Bianca had gotten 'hitched' to Cameron. Jake waited with Kat at the reception, while she tried to call Sam on the pay phone, because her cell was dead. No point, because Sam wasn't answering.
Mandella clapped her hands and left to go home. The doctor had a strict bed rest regimen for her and she had broken the rules slightly to see Bianca get married. As she fell asleep, she decided to call her William first, to make sure he was fine.
"Mandella?" Michael asked, frantic "Have you heard? Has Kat heard?"
"Heard what?" She asked, frowning, "I'm just about to go to bed, you know what the doctor said,"
She could hear Michael hesitating.
"It's nothing, go to bed my sweet," He sounded a little frazzled, "I have to keep the line clear,"
"Til tomorrow, my dear?" She asked, smiling. Usually he came back with a witty Shakespeare line.
"I have to go, love you," He said, and hanging up. Mandella frowned, but didn't think much of it.
Meanwhile, at the reception, Kat decided to quit worrying about whatever Joaquin and Sam were doing. Most likely they were at the park, watching the penguins or something. Joaquin loved the squirrels most of all and often tried to chase them. He had been asking for the impossible lately, a puppy, a kitty, a car, pinball machine, and probably the worse of them all, a little brother or sister. Sam was probably checking out the other single dads, deciding if he should break up with Jason.
Bianca waved at her and smiled brightly. Kat grinned and Jake came up next to her, handing her a champagne flute, and yelled, "You owe me a dance, sister!"
"I don't dance with short people!" She yelled back, taking a sip of the champagne, wishing it was tequila or something strong enough to make her forget her silly worries of her son and his father.
"Now you'll dance with me!" Jake yelled back, "You promised me!"
Kat thought hard and remembered that vaguely. She sighed and nodded. A fast song began to play and Kat saw her Uncle Martin pull out some old school moves, purely for her entertainment, she knew.
Jake was a decent dancer, Kat had to admit, but he wasn't the same. She even found herself wishing that she didn't have to dance with him. Thankfully, as the song ended, Aunt Gertrude came up and asked for a dance. Then Uncle Martin came by and took Kat, smiling.
"My kitten," He said, smiling, "That's not your love is it?" He frowned, "He seems a bit smooth for someone as god-shoot it all, wonderful like you. If he is, good god!" Martin shook his head
Kat laughed, "Don't worry Uncle Martin," She kissed him on the cheek, "I'd be more concerned about your granddaughter," She gestured to Cousin Deb's daughter, Gracie, who was thirteen and looking at Jake like a lion eyes a slab of meat.
"Ay gods," Martin sighed, "Not my baby girl!" He frowned, "Kitten, you have one, don't you?"
"One what?" Kat asked, confused
"Love," Martin smiled, "Ah gods, love,"
The song ended before Kat could say anything. Amongst a round of applause, Kat saw Patrick, standing where the band was, smiling.
"Hello, folks," He said sheepishly, "Cameron here has a song for his wife, but he's a terrible singer, so I offered to sing it while he dances with his lady,"
Everyone made way for Cameron and Bianca, laughing. Cameron bowed down to her, Bianca a little surprised, took it all in stride. They assumed positions and Cameron nodded to Patrick, grinning.
Patrick began singing,
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
Kat just stood there, looking at Patrick, shell shocked.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
Bianca and Cameron were touching foreheads, smiling serenely. Kat felt like there was something stuck in her throat as she watched Patrick crooning that song, the same song he had sung to her back in high school. He was looking not at the couples circling everywhere, but at her, smiling. He wasn't pointing, but she knew that song was meant only for her. After all, Cameron and Bianca's official song was Some Enchanted Evening. She was sure that this song was purely a front for Cameron and meant for her, from the mouth of the crooner himself, Patrick Verona.
Pardon the way that I stare.
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you leaves me weak.
There are no words left to speak,
But if you feel like I feel,
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
It brought along flurries of memories. Memories she didn't want to remember, like him leaving, their break up the first time, or how alone she had felt before Sam knew about the baby. There were good memories interlaced, like the prom, how they had met at Club Skunk (she didn't count the soccer field), and him singing that song the first time around, capturing the hearts of all the girls, but only starting to gain hers.
