Chapter 4
Eight O clock. My alarm clock buzzed loudly. I slammed it against the wall, and picked up the phone, and called Brian.
"Get up!" I said on his personal answering machine. "This is your wake up call. Brian, get up!" I moaned.
"Hello?" he mumbled.
"Sorry, I know this is early, but you'll have to get over here," I said, sitting up.
"Yeah, I'll be over in a few minutes," he said, and hung up. I hung up, and went into the bathroom to take my shower. After I was done, I grabbed my robe, and walked out of the bathroom. The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it.
"Hi," I said to Brian, and stepped aside. He smiled and kissed my cheek.
"Zach is in the guest room with the tailor," I said, and ran up to my room to get dressed. I put on the dress, and went into the bathroom to do my hair. I put it up elegantly in a clip, and put on my favorite diamond necklace. I put on my diamond earrings, and did my makeup. Finally, when I could do nothing more to my appearance, I walked into the guest room.
"Zach," I said softly, and watched him turn around. He stepped aside, and let me look at Brian. He was wearing the tux, his hair combed back neatly. I smiled, and walked over to him.
"You look great," I complimented. He smiled, and brushed some lint off of his jacket.
"So do you," he said softly, and took my hand and kissed it. I turned to Zach, and smiled.
"That looks gorgeous on you," he said, walking over to me to kiss my cheek. I smiled, and looked him over.
"You look very handsome. I'm going to check on Mommy." I walked out of the room, and into Mommy's. I opened the door, and looked around. Mommy's friends littered the room, running about in a frenzy. I walked in, and asked where Mommy was.
"She's in the bathroom dearie," Mrs. Carlton said. I nodded, and opened the door. Mommy was putting on the veil. She looked over and smiled.
"Darling you look gorgeous!" she cried, hugging me. I smirked, and looked at her.
"You look good Mommy," I said softly. She batted her eyelashes.
"I know," she said, and took my shoulders into her hands. She stared back into my eyes, and smiled.
"You are very pretty Skye. Don't waste it," she said, and let go of me. She looked back into the mirror to adjust the veil. I walked out of the room, and out of the house, next door to Brad's. His mother answered the door.
"Oh, Skye, you look beautiful. Come in," he said, stepping aside. I smiled, and walked inside. Brad was sitting on the couch, dressed in his tuxedo. His mother went upstairs for a moment to check how she looked.
"So you decided to come," I said softly. He turned around, and frowned.
"I don't have a choice," he muttered, and stood up.
"Look Brad. I'm not understanding. Why the hell are you so mad at me?" I cried.
"You're too involved with your other life to care," he said angrily.
"Bradley Collington!" I cried, walking over to him. "Don't you ever think that I will forget you! You've been my best friend since I was six years old! I'll never forget you!"
"I don't get why you try Skye," he muttered, shaking his head. I lifted it, and smiled.
"I try, because of you," I said softly, and kissed his cheek. He took my hands, and held them in his.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, and embraced me. I kissed his cheek again, and smiled. He pulled away, and smiled.
"I have to go, the limo is waiting for me," I said softly, and walked to the door. I opened it, glanced back at him, and walked outside. Mommy was just getting into the limo.
"Hurry Skye!" she called to me, and waved. I ran to the car, and leaped in. The driver pulled away, and drove to the cathedral. Cars were beginning to arrive in the parking lot. Mrs. Baker rushed everyone inside, and told us to go into the adjoining room. I waited outside for Zach and Brian to arrive. Once their limo pulled up, I rushed over to greet them.
"Mommy is in the choir room," I announced, and rushed inside. Brian and Brad stood by my side.
"Let's get inside," I said, and took both of their hands, and led them inside. I stayed by the door, and waited for my cue. The march of the bride began, and I took my basket of rose petals, and began to toss them lightly. Zach locked eyes with me, unable to look away. It made me feel self conscious, thinking that I would do something to embarrass him. Once I was down the aisle, I took my place, and watched Mommy march down the aisle. To me she look as if she were doing this to hurt me, her smile meant to put pain in my heart, which it did. I tried not to frown, but I couldn't contain myself. Brad and Brian gave me both reprimanding looks, and I pasted on a fake smile. Mommy took her place at the altar, and linked arms with Zach.
When the minister asked if anyone object to this marriage, I almost raised my hand and told him that I did. But I didn't. I expected Daddy to run through the doors, shouting that he still loved Mommy, and that Mommy would drop her bouquet of flowers, and run to him, and jump in to his welcoming arms. But I was only imagining it, and no one objected to the marriage. I sighed, and closed my eyes. Once the minister had declared them man and wife, I closed my eyes, and felt a tear slip down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, and marched behind them, my head lowered. Brad and Brian sprung out of their seats, and linked arms with me, escorting me to the limo. I sank into the seat, and closed my eyes.
Mommy and Zach had decided to have the reception at Dark Shadows Manor. Brian and Brad were both equally amazed with the house, when I stared back at it with hatred. "Welcome home," I muttered under my breath, and stepped out of the limo. Zach and Mommy were just entering the house, Zach looking back and smiling. I smiled, and walked inside.
