Josh Pov.
Its three days before Helen's wedding. She is marrying this guy, Rick. He seems mysterious and weird. Maybe he's just really quiet and shy, but sometimes I think he is just hiding something. Anyways, I don't like the guy, but Helen seems really happy with him. I'm walking to my house, because Drake stole my car this morning. He is such a jackass. And Helen seems to like him; he is "the best man" in her wedding. Damn that pissed me off. Going back to the subject, I'm walking through this weird trailer neighborhood to get faster to my house. I think I'm completely lost right now. And the big forestall area near the neighborhood is even more scary. I look at my clock and its 9:40 p.m. Suddenly, I hear some growls coming from the forestall area. I'm freaking out and the next thing I know I'm hiding behind a trailer, sitting, with my legs practically beneath the trailer, next to the wheels.
Then, I hear a voice coming from inside the trailer. It's rough, like a man's, but with the tone and softness of a woman's, so I deduce it's from a woman. The light from the "living room" of the trailer is on, which I can see 'cause it's facing the side of the trailer, where my head is popping out. Curious, I stay sitting and rest my ear in the wall of the trailer, so I can hear well.
"Now, what do you want from me?" She is talking on the phone.
"Sure, I can do that. But I need more information in reference to their relationship." I can't understand, so my frown is planted in my face.
"A folder? Outside the trailer?" She asks, and the voice in the phone is now so high that I can actually understand what it says.
"YES, AND YOU BETTER SEPARATE THEM BEFORE THE WEDDING!!! THAT WOMAN CAN'T BE PART OF MY FAMILY!!!" The word wedding makes me remember Helen instantly. The phone hangs up and I get my head to its old position popping out the wall of the trailer. I move from my position and walk in a bent position so she can't watch me in the window. I kneel next to the wall of the side of the trailer, just under the window, so I can see what happens in the front door, where she is supposed to pick up the folder. In fact, I can see the 8½ / 11 folder in front of the door. The door burst open and a woman comes out, picking up the folder and entering again in the house. But before I can even change my position, the window burst open so I run out of the neighborhood before someone catches me. If this is about Helen, I'm fearful. That woman is a home breaker from what I could hear, and someone is going to pay her to separate a couple before the wedding. It's not like I want her to marry Rick, it's just that she is so excited by her wedding.
I walk out of the neighborhood and I see 4 guys in the entrance of it. They are just talking, but I recognize them immediately. They are Dylan Dykeman, Eric Beckert, Lucas Curtis and Nolan McCullen, better known as the Trenchcoat Mafia. Dylan is very tall, lean, with wavy blond hair that gets near his jaw line. Eric is less tall and has short blond hair. Lucas is not really tall, but is the most muscular of the group. He has blond hair that covers his forehead. And Nolan has brown reddish hair that covers part of his face. He's the shorter and is as thin as Eric. They are the badass group in the school. I think they know who I am. I try to go unnoticed, but one of them shouts
"Look who is there" I look at them and they are looking at me sternly.
"Hello" I say awkwardly.
"What the hell were you doing there?" Eric asks nudging his head towards the neighborhood. Finally, I get that they are not trying to kill me or something, so I get near them.
"I got lost trying to find a shorter way home" They laugh and I frown. They notice and Lucas tells me trying to hide his laughter.
"So I see, you are near your house if you go straight forward this avenue. What were you doing in one of the most dangerous places of Belleview?"
"I got lost" I say barely a whisper.
"Now, we saw you near that trailer. What were you doing there?" Dylan says pointing to the trailer I was hidden near.
"Something was chasing me, so I freaked out." They laugh again.
"I'll only tell you this. That woman is dangerous. And so is this neighborhood. You better get the fuck out of here if you don't want some psycho to stab you" Eric tells me, and to show his point, he took out of his belt pocket a knife. He seems to be the most violent. I only nod and run up the street. Just as Eric told me, when the street ends, I see my house.
I enter the house and my mother is waiting for me in the middle of the living room. She must be worried.
"Josh Nichols, tell me where have you been?" I run a hand trough my hair. I'm not good at explanations and confrontations.
"Drake took my car, so I had to walk. Then, I got lost." She lets an exasperated sigh and sits in the sofa.
"Okay Josh, just promise me that the next time you'll call." I nod and hug her. I go up to my room, change into night clothes and go to bed. I won't get into it this time. Not to get in trouble.
