The last thing Ulrich packed was his mattress. He slept in the empty apartment for one last night before he moved everything to Paris. It wouldn't be a long drive, maybe a few hours if he made traffic at a decent time. The alarm on his cell phone went off so he looked over at it and picked it up off of the floor next to his head. Checking the time he turned the alarm off then flung the blanket off of his body, then grabbed the towel he had left next to the change of clothes.
Almost immediately after he got out of the shower the intercom started to speak to him with Odd's voice.
"Ulrich...hello...answer your cell phone god dammit," Odd said as Ulrich's cell started going off. Ulrich walked over to his door and buzzed the front door for Odd then walked into his room to change. Ulrich had pulled his pants on about the same time Odd and Aelita entered his apartment and looked around at it's emptiness.
"I figured you'd need some help with the mattress," Odd said then walked over the living room and looked out of the window.
"Thanks, so how's Aelita doing?" Ulrich asked Odd from his bedroom.
"I'm fine, thanks," Aelita said then looked around, "Dammit, no couch, I really want to sit."
"I told you there wouldn't be one, and to stay in the car," Odd said with a sigh then sat on the floor and tapped his lap.
"I'd kill you if I did," Aelita said, since she felt heavier this month than the one before.
"You're not a whale, you're pregnant, sit down," Odd said to Aelita who groaned then sat on his lap.
"Better?" Odd asked, having no problem supporting her weight.
"Yes dear," Aelita said then heard Ulrich's door open and him walk out rubbing the water out of his hair.
"The weddings in an hour and a half, shouldn't you be getting there?" Ulrich asked.
"We have time you see you off," Aelita said then thought about the wedding. Weren't weddings supposed to make people feel happy?
"I'll be fine," Ulrich said to Aelita, since he had a pretty good idea what she was thinking, "If anything, it's for the best. It doesn't matter in the end. Thanks for trying guys, it almost worked if that means anything," Ulrich said then placed his clothes from yesterday on his counter then the shower supplies wrapped in the towel.
"I don't know how I'll keep my composure as the maid of honor. I wanna puke, she's marrying William," Aelita said.
"If you gotta puke, toilets that way," Ulrich said then pointed at his hallway.
"Nope, but Gotta pee though, little help," Aelita said to Odd who helped her to her feet so she could go relieve herself.
"You did what you could," Odd said then sighed, "Maybe if you had more time."
"Well, I don't, now do I?" Ulrich asked sarcastically then opened his fridge and pulled out the last six pack. He offered one to Odd who passed on it, he was driving home to take a cap to the wedding.
"It's weird, in junior high she was telling him to back off because of you, and now she's marrying him," Odd said then leaned against the wall.
"Shut up," Ulrich said then chugged the beer then tossed it into the trash that he'd take on the way out.
"Should you be drinking, you're driving," Odd said then took the six pack off of the counter, "If you want to kill yourself don't kill someone else in the process."
"Let's carry down the mattress," Ulrich said then walked out of the kitchen then into his room. Odd followed and the two picked up the mattress and started to walk out of the apartment with it. Aelita got out of the bathroom and carried down the sheet and blanket then tossed them into the back Ulrich's car that the mattress was strapped to. Ulrich went back up to get the trash can and the other things and locked the door after turning off all of the lights.
Aelita leaned against the car with Odd as Ulrich came out of the apartment after giving the manager his key and the spare. Ulrich walked to the passenger side of the car and tossed his things in then closed the door and looked at the two, Odd taking the six pack with him.
"I'll visit if I can," Ulrich said with a sigh then walked over and shook Odd's hand. Odd hugged him instead, then let Aelita hug him, her stomach hitting his.
"Sorry, sometimes I forget about that," Aelita said with a smile then rubbed her stomach. Almost four months was all they had to wait.
"Don't worry. Well, I should leave before traffic gets too bad,"Ulrich said then smiled at them then walked around the car to get in. With one last wave Ulrich drove out of his parking lot and onto the street. Aelita and Odd looked at his car till it turned out of site.
