Chapter 44

Lloyd and Colette

Colette woke, it was the day, she was getting married today. She went to the closet and got her dress out, she looked at it in awe. It was so beautiful and she couldn't believe what she was about to do. She saw Sheena and Raine heading inside. She heard their footsteps coming upstairs.

"Hey Raine, Sheena."

"What are you waiting for? Get into your dress!" Said Sheena smiling.

Colette took the dress with her into the bathroom and put it on, Raine and Sheena came in shortly after. They started combing her hair putting on makeup while putting their own dresses on.

Lloyd and Zelos were already in their suits.

"I wonder where Genis is?" Lloyd said curiously.

"Don't know."

Lloyd figured he was probably going straight to the wedding instead.

"So nervous Lloyd?"

"Not really, so not to pry but how are you and Raine doing?"

"Good, a little rocky at times but I'm thinking about it." He said even though he knew he was lying.

"About what?"

"You know popping the question, I want to get engaged, maybe we can just get married right off instead of getting engaged."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"It's so weird…"

"What is?"

"That someone wants to marry her."

"What are you trying to say?"

"She was my teacher for eleven years!"

"Oh yeah. She never talks about it though…"

"She was so strict…if she ever has kids I feel bad for them."

"What are you naming yours?"

"Well, we're still working on that one…don't really know."

"Figures."

"Like you're much more organized than me!"

"True… So is Colette taking your name?"

"Yeah. She wouldn't dare keep her own, she's so traditional."

"Yeah, she seems it."

Lloyd smiled and they both turned around as the girls came downstairs.

Colette smiled at them, her long white dress flowing about her. Her face perfectly powdered and her hair tied back neatly with white flowers. Sheena was also very pretty, her long dress was cut down and it exposed her chest more than she would have wanted but she ignored it. Raine followed them, her dress matched Sheena's, and she beamed at Zelos.

Colette grabbed Lloyd by the arm, and took him outside and towards the carriage. Zelos and Raine and Sheena followed and did the same. The ride there was silent. When they reached the church they entered and sat down except for Lloyd and Colette, they went and stood at the altar.

"We will now begin this union in holy matrimony."

Lloyd seemed to be off in space then the priest said,

"Does anyone here think these two should not be wed?"

No answer came.

"Do you Lloyd Irving take Colette Brunel to be your loyal wedded wife?"

"I do."

"Do you Colette Brunel take Lloyd Irving to be your loyal wedded husband?"

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride."

Lloyd leaned in and kissed Colette's sweet lips and heard the people in the crowd cheer.

"I pronounce you husband and wife."

They smiled and walked out of the church. They got into the carriage and rode to the hotel. They arrived and left the carriage. In the hotel all the guests were waiting. Sheena and Raine ran up to Colette and hugged her.

"Colette you did it! You're married!"

Colette smiled and continued into the large room. Lloyd walked up behind her and kissed her neck and whispered to her,

"Hey Mrs. Irving…"

"Lloyd, I'm so happy I married you."

He smiled and pulled her onto the already full dance floor.

Women surrounded Zelos almost instantly. All of them girls from the school Lloyd and Colette had gone to so Raine knew them all.

"Are you the chosen of Tethe'alla?" A group of young girls asked.

"Yeah…"

"I love you so much! I'm your biggest fan…maybe we could go to the back for a while…" Said one of them seductively.

"Sorry sweetie, but I'm taken."

She looked down embarrassed and annoyed as Zelos headed over to Raine but the girls still followed him.

"Raine, make them go away please." Zelos said desperately.

She smiled and faced the girls.

"You girls need to realize that he is with me and I'm your teacher so you shouldn't keep trying unless you want some bad grades next year. Ok?" She said with a large grin spread across her face in satisfaction.

They all sighed and walked away astonished that their teacher had landed such a hot guy.

"Very nice, very nice indeed." Said Zelos who was smiling broadly.

"Thanks."

"So…shall we dance?"

"I would be honored."

Zelos smiled and took her by the arms and led her onto the dance floor. A slower song came on and he wrapped his arms around her, one on her shoulder the other at her waist, she followed. Raine was actually quite surprised, he was an amazing dancer. He stepped properly and didn't step on her feet at all. He looked deep into her eyes and knew something was troubling her.

"Raine?"

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, why?"

"You look a little bit upset."

"No, not at all."

He smiled and began to slide his hand down her back lower but she gave him a nasty glare and he moved it right back up. He sighed in disappointment but continued dancing.

Presea could hardly control herself, she could see Regal across the room trying not to look over at her. She wanted him back so badly but she couldn't do it. He wasn't going to let her end up like Alicia, dead because of him. Presea brought back to her memory that last night they had spent together, he wouldn't let her go all the way because it would make it harder to say goodbye. He did let her get very close, she could almost taste his lips on hers still. She shot a glance over to him; he saw her but gave her a sorry look. She just wished that she could be happy but no matter where she went she brought bad things with her. She still walked over to him with a look of disappointment on her face.

Sheena desperately wished things could have gone smoother with Starr. She wasn't trying to break it all off and she hadn't quite but it was on the verge. She sighed in frustration and took another sip of champagne. She didn't want to just leave him behind in her past but she didn't feel she had many other choices. She knew he had been very good to her and had really been very considerate and caring for her but the arguments and fights were too much for her to bear. Everyday it seemed something came up and he would want to know about it or disagree with her on it and fight over it, before she knew it he was yelling and life was on the rocks again.