Soft music was being played by a 26 piece orchestra. Waiters and servants were walking around with trays of food and drinks. I stepped inside, and walked directly to my room, and went into the bathroom. I stared back at the mirror, closing my eyes, and bracing myself against the counter. I sighed, fixed my hair, and walked out of the bathroom, running into Zach. I jumped back.
"Zach? How did you know I was in here?" I asked. He chuckled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you, but I saw you coming up here, and I wondered if anything was wrong," he said, smiling. I shook my head.
"No, I'm fine," I said softly, and walked past him. I jogged out of my room, and back downstairs back to Brad and Brian, who were talking softly.
"We were beginning to worry about you," Brad said, smiling.
"I just went up to my room for a minute," I said softly, and took a glass of champagne from an oncoming waiter. I gulped it down quickly, and grabbed for another, but Brian grabbed my arm. "No more for you," he said, and placed my hand at my side. I grunted, and closed my eyes, the champagne going to my head already.
"I think I've decided to stay here for the two weeks Mommy and Zach are gone," I declared, opening my eyes. "I'm going to move my things in, and I'm just going to get used to the atmosphere," I said softly. I could tell that that annoyed Brad. He frowned, and then smiled.
"We'll help you move," he said, and nodded. A maid came by with champagne glasses. We all took one, and held it in the middle of our circle.
"A toast," Brain declared. I nodded.
"To what?" Brad asked.
"To me, for not having a mental breakdown," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Brad chuckled, and Brian laughed.
"To the new adventures that we may all encounter," Brian piped up. I shrugged, and clanked my glass together with the others. I gulped it down quickly, and handed the glass to the maid. She nodded, and scurried off with the other glasses. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see Zach.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing. I looked back at Brian and Brad, who both shrugged. I smiled, and took his hand, leading me out onto the dance floor. He took my hand, and held my waist as we danced.
"You looked beautiful today," he said softly, and moved up his hand to my back, brining me closer to him. I bit my lip and nodded.
"You looked handsome also," I said softly, closing my eyes. He smiled.
"I know this is a little uncomfortable for you, in this situation. I know that you'll probably come to hate me-"
"I don't hate you Zach," I protested softly and shyly. He smiled.
"I'm glad that you don't. I really want you to like me Skye. I want us to be friends. Can we do that?" I nodded.
"Good," he said, and brushed his lips against my cheek. I shivered.
"Are you cold?"
"No, I just get shivers sometimes," I whispered, my throat feeling dry. He nodded, and one last spin, the dance ended. He released my hand, and walked over to Mommy. I saw that she looked angry, and said to him, "Why did you dance with her first?" I shook my head, and walked over to Brian and Brad. They had concerned looks on their faces.
"What?" I asked them. They shook their heads and smiled. I closed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on, and decided to give them the grand tour of the house that I had just been aquatinted with. I took them to my room first, to take an aspirin, and then went around, telling them what Zach had said. After the tour, it was time to cut the cake. We went downstairs, as Mommy and Zach were smashing cake into each other's faces. I laughed, soon expecting Mommy to scream at Zach for ruining her makeup. She did, but then forgot about it. I took a piece of cake and started to nibble on it.
"I was wondering if you guys wanted to stay with me here for a while. This house sounds pretty eerie with just myself in it," I said, getting another shiver.
"Oh, yeah, sure, yeah," they both stuttered. I laughed, and tossed my paper plate in the garbage. Someone tapped my shoulder again, and I turned around, to see Samuel Matthews. I grunted, and folded my arms across my chest.
"What do you want?" I snapped, raising my eyebrow. He sighed.
"I wanna apologize again," he said, rocking on his heels and lowering his head. I sighed.
"You apologized last night," I muttered.
"Yeah, well I decided to do it again," he said.
"OK, I accept your apology, again," I mumbled. He smiled.
"Do you wanna dance?" he asked slowly. There's no chance in hell that I'm dancing with you, I thought. I made my eyelids look heavy, and I made myself look ill.
"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling so well," I said, and pretended to faint; Brian caught me. I opened my eyes just a bit to see him run away. After he was out of sight, I stood up again.
"Wow," Brad said, widening his eyes. I brushed off my dress, and smiled.
"Yeah, well I had to get rid of him somehow," I blurted, smiling. Brad started to clap, and Brian smiled.
"Presents!" Mommy screamed, running over to the table. I sighed.
"I better go control her," I said, and walked over to the table full of wedding gifts. Mommy clapped her hands together, and turned to the guests.
"Thank you all for coming today. It means much to me that you did come to support me," Mommy said. Zach held onto her.
"Yes, I would like to thank you all also," Zach chimed in, and smiled at me. I smirked. Brian and Brad stood next to me. Mommy grabbed a gift, and tore it open, gasping at the contents. For about 20 minutes, the same thing went on. After they were done, Mommy scampered off to thank everyone, and Zach walked over to me. I straightened my posture, and smiled.
"I thought I would get something for you," he whispered in my ear, and searched through his jacket, and pulled out a black jewelry case. I took it from his hands, and opened it, to reveal a gold heart locket, a small ruby shaped into a heart in the middle. I gasped, and opened it.
A locket for my love
Zachary
It was scribbled in fancy cursive. I looked up, smiled, and put it on. Zach helped me put it on, then looked at me and smiled.
"It looks great," he said, touching it. I nodded, and felt the smooth gold. He took my hand, kissed it, and walked away. I turned to Brian and Brad, and showed them.
