1. A Wedding Rehearsal and Undead Brides
"Hurry up, Edward! We don't want to abandon Tanya at the alter!" My adopted mother, Esme, shouted from downstairs.
I always considered marriage when I was human but it wasn't one of my top priorities. But I especially never considered ever marrying someone like Tanya Denali. It isn't because she is a bad vampire but because she really isn't my type and I think she'll just get bored of me after a few years. I just wanted our relationship status to stay at cousins, just like how I wanted me and Rosalie to always be no more than siblings, and all the other women I'd ever met to be no more acquaintances or strangers.
I sauntered downstairs with the black suit and royal blue shirt and cravat Alice had promptly picked out for me to wear today for the wedding rehearsal and tomorrow for the wedding. I examined all my family members as I came down. Esme and Carlisle seemed too happy, smiling at me like I was just crowned king of the world. Alice was giving one of her rare smiles that stretched on for miles. Alice had always worried that I was always so lonely and well Alice really did love a good wedding. I'm surprised she didn't have a vision of this whole marriage crashing and burning down.
Then there was Jasper he was smiling but I could tell that he knew I was unhappy. My emotions must be giving me away. Then there was Emmett who was showing off a big grin. I remember what he said when I agreed to marry Tanya. Emmett had said, "Nice one Edward! I think that's the best joke you've said in half a century!" It made think that they thought of me as some sort of love repellent. Rosalie was also smiling but, like Jasper, I could see into her head and tell that she did not believe the façade I was pulling off that said that I actually wanted to marry Tanya.
"I never thought I'd see this day." Alice sighed out loud.
"Well thanks Alice." I said sarcastically and pushed her lightly on the shoulder.
"We can talk later. Right now we have a wedding rehearsal to get to!" Esme insisted as she gathered us out the door.
"I'm really happy for you Edward." Carlisle whispered in my ear as we entered inside our cars. I felt bad, going through this marriage even though I knew it was going to end soon enough and then everyone would go back to feeling bad for and me even worse because it might make love for me even more hopeless.
I stared out the window as Carlisle drove and noticed every detail of the town we lived in. The cracked chipped bricks of the houses and buildings, the way the trees leaned out towards the ground almost touching the heads of humans by millimeters, the dreary formation of the clouds in the sky. I also noticed and old couple sitting on a park bench. The man was saying something and the woman was giggling. I caught out of the corner of my eye Rosalie staring at them envy. For a fraction of a second I was mad at her. She had nothing to envy anymore. At least she had Emmett who she really didn't appreciate as much as she should. She had Emmett and yet she was envious when I was the one who was going to be the forever alone…
"Again, Mr. Cullen." The minister said aggravated.
"Alright," I said and continued, "With this candle I will-" And just as I said that the candle blew out. Everyone sighed in frustration. I don't know why I'm such a mess. I've been such a klutz. This was probably the clumsiest thing any vampire has ever done.
There was a knock at the door and a non-vegetarian vampire let himself in. He had a hat dipped below his face to cover his crimson eyes from the mortal minister. "I heard there was a wedding rehearsal and thought I might stop by. I do love a good wedding. Oh by the way my name is Mr. Mike Newton." He said. I took a peek into his head. Hmm…he seems to be curious about several things. Like why we have gold eyes, why there is such a large assembly of us, why are two vampires getting married…it all seems really amusing to him though I'm used to these thoughts from other vampires.
"Continue!" the minister shouted at me. Tanya had relit my candle for me and was giving me an encouraging smile.
"With this…this…" I had forgotten what I was supposed to say and stumbled over my words. Darn it! How could I be so fallible?
"This hand, Mr. Cullen! This hand!" The minister shouted at me.
"Right." I said. "With this hand-" I said taking her hand in my right hand while left hand held the candle and started stepping towards the alter, "I will-" I said and cut off when I accidently bumped into the alter.
"My goodness Mr. Cullen, Do you want to get married!" The minister shouted, exasperated at me.
"Yes." That was a lie but I needed to look professional.
"Then get your vows right! I bet you don't even have the ring!"
"Yes I do." I said and then fished into my pocket for my mother's ring. And then for some awful reason my hand fumbled and the ring fell and rolled across the floor.
"He dropped the ring!" The minister and others were saying. The ring stopped right before it hit Carmen Denali's dress. I picked the ring up but I still had the candle in the other hand and it touched Carmen's and started a small flame on the very flammable vampire's dress. Everyone panicked and tried to set out the fire that was starting on Carmen's dress without catching themselves on fire. Finally, the newcomer, Mr. Newton finally put out the fire with a cup of holy water.
"This boy-" The minister proclaimed and jabbed a finger towards me, "Cannot be married until he is properly prepared for the wedding!" Then the minister advanced towards me and said coldly, "Learn your vows and learn how to behave when you're the groom!" I nodded and slipped out of the room before anyone could say something. I ran out of the church and into the forest, mumbling to myself that I would always be forever alone…
I walked through the forest with my head hanging low. Trying to hide myself in the forest where I could mope in my own embarrassment. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just do everything I was supposed to do? I was so much more calm and collective than this! Darn it!
I walked through the forest practicing what I was going to say when suddenly I noticed an odd-looking twig sticking out of the ground. I looked at it and sighed and decided to practice my vows by where it was standing.
I started speaking loud and clearly:
"With this hand I will lift your sorrows.
Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine.
With this candle I will light your way in darkness.
With this ring I ask you to be mine!"
And as I said the last line, I took out my mother's ring (that would be Tanya's wedding ring) and placed it on the twig sticking out of the ground pretending that it was Tanya's hand.
All was quiet and peaceful for a moment and then it turned into chaos. Started swirling around, faster than I have ever felt before. Ravens started gathering on the trees around me in some sort of odd congregation. And the twig sticking out of the ground started moving as if it were actually a hand and then grabbed my wrist with an iron grip and started tugging me towards the ground.
I managed to use my super strength to rip the arm off of me fling out away from me. I fell and as I was moving to get up something pushed itself out of the ground. It finally burst out of the ground all the way and standing before was a girl, about my age with long mahogany hair and milk chocolate eyes and skin that was frighteningly paler than mine and she wore the most stunning wedding dress my eyes had ever seen. Other than the fact that she just ripped her way out of the ground, there was something not normal about this girl. Her physique and structure seemed ethereal, something not of this world. Her feet weren't even touching the ground they were floating inches above it. Her hair swayed around her as if we were actually underwater. And her skin was glowing a white light. She reminded me of what a spirit looked like.
She stared at me with adoring and dreamy eyes and whispered words lighter than air, "I do." She said those words (to me) like we were at the alter and I had a sudden feeling of what this ghost wanted from me.
I ripped my eyes away from the beautiful sight and started sprinting away from her. All the while I hear her coming after me her calling and me to me. The voice was hypnotizing tempting me run back to her. I dashed out of the forest and stopped on a bridge that crossed over a river and separated the town from the woods.
I huffed out a sigh. The ghost…did it really want? When it said, "I do" I thought it wanted to marry me and I had said the vows you were supposed to say right before you said I do. This is going to be an interesting story to tell Carlisle. I didn't even think I could see ghosts.
As I turned around to head back to the village, the ghost appeared before me once again! I froze in shock unable to move or turn away from her gaze.
"You may now kiss the bride." She said to me and started moving towards me. I closed me eyes still unable to move and felt something feathery and cloud-like touch my lips. It was the most heavenly touch he had ever felt. I had never fainted once in my afterlife but all my senses went black and I could only feel myself being carried away by something cloud-like…