Graduations & a Wedding : Part IV
The wedding ceremony itself was beautiful, and went off without a single hitch. There were moments when people were moved once more to tears; moments of smiles and laughter; and a moment when some people just watched open mouthed as Lord Tubbington strolled in, heading straight for the two brides, with a couple of ring boxes strapped to his back. That was certainly a first for Dalton. The cat then proceeded to curl up contentedly at the foot of the stairs for the remainder of the wedding, only getting up again when there was applause as the celebrant finally declared that the two young women were now legally married. The legal side of the day over, the guests remained where they were as the two brides climbed up the stairs to the upper level for another of those great wedding traditions; the tossing of the bouquets. When they were thrown into the throng below, one was immediately caught by Sugar; the other was just missed by Tina, and fell with a thud into Colin's lap. This was thankfully not noticed by many as the young man blushed, and quickly passed it on to Tina instead. Mike had noticed, and looked mightily relieved that she had not grabbed it; Nick suspected that this was because he was nowhere near ready to actually marry her.
The expression on Joe's face as Sugar had caught the bouquet was also observed by Nick, and it left him confused; he looked almost guilty as he saw her catch it, and for the life of him, Nick could not work out why he would feel that way. Then Nick realised that Joe had caught him staring at him, and he hastily turned his attentions elsewhere, hoping that the other man would forget what he had just been doing. After all, it was now time for the lengthy business of photographs, and the wedding guests had risen from their seats and where now mingling happily as they waited for their moment to appear in one of the snapshots.
After his own moment in the spotlight, Nick found himself alone for a moment, Jeff having been asked by Thad to follow him for a moment as he wanted a private word. He was not alone for long; Joe strolled over and spoke quietly. "So, you seemed to find me very interesting for a moment there, Nick? Any particular reason?"
"No, not really…" Nick began, then thought the better of bluffing. "Well, to be honest, I was just very curious about the expression on your face when Sugar caught the bouquet. I just would not have imagined that being an issue for you here, amongst friends. I know that you love her, and even if your families are not on side, if she makes you happy there is no reason why the two of you shouldn't be next."
Joe smiled, and shook his head. "Now, I do like the reasoning there. You are right; we should be together, even if others disagree. The thing is that the bouquet was not necessary…" Joe suddenly pulled Nick further into the corner in which they were standing, away from prying eyes. With his back to the rest of the room, Joe unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, which revealed that he had a black cord around his neck, hanging on which was a gold ring.
Nick looked at it with curiosity for a moment, and then his eyes widened slightly as he realised what it symbolised. "It was too late for her to catch the flowers, wasn't it? She is already Mrs Sugar Hart…"
Joe nodded, then spoke again. "We got married last week. I was advised that it was for the best for us, particularly with my path in the ministry. It also gives us the added security of having a certificate if her family found out she was here today. Her dad once said that he would kill me before he let me marry his daughter; now, I think that he would kill both of us. That's why we don't come back often, and stay away from the big events. We couldn't miss today, but I am constantly looking over my shoulder. My biggest fear now is what will happen to us when and if all of it comes out. It might not happen today, but it will one day. It is inevitable. It keeps me awake some nights, worrying about the future. I mean, Sugar and I both want a family, and I worry what would happen to our kids if anything happened to us. If it did, I would not want them going to either of our families."
Nick shook his head at the whole horror of the situation. "Look, if there is anything at all that Jeff and I can do, ever, then just ask. We both know only too well about parental disapproval. I mean that; in fact, if you do have kids, and something happens to you, then Jeff and I will take care of them."
Joe smiled, and placed a hand on Nick's arm. "That is actually good to know. You and Jeff will be great dads one day, and if you're certain, and Jeff is too for that matter, then I will take you up on that promise. Hopefully it will never come to that point, but it is good to have something in place if it does. Ok, I seem I am being summoned by my wife for a picture. Just now, let's keep what we just discussed between us. I'll tell Sugar, and you tell Jeff, but no further…." With that, Joe walked off, as Nick nodded in agreement.
