Per tradition, Rory left to spend the night with Craig at his hotel room
while Aja stayed at the house with Jerrica. Everyone woke early and after a
light breakfast began to get
ready. They went to a spa for manicures and pedicures. When they
returned, Aja did Jerrica's makeup while Kimber did her hair. It was pinned up, wisps hanging down to frame her face.
"Are you ready to put on your dress sis?" Kimber asked.
"Almost, I'll be right back." she said, running up the stairs. A few
minutes later she came back down and slipped on her dress. The others
went about getting ready as well when there was a knock on the door. Jerrica
answered it to find Rio on the other side.
"Rio, what on earth are you doing here?"
"I've been asked to deliver this." he said, holding out a red wrapped
package with a silver ribbon. Jerrica smiled and took it from him.
"I'm gonna go now but I just want to say you look amazing. He's one
lucky guy."
"Thank you." Jerrica whispered. "Listen; before you go can I speak
with you in private? I have something I need to tell you before I get
married."
"Alright. What did you want to tell me?" he asked.
"Follow me." she said, leading him inside and closing the door. "I'll
be right back guys." Jerrica called to her friends in the other room.
She led Rio upstairs to her room and closed the door behind them.
"Is everything alright?" he asked.
"There is something that I should have told you a long time ago. A
secret I've kept from you for too long." Jerrica took a deep
breath. "What I'm about to say cannot leave this room." she began.
"Sure. Whatever it is you can tell me." Rio said with a smile.
A tear fell from Jerrica's eye as she spoke. "When my father was still
alive he built a sophisticated computer that could create realistic
holographic images. After he died I used it to create Jem. She was a
hologram. I was Jem." Jerrica said as she walked over to her dresser
and picked up one of the earrings.
"You're joking right?" Rio asked, still trying to comprehend what she
had just said.
"No, showtime Synergy." Jerrica said. Rio was momentarily stunned by
the flash of pink light. Suddenly Jem was standing before him.
"Jem?"
"Yes, and no. Shows over Synergy." Jerrica said, transforming back
into herself.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Rio whispered.
"I'm so sorry. I could come up with a million reasons why but none of
them are valid. Maybe I thought they were back then but not anymore.
I mean it all started as a means for me to keep Starlight music and the
Starlight foundation afloat and out of Eric's hands. I didn't think I
could make it with just my voice so I created Jem to be the ultimate
rock star. The problem was when I was Jem, I was still me who was
crazy for you. I couldn't keep away from you and pretty soon you were
in love with us both, only we were both me. See, that's how it got out
of control. But, I guess the biggest reason was that I was afraid of
losing you. I was afraid if you found out the truth you would hate me
for deceiving you and never speak to me again. I'm sorry Rio. I never
wanted to hurt you," Jerrica cried.
"Oh, Jerrica. Don't cry." he said, wrapping his arms around her. "True
this is a shock but what's done is done. Besides, my knowing might not
have changed anything between us. And looking at your life now would
you honestly have wanted things to be different?"
"No, and I feel bad about that too. You were wonderful to me, my best
friend, but no, I wouldn't want to change anything. I love Rory," she
said, her tears dampening Rio's jacket. He gently grasped her
shoulders and pushed her back to look at him.
"Don't feel bad. I'm glad things worked out for both of us. We had a
lot of good times together but maybe this was how things were supposed
to turn out. Like there was some big, cosmic plan. From what I can
see Rory loves you and makes you happier than I've seen you in years.
And Sarah is the greatest thing that could have happened to me. I'm
extremely happy with the life I have."
"So, you're not mad?" Jerrica asked.
"Not at all. You did what you had to do. I also know that I had a bit
of a temper back then. Truthfully I probably would have been furious.
I'm just glad you finally told me. It explains a lot of unanswered
questions. Of course it brings up a whole new set of questions but I'll ask you those later. Now, don't you have a wedding to get to?" he asked.
Jerrica smiled.
"Thank you Rio. I'm not sorry for how things turned out, not anymore
anyway, but no matter what happened or will happen you will always be
one of my dearest friends."
"Same here. So, I'm going to go and I will see you in a little while.
Good luck Jerrica," he said, opening the door and walking downstairs.
Jerrica sat down on her bed and picked up the box Rio had brought by.
She opened it to find a silver charm bracelet with three charms
hanging off. Beneath it laid a note. Jerrica pulled it out and opened
it. It read: Dear Jerrica,
I'm sitting alone in the hotel room the morning of our wedding day
trying to think of just the right words to say to tell you how I'm
feeling. All I can say though is that there are no words adequate
enough. I hope you will see it in my eyes as you walk down the aisle
or hear it in my voice as I try and hold back the tears of joy as we say our vows. I hope you like your gift. Let me explain to you why I chose this. On the bracelet you'll find three charms, each representing a point in your life so far. The first charm is a star, representing everything starlight. The second is a leaf, representing when we first met. The third is a ring, representing our wedding day. I hope to be able to add many more charms in the future. I love you and will see you at the end of the aisle. Love, Rory.
Jerrica wiped away the tears that ran down her face. She stepped in front of the mirror and clipped the bracelet around her wrist. She was checking her reflection when there was a knock at the door and Kimber entered.
"Ready?" Kimber asked.
