Hey, I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner, i just really wanted to get this chapter perfect! After this is epilogue, so don't think this is the end just yet! :)
Please review, i poured my heart into this and want to know how I did!
I don't own degrassi.
Chapter 4
Maya's heart was pounding; she could clearly hear it over her raged breathing. Her shaking hands could barely keep hold of her bouquet of red roses. Those words…those words had the power to change everything…She whipped her head toward the back of the church, to witness a truly shocking sight. The woman's heels clicked as she walked, the sound ringing through the silent church. Slowly but confidently, she moved down the aisle toward where everyone stood.
"MOM!" Tori yelled, annoyance seeping from her voice. Tori's. Mother. Had. Stopped. The. Wedding. She'd stopped the wedding!
"Tori darling, let mommy talk." Tori's mother waved her aside, standing with one hand on her hip, skeptically looking Zig up and down.
"Mom-" Tori started before her mother talked over her.
"Victoria, I will not warn you again." She said harshly. For maybe the first time, Tori was speechless.
"Mrs. Santamarina, is there a problem?" Zig asked, forcing his voice to stay even and calm.
"Is there a problem? Well let me think, Zig." She said, pursing her lips and taping a manicured finger against them. "You see, Zig, my daughter had a ring on her finger, correct?" She asked. He nodded slowly and carefully. He knew that he was entering dangerous territory.
"Yes, that's correct." He said, his voice calm. Maya could see the strain and annoyance in his face and could hear the aching in his voice, though she was sure no one else could.
"And, you bought her that ring?" She questioned. Zig swallowed hard.
"Yes." He replied. He wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he had a feeling it wouldn't end well.
"You see ladies and gentlemen, when my daughter came to me saying Zig had proposed, well the truth is I was shocked. Mr. Novak has never once shown me any promise in the context of a marriage. He's is, shall we say, immature and his feelings are very vulnerable. So when I heard that he'd proposed, I was stunned. I honestly didn't think he had the courage." She said to the audience. Maya stole a peak at her family. Her father was frowning, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Her mother's expression was more insulted. She knew her mother didn't appreciate the amount of insults Mrs. Santamarina was throwing at Zig; Maya's mother had practically raised Zig during his teenaged years. Katie was a whole different story. Instead of confusion, she was filled with rage. Her eyes had darkened, zeroing in on Tori's mother. Drew had his arms around Katie's shoulders and back, holding her back from charging the rich woman.
"You see, from the moment I laid eyes on that ring, I knew something was wrong." She laughed, like she'd just been told a cute joke by a child. "So, darling Zig, I checked you out and I found out the truth about your pathetic life. You live in a one room apartment with your alcoholic mother and immature brother." She laughed. "I also found out that you hang around with that…girl. What was her name? Mira? Myrna? Oh wait…Maya." She said, grinning evilly. She was talking about Maya like she was the scum of the earth, which everyone, especially Zig, knew she wasn't.
"Now wait just a minute," Zig started, but couldn't finish because he was cut off.
"And further more, going back to my earlier accusation, I was rather skeptical of this engagement ring. So, being computer savvy as I am, I checked out Tori's recent credit transactions."
"No!" Tori gasped, embarrassed by her mother invading her privacy.
"Yes!" Tori's mother returned, grinning at her daughter. "And what I found didn't shock me the slightest bit. You see, there had been a transaction for 25,000 dollars. Looking closer, I found that the purchase was made a week before Tori came to me with this idea that Zig had proposed. You see, Zig being the poor, freeloading moocher he is didn't buy a ring, but made his fiancé purchase it herself! He took advantage of our hard-earned fortune so he'd be able to get by on an artist's salary. I should've known, Zig. You come from such a pitiful family, you couldn't help yourself. And waiting until the wedding to disclose this information, I have publicly humiliated you." She finished, grinning from ear to ear. Before Zig could even open his mouth, Maya threw her flowers down.
"Don't you dare speak to him that way!" she exclaimed, defending him. She marched down the carpeted steps and stopped right in front of Tori's mother.
"Zig has done everything this vindictive little brat has asked him to do, and you have the nerve to accuse him of such outrageous actions? He didn't even want to marry her; he just didn't want to hurt her! You should be thanking him!" Maya defended. Zig came down the steps and grabbed Maya's elbow.
"Maya," he said. But Maya kept on talking.
"You have never worked a day in your perfect little life! You don't even have the slightest idea of what it's like to have to work for a living! You never went to college, you probably didn't even finish high schAnd you should question your selfish little daughter before you accuse Zig of marrying her for your money! She's been throwing money at him! Buying him new shoes, clothes, buying his art; she didn't give him a choice! He doesn't even want this!" Maya yelled.
"Maya, stop." Zig said. She turned around to stare into her best friend's eyes.
"I'm trying to help you here, Zig!" She said. "How could you not see that this isn't what is best for you!"
"Of course you know what's best for him." Tori's mother said. "You two have probably been sneaking around doing who-knows-what! You're trying to make him fall in love with you! Well sorry sweetheart, he doesn't." Tori's mother said. Maya turned back around to face Tori's mother and the audience.
"Stop putting words in his mouth! If you think he doesn't love me, which I never said he did, ask him for yourself!" Maya yelled. Tori's mother smirked.
"Well Zig? Do you love Maya or Tori?" She asked. Zig stared at Maya. He couldn't say he loved her, she'd be shunned by Tori and Tristan and all their friends forever. She'd be ruined socially, labeled a home wrecker. He couldn't do that to her.
"I don't love Maya." He said, staring at her. Maya's heart dropped in her chest. Suddenly her whole body was numb; she couldn't breathe.
"What?" she whispered.
"I don't love you." he said again. She turned to Tori's mother.
"Happy now?" she asked. "Or do you want to try and kiss him like in those sappy romantic comedies?" She asked. Maya shook her head, still unable to think; he mind was frozen. "Oh cheer up darling. It's not like you ever really had a chance." Tori's mother said, fake sympathy filling her voice.
"That's it!" Katie yelled, breaking Drew's grip. He tried to grab her, but she ran too fast. She raced toward Tori's mother and slapped her. The whole room broke into loud screams and arguments erupted between the Novaks/Matlins and the Santamarinas.
"You little bitch!" Tori yelled at Maya. Zig tried to grab Maya's hand to explain himself to her, but she broke the grasp he had on her and ran. She broke into a sprint, no longer fighting the tears that had formed behind her eyes. He didn't love her. He'd been playing her; messing with her emotions. Her feet pounded against the ground, moving her body forward. She wouldn't stop. She wouldn't stop until she was sure she could face her feelings.
"Maya! Maya, wait!" Zig called. But she was already gone.
A/N: GASP! So that's the end! Well...there's still an epilogue! I promise, in the epilogue, all questions will be answered and all secrets will be revealted! Please don't have me for ending like this, you never know what you'll find in the epilogue...*wink *wink. Please review!
