Hey guys! I'm competing in One-Shot day, and here's my next entree. It's Jeroy central! Here you go!
You Are Perfect Mercer
Joy's POV
Weddings.
You got the dress, the jewels, the pearls, the diamonds, the shoes and everything else a woman can dream of.
Not me.
I've never been a fan of pearls of diamonds, except for one ridiculous week when I dressed like my friend Amber when she went off to fashion school in New York, but that's the only time I've ever been a fan.
But today, I have to wear the jewels, the pearls, the diamonds, the shoes and especially the dress.
My name is Joy Mercer, and I am getting married to Jerome Clarke.
I am getting married to Jerome Clarke.
The thought was horrifying, but amazing as well.
The several women behind me were curling and twisting my hair, putting makeup on my face and putting jewelry on me. One woman was fixing my dress so it wouldn't move as I walked out of the isle, but her hands were dangerously close to my bottom and it was kind of uncomfortable.
I had my eyes closed and I kept taking deep breaths. My stomach churned as I turned around to look at myself in the mirror.
"You look beautiful, Joy," Mara, my best friend and bridesmaid, assured me. She was standing beside me getting her hair done in an up-do by one of my hair stylist.
I smiled and looked in the mirror again. I am beautiful. I am perfect for this day and this day only. Well, in my eyes of course. Jerome would tell me how perfect I am all day if I let him.
But I really did look perfect right now. And I'm not saying this out of vanity. I really do look like perfection.
My long hair has been curled, braided into multiple braids, twisted, turned and tied with a bow at the end and thrown over my shoulder. It looks fantastic. My face makeup is magnificent; there's light blush on m already naturally pink cheeks, peach colored lipstick on me, but it's not the dark peach color. It's the light, glossy color. Over that is some shiner gel lip gloss that makes my lips shine but doesn't wipe away the other lipstick. My other makeup is what you have to wear on your wedding day; mascara, eyeliner and nose powder. My eyelashes have been done so that there's a wing at the end of it and there's eyeliner applied around the perimeter. The women had put nose powder that matched my skin-tone on my nose and a little bit on my cheeks as well.
And, quite frankly, it was perfect. I didn't look like Joy Mercer, I looked like the revamped Joy Mercer I always wanted to be. I looked like perfection.
But it wasn't the makeup that made it perfection. It was the dress. My dress was different, like me. It had a long skirt that hit the floor, but the dress didn't start at the waist. The tight fabric that was meant to go down to my stomach continued down and ended in a small V, and then it broke out into a white skirt that looked amazing. It was basically a mermaid gown, but better. Plus, it gave everyone a better look at her bottom. She loved it!
"I told you you looked beautiful," Mara joked, walking over to me. I smiled but my eyes didn't leave the mirror. There wasn't a damn thing that would make me not want to be me right now.
I was marrying my high school sweetheart, I looked beautiful, and I have all the friends I had back in high school. That's a huge thing to maintain eight years after you graduate.
The old lady that had moved around my dress so it wouldn't move came back with my veil. It was long and just went past my backside and had sparkles on it. It wasn't covered completely in sparkles, but it had enough sparkles on it to make me shine.
I smiled as she placed the veil on me with the diamond-encrusted clip Mara had gave me. Something borrowed, something new, something old, something blue.
I had the something borrowed, that was the clip, the dress was the something new, the shoes were the something old-they were my mom's- but I didn't have something blue. I turned around and looked at Mara.
"Mara, I need something blue." I said seriously. She rolled her eyes and took my hand. She didn't believe in all the something borrowed something blue mumbo jumbo, but she put it aside for me.
"Come on, I think I have clip you can put in the back of your head."
She led me to the dressing rooms where her jewelry box was and I followed.
I needed to have everything in order. This wedding had to be perfect.
Jerome's POV
Suits, ties, hair gel and shoe shines.
That's basically all that's in my tent where I'm getting ready to marry my high school sweetheart, Joy Mercer.