Across the room, Jeff had found himself between Thad and David, the two of them with serious expressions on their faces. It was Thad that spoke up first. "Right. So, Cameron. I'm pleased that we have him back, but at the same time, it does give me cause for concern. I think that he is holding back a few things, and that isn't good for him. He is unlikely to share those things with either myself or David. We both agree that he might open up more with someone that has been in the position that he has found himself in themselves. Someone that has been over the edge, so to speak, themselves, albeit very briefly in their case…"
Jeff looked at Thad quizzically, and for his part, David just sighed. "Thad is trying to be diplomatic here, but sometimes… We are both of the opinion that Cam would benefit from a proper discussion about all the issues surrounding his mental breakdown with somebody that has also had one - and that would be you, Jeff. We would like you to take a little time out today for an one on one discussion with him, so that he feels less like the odd one out amongst us because of what he has been through."
"Those couple of days that I spent in the hospital are not something I like to think about, let alone discuss, if I am honest," replied Jeff. "However, I can see your point, and I have always kind of liked Cam… If you can set it up, in one of the little study rooms by the library, then I will talk. Bear in mind though that Cameron might not wish to do so."
"We know, Jeff, but we would like to give him the opportunity," Thad replied. "We will set it up for sometime after the wedding dinner, but before the Warblers' senior party, ok?"
Jeff nodded in reply, but he felt nervous about the whole thing, and couldn't help but wonder exactly what he had just got himself into.
The wedding reception was being held in the main dining room at Dalton; to those that had not been a student at the school, the room was a revelation, with historic grandeur, tables covered with crisp, white linens, and a group of well attired waiting staff, ready to offer the kind of service people would expect in a fancy hotel. The Warblers did nothing to disabuse the notion that this was how they had eaten lunch every day. They didn't point out that beneath those white tablecloths were the same old, battered tables they had eaten off, day in, day out, and that behind the line of wooden shuttering was a lunch counter not entirely dissimilar to that at McKinley. "It always did scrub up well," David whispered to Thad as they made their way to their allotted table, where they would be joining Mercedes, Flint, Ethan and Matt Rutherford. His inclusion on the guest list had been a surprise to some, but Brittany had reminded Santana that he had been a core member of the New Directions right at the very start, and so it was only fair that they invited him.
The Dalton boys had of course seen the room dressed up this way before for other weddings and events; on those weekends in their boarding days, they had been allowed to order takeout, within a strict budget; they still all had their memories of pizza nights in the Warblers' dorm, or of them all sitting in the Senior Commons, eating the food they had ordered from a variety of outlets, whilst Wes shared a Chinese banquet with those at the council table. Back then, a lot of the younger boys had declined his offer to share; now, thanks to the fact that Trent had ordered it whilst they were recovering from the damage that Hunter had afflicted, they would all quite happily have ordered from the same restaurant as their leader. The food that day was of a far superior quality to that which emerged from the kitchen on a day to day basis, and so the meal was enjoyed amongst the happy noise of voices in conversation.
The speeches when they came were kept brief at Santana's request; indeed, she had sat an egg timer on the table to ensure that. Puck pointed to it the moment he began to speak, and said that the brides' were of the opinion that most people just wanted to get the speeches over and done with, so that they could move on to the dessert or the dancing. He contented himself to saying that the two brides had been beautiful; that Dalton had done them all proud; that the Warblers impromptu song had made Santana cry, and that was an achievement; and then asked them all to toast the newlyweds. Mike got an even bigger laugh when he stood up, and said "Thanks Puck. I give you the brides!" and sat down again. Once the laughter stopped, he stood up again, and made a short speech about how love could conquer anything; that the newlyweds were inspirational, and that he wished them both a long, successful and happy life together.