"Must've cost a lot," Brian muttered. I shrugged.
"I like it," I said, and smiled. Guests were filing out of the house, leaving only Brian, Brad, me, Zach and Mommy. Zach had one of the maids bring down their suitcases, and set it by the door. Mommy came up to me, and gave me a hug.
"I expect that you will do the right thing in your stay here," she said firmly, trying to take charge. I rolled my eyes.
"Mommy, stop trying to take charge," I ordered, and walked away. She screamed, and walked over to Zach. Zach comforted her, and they both walked over here together.
"We have to leave, we have a flight to catch," Zach said. Mommy nodded, locking eyes with me. I narrowed them at her, and turned to Zach.
"If you need anything, just ask one of the servants," he instructed. I nodded.
"Have a good time," I said softly, and hugged Zach. He smiled, and kissed my cheek. I turned to Mommy, and gave her a quick hug that lasted a second. They walked to the door, and Mommy went into the limo. Zach looked back, smiled, and shut the door behind him. I turned to Brad and Brian.
"I'm going to call the limo around. I need to start packing my things," I said, and called the maid. She said she would get right on it, and walked away. I walked to the door, and opened it. The limo had pulled up. I took out the spare keys, and locked the door, and shut it behind Brian and Brad. We crawled into the limo together, and ordered the driver to the house.
I stepped inside, thinking that this would be the last time that I would be in this house. I went up to my room, and grabbed my suitcases, put all of my clothes inside. Brian and Brad grabbed my valued possessions.
In hours, we had all of the things that I wanted to take with me packed in the limo. I changed, and crawled back into the limo, shutting the door behind me. We drove to Dark Shadows, and ran inside, racing each other. We had the butler bringing up my things, and carrying them into my room. After everything was done, we relaxed by the pool. Afterwards, Brad said that he had to go, which left me and Brian left in the house together. We went back inside the house, and relaxed.
"This is an amazing house," Brian gasped, looking around. I nodded in agreement. He took my hand and kissed it. I sighed, and headed towards the stairs. I grabbed the banister, and started walking up, but my ankle bent funny, and I stumbled, almost falling down. I cried out, and felt Brian's hands on my waist. He lifted me, and carried me up to my room, laying me down on the bed gently. I sighed, and looked down at my ankle. It didn't swell, which was a good sign. Brian inspected it himself, and looked up at me.
"You'll be OK," he reassured, and walked over to kiss my forehead. I grabbed his shoulders, and slowly brought his lips to mine. He sat down on the bed next to me, and ran his fingers down my cheek. I smiled, and closed my eyes, his lips raining kisses all over my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and met my lips with his, holding him to me tightly. He reached for the hem of my shirt, and started to lift it up. My brain started to protest, but my heart said to keep going. I backed away from him, shaking my head.
"What?" Brian asked, crawling over to me, like a cheetah on the prowl. I held up my palm to his face. He sighed.
"Fine OK," he said, laying beside me, and closing his eyes. I sighed, and drifted off.
In the morning, the maid knocked on the door, saying that she had my breakfast. I quickly scrambled out of bed, and opened the door a crack. I took the tray from her, and shut the door, slinking over into the lounge that was adjacent to my room. I set the tray down on the table, and started to eat. Brian staggered in later, his hair a tangled mess. He kissed me good morning, and sat down at the other end of the small table.
"Hungry?" I asked, holding up a plate which had my other egg on it. He shook his head, and rubbed his eyes.
"What time is it?" he groaned.
"It's about 10:00," I muttered. I called the maid, and she came in to clean up my dishes.
"Do you need anything else sir?" she asked. I shook my head.
"What was your name again?" I asked.
"Miss Turner," she said, and waited for my response. I waved my hand, and she scampered off. I stood up, and went back into my room, but Brian grabbed my hand, and sat me down on his lap, kissing me. I sighed happily, and lay my head on his shoulder.
"Do you want to try again?" he whispered in my ear. I shook my head, and went back into my room.
After we watched some TV, Brian said that he had to go, and make an excuse to his parents why he was gone. I kissed him goodbye, and lay on my bed, remembering the moments we had together. My phone rang, and it was Zach.
"How are things at Dark Shadows?" he asked. I sighed happily.
"They are great. How is the honeymoon?" I asked. He sighed.
"Well, your mother got sick on the plane, and she's been in bed all morning," he muttered angrily. I nodded understandingly.
"Did you move your things into your room yet?"
"Yes, I did. Everything feels like home."
"Wonderful. I always want Dark Shadows to feel like home to you," he said happily. I nodded.
"Well, I have to go. Your mother is calling for me," he said, and said goodbye, hanging up. I hung up my phone, and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After that, I had the limo take me to the mall, to buy me some new clothes. Zach said that I could use his credit card, and not worry about maxing it out.
"I didn't have a daughter to do such things, so I'm giving the privelige to the next best person," he told me once he handed it to me. I nodded, and promised to myself that I wouldn't spend too much.
After shopping, I relaxed by the pool, laying in the sun, reading a magazine. Miss Turner came to me later, saying that I had a phone call. I leaped up out of my chair, and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" I asked. It was Brian.
"Hey, what's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, I was just hanging out by the pool."
"Oh, just calling to see what was up. I'm a little bored."
