A Green Dress and a Flaming Bandanna

Chapter 14- Big News and a Big Mouth

Okay so I know I haven't updated in quite some time but you know how exams are and with all the studying I did *cough cough* I just didn't have time. But yes at last I am back and updating so here we go. Enjoy and please review.

I had been cleaning solidly for almost 24 hours. My apron was covered with food stains and dirt, my hair looked as if something had nested in it and the black bags under my eyes were really unflattering. Over that period of time I had appeared to have formed a mild case obsessive compulsive disorder as even though the room was sparkling, it wasn't clean enough.

I was crawling around the kitchen floor carefully picking up any crumbs or dust mites that had luckily escaped the vacuum, when the door knocked.

I popped my head up from behind the kitchen work bench and tucked my hair behind my ears.

'Come in!' I called warily towards the door. Moments later a familiar carpenter friend stood in the entrance. I sighed and resumed scarring the floor.

'Hey Luke…AHA! Don't think you're escaping that easily!' I said jumping up with a miniscule piece of bread between my forefinger and thumb.

Luke's expression caught my eye and I glanced around at him as I safely dropped the crumb into the bin.

'What?...I'm cleaning!' I said answering the question he was about to ask.

He frowned.

'Well…why?'

I dusted my hands of my apron and picked up my feather duster marching towards the windowsill which I had already cleaned at least 5 times.

'My mom is coming!' I said with a hint of irony.

'Your mom is coming? And that's why you're-'

'Don't touch it!' I snapped just as he was about to pull a chair out from under the table.

He glanced down to where his hand was outstretched to grab the back of the chair and raised an eyebrow.

'Angela…You need to catch a grip! This place is IMACULATE! Stop cleaning already!' He shouted at me snatching the duster out of my hand and throwing it into the corner.

I took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry, it's just before I left my mom said that I'd be incapable of looking after myself and if she saw that my house was…well…dirty, she would laugh at me and give me the "I told you so face"'

He rolled his eyes and looked around.

'Well, I pretty much built this house and this is the cleanest I've ever seen it so, congrats! I'm sure your mom will be very impressed. When exactly is she coming?'

I untied my apron and hung it neatly behind the door.

'She said sometime this week, Kevin's coming too.' I picked up the feather duster and placed it back into its cupboard.

He sucked his teeth and nodded.

'Would you maybe wanna…come over for dinner?' I said nervously, my cheeks beginning to heat up.

A smile crept across his face.

'With you and your family…are ya sure? I mean isn't that kinda what couples do?'

'N-no, well I mean I don't know I'm just a bit nervous about them c-coming and I don't want to have to face it myself.'

'Sure, okay don't get your knickers in a bunch, I'll come.'

I exhaled deeply.

'Thanks.' I said running over and wrapping my arms around his neck.

He patted my back.

'Yeah, no problem it's one less bickering session I have to have with Bo over the table.'

I let go of him and grabbed my brush to try and get the tats out of my hair.

'Huh, I remember a certain somebody on the verge if not crying at his bedside when he was lying unconscious in the clinic.' I said smirking at him.

'I have no idea what you're talking about!' He said sauntering over to the window and peering out.

Just as I put my hairbrush back into my drawer the phone began to ring. As Luke was closest he answered it.

'Hello, Angela's phone.' He said twirling the wire around one finger, 'Oh, hey Kath what's up?...yea yea chill she's right here.' He placed his hand over the phone. 'It's for you.' He said grinning.

I rolled my eyes.

'Well really who else would it be for?' I said taking the phone off of him and placing it to my ear.

'Angela? Angela is that you?' An excited voice squealed down the phone. Luke began walking aimlessly around the room occasionally glancing towards me.

'Hey Kathy, what's up?'

She let out a long, high pitched squeal. I held the phone slightly away from my ear and winced.

'Owen proposed!' My jaw literally dropped open.

'What? What is it?' Luke said running over and putting his ear to the other side of the phone.

After a few moments of silence excitement began to bubble inside of me. I had never been to a wedding and I'd always dreamed of my own but seeing as that certainly wasn't going to happen for quite some time Kathy's suited me perfectly.

'Congratulations!' I squealed back her.

'Thanks Angie. I was also wondering if you wanted to be a bridesmaid? It would mean soooo much to me!'

'Kathy's getting married!' Luke mouthed. I grinned and nodded excitedly.

'I'd love to Kathy. When's the ceremony?'

Luke began to slowly walk around with one hand clamped to his forehead. I guessed Owen hadn't told him that he was planning on proposing.

'Friday. Everybody's gonna be there!'

'Wait…3 days! That doesn't leave very much organising time!' I said trying to sort things out in my head.

'Yea it does. Speaking of which I need you to come over to the Inn at say…five-ish, we need to discuss dresses and flowers.'

'O-okay, see you then.' I said placing the phone back on the dialler.

'Owen's getting m-married?' Luke said. I could see beads of sweat beginning to break out on his brow.

'He didn't tell you then?' I said sitting down on the edge of my bed and watching him pace back and forth.

'No! He tells me everything! What the hell is going on?' He said his eyes twitching.

'Well hey I have to go meet Kathy at the Inn at like 5 so maybe you should go talk to him.'

He nodded.