It was at that point that Brittany's mom got to her feet, totally unplanned, and made a short speech about how she had gained a daughter, and how wonderful that was. Santana did not let her mask slip, smiling as she talked, just praying that she would not mention that barn, as if she started to talk about the circumstances of her daughter's birth, her Abuela would have a fit. Fortunately, Mr Pierce pulled his wife down before she could start, and Puck stood up and quickly moved things on by announcing it was time for the first dance.
All bets were off on what it would be this time. The unpredictable nature of the choices at previous weddings amongst the group had left everyone wary of selecting anything. If they had been expecting a classic romantic ballad though, they would have been out of luck. Brittany had prevailed, and had chosen a song by an artist that she had first heard when a young Irish exchange student had stayed with her family. Thus Rory was overjoyed when the opening bars of Spinning Around by Kylie Minogue were played. The tune was catchy and upbeat, and there were smiles at the line 'And did I forget to mention that I found a New Direction.' Naturally, Rory dragged Trent up to join the brides on the floor at the first chance he got, but the rest of the dance floor soon filled up.
Watching from the back of the room as Kurt and Blaine danced in front of them, Finn and Wes smiled happily. Everything had gone off without a hitch, and the appearance of Santana's grandmother had been the icing on a very fine cake. Kurt's dress designs had been a sensation, and they were now showing the practical nature of their design as the two brides could dance in them without any kind of constraint.
"I have to say that I like this song, and the lady is a good singer too," remarked Wes to his friend.
"I guess," said Finn.
"You would probably like the video that accompanied this song, Finn. All I will say is little gold lamé hotpants…" Wes stifled a laugh as Finn's eyes widened. "It did cause quite a sensation at the time." Finn nodded, and Wes knew that as soon as he got a chance, Finn would be searching out that video online. "It is nice to finally see those two make it official. I kept telling Santana to propose when I was living in Bushwick. It does seem strange to think that my boys are no longer living across the landing from them. Still, that is the way of the world. Everything changes, and we all hopefully move on to better places in the end…"
Several dances later, Thad gave Jeff a look, and he remembered what he had promised to do for him. Cameron had been spending the afternoon chatting to the Carmichaels, and talking to other old friends, but had told Thad that he would head to the Senior Commons and wait there for the start of the Seniors' leaving party. He leant over and whispered in Nick's ear "I have a secret mission to undertake for the Head Warbler, Nicky, so I have to leave for a bit. In the meantime, tell Thad that I said that he was sure to fill in for me if you wanted to carry on dancing."
"I will not ask what the mission is, my love, but I will definitely drag Thad up here and make him dance," replied Nick. "Dancing is more or less compulsory at a wedding, so I feel it would be remiss of us if he missed out on his opportunity."
By the time that Jeff made it out the door, he could feel Thad glaring at him as he was made to dance with Nick; admittedly, his husband had been assisted by both David and Ethan in getting him there. He looked back briefly, and smiled at the sight of Mike waltzing round the edge of the dance floor with Santana's grandmother; they were completely out of synch and style to the music playing, but he was making the older woman smile broadly, and that was all that mattered. That was the thing that you had to do at weddings' try and achieve a balance which left all the generations attending comfortable. Jeff hastened away down the corridor, passing through the stairwell, where the decorations were already in the process of being dismantled in readiness for the arrival of the scaffolding the following day. He came to the door of the Senior Commons, and paused for a moment to take a breath, then opened it. He was relieved to see that Cameron was there, and better yet, that he was alone. That would make his task a lot easier to achieve.
"Hey Jeff! What brings you here, and alone at that? I have been reliably informed that since the two of you got married, it is now nigh on impossible to find you anywhere without the company of Nick," asked Cameron.
Jeff laughed, and responded, "That is usually true, but I have left my husband dragging our reluctant Head Warbler around the dance floor. Since our wedding, he just tends to sit on the sidelines at these kind of things. He misses Wes, and weddings bring things back for him; after all, the only time he ever danced publicly with Wes was at our big day…"
"It was such a tragedy, Wes dying when and how he did. I was told at the time, and I was determined that I would come back for his memorial; but when the day dawned, I just couldn't do it. It depressed me so much even thinking about him being gone, and my parents were worried that coming here then might bring on an 'episode', so I stayed away, and ended up sitting in my room sobbing my heart out."