"You can come over if you want," I suggested.
"I've got a lot of things to do," he said. I sighed. "But I'll be over there tomorrow, I promise," he said, and said goodbye. I hung up, and went back to the pool, then had dinner in my room. I relaxed, and went to bed.
The next two weeks were very nice. I hung around the pool, watched TV, and just hung around. The day Mommy and Zach came home, he ordered me to his room.
"Miss, Mr. James wants you in his private quarters," Miss Turner said, and scurried away. I sighed, wondering if she could have told him something, and shuffled to his room. I knocked on the door, and he thrust it open. He smiled, seeing who it was, and embraced me.
"Welcome home," I choked. He smiled, and took my hand to lead me inside his room. Mommy was gone, probably at the house packing her things.
"What was it that you wanted?" I asked, rocking back and forth on my heels. He smiled.
"I wanted to evaluate you on your stay at Dark Shadows," he said simply, and sat down on his massive bed. I shrugged.
"I had a wonderful time here," I said softly. He nodded.
"Good. I'm glad everything was at your fingertips," he said, and walked over to me, picking up the locket from my chest.
"I see that you've been wearing the locket I gave you," he said, smiling. I nodded.
"It's very precious to me," I said softly. He nodded, and dropped it back into its place. I smiled, and started to fumble with it.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said and nodded. I smiled, and bolted out of the room, and ran back to my own. I shut the door, and sighed. Something about his smile sent shivers up my spine. I shook off the thought, and went back to my daily activities.
Since school had let out, I mainly stayed home, relaxing and going out with Brad or Brian. Zach was more concerned about me, and paid more attention to me. Mommy slowly drifted away from my social life, talking to me only when necessary. I ignored her as much as possible, and hung out with Zach more.
One day, Zach had come into my room, saying that he wanted to talk to me about something. I was nervous, of course, and didn't know what to expect. He sat down on my bed, and smiled.
"You don't have to look so worried about it Skye. I just want to tell you of a very important occasion that is coming up," he said. I sighed, and sat down in my red leather chair.
"It's a debutante ball. You're mother absolutely refuses to go. She says that she will be the oldest there, despite her looks. I told her that was a stupid reason. And then, a brilliant idea popped into my head. I'll invite you!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands. I thought about the idea. It seemed intersting, so I decided to go.
"Sure, that would be great, but I have nothing to wear except that red dress," I said, nodding to my closet. He stood.
"We can buy another dress," he said, lifting my chin. I smiled, and nodded.
"We'll go later in the day," he said, and walked out of the room. He threw a smile back at me, then shut the door behind him. I smiled, excited about the ball, and threw myself on my bed, giggling.
Later on that day, Miss Turner came into to tell me that I was once requested in the presence of Mr. James. I flew out of my room, and into his.
"Ready to go shopping?" he said. I nodded excitedly, and fumbled with my locket. He smiled, and grabbed his wallet, shoving it in his back pocket, and heading out the door. The limo pulled up, and we crawled in, sitting beside each other.
"Where are we going to go?" I asked.
"Down on third street. Near the place where we got your other dress," he said. I nodded, and lay back.
"I'm glad you decided to come. I'm considered a very important guest, and they would be awfully dissapointed if I didn't come."
"Who is holding it, and when is it being held?"
"In 3 days. I'm sorry for such short noticed. I only just remebered today," he said. I smiled. The limo pulled up to the shops, and let us out. I waited for Zach to get out, and we went inside. I gasped. The gowns almost looked like wedding gowns! I still hadn't adjusted to the rich life yet, meaning that I wasn't used to buying such expensive things.
"Relax. Didn't we go over this the last time we bought a dress?" he teased, walking into the store further. I shook my head, and walked down the long aisles, deciding which to pick. I picked out a dazzling wine red diamond strap spagetti strap dress, the bottom of the gown long and almost needed a train carrier to carry it. I took it off of the rack, and went towards the dressing room to try it on. Zach somehow knew that I was there, and was waiting outside for me. I walked out, looked in the long mirror, and caught Zach staring at me with such intensity, that it made me blush.
"You look like a princess," he said, taking my hand and spinning me around. I smirked, and headed back toward the dressing room stall. I changed out of it, and slung it over my arm.
"This is the one," I said, and walked up to the register. I was still hesitant, but let Zach hand the cashier the credit card. Once he was done, he took it back, and headed towards the door. He smiled, and opened the limo door for me. I crawled in, and lay back my shoulders aching. Zach could see it in my face, and he offered me a massage.
"You'll feel much better," he coaxed. I sighed, and bent forward, feeling his hands on my shoulders, deeply rubbing them. I moaned, and closed my eyes, not realizing that I had falled asleep. When I awoke, I was in my bed, the covers pulled up to my chin. My eyelids fluttered open and saw Zach sitting in the red leather chair.
"I'm beginning to worry about you. You should go to bed earlier," he said, standing up. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes.
"I'll make sure of it," I said, yawning.
"I guess that massage did have a soothing affect on you," he said, smiling. I nodded.
"I guess so."
"I'll have the hairdresser come for you in the afternoon to do your hair, if you like."
"That would be fine."
"I'm going to let you rest," he said, and kissed my forehead, and left the room. I sank farther into the bed, and closed my eyes, falling asleep again.
