When Leann and I were almost six months along, sitting on the ground outside school was no longer an acceptable hangout. So, Aaron, Leann, and I often found ourselves sitting on the benches at de Sainte-Coquille Park. Leonel sometimes joined us, if it was official wedding business, or even when he just felt like it. Even though it was freezing out, we always brought our heaviest coats and bought hot chocolates, just so we could have somewhere to get away from the adults.

"I came up with a name for you guys," I said one day.

"We already have a name," Aaron said. "It's Lily, remember?"

"Of course I remember, dumbass," I said. "And I didn't mean for the baby."

"I know what she means," Leann said. "When famous people get married or start dating, other people give the couple a name."

"I guess you could think of it that way," I said. "Anyway, it's Leaaron."

"Oh!" Leann exclaimed. "That's adorable!"

"Why can't my name be first?" Aaron asked.

"Quit your whining," Leann said. Then, she kissed him.

"Wow," he said.

I groaned.

"When is Leonel getting here?" I asked.

"Why do you ask, Aria?" Aaron said, laughing. "You want someone to make out with, too?"

"No," I replied. "I'd rather have someone to hang out with someone that's not from a cliché romance novel."

"We're not cliché in any way!" Leann protested. "How many romance novels have you read where the two lovers are sixteen and one of them is pregnant?"

"You really don't read, do you?" I asked.

Off in the distance, I saw Leonel walk toward us. He was completely bundled up, and I laughed at the sight of him looking like he lived in the Padova Mountains.

"Hey, don't laugh!" he exclaimed, running up to us. "My mom got to me."

"Oh," I said. "So you're a mama's boy?"

"In no way, shape, or form am I a mama's boy," he replied, sitting down next to me. "My mom just chooses to live under the delusion that I am. So, what's going on?"

"We just need to go over some wedding stuff," Leann said. "I thought it would just be easier to meet here as opposed to the Chapel."

"Well," I said. "Let's go. It's not too far from here."

We practically ran to the Chapel, Aaron at front, Leonel in the middle, and Leann and me bringing up the rear. I missed being at the front. Leonel held the door for all of us, and we all took a deep breath. Even though we were running and therefore producing heat, it was still bitter cold out, and the warmth of being inside a building was great.

Gordon, Leonel's maternal grandfather and local priest, was standing at the altar.
"Hello there!" he exclaimed in his great booming voice. "You all are old enough to hear my sermons now, aren't you?"

"No, Grandpa," Leonel replied. It was clear that he knew the drill on that one.

"We're here to discuss the wedding," Aaron said.

"Oh, yes!" Gordon exclaimed. "How could I have forgotten? Let's go in the back."

We followed Gordon into the back, and sat down in his kitchen.

"So," he said. "I take it Aria is your maid of honor and Leonel is your best man? First of all, let me say I'd never see the day where my grandson would actually start acting like a man!" He let out one of his loud blasts of laughter.

"Thanks," Leonel said. "Thanks a lot, Grandpa."

"But all joking aside," Gordon said. "Have you seriously thought about marriage, Aaron and Leann?"

"Yes," they replied in almost perfect unison. They inched closer to each other, but not too close. They were in the presence of a priest, after all.

"In that case," he said. "I'm going to need to speak alone with the couple. Leonel, if you and Aria wouldn't mind stepping out for a few seconds, then-"

"Gladly," I said. I didn't want to hear any of what they would be talking about.

We sat down next to each other in one of the church pews.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I asked.

"My parents say not to talk in church," he replied.

"Barrett tells you not to talk in church?" I asked in disbelief. Leonel nodded. "Barrett doesn't exactly believe in God. Are you sure you're not talking about your mom?"

"Dad tries to respect Mom's beliefs," Leonel replied. "And he had to do the prenuptial thing because of Grandpa. So, they had to raise me to believe in God."

"Do you?" I asked, completely out of curiosity.

"I don't know," he said, looking up at the big stained glass window. "It doesn't seem like there's too much to believe in these days." He looked at me and smiled. "Is that enough of an answer for you, rude girl?"

"I guess that was a little rude," I said, laughing slightly. "Sorry."

Leann and Aaron came out from the back of the church, both of them smiling broadly.

