Okay… sorry this REALLY took so long. It's only my freshman year, but I've been so busy in high school: I got great parts in spring and fall play, even a couple awards in Oral Interp and One-Act play; made new friends; gone through all kinds of drama (forgive the pun), and so, while I've been keeping track of my other story for Twilight, I took the chance to update on this one since I gave up Twilight for Lent. Sorry again, guys!!!!

The next day…

The half-past eleven bells rang. I would be married to an ancient drunkard is a half hour.

Mother fluffed out my huge white dress. I turned to her and pleaded, "Mother, please don't let Father do this! Isn't there any other way to repay that ridiculous debt?"

She shook her head.

All right. It was crunch time.

"Please! I'll hire myself as his servant and work off the rest of the debt-"

She held up her hand for me to stop and said, "I've already tried asking Monsieur La Frenzo, but he wants you as his wife. I'm sorry."

I glanced at the sundial in the cathedral. Fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile…

Clopin sat on a bench in the Court of Miracles, terribly distressed. He kept glancing at a sundial next to him. It was huge enough to have to be the floor, and directly above the center was a grate, thought above to take water out of the streets. As the sun moved, so did the striped light from grate. Anyway, it now said Fifteen minutes till noon.

Fifteen minutes till his only love was married.

Phoebus and Esmeralda walked by Clopin. Esmeralda noticed his stature, and told her fiancé she'd be right back and sat by Clopin on the bench.

"Clopin - are you okay?"

"Well," he replied, "No. I'm not."

"What's wrong?" she said, worried.

Clopin sighed. "Marie's wedding is in less than a quarter of an hour."

She gasped and jerked his shoulder so that he was facing her.

"What the HECK are you doing in here?! You should be in that cathedral with her, either trying to stop it or at least show her your support!"

"I don't want to make this harder for her…"he said. "My being there would just make her sadder."

Esmeralda snorted. "I know women, and I think you should be there. Go, you idiot!"

He considered it. "Fine, but if I can help it, she won't see me."

He sprinted away, nearly running over Phoebus in the process.

Clopin threw open the doors to the Court of Miracles, then started to run. He stopped, silently cursed to himself, then closed the doors quietly, before setting off again to the cathedral.

He heard the bells… counted to… 12!

Oh no! he thought. He ran into the church and quietly snuck up behind a pillar. Hiding in the shadows, he slunk behind the pillars leading to the front of the church and took a stance behind the one directly behind La Frenzo so he could get a good look at Marie.

Back to Marie's perspective…

The archdeacon said to La Frenzo, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

In La Frenzo's deep, thuggish voice, he said "Ah doo."

The archdeacon turned to me and repeated to question. However, on 'lawfully', I spotted Clopin hiding behind a pillar, watching me.

"I… I… um…"

I had to make a decision. A life of happiness with Clopin and my own father's hatred, or a life of emptiness with his blessing on my head?

What choice did I have, really?"

"No. I do not!"

La Frenzo, the archdeacon, my parents, everyone was astounded at my rebellious defiance. The idiot opposite me and my father screamed together, "What?! Why?!"

I smiled and said, "I will never be a good wife to him. I love another man too much to do this."

"WHO?!?!"

I looked over at Clopin. His eyes lit up as I suddenly dropped my bouquet of flowers and ran towards him. To everyone's surprise (including his and mine) I threw my arms around his neck and kissed Clopin once again. He responded with such joy, he actually lifted me off my feet and spun me around.

Among the roar of disgust, he put me back on the ground and whispered, "You look stunning in that dress, mademoiselle."

To my immense embarrassment, I giggled like a schoolgirl.

Father was furious. He sprang a few guards from the street and snapped his fingers.

"Arrest the gypsy!"

The ran up and forcefully grabbed Clopin, trying to take him away. The separated us, but our hands stayed clutched together. The guards pulled harder and harder. One pulled my hair, and I let out an involuntary "Ow!"

Clopin's face went from determined to regretful as that happened, and he did the most idiotic thing: He let go of my hand.

"No!" I shouted. "Clopin!"

They dragged him off, nearly knocking off that huge purple hat of his.