I'm sitting at the piano, staring straight ahead at the piece of music on the stand.

In the far corner of the page, it reads "for my friends Mello and Kari on their special day"

I read it over and over again, while smoking the last of my pack of cigarettes.

After I had finished, I go change quickly into the only nice suit that I own.

I'm about to head out the door and my eyes glance over the faded white couch in the center of my living room.

With the mess on the table and the game controllers sprawled everywhere, I can almost see her sitting there.

Her favorite character was always Kirby and I always played Princess Peach.

She wasn't very good at Super Smash Bros but because she was so cute I let her win occasionally.

There was that cute way she swayed with her controller and made these facial expressions that would always make me laugh.

She screamed and swayed to the left, right into me, and she stayed there, her head rested on my shoulder. "You're too good, when will I ever beat you for real?" she asked.

"For real? You win sometimes." I said as I put my arm around her shoulder.

"Only because you let me." She said

"Prove it." I said as I poked her on the cheek.

She moved her face close to mine and said in a semi-menacing voice "you're on."

I smiled as we picked our characters again, stubborn pig.

We started to play another game and this time she was winning, without my help. "So you've been holding out on me, you're pretty good." I said.

"If you think that's impression, watch this." She said as she went in for the kill.

But before she could finish me off, she let out a shriek as she was assaulted by our third roommate Mello.

She lost the game but she was too preoccupied with Mello's attention to notice anymore.

He hugged her and tickled her on the ground while she tried to wrestle him off. "Matt help!" She screamed in between gasps of laughter.

My wall clock chimed for the hour and it pulled me back from nostalgia. I took one more glance at that old couch and I headed out the door for the wedding.

I could have taken the car, but I took a taxi instead.

Too many memories were on that car, too much of her still lingered with that car. Her smell was on the seats, our talks stayed in that car.

It was a beautiful night, Kari and I were sitting on the hood of my car looking up at a dark sky.

"I can't see the stars." She complained.

"We're in the city, it's hard to see them." I said.

I leaned closer to her "But if you look close, really close, you can see some of them."

She believed me and tried to look closer "Is that one?" she asked

I held her hand as it was in the air "That's an airplane, silly."

She puffed out her cheeks in anger "You always trick me!"

I puffed the air out of her cheeks and gave her a small peck on her nose. "I like to see your expression." She turned away blushing, her hand still in mine.

I was thinking about telling her finally, after so long, how I really felt about her. How long I've loved her and how I wanted to spend the rest of life with her.

"Kari, there is something I want to tell you." She turned to me with anticipating eyes.

Than a hand covered her eyes "Guess who?" Mello said as he kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled and touched his hands "Mello!" He removed his hands and let her hug him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. What were you saying Matt?" he asked. I smiled politely "Nothing, don't worry about it."

Mello shrugged and then took off his jacket and draped it over Kari. She held it around her and smiled "It's cold outside, I don't want you to get cold." Mello said.

She nodded and leaned against him as he put his arms around her.

I got out of the taxi and entered the hotel where the ceremony was held. After greeting some friends, I went to see the bride. She was more beautiful than I had ever imagined. While they were putting flowers and adornments in her hair she quickly ran to me when she saw me.

She ran into my arms and gave me a hug that lasted way too short.

"Matt, you made it, I thought you would be late, like you always are." She said.

I fixed a flower in her hair that was falling out "For you, I would be anything." You said.

She smiled, not understanding the implication of my words.

"Matt! You finally made it!" Mello said as he came and gave me a brief hug

"I wouldn't miss my best friend's wedding for the world." I replied half-heartedly.

"I have to go setup to play this piece. I'll see you after this is all over." I said and walked away.

I watched the ceremony through half-awake eyes.

Half of me was here, watching the love of my life marry my best friend. The other half of me was in my thoughts when she was still mine. Or was she ever mine?

Whenever it was me and her, it was always Mello too. He was always there; perhaps he loved her from the start just as much as I did.

But still I liked to think, I loved her more and still love her more to this day.

The ceremony ended and I played them their song, I looked right at her, wanting her to know it was all for her, everything I did was all for her.

At the end of it, Mello looked at me with a sad expression, but then he smiled.

He understood my song.

I imagined what it would be like if it were me instead of Mello.

What it would be like if it were me removing the veil to see the face of the woman I loved.

What would her lips taste like? How sweet would her skin smell and how soft it would feel under my excited fingertips?

And when we kissed, all the people watching would disappear and it would be me and Kari, and a smile would slip over her lips and I would run my hand over her soft cheek.

I'm sitting at the bar drinking wine and twirling in my fingers, a small diamond ring.

So much hope and so much promise was held in this little thing.

I turned it again and again in my finger, watching how it shined and gleamed in the light.

"Why are you alone here looking so sad?" Kari said as she snuck up behind me.

I clamped my hand over the ring and put on a smile "Just thinking that I'll be sad once my best friends both move out on their own."

She sighed and twirled the wine in her glass "I almost wish we didn't have to. I'll miss you so much."

"Not nearly as much as I'll miss you." I thought to myself.

"This was the place that Mello proposed to you right?" I asked her.

She nodded and touched her ring affectionately "Yes, this was the place, right over there by that fountain."

"I also remember that night you pulled me aside and you told me you had something to say to me, right before Mello proposed. What did you have to tell me?" she asked.

I had all the intentions of proposing to her, as I saw her by the bar with a friend, I grabbed her hand without hesitation and I pulled her with me towards the fountain.

I held her hand in mine, the ring in my pocket "Kari, I've wanted to tell you for a long time now, that I've always—"

"There you are, Kari." Mello said as he strolled up to Kari.

She slipped her hand out of mine and went to him.

And as their hands met, he slipped a ring onto her finger. She looked down confused and then her eyes got big and she looked at Mello with a look you had never seen before.

Without words, she knew and he knew.

I smiled "I wanted to tell you that, I've always loved you like a friend. And I wished you would be happy even if I am not part of that happiness."

She touched her heart and smiled "Matt."

Mello came up from behind her and wrapped his arm around her "Kari, it's time to have our first dance." She nodded and left me with one last long loving glance.

I opened my hands to just see the ring one last time, then I dropped it in the wine glass, that she left behind.

and I left with my heart behind me.