It took a few hours for me to get the wedding out of my head long enough to actually function semi-normally. I ate dinner (microwavable triple meat pizza), I cleaned the apartment (well, at least the television) and I tried to practice my lines for a play I was supposed to be in (it didn't work.) At eight o'clock, my phone buzzed, and I answered it hesitantly. "Hello?"

"Sam! Oh my god! I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"Carly? Wow, looks like you're two weeks early for your annual catch-up call. Congratulations." I muttered bitterly.

"Don't be such a grouch." she scolded. "So… I sent you something in the mail a few days ago, did you get it yet?"

Oh, and I had almost forgotten about the wedding. Thank you, ex-best friend. I decided to feign ignorance: "Get what yet?"

"The invitation!"

I tried to make a confused sound. I made one more like a heartbroken girl. "Uhhh…?"

I heard Carly giggle. "Sam, you sound so stupid! Okay, I've got really, really big news for you, and you're gonna just flip out when you hear it!"

Flip out. Yeah, let's go with that. "Yay, news…"

"FREDDIE AND I ARE GETTING MARRIED!" she squealed all in one breath, nearly blowing my eardrums out. It took all of my strength not to start crying at the fact that not only had my first love completely forgotten, but my friend didn't even care at all. "You… you are? Wow, I had no idea!" I tried to act innocent, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. And Carly wasn't fooled, either. She knew something was wrong.

"Sam? You okay? You don't sound happy. Is something wrong?" she inquired. Oh, if only she knew.

"I'm fine, thanks." I lied.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Carly. I'm fine. Really."

"If you say so…"

There was an awkward silence for about twenty seconds before she broke the ice that had just formed around us. "Oh, and I have a surprise for you!"

"Is it steak?"

She laughed. "No, Sam!"

Pause.

"I want you to be my bridesmaid!"

And there it is.

"Sure, Carly. I'll be there." I couldn't have sounded more bored or unhappy.

"You will?" she squealed. There's no way that peppy girl could be 23.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Great! It's on October 21st, and it's at that park. You know, the one we'd play at when we were, like, in fifth grade? The one with, um, the cherry blossoms and the gazebo and stuff?"

"Perennial Park?" I offered.

"Yes! Perene- Perri- You know, I could never say that word." She chuckled at her own joke, and I tried to laugh along.

"I guess I'll see you there…"

"YAY! So, I'll email you the link to the dress to buy. It'll be a steal, only, like, 200 bucks…"

My eyes widened in shock. How big was this ceremony gonna be? "Yeah, about that… I'm kinda broke…"

"Oh, it's okay. I can just loan you the money." she offered.

Okay, now I needed that money. I wasn't going to let Carly one-up me. "Two hundred is fine." I said flatly. "I'll come up with the money. I have time."

"Great!" she squealed. Again. Where does she get her energy? "I'll see you there?"

I clicked my phone shut. I walked over to the kitchen, where the calendar hung, and using a paper clip, snapped the invitation to the 21st. I didn't want to go, but I had to. I needed to see Freddie one more time, and it looked like this was my last chance.

Good luck, Carly. If you think you can keep him by your side when I step through that door, you'd better go get yourself some reinforcements and a cup of reality.