---------------------------------------------------------Next Day (after School) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm looking for a new camera in a store. I need photos, and my old Digital Camera got fucked up. I found one that I really like. I need it for tomorrow in Helen's Wedding. I can't wait for have some party. I'm looking forward to go to the Church, too. I used to be really catholic, but I don't know what happened, I got away. I want to retake my faith. And I will. I'm getting near the counter so I can pay for the camera, but something attracts my attention in a coffee store in front of the one I'm in. My eyes widen as I see a tall man that looks a lot like Rick. Wait, that's Rick. And there is a woman, a beautiful woman that looks like Tyra Banks, well, from the angle I'm seeing her. And they are talking really close. Then, she slides and arm around his neck, I look back, and then retake my look at them. She is flirting with him. I know what's flirt, and they are flirting. He is too. A thought comes to my mind. Helen. I pay for my Cannon Olympus camera quickly and get nearer the window to take my photo. I take six consecutive photos. Then, she goes. Rick looks confused. I get out of the store and into my car. I pull it to the driveway and get fast to my house. When I get into the house, I see that Drake is in the living room watching TV. I run to him and tell him
"Drake, Drake, look at this." I take out the camera and he asks me
"A camera?" I roll my eyes at him and tell him
"Nooo, look at these photos." I show him one by one. His eyes widen as he looks at me.
"That's Rick" He says as a matter of fact.
"I know, he was flirting with a woman in a coffee shop." He looks down at the camera again.
"You are not telling her, right?" He asks me.
"Of course I am!! I always knew that man wasn't honest, but no one listened to me."
"Josh, tomorrow is her wedding. She will realize that sooner or later. And it will hurt the same. Let her realize it for herself." I hate to admit it, but he is right.
"Okay, I won't tell."
"Fine" I came to my room and only stared at the ceiling, as if I was looking for an answer. Maybe he was being honest, but that woman started flirting with him and he gave in. Or maybe it was just a joke. Or maybe… that woman yesterday was talking about them. At that moment, everything made sense. Everything that happened today could have just being made up by that woman. And she knows what she is doing. Damn right she does. That's enough of hiding and then not knowing what to do. I have to call Rachel. By the way, I broke up with Mindy about three months or so. She was becoming obsessive, and remembering her psycho tendencies, I told her to end that relationship before something more serious happened. She didn't take that really well. She told me to fuck off, and reminded me when I lost the Science Contest three years ago. She hasn't talked to me since that. I'm dating a girl named Rachel. She came as an employee in Premiere's, and we have all our job journeys together. She is a good student like me. I like her a whole lot. She is funny, creative, smart, devoted catholic… And physically, she is short, thin, her hair is long straight and reddish. Her skin is pale and she has pinky cheeks. Her eyes are hazel. I dial her number and call.
"Hello" She picks it up.
"Hey, I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Listen, I came home walking after working at Premiere's. I got lost, and I entered this weird trailer neighborhood near my house. I felt something chasing me, so I went to hid behind a trailer. I heard a woman from inside the trailer talking on the phone. Someone was booking her to separate a couple before their marriage. When I got out of there, I saw the Trenchcoat Mafia outside the neighborhood, and they told me that the woman I heard is dangerous, but I didn't dare on asking more. And today, I was looking for a camera, and I saw Rick flirting with a stranger woman in the coffee shop. I even took pictures. I'm not going to tell her because, I mean, is their marriage, and she will know sooner or later. Then I remembered about the woman of the trailer. Oh, my God, I'm so confused."
"Get away of this subject. If they are not having problems, then you don't have to tell. If they are, you tell them about the woman in the trailer. By the way, why were you walking?"
"Because Drake stole my car again." I hear her giggle trough the phone.
"Well, you know what you have to do"
"Yeah, I do. Thanks"
"No problem, bye Josh." The phone hangs up. She's right; I shouldn't be into problems because of what I heard. Well, I'm going to do my homework, so I can distract a little.
----------------------------------------------------------------------Next Day (At the Church)-------------------------------------------------------
We are all waiting for Helen right now. The church has white candles and ribbons all around, and the chorus is singing. Ricks family is sitting in the first bench, but her mother looks anxious, and continuously looks at the entrance of the Church, as if looking for someone. Rick is standing in front of the altar, really anxious too. I'm sitting right now, but Rachel and I are going to be the witnesses, so we are going to be standing next to Drake all through the ceremony. I'm dressing all black, but my tie is vibrant red. Rachel's dress is purple and long, and her hair is down. Meghan didn't come, she said she was sick, but I'm sure it wasn't real. My Dad and my Mom came, and are sitting in the second bench behind Helen's parents. Everyone is entering the church. And then, I see it. Helen's dames of honor are entering the Church. Then we see the florists, and later we can see Helen walking by his Father. We can't see it clearly, but she is crying. Happy tears, I think. She gets in front of the Altar and smiles tenderly at Rick. We see father Moore, standing in the altar, smiling tenderly at the couple. He then extends his arms up and says
"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today, to wed Helen Ophelia Dubois and Richard Gerard Evans"
After reading God's lecture for Wedding days, he said
"You may now exchange rings" Rick turned to Drake and Helen turned to Leah, asking for the rings. Rick slipped a very beautiful ring with a diamond on it, on Helen's finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands." And then, so did Helen. She repeated the process. I noticed that Rick's mom looked a lot more anxious.