"What's going on with you?" I asked them.

"It's a secret," Leann said.

"We should go," Aaron said.

"Why?" I asked. "Why hang out in a freezing cold park when we can hang out here?"

"I don't know," Leonel said. "If Grandpa tells my parents that I was using the church as a hangout, I could get in trouble."

"Aw, come on Leonel!" I fake-whined. "Live on the edge a little! And besides, it's really cold out."

"Or you could just say your friends are really bad influences," Leann said.

"All right," Leonel said, as if he was being pressured into a big decision.

Aaron and Leann came and sat down in the pew with us.

"I just thought of something," Leann said. "Aaron, do you remember that time when we were seven and we started that trend?"

"What trend?" Aaron asked.

"You know," Leann said, scooting close to him. "The fake marriage thing!"

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I guess we did kind of start that."

"I remember that!" I exclaimed. "I got married to Roy."

"Did you kiss?" Leann asked.

"Of course not," I replied. "I was seven. I only thought 'grown-ups' were supposed to kiss." Aaron and Leann looked at each other and started laughing. "What?"

"We didn't think that," Aaron said.

"That's so wrong!" I cried. "Little kids are supposed to be innocent and carefree!" I looked at Leonel. "You've been kind of quiet."

"I guess," he said. "But I don't remember very much of it. I just remember kind of watching everyone. Like when Sera and Serena were fighting over marrying Orland. But he had no interest in either of them. I couldn't get married, though, because the only person left after everyone else got married was related to me."

"Oh, yeah," I said. "I remember when Cammy got mad at me for taking Roy, and that it wasn't fair that she would have to marry her nephew."

"Which is illegal anyway," Leonel said with a laugh.

"She was bitter about that for weeks," Leann said.

"Finally," I said. "When she wouldn't give it a rest, I said I would tame a buffalo and have it charge at her on my command. She kind of backed off after that."

"Not exactly," Aaron commented. "She may have left you alone, but then she started saying she was going to beat me up. She never did, though. Either way, it scared the crap out of me that an older kid was threatening to beat me up."

"Well, then," a voice sneered. "I'll make sure to keep my promises in the future." We all turned around and saw that it was Cammy. She had her arms crossed, and looked very unhappy.

"We didn't mean any harm," Leonel said. "We were just talking about those fake weddings we had when we were kids!"

"Which you never had, you loser," Cammy retorted. Leonel looked at the ground like a scared monster.

"There's no need to be mean, Cammy," Leann said. "You've already hurt one of us enough."

Great, Leann, I thought sarcastically. Bring me into this. Wonderful idea.

"You're saying Aria's hurt?" Cammy asked. "Ha! That's right. Aria's hurt. Well, guess what? I'm trying to help a guy you might know. In case you weren't aware of it, he had his heart broken by a cheating girlfriend."

"It was an accident and you know it," I said, standing up. I felt like I was going to lose it.

"Sure it was," Cammy said. "Of course, I wouldn't know. I don't go to parties where people drink and do other terrible things when they aren't married." Leann stood up as well. I had never seen her look that angry. Aaron grabbed her arm.

"I thought all this childhood rivalry crap was over," I said.

"As usual," Cammy said. "You thought wrong. And you shouldn't swear in a church. God is probably already going to damn you for…" She looked down at my huge stomach with a look of disgust. "…That." I started to walk toward her, but I felt someone grab my arm. I looked down to see that it was Leonel.

"Don't do this, Aria," he said. I sighed heavily. He looked up at Cammy "Just leave." Cammy scowled, but turned around to go to the back of the church.

As soon as she was gone, I broke down and started crying. Leonel was the first to comfort me, and then Aaron and Leann joined in.

"She was so nice to me before," I sobbed.

"She's two-faced," Leonel said. "But it's going to be okay."

For the next few minutes, I sat crying in the warmth of their hugs. Even though I knew that there were still a few people in the world who cared, it didn't seem to make anything better.

Okay, so this chapter was a little pointless, except to prove how mean the kids in Alvarna have become. The next chapter will be really short, but full of anger and stuff. And it'll happen between Leonel and Aria!

*Slaps self for saying too much*