Eight O clock. My alarm clock buzzed loudly. I slammed it against the wall, and picked up the phone, and called Brian.
"Get up!" I said on his personal answering machine. "This is your wake up call. Brian, get up!" I moaned.
"Hello?" he mumbled.
"Sorry, I know this is early, but you'll have to get over here," I said, sitting up.
"Yeah, I'll be over in a few minutes," he said, and hung up. I hung up, and went into the bathroom to take my shower. After I was done, I grabbed my robe, and walked out of the bathroom. The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it.
"Hi," I said to Brian, and stepped aside. He smiled and kissed my cheek.
"Zach is in the guest room with the tailor," I said, and ran up to my room to get dressed. I put on the dress, and went into the bathroom to do my hair. I put it up elegantly in a clip, and put on my favorite diamond necklace. I put on my diamond earrings, and did my makeup. Finally, when I could do nothing more to my appearance, I walked into the guest room.
"Zach," I said softly, and watched him turn around. He stepped aside, and let me look at Brian. He was wearing the tux, his hair combed back neatly. I smiled, and walked over to him.
"You look great," I complimented. He smiled, and brushed some lint off of his jacket.
"So do you," he said softly, and took my hand and kissed it. I turned to Zach, and smiled.
"That looks gorgeous on you," he said, walking over to me to kiss my cheek. I smiled, and looked him over.
"You look very handsome. I'm going to check on Mommy." I walked out of the room, and into Mommy's. I opened the door, and looked around. Mommy's friends littered the room, running about in a frenzy. I walked in, and asked where Mommy was.
"She's in the bathroom dearie," Mrs. Carlton said. I nodded, and opened the door. Mommy was putting on the veil. She looked over and smiled.
"Darling you look gorgeous!" she cried, hugging me. I smirked, and looked at her.
"You look good Mommy," I said softly. She batted her eyelashes.
"I know," she said, and took my shoulders into her hands. She stared back into my eyes, and smiled.
"You are very pretty Skye. Don't waste it," she said, and let go of me. She looked back into the mirror to adjust the veil. I walked out of the room, and out of the house, next door to Brad's. His mother answered the door.
"Oh, Skye, you look beautiful. Come in," he said, stepping aside. I smiled, and walked inside. Brad was sitting on the couch, dressed in his tuxedo. His mother went upstairs for a moment to check how she looked.
"So you decided to come," I said softly. He turned around, and frowned.
"I don't have a choice," he muttered, and stood up.
"Look Brad. I'm not understanding. Why the hell are you so mad at me?" I cried.
"You're too involved with your other life to care," he said angrily.
"Bradley Collington!" I cried, walking over to him. "Don't you ever think that I will forget you! You've been my best friend since I was six years old! I'll never forget you!"
"I don't get why you try Skye," he muttered, shaking his head. I lifted it, and smiled.
"I try, because of you," I said softly, and kissed his cheek. He took my hands, and held them in his.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, and embraced me. I kissed his cheek again, and smiled. He pulled away, and smiled.
"I have to go, the limo is waiting for me," I said softly, and walked to the door. I opened it, glanced back at him, and walked outside. Mommy was just getting into the limo.
"Hurry Skye!" she called to me, and waved. I ran to the car, and leaped in. The driver pulled away, and drove to the cathedral. Cars were beginning to arrive in the parking lot. Mrs. Baker rushed everyone inside, and told us to go into the adjoining room. I waited outside for Zach and Brian to arrive. Once their limo pulled up, I rushed over to greet them.
"Mommy is in the choir room," I announced, and rushed inside. Brian and Brad stood by my side.
"Let's get inside," I said, and took both of their hands, and led them inside. I stayed by the door, and waited for my cue. The march of the bride began, and I took my basket of rose petals, and began to toss them lightly. Zach locked eyes with me, unable to look away. It made me feel self conscious, thinking that I would do something to embarrass him. Once I was down the aisle, I took my place, and watched Mommy march down the aisle. To me she look as if she were doing this to hurt me, her smile meant to put pain in my heart, which it did. I tried not to frown, but I couldn't contain myself. Brad and Brian gave me both reprimanding looks, and I pasted on a fake smile. Mommy took her place at the altar, and linked arms with Zach.
When the minister asked if anyone object to this marriage, I almost raised my hand and told him that I did. But I didn't. I expected Daddy to run through the doors, shouting that he still loved Mommy, and that Mommy would drop her bouquet of flowers, and run to him, and jump in to his welcoming arms. But I was only imagining it, and no one objected to the marriage. I sighed, and closed my eyes. Once the minister had declared them man and wife, I closed my eyes, and felt a tear slip down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, and marched behind them, my head lowered. Brad and Brian sprung out of their seats, and linked arms with me, escorting me to the limo. I sank into the seat, and closed my eyes.
Mommy and Zach had decided to have the reception at Dark Shadows Manor. Brian and Brad were both equally amazed with the house, when I stared back at it with hatred. "Welcome home," I muttered under my breath, and stepped out of the limo. Zach and Mommy were just entering the house, Zach looking back and smiling. I smiled, and walked inside.
Soft music was being played by a 26 piece orchestra. Waiters and servants were walking around with trays of food and drinks. I stepped inside, and walked directly to my room, and went into the bathroom. I stared back at the mirror, closing my eyes, and bracing myself against the counter. I sighed, fixed my hair, and walked out of the bathroom, running into Zach. I jumped back.
