Chapter 23: He didn't even bother to show
Liz Prescott sat at a table with Justin near the end of the room. "I can't believe we're married now!" Justin ejaculated for the millionth time.
"Yeah," Liz muttered. If her first half hour of being married to Justin was a bum, imagine it for the rest of her life! Liz felt miserable. Why had she agreed to this? Why had she let that stupid priest marry her and Justin?
"I'm gonna go talk with some of my friends. I'll see ya later, okay?"
Oh, thank God! "Okay!" Liz said, trying not to sound too relieved.
On the other end of the room, Claire Prescott danced with her date, Henry Trenton to the ludicrous unsigned band slow-music. Her family was rich enough to have hired decent bands like Lifehouse, Coldplay, and Three Doors Down! So why didn't they? Because Liz insisted on letting one of her friends' bands play. The friend was Will Trenton, twenty years old and a Columbia drop-out. He had dropped out to run off with some stupid unsigned band called "Laws of Life", a band that usually played harder rock, but today were only allowed to play ballads and anything that did not sound harder than alternative. Will had been an airhead anyways, obsessing himself over rock music and some of that metal junk. Will had used to want to be a writer, but now he was just a music-obsessed no-good-too-blinded-for-pop-culture (other than music) imbecile. It was a shame such a person could even exist!
"My sister thinks that Will guy's band is really good, but I think they sound like shit, especially because the lead singer's some fucked up bastard!" Claire exclaimed.
"I think they're OK," Henry suggested optimistically.
"Whatever," Claire muttered, "I still think they're retarded."
Claire had only come with Henry (who had come because the Trentons were very close friends to the Prescotts) as a pity date. They weren't actually dating.
"I'm gonna go now." Claire murmured.
"Where?"
"To go hang out with my friends!" she snapped, then walked off.
Back at that small table, Liz was sitting, deep in thought. Jesse had never come to the wedding; he hadn't even bothered to come! When the minister-guy had been waiting for her "I do", she had searched all around the room for Jesse. He never came; he never came to her wedding! So why couldn't he at least come to the reception! Why did Jesse have to do this, to act so immature?
Oh yeah, Liz reminded herself, Jesse's only seventeen!
She let out a deep sigh. Everyone else seemed happy, dancing in the humongous reception area, dancing in their lair of ultimate happiness. "Fuck," Liz muttered under her breath.
"Fuck!" from the other end of the room, Claire muttered not long after Liz had. She dreaded this. Firstly, her bridesmaid dress was extremely lacy, and gave her an itch. Secondly, she had come here with Henry Trenton, president of Math Club, vice president of Biology Club, who ranked national in chess. Well, at least we know someone other than Liz was unhappy.
Claire walked out of the reception area and walked off outside. The spring breeze caused her to shiver in her lacy thin-layered dress. She looked out and saw a boy standing against the streetlight, focusing his gaze on the ground as if there was something interesting growing on it.
The only thing that's growing is his brain; he's trying to grow a brain! Claire mocked to herself in misery. Then she recognized him—it was that ex-boyfriend of Liz'! What was it, Josh? Jeremy? John? Jackson? Jess—Jesse! It had to be Jesse, she was sure.
Claire slowly and carefully walked up to Jesse, treating the ground like a fragile object. "Hey," she greeted nonchalantly.
Jesse looked up to see Claire, and then smiled. "For a second there, I thought you were Liz." Jesse said, disappointed.
Claire scoffed. It had to be all about Liz!
"What are you doing out here anyways!" she demanded.
"I dunno...feeling like a complete loser is all. How's your day been?"
Claire laughed a little. "I bet you fifty bucks it's ten times worth than yours."
"Yeah, at least you have parents who think fifty bucks is like, a quarter!"
Claire grimaced. She didn't like it when people made fun of her and her family for being wealthy.
"Sorry," Jesse quickly added, "I guess it offended you—"
"Aw, how sweet!"
Jesse shrugged. "So, wanna go somewhere?"
"Why?"
"Well, I've been miserable, and you've been miserable. We've both been at this chapel for like, the whole time, and it's best if we just—go."
"You've been here the whole time?" Claire asked suspiciously. "How come I didn't see you?"
"I stayed out here, and it's for a personal reason."
Claire knew why. It must have been painful for Jesse to see Liz getting married to another guy—which meant Jesse still had feelings for Liz! Maybe he had come back to Treegap to rekindle a relationship with her!
"So, we gonna go or not? I can get my Harley and—"
"No thanks," Claire muttered. The last thing she needed was to talk to some guy who could probably ramble on and on about how wonderful Liz was, about how gorgeous she was!
"Please!" Jesse said, practically begging! Wow, history does repeat itself!
But Claire didn't think Jesse was pathetic. She thought he was acting cute. "Okay, come on, let's go!"