"Wes would have understood why you couldn't come. There are so many memories here, particularly in this room, for all of us Warblers; some of them good, some of them bad…"
"Most of the memories I have here are good, but I guess that for you and the others that were here when Hunter was - well it must have spoilt your Senior year." He paused, as Jeff nodded, his eyes downcast. "Do you know something? I have been sitting in here for the last half an hour, and I had the feeling that something wasn't quite right in here; something was missing. It was just as you opened the door that I finally realised what it was. The fire irons are gone. Summer or winter, they always sat there at the side of the fireplace. I wonder what happened to them?"
"Trent had them removed…" said Jeff quietly, and then a little shudder went through him as he recalled that night. He realised that this was his way in with Cameron, and so he carried on. "I don't know how much you heard about the events of Hunter's trial?"
"Nothing to be honest with you. That all took place when I was in hospital, and my folks told me I didn't need to know about it…"
"Hunter used the fire irons on me and Nick," Jeff said quietly. There was a gasp of shock from Cameron, and then silence. "I won't go into too much detail, but let us just say that what he inflicted on us was the final straw that broke us, and lead to the truth coming out. He left us scarred for life. The wounds were mainly physical, or at least, that was what we thought at the time. That was until the day that someone dropped the poker on the hearth, just as he had done after he had finished with it, and I just lost my mind. I had a complete breakdown. I was punching Nick, hitting out at Trent and Sebastian… So, you see, you aren't the only one of us that ended up in hospital…"
Cameron looked at Jeff, and nodded in sympathy. He could understand why Jeff had fallen apart - the 'scarred for life' and 'poker' had been enough for him to work out in his head exactly what Hunter had done. Jeff now reached forward, and took Cameron's hand. "I was lucky, I guess. I was in for a few days, not weeks. Nick came and saw me every single day, but what I still remember clearly is how totally helpless I felt on that first night when he had to go. I have never told him this, and I think that he believes that I did not hear him sitting outside my room, in the hallway, just sobbing his heart out. That noise broke my heart in two, but it gave me the strength to fight. I knew that I was loved, and that even if Nick only saw me as a friend, that was more than enough for me. I had to get better for him."
"In that, you were much more fortunate than me. By the time that I was committed to the hospital, I had no-one around that I could really count on. I had alienated myself from all of you, and I had no friends at school. Yeah, I had my parents, but it isn't the same. Nothing is quite the same as having a good circle of friends."
"Well, you have friends now. You know the Warbler motto, and we try to stick to it. I guess what I am saying here is that I am your friend, and if you ever need to talk about anything, give me a call. I know a little more about what you've been through than the others, because I have been where you were." Cameron nodded, and smiled happily at Jeff. It had been a risk coming here today, knowing that he could be rejected. As it happened, he had found he was more than welcome, and better yet, one of his fellow Warblers knew from personal experience exactly where he was coming from.
As the time approached 5pm, the ex-Warblers began to make their excuses and leave the delights of the wedding reception for a party of their own in the Senior Commons. It was part of a long standing tradition that the graduating seniors would sing to their cohorts, and to those alumni who had returned. In a reflection of the year when only Wes, Mitch and Cameron had graduated, the senior group this year was small; in fact, it numbered only two. Only Colin and Skylar had managed to stay the course after the events of Hunter's reign in their freshman year, the only other young man that had been in their age group having left at the end of the previous year when his family had moved overseas. As a result, no-one was expecting the group numbers of the past, although they all knew that Edward would no doubt step in to help them with whatever song they had selected. Sure enough, he made his way to the front with the two new graduates, but behind him walked three juniors, the newly elected council that would run the group the following year under Thad's watchful eye.