"Zach? How did you know I was in here?" I asked. He chuckled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you, but I saw you coming up here, and I wondered if anything was wrong," he said, smiling. I shook my head.
"No, I'm fine," I said softly, and walked past him. I jogged out of my room, and back downstairs back to Brad and Brian, who were talking softly.
"We were beginning to worry about you," Brad said, smiling.
"I just went up to my room for a minute," I said softly, and took a glass of champagne from an oncoming waiter. I gulped it down quickly, and grabbed for another, but Brian grabbed my arm. "No more for you," he said, and placed my hand at my side. I grunted, and closed my eyes, the champagne going to my head already.
"I think I've decided to stay here for the two weeks Mommy and Zach are gone," I declared, opening my eyes. "I'm going to move my things in, and I'm just going to get used to the atmosphere," I said softly. I could tell that that annoyed Brad. He frowned, and then smiled.
"We'll help you move," he said, and nodded. A maid came by with champagne glasses. We all took one, and held it in the middle of our circle.
"A toast," Brain declared. I nodded.
"To what?" Brad asked.
"To me, for not having a mental breakdown," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Brad chuckled, and Brian laughed.
"To the new adventures that we may all encounter," Brian piped up. I shrugged, and clanked my glass together with the others. I gulped it down quickly, and handed the glass to the maid. She nodded, and scurried off with the other glasses. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see Zach.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing. I looked back at Brian and Brad, who both shrugged. I smiled, and took his hand, leading me out onto the dance floor. He took my hand, and held my waist as we danced.
"You looked beautiful today," he said softly, and moved up his hand to my back, brining me closer to him. I bit my lip and nodded.
"You looked handsome also," I said softly, closing my eyes. He smiled.
"I know this is a little uncomfortable for you, in this situation. I know that you'll probably come to hate me-"
"I don't hate you Zach," I protested softly and shyly. He smiled.
"I'm glad that you don't. I really want you to like me Skye. I want us to be friends. Can we do that?" I nodded.
"Good," he said, and brushed his lips against my cheek. I shivered.
"Are you cold?"
"No, I just get shivers sometimes," I whispered, my throat feeling dry. He nodded, and one last spin, the dance ended. He released my hand, and walked over to Mommy. I saw that she looked angry, and said to him, "Why did you dance with her first?" I shook my head, and walked over to Brian and Brad. They had concerned looks on their faces.
"What?" I asked them. They shook their heads and smiled. I closed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on, and decided to give them the grand tour of the house that I had just been aquatinted with. I took them to my room first, to take an aspirin, and then went around, telling them what Zach had said. After the tour, it was time to cut the cake. We went downstairs, as Mommy and Zach were smashing cake into each other's faces. I laughed, soon expecting Mommy to scream at Zach for ruining her makeup. She did, but then forgot about it. I took a piece of cake and started to nibble on it.
"I was wondering if you guys wanted to stay with me here for a while. This house sounds pretty eerie with just myself in it," I said, getting another shiver.
"Oh, yeah, sure, yeah," they both stuttered. I laughed, and tossed my paper plate in the garbage. Someone tapped my shoulder again, and I turned around, to see Samuel Matthews. I grunted, and folded my arms across my chest.
"What do you want?" I snapped, raising my eyebrow. He sighed.
"I wanna apologize again," he said, rocking on his heels and lowering his head. I sighed.
"You apologized last night," I muttered.
"Yeah, well I decided to do it again," he said.
"OK, I accept your apology, again," I mumbled. He smiled.
"Do you wanna dance?" he asked slowly. There's no chance in hell that I'm dancing with you, I thought. I made my eyelids look heavy, and I made myself look ill.
"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling so well," I said, and pretended to faint; Brian caught me. I opened my eyes just a bit to see him run away. After he was out of sight, I stood up again.
"Wow," Brad said, widening his eyes. I brushed off my dress, and smiled.
"Yeah, well I had to get rid of him somehow," I blurted, smiling. Brad started to clap, and Brian smiled.
"Presents!" Mommy screamed, running over to the table. I sighed.
"I better go control her," I said, and walked over to the table full of wedding gifts. Mommy clapped her hands together, and turned to the guests.
"Thank you all for coming today. It means much to me that you did come to support me," Mommy said. Zach held onto her.
"Yes, I would like to thank you all also," Zach chimed in, and smiled at me. I smirked. Brian and Brad stood next to me. Mommy grabbed a gift, and tore it open, gasping at the contents. For about 20 minutes, the same thing went on. After they were done, Mommy scampered off to thank everyone, and Zach walked over to me. I straightened my posture, and smiled.
"I thought I would get something for you," he whispered in my ear, and searched through his jacket, and pulled out a black jewelry case. I took it from his hands, and opened it, to reveal a gold heart locket, a small ruby shaped into a heart in the middle. I gasped, and opened it.
A locket for my love
Zachary
It was scribbled in fancy cursive. I looked up, smiled, and put it on. Zach helped me put it on, then looked at me and smiled.
"It looks great," he said, touching it. I nodded, and felt the smooth gold. He took my hand, kissed it, and walked away. I turned to Brian and Brad, and showed them.
