Note: Thanks for the reviews! Please enjoy Ch. 3.

Chapter Three: Sunk

"You are sooo lucky," Ann sighed, adjusting my veil. "Blue hasn't even gotten a blue-feather yet to propose to me with. Maybe I should propose, like you did, Harley!"

"Yeah, not many girls have that kind of courage," Gwen agreed. "I'm totally going to be the one to propose when I get married."

"Then why are you and Bob still single?" Ellen giggled. Gwen blushed at that comment and tried concentrating on arranging my bouquet.

"We-we're not that serious yet! Besides, Ellen, you and Carl haven't tied the knot either."

I laughed along with them nervously. My conscience nagged at me, diverting my attention from my bridesmaids' light-hearted teasing. Why was I so desperate that I'd marry the first willing guy? Would my house forever smell of rotting fish? Would I ever eat anything besides fish again? Was I ruining my life? My heart was beating a mile a minute, and a little voice in my head kept whispering, over and over, "Fisssh…fisssh...FISSSH!"

"Harley, do you want—"

"NO!" I screamed. "No more, no more, please! Please, no more fish!"

Ann gave me a blank stare.

"Um…Harley? I was asking if you wanted blue roses in your pigtails."

Oops.

I smoothed my white cotton dress and chuckled awkwardly. "Ha-ha, sorry. Sure, why not?" Sure, why not? Why not commit to being with a fish-obsessed maniac for the rest of my life?

"You look so pale, Harley," Ellen said in concern. "Should I get Alex…?"

"She's probably just anxious about marrying the love of her life, right, Ann?" Gwen interrupted with a wink. I snorted. Ray was hardly the love of my life.

"We're all jealous of you," Ann admitted with a sigh. "Who knew you'd be the first to get married? And to Ray, no less. A shy guy like him—I'm glad he's getting together with someone as outgoing as you."

Me? Outgoing? I smiled at the unexpected compliment.

"Hey, hey!" We all turned to see Nina bounding in, our cheerful flower-girl.

"It's almost time!" she shouted excitedly. "Quick, everyone in your places!"

The bouquet was shoved into my arms and my veil hastily adjusted on my head. Ellen was whispering last-minute words of advice and Ann and Gwen were muttering "Left, right, left, right," under their breath to stay in sync. Sweat appeared on my brow as the wedding march began.

"It's too late to turn back now," I whispered as Jamie took my arm. Since my relatives and Ray's were unavailable, it was decided that Jamie (since he was a farmer like myself) should walk me down the aisle. We began to take the first few steps.

"Don't panic, don't panic," I muttered to myself. Jamie turned to me with a smirk.

"You really are desperate, aren't you?" he spoke quietly to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered just as softly.

"It's easy to lie to me, isn't it? But it must be much harder to lie to yourself," Jamie mocked me. "Anyone can see you don't love him."

"Shut up!" I shouted. Apparently I was a little too loud, because the music broke off at my outburst. People whispered to each other in puzzlement as Jamie and I exchanged embarrassed glances. I placed a fakey smile on my face as we approached the balcony. With a slight mock bow to Ray and the Mayor, Jamie joined the crowd.

After some moments of confusion, the music started up again, and a worried Ray whispered to me, "Did something happen?"

"No, everything's fine," I lied.

His honest blue eyes looked at me imploringly, and then his expression relaxed.

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely, his cheeks blushing.

The mayor clapped his hands to order, and the villagers were silenced.

"We are here today," the Mayor began, "to bind these two young people in matrimony. Does anyone object to this marriage?"

I caught an amused look from Jamie and tried to ignore it.

"Good. Do you, Ray, take Harley of Flower Bud Village to be your wife, for better or worse? In sickness and in health? For rich and for poor?"

"I do," was his immediate response. It was my turn. My lips turned dry as the Mayor repeated what he had just said to Ray. 'Everything is happening so fast!' I thought frantically.

"Harley?" the Mayor urged me gently.

"I—I—" I took a deep breath and stared at Ray's open and honest face.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

The deed was done. I was now, legally, "Mrs. Fish Fanatic."