Then came the shock, the break from tradition. Skylar went to join the three new councilmen at the back, allowing Edward to stand front and centre with Colin. If they were all honest, it was no great surprise that something like this would happen, given the closeness of the two young men, but it was a break with convention. There were a few grumbles about it from some of the older alumni, but Thad quickly pointed out that the class that had graduated in Hunter's year had performed with Blaine, no longer a Warbler, and Sam, who never was a Warbler; and it was widely accepted that their performance of YMCA had been one of the best ever senior leaving songs. Those that had seen the video evidence had to agree…
When the music started this time, it was another surprise; they had not chosen a contemporary song, but had gone instead for the old Kalin Brothers track When Will You Be Mine. The lyrics did of course fit the two singers perfectly, and the two of them flirted outrageously with each other as they sang in perfect harmony. The backing vocals from the others were pitch perfect, the dancing was spot on, and all things considered, it was a great performance. They could all have predicted what was going to happen next, but not the way that it happened. Virtually everyone was expecting that at some point, Edward would get down on one knee, and announce that now Colin was graduating and they were leaving Dalton behind, he wanted them to enter into a formal engagement. So it was a shock when the moment that they finished the song, Colin was the one to get down on one knee - and from the look on his face, it was a shock to Edward too. Skylar came forward, and handed Colin the ring box he had been carrying all day, so that Edward would not find it.
The young man then proceeded to ask Edward for his hand in marriage, hoping that by proposing in the room where they had some of their saddest memories, they could wipe them out and replace them with the happiest one of all. Naturally, Edward agreed, and there were loud cheers from every corner of the room as Colin slipped his ring carefully onto Edward's finger, and then kissed him. Edward had been planning a proposal of his own, and so when he pulled out his own ring box, and slipped a ring on Colin's finger, nobody was surprised. It was the first time that two Warblers had proposed to each other in the room, but all of those gathered there were quite sure that they would not be the last.
The last people that congratulated the happy couple personally in the general round of well wishes afterwards were Nick and Jeff. They had held back for a reason; Seth knew this and he stayed rooted at their side, keeping Skylar with them too. Seth had been asked not to say too much about his inheritance to the three young men in Ohio who would soon be joining them in New York. He had told his three friends that he had managed to find them somewhere to live, but that he could not say any more until he was back at Dalton with them. All day he had managed to evade their big questions about cost, size and location, telling them that he would talk to them later, after the senior party, when they would have an opportunity to find a quiet space so that he could show them photos. They had reluctantly agreed to wait until then, but Seth had been finding it hard not to blurt it all out when he was there with them in person, and the waiting had been hard on the others too…
"So, Jeff and I would like to offer you our warmest congratulations as you start on the road to marriage," said Nick.
"As the longest married couple in the Warblers, it will also be our great privilege to watch over you as you find your feet as an official couple in New York City," added Jeff.
"Thanks guys," said Edward. "It means a lot to us to know that we have your support. You have been an inspiration to us. However, I don't know how closely you will be able to watch us. I know that we will be studying in the city, but by the looks of it, we will be living in New Jersey, whilst you will be on the other side of the metropolis in Bushwick. That's right, isn't it Seth?"
"Actually," said Seth, "I said that I had found somewhere, but it isn't in Jersey City after all. It is somewhere much, much better. The thing is, it would be best if I left all the explanations to Jeff…"
All eyes were at once on Jeff; he almost laughed at the intensity of the looks that he was getting from Skylar and the newly engaged couple, but kept his composure. "I asked Seth to keep quiet about all of this whilst the last of the examinations were taking place, as I did not want to distract you from your studies. Basically what happened is this; when Gordon Clarington died, he left a will in which he bequeathed everything to his son, but failed to use a name. So my mother, with the help of my lovely sister-in-law Grace, went behind my back, and argued that as his son, it should naturally come to me. My inheritance included a row of five townhouses in the West Village of Manhattan, all of them vacant. Nick and I have moved into one with Mike; Beats, Flint and Ethan will also be moving into parts of it soon. Now between us and them there is a house, with a plethora of bedrooms - and I might have put your names on it…"
There was silence for a moment as the three young men stared at each other, then at a smiling and nodding Seth, before turning back to Jeff. "So let me get this right; you have sorted us out a place to stay in the West Village? But isn't that a very expensive part of town," sad Edward. "I mean, it's not that we aren't grateful, because that would be so handy for everything, but we are on a budget…"
"Yes, it is so handy for everything," mused Nick. "Just a couple of blocks from the subway, on a direct line to Colombia for Skylar, and a short walk to NYU for the two of you Edward."