"Must've cost a lot," Brian muttered. I shrugged.
"I like it," I said, and smiled. Guests were filing out of the house, leaving only Brian, Brad, me, Zach and Mommy. Zach had one of the maids bring down their suitcases, and set it by the door. Mommy came up to me, and gave me a hug.
"I expect that you will do the right thing in your stay here," she said firmly, trying to take charge. I rolled my eyes.
"Mommy, stop trying to take charge," I ordered, and walked away. She screamed, and walked over to Zach. Zach comforted her, and they both walked over here together.
"We have to leave, we have a flight to catch," Zach said. Mommy nodded, locking eyes with me. I narrowed them at her, and turned to Zach.
"If you need anything, just ask one of the servants," he instructed. I nodded.
"Have a good time," I said softly, and hugged Zach. He smiled, and kissed my cheek. I turned to Mommy, and gave her a quick hug that lasted a second. They walked to the door, and Mommy went into the limo. Zach looked back, smiled, and shut the door behind him. I turned to Brad and Brian.
"I'm going to call the limo around. I need to start packing my things," I said, and called the maid. She said she would get right on it, and walked away. I walked to the door, and opened it. The limo had pulled up. I took out the spare keys, and locked the door, and shut it behind Brian and Brad. We crawled into the limo together, and ordered the driver to the house.
I stepped inside, thinking that this would be the last time that I would be in this house. I went up to my room, and grabbed my suitcases, put all of my clothes inside. Brian and Brad grabbed my valued possessions.
In hours, we had all of the things that I wanted to take with me packed in the limo. I changed, and crawled back into the limo, shutting the door behind me. We drove to Dark Shadows, and ran inside, racing each other. We had the butler bringing up my things, and carrying them into my room. After everything was done, we relaxed by the pool. Afterwards, Brad said that he had to go, which left me and Brian left in the house together. We went back inside the house, and relaxed.
"This is an amazing house," Brian gasped, looking around. I nodded in agreement. He took my hand and kissed it. I sighed, and headed towards the stairs. I grabbed the banister, and started walking up, but my ankle bent funny, and I stumbled, almost falling down. I cried out, and felt Brian's hands on my waist. He lifted me, and carried me up to my room, laying me down on the bed gently. I sighed, and looked down at my ankle. It didn't swell, which was a good sign. Brian inspected it himself, and looked up at me.
"You'll be OK," he reassured, and walked over to kiss my forehead. I grabbed his shoulders, and slowly brought his lips to mine. He sat down on the bed next to me, and ran his fingers down my cheek. I smiled, and closed my eyes, his lips raining kisses all over my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and met my lips with his, holding him to me tightly. He reached for the hem of my shirt, and started to lift it up. My brain started to protest, but my heart said to keep going. I backed away from him, shaking my head.
"What?" Brian asked, crawling over to me, like a cheetah on the prowl. I held up my palm to his face. He sighed.
"Fine OK," he said, laying beside me, and closing his eyes. I sighed, and drifted off.
In the morning, the maid knocked on the door, saying that she had my breakfast. I quickly scrambled out of bed, and opened the door a crack. I took the tray from her, and shut the door, slinking over into the lounge that was adjacent to my room. I set the tray down on the table, and started to eat. Brian staggered in later, his hair a tangled mess. He kissed me good morning, and sat down at the other end of the small table.
"Hungry?" I asked, holding up a plate which had my other egg on it. He shook his head, and rubbed his eyes.
"What time is it?" he groaned.
"It's about 10:00," I muttered. I called the maid, and she came in to clean up my dishes.
"Do you need anything else sir?" she asked. I shook my head.
"What was your name again?" I asked.
"Miss Turner," she said, and waited for my response. I waved my hand, and she scampered off. I stood up, and went back into my room, but Brian grabbed my hand, and sat me down on his lap, kissing me. I sighed happily, and lay my head on his shoulder.
"Do you want to try again?" he whispered in my ear. I shook my head, and went back into my room.
After we watched some TV, Brian said that he had to go, and make an excuse to his parents why he was gone. I kissed him goodbye, and lay on my bed, remembering the moments we had together. My phone rang, and it was Zach.
"How are things at Dark Shadows?" he asked. I sighed happily.
"They are great. How is the honeymoon?" I asked. He sighed.
"Well, your mother got sick on the plane, and she's been in bed all morning," he muttered angrily. I nodded understandingly.
"Did you move your things into your room yet?"
"Yes, I did. Everything feels like home."
"Wonderful. I always want Dark Shadows to feel like home to you," he said happily. I nodded.
"Well, I have to go. Your mother is calling for me," he said, and said goodbye, hanging up. I hung up my phone, and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After that, I had the limo take me to the mall, to buy me some new clothes. Zach said that I could use his credit card, and not worry about maxing it out.
"I didn't have a daughter to do such things, so I'm giving the privelige to the next best person," he told me once he handed it to me. I nodded, and promised to myself that I wouldn't spend too much.
After shopping, I relaxed by the pool, laying in the sun, reading a magazine. Miss Turner came to me later, saying that I had a phone call. I leaped up out of my chair, and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" I asked. It was Brian.
"Hey, what's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, I was just hanging out by the pool."
"Oh, just calling to see what was up. I'm a little bored."