"This is bullshit, they love each other," Aelita said angry then stomped over to their car and slammed her door shut. She grabbed the seat belt and swung it over, the clip hitting her stomach hard enough to make her grunt.
"Oh no, mommy's sorry honey," Aelita said softly then buckled herself in and leaned against the window and felt herself crying.
"Aelita," Odd said then sat in the drivers seat and reached over and hugged her, "It'll be alright."
"How will it?" Aelita asked, "Yumi is going to live the rest of her life with this," Aelita said then looked at him.
"Knowing she loved Ulrich, and had her chance?" Odd asked then looked at Aelita then sighed.
"Now I kind of know how Jeremie felt," Aelita said then started to cry, "He had his chance, but he didn't do anything. Ulrich tried, he tried so hard. Jeremie did nothing and I still feel a little bad about it, Ulrich did everything so I can only imagine how Yumi feels. And she's still going through with it to distract herself. She's not marrying for love," Aelita said then started to cry more. Odd sighed, since he had no idea what to say.
"Ulrich said it was for the best," Odd said.
"Since when the hell did Ulrich know what was the best, either of them. What's best for them is each other," Aelita said then looked away from Odd then placed her face on the window, her tears sliding around her cheek on the glass.
"Do you still want to go?" Odd asked.
"No, but I promised Yumi I would," Aelita said then sighed, her breath fogging the window and quickly evaporating. Odd sighed then started the car finally and drove out of Ulrich's parking lot and onto the street to go home to get changed for the wedding of tears.
Yumi sat in her changing room at the church as people began to arrive. She didn't even make it this far last time. She was at her house about the go to the church last time. Her father this time was extremely happy about the marriage since it put him on very good terms with a business partner of his, William's father. William's father didn't seem as happy as he should have, but he attended since it was his son after all. Mrs. Dunbar on the other hand was bragging about how lucky Yumi was to be marrying William. Ulrich mother was just happy they were happy, and his dad usually the iron hide emotion man he was, couldn't hide his smile. People were acting like it was a wedding, not this time however, it just seemed off.
Ms. Ishiyama entered the dressing room and closed the door slowly behind her. Yumi was frowning at herself in the mirror, looking like she was about to cry. Ms. Ishiyama walked over to Yumi slowly then placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Most woman are smiling before their wedding, not moping," Ms. Ishiyama said to Yumi who slightly giggled then looked at herself in a mirror.
"I'm supposed to be excited, but I'm not," Yumi said then placed her hands on her knees and sighed, "Were you excited?"
"I was, nervous," Ms. Ishiyama said then sat next to Yumi, "Yumi, your father and I married because he got me pregnant," Ms. Ishiyama said then sighed.
"Mom, you've never told me that," Yumi said then looked at her mother.
"Your father and I, we don't work. We had to force it for twenty two years Yumi. You shouldn't have to," Ms. Ishiyama said to Yumi then placed her hand on Yumi's.
"Do you love William?" Ms. Ishiyama asked. Yumi nodded, then looked at her own lap, "Just not as much as you did Ulrich."
"Don't," Yumi said then looked at her with a glare, "Don't bring up his name, ever again."
"Yumi, you were excited that day. You were ready. I've never forgiven your father for what he said that day," Ms. Ishiyama said then let Yumi's hand go.
"Dad was right, it would have been a mistake," Yumi said then looked away. If they kept talking about Ulrich long enough she'd cry. In case she did she wanted to be able to hide it.
"Coming from the man who'd been married for twenty years and had no idea how to be a husband," Ms. Ishiyama said then placed her hand on Yumi's face then made Yumi look at her, "Your father wasn't a very good boy friend either. Ulrich was, and I know he has messed up before and made up for it , but when I married your father, if I had a miscarriage, I would have called the marriage off."
"Don't talk about the baby, or Ulrich...just shut up mom," Yumi said then started to cry and placed her face into her palms.