"And as for the budget, well the rent I am charging for the entire place is $10 a month," added Jeff nonchalantly.
There was a squeak from Colin at that point, and looks of shock and disbelief from both Skylar and Edward at that statement. "Okay, so I think that I misheard you there Jeff," stammered Skylar eventually. "I thought that I just heard you say that you would be charging us $120 a year in rent, and that is absurd!"
"Nope, it is what I said. I am sharing out my father's wealth, and to that end, every bit of property I am renting out is at the standard $10 a month. You will have to pay for heat, light, water and taxes, but yeah, it will work out at $20 a year each, as Luke and Duncan will make it six of you sharing. I mean, you don't have to accept my offer; you could go and live in Jersey City if you want…" said Jeff.
"We're not mad!" exclaimed Colin all of a sudden. "We accept, unless it is a total slum, in which case, it's a no!"
"Trust me on this guys," said Seth. "It is in no way, shape or form a slum. It's a palace. We'll be right in the heart of everything; we'll have excellent neighbours, and there is even a hot tub in the garden. It is quite literally the stuff dreams are made of."
Colin leapt forward and hugged Jeff, Skylar quickly following suit. Edward was still frozen in shock as Seth pulled out his phone, and showed his friend the picture he had taken of the outside on his visit, then started to quickly flick through those he had taken inside. "It really is a palace," Edward gasped, as he tried his hardest not to cry tears of happiness. Nick saw that and walked over to him, his arms held open. Edward fell into them gratefully, as he could then hide his face and the tears that were falling from the others in the room; after all, he did have an image to protect.
In the end, the Seniors leaving party merged with the remains of the wedding reception in the refectory. Some of the guests had already left, as they had to be back in New York the following morning; Rachel and Cooper had shows to appear in; Grace had a desk to return to; Elliott had a shift at the Spotlight. Sam had chosen to return with Rachel, and they all understood why; she did not want to be alone in the loft in Bushwick now that there were no neighbours across the landing. It wasn't a bad thing, as it meant that Sam could decorate the loft for the return of the newlyweds the following day; their honeymoon trip to Paris, courtesy of François, was not due to begin until the following week.
The others would all be returning home the following day on early flights. Nick, Jeff and Mike all had late shifts at their respective places of work; Sebastian had to sit backstage at the theatre for the evening show, just in case; and the younger boys had to return to prepare for their house move. The Princeton crowd had to return home to prepare for Tuesday, when they had their official commencement ceremony to attend. Beats and Flint also wanted to check up on how their young protégés had performed at the bar in their first solo show. On top of all of that, they had packing to do too for their own big move to New York as they prepared to say goodbye to study and hello to work.
Thad and David would be heading back to L.A. to a world of final exams, then after their own commencement ceremony, they would be embarking on a cross country road trip as they took the bulk of Thad's belongings to Dalton. He had brought some things with him on this trip, taking advantage of Mercedes having access to a private jet, and they had been installed in what would soon be his new apartment at the school, that came with his job as housemaster. It was a strange feeling for Thad as he watched as everyone enjoyed themselves in that big room; he knew that very soon, he would be back here to stay. It was even stranger to think that the next time he attended a graduation here, he would do so not as an ex-student, but as a member of the faculty…