"Now, before I claim this couple husband and woman, I'll ask if someone has a reason why this couple can't be married" As soon as he says it, the entrance door burst open.
"I do" I watch the same woman that was flirting with him yesterday appear and walk all the way in. People are murmuring. I turn to Rick and his eyes are as big as dinner plates, and he is blushing. Helen only looks at him and to the woman. Now that I'm seeing her in the front, she is not that pretty. Her face is rough, like a drag queen. I lean to Rachel and whisper in her ear:
"That's the woman he was flirting with" She nodded and looked at her immediately. The priest, getting back from his amusement, asks her:
"What are your reasons?"
"My name is Eva, I'm his ex-girlfriend. I saw him yesterday, and she told me that woman means anything to him, and that he wants to be with me." She says putting disgust in the words that woman.
"That's not true" Rick shouts, only to be cut off by 'Eva'.
"I have the proof." Then, she looks in her bag for something. She pulls out a photo. It looks a lot like mines. Rachel and Drake turn immediately to me, with disappointed faces.
"It wasn't me" I murmur so only they can hear. When they see my face, they know I'm telling the truth.
"Rick, come on. You told me all of this yesterday. But you didn't told me that you were going to get married" 'Eva' says.
"Rick" Helen whispers, shaking her head, as if looking of an answer, an explanation.
"Okay, I'll tell the truth. She appeared yesterday, and threw herself into my arms. She started to remember me about all our memories together, and I lose my self-control. I told her that I was into a relationship, and I did tell her that it wasn't important. But I didn't mean it. She is nothing to me, all I want is you Helen" Rick tries to hold her hands, but Helen takes them away, with watered eyes.
"I can't believe you, Rick" Into the commotion, the front door burst open reveling someone unexpected; Meghan.
"This is such a big ass lie!!!" Meghan screams
"Meghan, watch your language young lady!" My mom shouts at her, and my dad only rolls his eyes and look at Meghan. She starts walking towards the altar. There is a woman, behind her. She looks a lot like Eva, but prettier, and her face is softer.
"Father Moore, I'm here to show the truth about this. This person here that names herself 'Eva', is not who you think you are. The real Eva Springfield is right here behind me." She takes out a photo to show her point.
"I knew there was something weird about you" Rick says, his eyes widened. The woman behind Meghan has a dreamily look on her face.
"Rick… It has been so long." She says, but stays behind Meghan.
"Hold on a second… If the real Eva is there, who the hell are you?" Before the woman could respond, Meghan says
"I have that answer too." Meghan walks near the stunned woman, with determined eyes. "The person here is not Eva Springfield. It is the home-breaker gold digger Nikki LaPorte." Everyone in the church gasp. But LaPorte looks…relieved. "But that's not all. She is not Nikki LaPorte either, she is Nicholas LaPorte, a man." She takes a fistful of her hair, better said, his wig. Then, she takes it off. The whole church gasps again.
"From what I could investigate, someone is paying her for breaking this marriage" Meghan says, looking sternly at Nicholas, who is now blushing like mad.
"I did" Someone from the audience says, and we watch Mrs. Evans, Rick's mother, getting up on her sit and put her glasses on. Everyone starts muttering and gasping. Rick's and Helen's faces are priceless.
"Mom?" Rick asks.
"Like you've heard before, Rick, I did. I hired her to prevent you from marrying someone like her!" She says pointing at Helen.
"But why?" Rick asks.
"Why?? You've been single for years! YOU were supposed to take care of me so I could live with comforts!!! It has always been my plans for you! And it was going perfect until SHE came and you fell in love with her!" She shouted, before shaking her head and getting out of the church. The church is silent for three minutes or so.
"You should take consideration on telling me when you realize something is happening" Meghan tells me, forming a smirk.
"Wait, you two knew about it, and you weren't going to tell me????" Oh my God, Helen's piercing voice gets through my ears once she hears Meghan.
"Ermm… I knew about her, not about him"
"Oh my God" Helen says dreamily before her eyes roll in her head and she falls unconscious into the floor.
"Sweetie" Rick says before kneeling to catch her. Rachel kneels and starts refreshing her with her hand. I kneel too. Poor Helen, she had been through all this in one day. Maybe you'll think I'm being harsh, but this was the most hilarious day in my life.