"I didn't want to be a mother," Ms. Ishiyama said, making Yumi look at her, "At the time, I'm glad I'm one now, but at the time, I was scared. You weren't Yumi, you wanted a baby. I know you didn't 'forget' your birth control pill," Ms. Ishiyama said then smiled.
"When did you find the full package?" Yumi asked, since she knew she couldn't play it off.
"One day when I was vacuuming your room, I bumped your dresser and they fell off. Three days later you told us you were pregnant. Why do you think I wasn't so surprised?" Ms. Ishiyama asked with a smile.
"What do you know about me that I think you don't know?" Yumi asked, just to know what she should stop hiding.
"You lost your virginity at home when you were sixteen, not seventeen. You broke the side view mirror and fixed it. Hiroki covered for you when you stole your fathers beer, you covered for Hiroki when he stole the car. When you went to the dance, you didn't. Ulrich used to sneak through your window, and hide in your closet when there wasn't enough time. I can go on and on."
"What does dad know?" Yumi asked.
"Not a thing, he's so delusional he thought you were a virgin before you got pregnant. There is really some stuff I can't tell him and trust him to not over react with. I liked Ulrich, so it was my way of protecting him."
"You're...really cool mom," Yumi said then smiled at her mother, then hugged her.
"Glad you think so. Sometimes I wish I could have married for myself, not others. Maybe it would have lasted," Ms. Ishiyama said with a smile then stood up and walked out of the room.
'Please Yumi, don't do this,' Ms. Ishiyama said to herself as the door shut.
Jeremie was sitting in the front row of Yumi's side of the church pews. Her side was almost filled with all of her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Japan takes weddings very seriously. Jeremie felt awkward being there, since he was tall, white, and looked very distinguished among them. But he just leaned back and sighed.
A woman sat next to Jeremie and smiled then looked up at the brides maids and William's friends. After a moment she looked back at Jeremie, obviously noticing he was a little out of place.
"Are you on Yumi's side?" She asked, with an accent. Jeremie looked at her, and noticed she was japanese and young, probably Yumi's cousin. She had the same hair color as Yumi, but it was much longer and pulled into a braid that swung across her back. Her body was slipped into a slender blue dress that showed her back.
"Yes I know I look out of place," Jeremie said then reached out his hand to shake hers, "Jeremie Belpois."
"Belpaw?" She asked, mispronouncing it.
"Bell-bwah, ah," he correct.
"Belpois," She said correctly then looked at his hand. Jeremie forgot they bowed instead. He bowed his head, and noticed he was at perfect angle to see her cleavage, and quickly leaned back up.
"Oh sorry, not used to handshakes," she said then shook his hand with a firm grip, probably because she knew it was a sign of respect, not because her grip was actually strong. Jeremie took a nervous breath then looked back at her.
"And you are?" Jeremie asked.
"Tomoko Furuki," Tomoko said then bowed herself, giving Jeremie another cleavage shot. 'I thought asians were supposed to be flat,' Jeremie thought, because she was easily a C cup.
"You know english too," Jeremie said impressed since most relatives had translators.
"I majored in it, I graduated last year...Wait, you're her genius friend right?" Tomoko said then realized Yumi had talked about him once.
"She's mentioned me I'd take it," Jeremie said then nodded to answer the question, "That's me."
"The pregnant woman over there is Aelita, and the man over there is her husband Odd," Tomoko said then pointed at Odd over at the other end of the pew next to Yumi's mother.
"Yep," Jeremie said then sighed.
"Umm, she's your ex isn't she?" Tomoko asked and Jeremie nodded, "Sorry."
"Don't worry, been awhile actually," Jeremie said then snuck a peak at Aelita, who was looking at Odd and blowing a kiss. She was playing off being happy pretty good.
"Take it that Ulrich guy couldn't take coming," Tomoko said then looked around for a handsome brown haired man.
"I guess not, " Jeremie said then looked down the aisle and saw a man gesturing something to someone. Suddenly the music started to play.