'Kay…I'll um…cya later.' He said walking urgently towards the door and closing it gently behind him.

Poor Luke. His best friend was getting married and leaving him by himself with little old me for company.

I only had a few hours to kill so I spent the time watering and gathering in my crops. Autumn was coming. The leaves where beginning to brown and fall from the trees and the grass was starting to turn a strange yellow shade.

At quarter to, I began gathering up things and heading down to the Inn.

As I entered I was attacked by Kathy who was wearing a tiara and veil. She gave me a tight embrace and then began jumping up and down with her hands on my shoulders.

Behind her Maya sat with her feet up on a chair reading a cake magazine. Candace was working with a long white gown which was positioned neatly on a mannequin. Julius stood beside her with a small box of pins and another large piece of white material draped over one arm. Luna was marching around with a bunch of catalogues and Anissa was flicking through a file which was filled with pictures of beautiful flowers.

'Wow. I was wrong about the whole organisation thing! Am I late?' I said setting my bag down on a nearby table and rolling my sleeves up.

'No, no everybody else is just early. What do you think of the dress?' She said grabbing my arm and leading me towards the mannequin.

Julius took a step to the side to allow me a good look at it.

'It's beautiful.' I said my eyelids fluttering wildly at the stunning gown.

'I'm thinking of putting, like a very pale pink braiding along here.' Candace said running her finger over the collar.

Kathy nodded and cocked her head to one side.

'What happened to Juli's butterfly idea?' She said. Candace rolled her eyes.

'Oh that's still going to happen petal.' He said inserting a pin into one of the sleeves.

She then led me over to Anissa who was balancing her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder whilst drawing out what appeared to be a sketch of a very grand flower arrangement.

'That's going to go at the entrance of the church.' Kathy whispered.

'Well anyway Kathy I want to know how it all happened, where did he take you? What did he say?' I said frantically setting her down at an empty tale beside the bar.

'Well he arrived here last night at around 7pm and asked me if I would go for a walk with him, so of course I said yes and he took me all the way up to Alan's tree. The he took my hands and turned me around to face. I new what was coming obviously. He got down on one knee and brought the feather out of his pocket, I immediately burst into tears of course because I thought he was never gonna ask.'

I sat with my chin propped up on my hand.

'Awww that's so sweet. I can't wait to get married.'

She sighed.

'Just wait Angela, one day you and Luke-'

I slammed my hand down on the table.

'Luke? What? No Kathy, I mean…No!' I began to blush furiously.

'Oh come on Angela, you obviously like him! Look how red you are!'

My hands flew to my cheeks trying to cover the evidence.

'No Kathy! He has Selena and the baby-' I quickly clasped my hand over my mouth.

ANGELA! You and your big mouth!

Her eyes widened.

'Wait, what did you say?'

'N-nothing, I said nothing! Hey lets go and see if Maya has picked a cake yet!' I said jumping up but as I was about to walk away she caught my arm and sat me back down again.

'You said baby! Oh my goddess is Selena pregnant?' She said extremely loudly. Everybody stopped and looked over at us.

'Sssh keep your voice down!' I whispered. Moments later everybody returned to what they where doing.

Kathy leant across the table.

'Is she?' She whispered.

I put my hand over my eyes and nodded slightly.

'But please Kathy don't tell anybody! I am sworn to secrecy and I promised Luke I wouldn't tell anyone.'

She held up her hand.

'Hand to goddess I won't tell anybody. It's just such a shock! So that's why she moved away.'

I nodded.

'She broke up with him after she found out and then moved back to Toucan Island. Luke's pretty upset about the whole thing.'

Kathy nodded.

'It makes sense. That's why he's been looking so glum lately.'

I nodded.

'Well anyway we've got a wedding to plan!' I said trying to change the subject.

She grinned.

'Oh goddess yes! I have to show you your bridesmaid dress!' She took my hand and led me up the stairs towards her room.

'Already? But you only asked me a few hours ago! How did you know I would say yes?'

'Like you would actually say no!' She said shaking her head.

She flung open her bedroom door and flicked the light on.

On the bed lay 3 beautiful, pale pink gowns embroidered with tiny white pearls along the hem and in a perfectly straight line up the back.

I walked slowly over towards them.

'You like them?' Kathy said excitedly picking one up by the hanger and holding it up so I could see the full floor length frock.

'How ever did you get them made so quickly?' I said in awe taking it of her and holding it against myself.

'Do not question the skill of Julius and Candace!' She said. 'Oh and of course the shoes.' She reached down and picked up a shoe box carefully taking off the lid and lifting out a pair of white stilettos.

'They really do have taste huh?' I said peering down at the extremely elegant shoes. Way too elegant for a farm girl like me.

'You're gonna look so pretty Angela, oh and I'm going to be sorting out the pairings this evening. I'm gonna go ahead and put you with Luke okay?' She said winking.

I rolled my eyes, the corners of my mouth turning up slightly.

'Whatever.'

Thanks for reading guys. So I know I said this would be ready by Thursday, but I got excited and wrote it really quickly! You lucky things. Thanks for all the reviews. We're not too far away from 100 :) and also thanks to all of you who have been advertising my stories on your profiles and who have been adding them to your favourite stories lists. It means so much. Thanks again and more to come soon.