"You can come over if you want," I suggested.
"I've got a lot of things to do," he said. I sighed. "But I'll be over there tomorrow, I promise," he said, and said goodbye. I hung up, and went back to the pool, then had dinner in my room. I relaxed, and went to bed.
The next two weeks were very nice. I hung around the pool, watched TV, and just hung around. The day Mommy and Zach came home, he ordered me to his room.
"Miss, Mr. James wants you in his private quarters," Miss Turner said, and scurried away. I sighed, wondering if she could have told him something, and shuffled to his room. I knocked on the door, and he thrust it open. He smiled, seeing who it was, and embraced me.
"Welcome home," I choked. He smiled, and took my hand to lead me inside his room. Mommy was gone, probably at the house packing her things.
"What was it that you wanted?" I asked, rocking back and forth on my heels. He smiled.
"I wanted to evaluate you on your stay at Dark Shadows," he said simply, and sat down on his massive bed. I shrugged.
"I had a wonderful time here," I said softly. He nodded.
"Good. I'm glad everything was at your fingertips," he said, and walked over to me, picking up the locket from my chest.
"I see that you've been wearing the locket I gave you," he said, smiling. I nodded.
"It's very precious to me," I said softly. He nodded, and dropped it back into its place. I smiled, and started to fumble with it.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said and nodded. I smiled, and bolted out of the room, and ran back to my own. I shut the door, and sighed. Something about his smile sent shivers up my spine. I shook off the thought, and went back to my daily activities.
Since school had let out, I mainly stayed home, relaxing and going out with Brad or Brian. Zach was more concerned about me, and paid more attention to me. Mommy slowly drifted away from my social life, talking to me only when necessary. I ignored her as much as possible, and hung out with Zach more.
One day, Zach had come into my room, saying that he wanted to talk to me about something. I was nervous, of course, and didn't know what to expect. He sat down on my bed, and smiled.
"You don't have to look so worried about it Skye. I just want to tell you of a very important occasion that is coming up," he said. I sighed, and sat down in my red leather chair.
"It's a debutante ball. You're mother absolutely refuses to go. She says that she will be the oldest there, despite her looks. I told her that was a stupid reason. And then, a brilliant idea popped into my head. I'll invite you!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands. I thought about the idea. It seemed intersting, so I decided to go.
"Sure, that would be great, but I have nothing to wear except that red dress," I said, nodding to my closet. He stood.
"We can buy another dress," he said, lifting my chin. I smiled, and nodded.
"We'll go later in the day," he said, and walked out of the room. He threw a smile back at me, then shut the door behind him. I smiled, excited about the ball, and threw myself on my bed, giggling.
Later on that day, Miss Turner came into to tell me that I was once requested in the presence of Mr. James. I flew out of my room, and into his.
"Ready to go shopping?" he said. I nodded excitedly, and fumbled with my locket. He smiled, and grabbed his wallet, shoving it in his back pocket, and heading out the door. The limo pulled up, and we crawled in, sitting beside each other.
"Where are we going to go?" I asked.
"Down on third street. Near the place where we got your other dress," he said. I nodded, and lay back.
"I'm glad you decided to come. I'm considered a very important guest, and they would be awfully dissapointed if I didn't come."
"Who is holding it, and when is it being held?"
"In 3 days. I'm sorry for such short noticed. I only just remebered today," he said. I smiled. The limo pulled up to the shops, and let us out. I waited for Zach to get out, and we went inside. I gasped. The gowns almost looked like wedding gowns! I still hadn't adjusted to the rich life yet, meaning that I wasn't used to buying such expensive things.
"Relax. Didn't we go over this the last time we bought a dress?" he teased, walking into the store further. I shook my head, and walked down the long aisles, deciding which to pick. I picked out a dazzling wine red diamond strap spagetti strap dress, the bottom of the gown long and almost needed a train carrier to carry it. I took it off of the rack, and went towards the dressing room to try it on. Zach somehow knew that I was there, and was waiting outside for me. I walked out, looked in the long mirror, and caught Zach staring at me with such intensity, that it made me blush.
"You look like a princess," he said, taking my hand and spinning me around. I smirked, and headed back toward the dressing room stall. I changed out of it, and slung it over my arm.
"This is the one," I said, and walked up to the register. I was still hesitant, but let Zach hand the cashier the credit card. Once he was done, he took it back, and headed towards the door. He smiled, and opened the limo door for me. I crawled in, and lay back my shoulders aching. Zach could see it in my face, and he offered me a massage.
"You'll feel much better," he coaxed. I sighed, and bent forward, feeling his hands on my shoulders, deeply rubbing them. I moaned, and closed my eyes, not realizing that I had falled asleep. When I awoke, I was in my bed, the covers pulled up to my chin. My eyelids fluttered open and saw Zach sitting in the red leather chair.
"I'm beginning to worry about you. You should go to bed earlier," he said, standing up. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes.
"I'll make sure of it," I said, yawning.
"I guess that massage did have a soothing affect on you," he said, smiling. I nodded.
"I guess so."
"I'll have the hairdresser come for you in the afternoon to do your hair, if you like."
"That would be fine."
"I'm going to let you rest," he said, and kissed my forehead, and left the room. I sank farther into the bed, and closed my eyes, falling asleep again.