"What's going on, never been to a western wedding before," Tomoko said then watched Yumi entered the aisle with her father, waving at her relatives as she passed.
"She looks so beautiful," Tomoko said then looked at Jeremie who nodded in agreement, "But, shouldn't she look like she isn't pretending to smile?"
"You can tell too?" Jeremie asked, since he kind of felt like the only one who noticed since everyone else was awing.
"What happens next?" Tomoko asked.
"She meets William at the alter, the priest says some stuff, they exchange vows, priest talks more, they exchange rings, talks a little more, the I dos, the kiss, the booze," Jeremie said as Yumi passed him and smiled at him as if saying, 'Thanks for making it.'
"Did you know in Japan, white also means death," Tomoko said with a smile.
"And you can say that while smiling?" Jeremie asked.
"Just saying."
Yumi calmed her nerves and placed on her best fake smile. Already further than she was the first time, a good sign she had to admit. Nothing was going wrong, no one was telling her to not do it(Not directly at least), and people were awing at her dress. For the first time since she got dressed she actually felt like she was at a wedding.
William stood at the alter smiling at her with his hands behind his back. Yumi liked the fact he made it seem like it was a wedding the most. The groom having the goofiest smile in the room. Aelita looked away, for a moment, then looked back at her, also pretending to smile. They noticed each other were faking, then stopped smiling for a moment, but managed to bring it back in time for no one to notice.
"Keep it together," Odd mouth softly to Aelita who mouthed back. "I know."
Yumi smiled at Jeremie then her father who smiled back. The priest walked down the stairs then stood next to them.
"And who gives this woman to this man?" The priest asked.
"I do, Takeo Ishiyama," Mr. Ishiyama said this kissed Yumi's cheek. Yumi weakly smiled then picked up her dress and walked up the stairs.
"I liked the last dress better," Aelita said to Yumi softly.
"Tell me about it," Yumi said then felt William kiss her hand.
"We are gathered here today to bind these two in holy matrimony..." The priest began and everyone went quiet.
Everyone dosed off for a couple of minutes as the priest read passages from the bible slowly. He read so slow too, someone wanted to shouted, 'Read faster!' Especially Mr. Dunbar who wanted to drink. The five people who were recording this, would fast forward through this when they watched it.
The vows were generic and obvious, and now it was coming to the closing portion.
"Repeat, I William," The priest said to William.
"I William."
"Take thee Yumi."
"Take thee Yumi."
"To be my wife, to have and to hold. Through better or worse, sickness and health, richer or poorer, till death do we part."
"What he said," William said, since he couldn't remember that. The crowd laughed and even Yumi managed a real smile.
"I Yumi," The priest said to Yumi.
"I Yumi," Yumi said with a dry throat.
Suddenly, she was thinking of Ulrich more than ever. Their first kiss, their first time, their wedding. When you die, they say you see your life flash before your eyes. For Yumi, it happened then, but it was only the memories of Ulrich that flashed by her. As if, she was dying, or that part of her was. It happened in reverse too. They had the fight and she walked out, they were kissing, he walked into her office after five years of absence, she saw him the day before their wedding, they were crying together about the miscarriage, they were happy they were going to be parents, they conceived the baby, she said yes, they had sex for the first time, they kissed for the first time, two years of awkward affection, they first met. The she realized, she wasn't marrying him.
"Take thee William."
"Take thee Ulrich..." Yumi said, then realized she did.
There was a shockwave of surprise from both sides of the church. Mr. Ishiyama's eyes became saucers. Ms. Ishiyama smiled from shock and surprised and almost laughed. Aelita giggled and Odd shook his head. Jeremie looked at Tomoko who was speechless, as everyone else in the church.
"Isn't his name William?" A few of Yumi's relatives asked. The few who knew english.
"Yumi?" William asked. Yumi looked at her feet and smiled.
"Holy shit," Yumi said then looked at Aelita who stopped giggling.
