down to was a few minutes, two words and one single kiss. Deep inside he knew it could all go so wrong, but he could not show it. His hands were shaking slightly, and however much he tried he could not stop. It was taking all his effort to hold his steady performance, one of the hardest of his life. Just a few more minutes, he kept telling himself. That's all it would take.
"I do", he said in reply to the vicar's question. His voice had not been as steady as he had hoped, but he had got through it. They turned to face each other. She was certain nothing could ruin this special day. It may have started out as a bit of fun with an old friend but it turned out to be true love.
They kissed. Their first kiss as a married couple. He knew that it started out as a way to get some much-needed money, but it had turned into something he never expected. True love.
Nothing could ruin this day.
He knew he had to tell her the truth so he waited until they had departed from the guests to tell her in private. He was praying with all his heart that she wouldn't hate him for it and was hoping that there was a chance that they could stay together.
"I have something that I really need to tell you", he said very seriously as they walked towards the honeymoon suite, hand in hand. "This whole day, it's not real"
"What are you talking about?" she laughed, thinking he was joking.
But he wasn't. About 2 days after he first laid eyes on her in the coffee shop he had received a phone call from his agent, with a once in a lifetime chance of a starring role on a reality television programme. He had to find a girl and persuade her to marry him, without her knowing it was all fake, and he had to do it within 18 months. If he succeeded they would each get a million pounds.
She slammed the door in his face. How could he be so deceitful? But the thing was…
He'd blown it. He had found a woman he truly cared for, truly loved even, and he had blown it, all for some stupid money!
…The thing was, even though he had been lying to her all this time, she still really loved him.
He lay there, head in his hands, for a while. There was a gentle knock on his door at around midnight, and then a carefully folded piece of paper was slipped underneath. It lay there in the corner of his eye for a few minutes before he racked up enough courage to unfold it. Inside was a message. It read:
You have one chance to redeem yourself. Once chance, that is all.
Meet me outside by the front entrance at 12:30 am.
Be on time, I won't wait.
If you aren't there I shall assume you don't love me and you never did.
XxX
Gabriella.
P.S Bring a blanket.
Troy grabbed his jacket. 12:15. Maybe he hadn't blown it. Maybe…