"Jimmy, you're not nervous?" Sheen asked as he rolled up the sleeves on his hoodie, exposing his tattoo-covered arms.
"Nervous?" Jimmy chuckled, pushing back the long hair he usually wore in a ponytail. "Why would I be nervous? I'm just marrying Cindy. I know she was an annoying little girl at one time, but things are different now. She's kind, sweet, and not verbally abusive to me any more."
"Yeah, she takes it all out on us," a taller, wider Carl piped in.
Jimmy had just returned to Retroville for the summer, so he and Cindy could get married in front of their family and friends. He decided to stay at the apartment Sheen and Carl shared in downtown Retroville instead of at his parents' house. The boys sat around a table playing poker, just two days before Jimmy and Cindy's wedding.
"You won't see me throwing my life away on some dumb girl," Sheen said as he began dealing a stack of playing cards. He was in his mid-twenties and tall and lanky as ever. Sheen had a pierced lip, eyebrow and lots of different sized rings running down the sides of each ear.
"Somebody's bitter," Carl sang under his breath.
"Dammit Carl, shut your hole!" Sheen yelled.
He had broken up with Libby over five years ago and had missed her every day since. Sheen had spent the last few years kicking around Retroville. He had gotten into some trouble in his late teens, but nothing Jimmy and Carl couldn't bail him out of. He was now a part-time student at the community college and hopped from minimum wage job to minimum-wage job. Most of the time he could barely pay his half of the rent. Sheen had let Libby go because he knew he couldn't give her the future she deserved and she'd be better off without him.
It was a week before their senior prom when Sheen told Libby they were through. He did it the fastest and most painless way he could think of; which was over the telephone. It was the hardest thing he ever did.
Jimmy cleared his throat. "That reminds me, Libby just came in from Las Vegas this morning. She's one of Cindy's bridesmaids. Just thought I'd warn you Sheen."
"Las Vegas?" Sheen began; leering at Jimmy. "What does she do out there? Is she a stripper?"
"I...I don't think so," Jimmy stuttered. "Cindy said she's in her third year at UNLV."
"Oh," was Sheen's only response. Apparently Libby was doing fine without him. His heart sank. All the energy was suddenly gone from the room and it was filled with awkward silence as the boys looked at the cards they had been dealt.
"Okay guys, here's the deal," Jimmy said, trying to get the conversation going again. "Since I can't decide which of you to pick as my best man, I'm going to split the duties between you two. Carl, you can handle all the things that go on at the ceremony."
Carl timidly raised his hand. "I won't have to say 'I have the ring' will I? I've been traumatized enough as it is."
"Of course not Carl," Jimmy said reassuringly. "And Sheen--I know I'm gonna regret this--but I want you to give the speech at the reception."