"You said it," Aelita said then smiled.
"I'm sorry William, I can't marry you. I kind of already gave my heart away. He never gave it back," Yumi said then gave William a weak smile. To her surprise he smiled back then leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Do what you gotta do," William said then started gestured for Yumi to leave.
"Thanks," Yumi said then picked up her dress and started to walk down the aisle.
"Yumi!" Mr. Ishiyama shouted, making Yumi stop and turn around," Get back up there!"
"No!" Yumi shouted, "I'm not doing what you tell me to this time."
"Yumi, get your ass back in that alter!" Mr. Ishiyama shouted.
"Takeo!" Ms. Ishiyama shouted at him then started to walk over.
"Don't you say a word, Yumi get up there now!" Mr. Ishiyama shouted.
"Fuck you dad!" Yumi shouted then turned around. Mr. Ishiyama started to walk after her but Ms. Ishiyama stepped in front of her.
"Let her go," Ms. Ishiyama said, but Takeo pushed her away, making her fall down. Mr. Ishiyama felt someone grab his shoulder and pull him around. William's fist connected with his left cheek, and Mr. Ishiyama fell to the ground next to his ex wife.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" William asked him while shaking his hand, since that punch hurt, "If she wants to marry me, that's fine. If not, then it isn't my call, let alone yours. You'd sell your own daughter for business, you're a bastard. I want Yumi to be happy, even if that isn't with me," William said to him then looked up at Yumi who was smiling at him, then looked at her dad and shook her head.
Yumi nodded to William, Odd, Jeremie and Aelita then carried her dress and ran out of the church to catch a cab to the train station.
"What just happened?" One of Yumi's relatives asked their relative who could understand. They told them and the man shook his head. "Dammit, she makes me fly to France for nothing again. Is she ever getting married when she says she will?"
"Well, that was a shocker," Tomoko said then looked at Jeremie who shrugged. He wasn't too surprised.
"You know Jeremie, this is sudden, but I think...you're really cute," Tomoko said then smiled at him.
"Sure you do," Jeremie said sarcastically then leaned into the pew more.
"No," Tomoko said then placed her hand on his thigh, "I mean it. I'll be in France all month, and I was hoping to get drunk tonight and make a mistake," Tomoko said with a smile. Jeremie blushed then looked away then back at her, to see she was serious.
"Ever...been to Paris?" Jeremie asked, since she'd probably want to go if she hadn't.
"Never have. I didn't want to go alone," Tomoko said then reached into her purse and wrote something down on a note card. She handed it to Jeremie then stood up, "Call me later tonight if you want to have some fun." She said then blew Jeremie a kiss before she she walked down the aisle as people began to leave.
Jeremie looked at her number, and saw she also wrote down her hotel and room number. 'Why would she leave that', Jeremie asked himself then figured it out.
"I love weddings," Jeremie said aloud then stood up and walked after Tomoko, not able to have to wait for her company.
"Why didn't you go afer her?" Mr. Dunbar asked his son as he sat down on the stairs of the alter, "Be a man."
"He is, if he went after her, he'd be a desperate child. A real man accepts the truth, he doesn't buy his own version of it" Ms. Ishiyama said then stepped over her ex husband and started to join the people leaving.
School is starting soon, and I'll be a senior. My entire highschool career was spent mocking the seniors and pissing them off. Now I say to myself, "What now?" But I do have an idea for a good senior prank. My school's mascot is the Trojans(Have your laugh, get it out of your system). So my idea was to place a Trojan horse on the football field, and fill the horse with blow up dolls. Had to tell someone.
Anyway, the story is one chapter away from completion, followed by the deleted scenes and crap like that. And I'm going to continue the game I started from the last chapter of Not So Fast's author's note. I will change my Profile Image, and the first person who PM's me and tells me who it is and what it's from gets a sneak peak from a list of options. Updates of stories, or they get to be the first to hear the summary for Love is More than Enough's sequal, which I hope to release before Christmas.