"Absolutely. Let's get this show on the road," Jerrica said, following her sister downstairs.
ready. They went to a spa for manicures and pedicures. When they
returned, Aja did Jerrica's makeup while Kimber did her hair. It was pinned up, wisps hanging down to frame her face.
"Are you ready to put on your dress sis?" Kimber asked.
"Almost, I'll be right back." she said, running up the stairs. A few
minutes later she came back down and slipped on her dress. The others
went about getting ready as well when there was a knock on the door. Jerrica
answered it to find Rio on the other side.
"Rio, what on earth are you doing here?"
"I've been asked to deliver this." he said, holding out a red wrapped
package with a silver ribbon. Jerrica smiled and took it from him.
"I'm gonna go now but I just want to say you look amazing. He's one
lucky guy."
"Thank you." Jerrica whispered. "Listen; before you go can I speak
with you in private? I have something I need to tell you before I get
married."
"Alright. What did you want to tell me?" he asked.
"Follow me." she said, leading him inside and closing the door. "I'll
be right back guys." Jerrica called to her friends in the other room.
She led Rio upstairs to her room and closed the door behind them.
"Is everything alright?" he asked.
"There is something that I should have told you a long time ago. A
secret I've kept from you for too long." Jerrica took a deep
breath. "What I'm about to say cannot leave this room." she began.
"Sure. Whatever it is you can tell me." Rio said with a smile.
A tear fell from Jerrica's eye as she spoke. "When my father was still
alive he built a sophisticated computer that could create realistic
holographic images. After he died I used it to create Jem. She was a
hologram. I was Jem." Jerrica said as she walked over to her dresser
and picked up one of the earrings.
"You're joking right?" Rio asked, still trying to comprehend what she
had just said.
"No, showtime Synergy." Jerrica said. Rio was momentarily stunned by
the flash of pink light. Suddenly Jem was standing before him.
"Jem?"
"Yes, and no. Shows over Synergy." Jerrica said, transforming back
into herself.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Rio whispered.
"I'm so sorry. I could come up with a million reasons why but none of
them are valid. Maybe I thought they were back then but not anymore.
I mean it all started as a means for me to keep Starlight music and the
Starlight foundation afloat and out of Eric's hands. I didn't think I
could make it with just my voice so I created Jem to be the ultimate
rock star. The problem was when I was Jem, I was still me who was
crazy for you. I couldn't keep away from you and pretty soon you were
in love with us both, only we were both me. See, that's how it got out
of control. But, I guess the biggest reason was that I was afraid of
losing you. I was afraid if you found out the truth you would hate me
for deceiving you and never speak to me again. I'm sorry Rio. I never
wanted to hurt you," Jerrica cried.
"Oh, Jerrica. Don't cry." he said, wrapping his arms around her. "True
this is a shock but what's done is done. Besides, my knowing might not
have changed anything between us. And looking at your life now would
you honestly have wanted things to be different?"
"No, and I feel bad about that too. You were wonderful to me, my best
friend, but no, I wouldn't want to change anything. I love Rory," she
said, her tears dampening Rio's jacket. He gently grasped her
shoulders and pushed her back to look at him.
"Don't feel bad. I'm glad things worked out for both of us. We had a
lot of good times together but maybe this was how things were supposed
to turn out. Like there was some big, cosmic plan. From what I can
see Rory loves you and makes you happier than I've seen you in years.
And Sarah is the greatest thing that could have happened to me. I'm
extremely happy with the life I have."
"So, you're not mad?" Jerrica asked.
"Not at all. You did what you had to do. I also know that I had a bit
of a temper back then. Truthfully I probably would have been furious.
I'm just glad you finally told me. It explains a lot of unanswered
questions. Of course it brings up a whole new set of questions but I'll ask you those later. Now, don't you have a wedding to get to?" he asked.
Jerrica smiled.
"Thank you Rio. I'm not sorry for how things turned out, not anymore
anyway, but no matter what happened or will happen you will always be
one of my dearest friends."
"Same here. So, I'm going to go and I will see you in a little while.
Good luck Jerrica," he said, opening the door and walking downstairs.
Jerrica sat down on her bed and picked up the box Rio had brought by.
She opened it to find a silver charm bracelet with three charms
hanging off. Beneath it laid a note. Jerrica pulled it out and opened
it. It read: Dear Jerrica,
I'm sitting alone in the hotel room the morning of our wedding day
trying to think of just the right words to say to tell you how I'm
feeling. All I can say though is that there are no words adequate
enough. I hope you will see it in my eyes as you walk down the aisle
or hear it in my voice as I try and hold back the tears of joy as we say our vows. I hope you like your gift. Let me explain to you why I chose this. On the bracelet you'll find three charms, each representing a point in your life so far. The first charm is a star, representing everything starlight. The second is a leaf, representing when we first met. The third is a ring, representing our wedding day. I hope to be able to add many more charms in the future. I love you and will see you at the end of the aisle. Love, Rory.
Jerrica wiped away the tears that ran down her face. She stepped in front of the mirror and clipped the bracelet around her wrist. She was checking her reflection when there was a knock at the door and Kimber entered.
"Ready?" Kimber asked.
"Absolutely. Let's get this show on the road," Jerrica said, following her sister downstairs.