The clock seemed to be mocking the shocked silence in the room. Tic, tic, tic, tic. The only sound that the pair heard (aside from their own breathing) for what felt like an eternity.
"George, can you believe it?" Nora asked her husband as they sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee. The natural light of the sun illuminated the kitchen, because both adults were in shock and neither could find the energy to turn on the light. But there was enough light that it didn't make a difference.
"No." He said earnestly. "No, I can't believe it at all." He said as he sipped his coffee and looked down at the invitation that lay between them.
"Who does this after six months?" Nora asked, pulling her bathrobe securely. Weather she was fidgeting in anticipation for the events of the day, or shock that the day had finally arrived; she couldn't tell.
George took another sip of coffee. "Well, to be fair Nora, it hasn't really been six months… try six years. And you know how Emily is with things like this."
"Yeah, I guess you're right" she responded. Tic, tic, tic, tic…
Just then they heard someone running down the stairs. Marti skidded into the kitchen, wearing a pink dress, and frantically looking for her heals, her long dark hair flowing behind her. She starred at her dad and step mom in disbelief, "You guys aren't dressed yet?!" she couldn't believe it. There wasn't much time left before they had to go. "Get dressed!" she ordered. "Come on, its WEDDING DAY!!!" she sounded exasperated.
OOOOOO
Emily was pleased. As made of honor she had taken her job very seriously. Everything had been going to plan (everyone was finally here), there were 500 daisies scattered thought the church, and the groom and best man were at their stations. All the bridesmaids were dressed in their pink strapless dresses, and every-ones hair was done. Well everyone except for Marti. George and Nora had gotten to the church late, and were now looking for their seats. "Ok Marti, we're almost done, lets do your makeup, and then we can send you down the isle." Emily said as she spun Marti around in the chair. Once she finished Marti's makeup, everyone took their positions.
She walked over to Casey, "You ready?" she asked. Casey shook her head 'no'. Emily chuckled. "C'mon Casey, you've been ready for years, this is just a little step to the rest of your life."
Casey nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah you're right Em. I'm just a little nervous."
The day's finally here,
There's flowers everywhere.
The guests are waitin' with sweet anticipation.
"And plus…think about that thing you've been waiting to do…" Casey looked at her, confused for a moment. When Emily say a hint of recognition in her eyes she continued. "On your wedding night…" she trailed off. Casey started to blush.
"Lets do this" she finally said. Emily went over to the doors and signaled the organ player.
As I look down the aisle,
The preacher stops an' smiles.
Church bells are ringin' an' the organ is playin'.
Emily took her place at the side of the alter. She looked over to Sam and Derek and couldn't help but smile. This was it, after today every-ones lives were going to change. Derek looked cute, all nervous and fidgety.
I'm so overcome that I could cry.
I'm so happy I'm not the bride.
"You have the ring right" he asked Sam. He was already nervous enough, and if Sam had lost the ring he was going to have a nervous breakdown.
"Of course I have the ring…" he said while checking his breast pocket. No ring. Derek was looking at him expectantly. He watched as the bridesmaids all came down the isle. "Uh, give me a minute…" he said. He began to frantically search all of his pockets, while trying to avoid Derek's death glare.
Derek was beginning to freak- he was running out of bridesmaids here and at any moment Casey was going to walk down that isle. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow. "Here it is." Sam said relieved when he found it in his back pocket.
Emily watched the whole thing from her side of the alter. She couldn't help but smile to herself. "Look, here comes Casey" she whispered to Lizzie.
She's such a pretty thing,
She don't know anythin':
Ain't gonna tell her that she's outta her mind.
Casey looked beautiful coming down the isle, George at her side. "Wasn't this what me and Derek were talking about last night? How beautiful Casey was going to look today… along with other things." She mused as Casey made the long trip up the isle. Last night, Emily needed closure on her relationship with Derek. It had been an emotional rollercoaster. She had 'loved' him since she was in grade school. But he had never given her the time of day until sometime in high school. But all that changed once George met Nora, and she and the girls moved in. ' "You've always been in love with Casey. I knew that even when we dated for three weeks in high school." She had told him. He looked at her with a look of sympathy on his face. "Don't worry I wasn't upset or anything when you left me for Kendra. I knew we were resigned to the same fate: to be in love with you when the whole time you were in love with someone else. I just want to know if I meant anything to you." She asked.
Derek cleared his throat. "Of course you did Em'." He said as he tried to reassure her. He was telling the truth his brief relationship with Emily had meant something to him. He did care for her, but not in the same way he had for Casey the moment he met her. "You were a good friend to me, you even made me feel guilty about hurting other peoples feelings. You know how I was in high school. If it makes you feel any better; you were my first real relationship" Casey had finally made it over to Emily's side. She and Derek were looking at each other like they were the only ones in the room.
The preacher asks the question:
No, I got no objection.
I do, I do; I want him out of my life.
"Maybe with Derek finally marrying Casey, I can forget about him." She thought, as she heard the couple recite their vows. Casey had written a beautiful poem about finding true love. Derek had some strange comparison between her and Bacon. If you didn't know the couple (or Derek for that matter) you would have thought it odd.
"I now pronounce you: Man and Wife, you may kiss the bride." The crowd erupted in cheers.
Throw the rice an' let those white doves fly:
Oh, happy day: I'm not the bride.
"Time to cut the cake!" George yelled as Casey and Derek placed themselves behind the cake. They took the knife together and started to slice the cake. One piece for Derek, one piece for Casey.
Casey noticed an evil glint in Derek's eye. "Oh, no. No. No. No. No." Derek had put his hand in his slice of chocolate cake. He had a good chunk on his fingers and smashed his hand in Casey's face.
She let out a puff of air, spitting out some chocolate. "DER-REK!!!!" she screamed. Then she grabbed her whole slice and shoved it in Derek's face. Some frosting fell off and she picked it up and threw it in his hair.
Before long, the whole bridal party was covered in cake. Emily had assumed something like this was going to happed, so she had ordered another cake.
Eat some more cake,
Throw the bouquet,
Pass the champagne, it's time to celebrate.
I'm gonna dance this night away,
Whoa, whoa, yeah.
By the time the reception was over, and it was time to meet at the Venturi house, Derek and Casey were both blissfully intoxicated. "I love you!" Derek said.
"I love you more." Casey said a bit louder.
"No I love you more" Derek shouted. George helped the couple move to the back seat of the car Sam had spray painted 'Just married' onto and had tied cans to the bumper.
The groom is getting' loud,
His new wife starts to shout.
Oh, this is perfect, it can only get better.
They're fightin' in the car, off to a real good start.
His momma's cryin'. Aren't they lovely together?
They're drivin' away, we're wavin' goodbye.
"Aren't you coming" Marti asked Emily as she got into Nora's car.
"I'll be by in a little bit." She said. "There's just something I have to do first." She said her goodbyes to the Venturis and turned towards the patch of grass by the lake. She took off her heels, ran thru the grass and rolled down the hill. Ruining her dress, but she didn't care much. For the first time in six months she was happy.
Close call, relax, Amen, Hallelujah,
By the grace of God go I: I'm not the bride.
Well, I'm not the bride.
I'm free, I'm free, I'm free.
I'm not the bride.
Thank God!