"Come on Jerry," Eddie said, slapping me on the back. "Smile!"
I was looking hard into the mirror. My hair stylist Joy had got me was coming back my hair while making sure to put as much gel in as possible. I was making sure he was doing everything right. I needed to look exceptionally perfect for this wedding.
"I am smiling," I said bitterly. "On the inside."
Eddie chuckled. Why did I make him my best man? Oh right, my friend Alfie was getting married to his girlfriend, Willow, in two days and quite frankly, wedding planning ran all day long. I was stuck with Eddie.
"Come on, Jerome. You should be happy. You're getting married to the girl you love. She was one of the hottest girls in school, remember? And you, Jerry, stole her heart! Smile!"
Jerome did smile this time. Eddie was right. He was getting married to the girl he was in love with and he'd had her heart for almost 10 years now. He was happy, and he had to smile.
"There you go, Jerry." Eddie said, slapping him on the back once more.
Just then a women that looked Filipino and had tan skin ran in with an excited look on her face ran in. That was Joy's mom. She'd helped plan the whole wedding, and she absolutely adored Jerome. She was dressed up in a white dress that just passed her knees and she had a white and yellow flower in her black hair.
"It's time!" She said excitedly. Jerome smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Eddie, go wait for Patricia outside the girl's tent," Jerome ordered. "You're the Best Man, you walk down first."
Eddie grinned and stepped out of the tent. His white tux suited him, but he didn't even come close to looking as handsome as Jerome. It was just a good thing his girlfriend Patricia loved him, because if she didn't, she totally jump at Jerome!
"Everyone out!" Joy's mom, Kim, ordered. Everyone scattered out of the tent to let the Mother-in-law have a conversation with the Son-in-law. It was tradition.
Kim smiled and started walking towards Jerome. She put her arms out and Jerome met her halfway, hugging the shorter woman. He smiled and she did too.
Kim pulled away and examined him. He looked very handsome in his black tux and black tie. His blue eyes sparkled and his dirty blonde hair looked relatively normal for once.
"My daughter is one lucky girl," Kim said, smiling.
"No," Jerome said, holding his mother-in-law's hand. "I am one lucky man."
"Mara, Piper, KT, saying positions now! The wedding is about to start!"
Joy ordered everyone to get into their starting positions.
"Patricia!" She shouted. She tracked down the tall redhead.
"You're the Maid of Honor, you get to walk down first.
The pretty redhead smiled and took her position at the front of the tent. She could see Eddie's white tux standing outside the tent, but she wasn't about to disobey Joy's orders. Today was Joy's day, not hers.
"Okay, Mara, get behind Patricia. Who's escorting you?"
"Fabian," Mara replied. She had been dating the geeky boy for a while, and she felt like she had a real love again.
"Okay. KT, what about you?"
"Mick's escorting me," the brown-skinned girl said, smiling a bit. She had been dating Mick since three years before when they had an Anubis reunion. They seemed in love.
"Good. You get behind Mara. Piper?" She turned to the redhead that was identical to Patricia. "What about you?"
"My boyfriend James is escorting me," Piper said.
"Right." Joy remembered James. He had tan skin and he was American. She got along with him pretty well.
"Go get behind KT."
Piper nodded and did so.
"Is everybody in order?" Joy called. Everyone said yes, and Joy smiled. She picked up her bouquet of white roses and got behind everyone.
"Start walking."
Jerome stood on the stage and watched one by one as bridesmaids joined arms with their escorts.
First was Patricia. She walked out of the tent and joined arms with Eddie, whom had taken it upon him to form a line of groomsmen, starting with him.
He and Patricia walked down the white carpet that matched the theme of the wedding; winter. There where white roses everywhere, fake sparkly snowflakes and white tables decorated with small pine trees that were covered in fake snow. It was beautiful.
The bridesmaids' dresses matched the theme too; their dresses were beige and had white snowflakes at the hem of their dresses. Their heels were either grey or white.