Presea stood before Regal, her eyes glossed with tears.

"Presea, I can't."

"Can we at least have today too?"

"Alright but this is the last time. The more time we spend together the harder it is to let go." Regal sighed but eventually smiled.

"I know but…it's different when you care as much as I do." She said as she kissed him and he returned the favor.

Lloyd was dancing with Colette when he saw out of the corner of his eye Presea and Regal.

"Colette, look it's Presea and Regal."

And sure enough when she turned to look there they were, Presea had her arms wrapped around him, he leaned down and kissed her and she kissed him back quite passionately.

"I knew they were together but I didn't know it was like this."

"Me neither. I didn't know they loved each other like that."

"At least she's happy"

"Yeah, its nice to see her so happy."

"Wait a minute Lloyd…she's crying."

"She is?" He said looking closer at her, Colette was right. She was crying.

"What for?"

"I don't know. I'm going to talk to her later though."

"I hope she's alright."

"I think the cake is coming now."

Lloyd and Colette went over to the cake and the guests gathered round, he sliced the first piece and gave her a bite, she did the same. The guests cheered and they smiled at one another. They went over to the gifts, and about fifty envelopes and multiple paper cuts later they got to Zelos and Raine's gift. Colette slid her finger under the seal and opened it. Out came a rather lengthy piece of paperwork. Lloyd looked over it in silence for a minute then said excitedly,

"You bought us a house?!"

"Yeah…"

Colette instantly got up and ran over to them and hugged Raine so tightly she thought she might suffocate.

"Your welcome guys, you deserve it. And guess what's even better about it?" Zelos said smirking.

"What?" Lloyd said curiously.

"You're only…oh, next door to us!"

"You're kidding me!"

"No, you really are next door to us Lloyd." Raine said smiling.

"This is so exciting Lloyd!"

"I know, I can't believe you got us a house!"

"Well, what can we say, we wanted to drop an extravagant gift."

"Well, you did more than that."

Zelos and Raine smiled as Lloyd and Colette hurried off to tell the rest of their friends about it. After Colette had talked to her friends for a while she went to see Presea. She found her sitting alone, still crying.

"Hi Colette." She said looking down trying to hide her tears.

"Presea, I saw you and Regal. But why were you crying?"

"We have to break up."

"Why?"

"I got a vision. I saw it, we were going to get married and have a baby girl, but then I got very ill and died. And the visions I have always come true." Presea told her bluntly.

"I'm so sorry." Colette said hugging Presea consolingly.

"I'll be ok…today's the last day we're seeing each other."

"Well, I guess you should go see him then. You know if you need me you can come talk to me anytime."

"I know, you're so nice. Thanks Colette."

Colette only smiled as Presea left to get Regal.

Raine noticed that the bartender had gone into the supply closet, she went to the bar after Zelos went to talk to Regal. She went behind the counter and took a bottle of vodka out from behind the counter and went outside. She sat out on the back stoop of the building and took a big sip of the liqueur and took a pack of cigarettes out of her purse. She lit one and took a long drag on it. She exhaled and tapped the ashes off the end of it.

Zelos turned around and noticed that Raine wasn't there anymore. He looked around for her and still couldn't find her. He went outside after looking inside a while longer, he walked around to the back and saw smoke rising and began to head towards it.

Raine heard footsteps getting closer, she stamped her cigarette out and tossed it into the bushes and slipped the bottle near the bushes after taking another long sip. Then Zelos rounded the corner.

"Raine, there you are, why are you out here?"

"Just taking a break from all the partying."

"You ok?"

"Yeah, fine."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, just as he had slid his tongue into her mouth he took it right back out.

"Have you been drinking?"

"No…"

"Really? Your mouth tastes like liqueur."

"Well, I haven't had any." She said lying.

He smiled and shook his suspicions off. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her neck as he usually would but withdrew again.

"Raine, this is really weird."

"What?"

"I saw smoke coming up from over here and your hair smells like smoke too. What's going on?"

"Nothing, honestly, nothing at all."

"Ok, well, lets go back inside." He said forgetting his suspicions.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed in there I'll go back in a minute you go ahead."

"Ok." He said regaining his suspicions.

After he had left Raine lit up another cigarette and took a long drag and tapped the ashes after exhaling. She took a big sip from the bottle and put it down. She took another drag and before she could react Zelos appeared from around the corner.

"Raine! What are you doing?!"

"Zelos…"

"What the hell is going on?"

Raine got up and ran away towards the street, she hailed down a carriage and got in. Zelos watched in amazement, he chased after her but couldn't tell where she was. He got in his carriage and headed towards his house. He went to her room and knocked, no answer. He tried to open it but it was locked, he knew she was in there.

"Raine let me in."

"Go away…"

Zelos sighed and went outside and climbed the terrace to her window and climbed in. He sat down next to her and held her close to him and wiped her tears away.

"Raine why?"

"Go away Zelos!" She said enraged as she pushed him away in a hostile manner.

"Raine, don't do this to me, please don't do this to me…"

"Get out!" She said sounding extremely furious and enraged.

He sighed and walked out, after he left he heard the lock click shut again. He walked off to his room frustrated and confused