I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm a lonely night.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you.
He was stepping down from the stage, walking toward her. She was at a loss at what to do. He smiled and gestured for her to dance with him, still continuing to sing. Everything seemed so blurry to Kat. She drunk a lot of champagne and had a slight headache. Looking at the flute in her hand, she downed it in one swallow and went to dance with Patrick.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
He was warm and she loved how she felt in his arms. With Jake, there was an air of animosity. With Uncle Martin, it was purely adoration, but with Patrick, it was raw passion that held no barriers. Around them, it seemed like everyone was a blur and a lesser woman would've thrown up, from all the spins in their complicated and quick footwork, but she felt wonderful, complete, at peace, and she loved that feeling.
I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm a lonely night.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay..
The song was over. Everyone clapped and Patrick hugged her, not wanting to let go. She didn't want to let go either. Her hands were clasped tightly on his back, and one of his hands was on her bum and the other just above. Kat's head lay in the crook of his neck and she breathed in his scent.
Somehow though, they separated and were escorted to their seats, for the lunch and toasts. Jake, who was sitting in between Patrick and her, stood up to make his toast.
He smiled, "Hello ladies, gentlemen, kids, General," Jake said, making a slight salute, "Today is the wedding of Cameron and Bianca. Now Cameron here is a good kid and Bianca's a gorgeous woman who is clearly out of his league. Somehow though, he ended up with her and even though I think she could find someone better looking then my brother, like that Orville Boom bloke all you girls are drooling over,"
"ORLANDO BLOOM!" A bunch of preteens yelled, before everyone laughed, the girls not realizing it was just a joke.
"Anyway," Jake chuckled, "I know she won't be able to find a man that loves her as much as this dog, Cameron does, not even Orlando Bloom, so raise a glass to the happy couple of gorgeous Bianca and lovesick Cameron!"
Everyone laughed and toasted, cheering Jake. He grinned, "Now, here's Miss Stratford who will attempt to better my speech,"
Kat took the mike, after sipping another glass of wine, more then intoxicated by now.
"Oh god," She sighed, "To borrow a quote from Uncle Martin," Everyone laughed and clapped. She smiled and continued,
"Whenever I'm at one of these large parties, I don't know why, but I tend to drink a lot and end up getting trashed, like I am now," She laughed as if that was hysterical, "I think I've had like twenty glasses so far. Anyway, Bianca here is my baby sister and-" Kat frowned, looking at her note cards, "Why am I saying this? This is dumb," She threw those away and Bianca looked a little worried. Kat cleared her throat and smiled,
"When I was in senior year at this school," She gestured to the gym, "Bianca was a sophomore and adored by everyone. I was considered a heinous bitch, because I decided that I would do things my way and not their way, because Joey Donner slept with me and then broke up when I said I didn't want to have sex with him anymore,"
"Kat-" Bianca said weakly, trying to stop her. Mothers were cupping their children's ears, but still listening to Kat.
"-Dad made this rule that Bianca would be able to go out with Joey when I dated," Kat laughed harder at this part, "What I didn't count on was Cameron falling in love with my virgin sister,"
"Kat!" Bianca said sharply, eyes wide. But Kat was too far gone.
"So Cameron and Mandella's future husband and the man who made this wedding possible, Michael, got this cockamamie plan to get some boy to go out with me," Kat sighed, glaring at Patrick, who was looking at her, amused.
"They found a boy and I fell for this boy and this same boy broke up with me, and I was heartbroken. So heartbroken that I sold the guitar he had given me and gave the money to some homeless guy who's probably blown it all on beer and dead in a gutter right now. The worst part, I suppose, was when I discovered I was pregnant," Kat laughed, Patrick stood up now, along with half the audience.
"And now I'm worried that there's something wrong with my son. Anyway, at least Bianca managed to keep it in her pants and she will have the fairy tale I once thought possible. Here's to Bianca and Cameron, the perfect couple," She raised her glass and sipped it, before fainting.