Next came Mara. She was escorted down by Fabian whom was dressed in the optional white tux and black bowtie.
After that it was KT and Piper, and then out came the grand finale.
Joy.
She was beautiful. Her long white dress looked amazing on her, and it hugged her body perfectly, especially her bottom. Her heels made her look like she was at a normal height, even though she was short for her age. Her hair looked amazing. It was braided, twisted, turned and thrown over her shoulder. It was beautiful. Her veil was sparkly and was clipped perfectly into her head by a diamond encrusted clip. Her makeup was perfect, and she, as herself, was perfect.
She carefully walked down the carpet as, instead of Here Comes the Bride, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star played on the piano. We wanted something different, and Joy was a star, so why not Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?
She carried her bouquet in her small hands and made her way down the carpet, linking arms with her brother, instead of her father whom was dead to her, and smiling, keeping her arms locked with Jerome's.
When she finally reached the end of the carpet, she unlinked her arms from her brother's and practically ran onstage. The crowd laughed.
She blushed and took off her ring and placed in on the pillow with Jerome's like the Priest said to.
"Do you Jerome Anthony Clarke take Joy Olivia Juliet Mercer to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her through the good and the bad, through sick and health, and through rich and poor?"
"I do," Jerome said breathlessly, looking into Joy's chocolate brown eyes.
"And do you Joy Olivia Juliet Mercer take Jerome Anthony Clarke to be you lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him-,"
"I do," Joy cut him off, her voice just as breathless as Jerome's.
The Priest chuckled. "Then with the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!"
Joy squealed, and jumped into Jerome's arms as he kissed her deeply, dipping her down and holding her tight. Joy kissed back with just as much passion and love as Jerome.
The crowd was whooping and clapping when they pulled apart two minutes later.
"Go, Jerry!" Eddie whooped. He was about to shout something else but Patricia kissed him on the lips to shut him up. She pulled away, and then Eddie pulled her back, turning it into an all-out makeout session.
Joy and Jerome both rolled their eyes but jumped off the stage.
I was about to drag her off, but Joy stopped me.
"Wait!" She yelled over the noise.
"Try to catch the bouquet girls!"
All of her bridesmaids minus Patricia gathered around.
Joy turned around, closed her eyes, and threw the bouquet. When she turned around and opened her eyes, Piper was jumping up and down with the bouquet in her hands.
Joy giggled and finally allowed Jerome to drag her off to the dance floor where everyone was dancing wildly to the beat of Tonight by Jessica Sanchez.
"I'm so happy for you, Joy." Amber, a long-known friend of Joy's and Jerome said, smiling. "You too, Jerome." She added quickly. She was a long-known friend of Joy's, but she wasn't too fond of Jerome.
Joy grinned and Jerome smiled.
"Now if you'll excuse me, that cute bartender over there is totally checking me out."
Joy laughed and Jerome shook his head as Amber strutted over to the bar table they had got for the wedding. They would never grow up, would they?
That's when their song came on. A Thousand Years by Christina Perry started playing. That had been their song since high school, and it seemed to stick with them.
Joy wrapped her arms around Jerome's neck and put her head in his neck as he placed his hands on her waist and they swayed to the song.
"I love you, Joy." Jerome whispered into his wife's ear.
"I love you too," Joy whispered back.
They swayed in a pleasant silence and Joy spoke up again.
"Tell me something." She said.
"Anything for you."
"Why did you pick me?" Joy asked, looking up into Jerome's blue eyes. "You could've picked any other perfect girl, but you picked me. Why?"
Jerome looked into his wife's eyes for a moment before replying with just one sentence. "You are perfect, Mercer."
Joy smiled slightly. "You really think that?"
"From head to toe, you're perfect. To me and to everyone you know. You're perfect."
Joy grinned and swayed to their song again as the words repeated in her head.
You are perfect, Mercer.
