Something had changed.
Actually, a lot of things had changed since that day at the diner. For one, I was completely done with D-tent and I haven't spoken a word to them since, except to Caveman in math when he asked if I had an extra pencil and I said I didn't. El also went on maternity leave so she wasn't going to work anymore and instead, would drive me to and from school and in her free time, and try to make our place a little more child friendly.
We didn't want someone coming over and thinking we were going to be horrible parents.
But there were small changes too. Like my paycheck was getting a little bigger, and Jack was spending a little more time in his office or on his phone than he used to. There was also the little differences between me and El. Like, whenever we watched a movie together, her head would always rest on my shoulder and my arm around her. Or how everyday when I left for school, I would give her a kiss on the cheek and every time I got out of school, another kiss on the cheek.
And then, whenever she was cooking dinner, I would come up behind her and give her a hug. And when I was working on schoolwork, she would come and sit on my lap and help me with my work. It was just little changes like that.
I don't know when, but somehow in the last month, we became a couple.
If I had to pinpoint it, it would probably be the night after the diner. She came home, looking frazzled to see me passed out on the couch. She woke me up and forced me to explain everything. So I did. We moved to her bedroom and she curled up in my arms and I told her everything: about my mom, about Camp Green Lake, my dad. Everything.
And she told me stuff too. Like how she had grown up an only child after her older sister hung herself. Her parents kind of lost it from there. They were convinced that it was there fault. That they had given Natasha too much wiggle room and from there, she went downhill. So growing up, El was always forced to do things the proper way. Because in their minds, proper ladies didn't commit suicide.
But El was miserable. After Brad cheated, she even considered suicide, until she met me that is. It wasn't like one of those moments where boy meets girl, boy saves girl from herself, boy and girl live happily ever after. It wasn't at all like that. It was more of boy meets girl, girl realizes that boy has gone through hell and back and if he's still standing, then she could too.
After that night, (I like to call it The Night Where Alan Smith and Eleanor Jameson Became a Couple) everything had changed.
"Squid, are you ready?" El called from her bedroom as I flattened out my tux. Today was the day...
Our wedding.
Just kidding! But we were going to a wedding, only it wasn't our own. It was Jack and Kim's.
It wasn't going to be a really big wedding, since they couldn't afford it, and Kim was wearing her mother's wedding dress, but it was going to be nice. Jack said that only their close friends and family were going to be there so it would just be a close group of people celebrating together.
I was pretty shocked that I was considered to be one of Jack and Kim's close friends, but then I reasoned that they couldn't exactly invite El and not me. Also, I was Jack's hardest working employee and we had hung out a few times, so I guess we were considered pretty close. It sucks that all my good friends are graduated... I've been stuck hanging out with Emily and the few friends she has left at school.
El stepped out of her bedroom, wearing a navy blue dress and her wavy hair was now in ringlets. I let out a low whistle when I saw her, "Damn, you're the hottest Mama Bear I've ever seen."
El blushed as she fixed my tie. "Not so bad yourself Papa Bear."
We got in her car and drove to the wedding, which was an outside wedding, in a park. Thankfully, it wasn't Hinder Park, because that place was a shithole and anyone who get's married there is bound to have an unhappy relationship.
The park we went to was called Rosa Hills. It was covered in flowers and trees and all sorts of decorative shit. They would be getting married by this pond and then we'd all move into this white tent for the rest of the wedding. When we got to Rosa Hills, we saw that when they said a small wedding, they really meant small.
There couldn't have been more than twenty five people there, including us. By the time we got there, Kim and Jack weren't there yet and everyone was mingling.
I could distinctly tell who was part of Kim's family and who was part of Jack's. Everyone on Kim's side was very tall, slender, and attractive. She had one older sister, who was maybe thirty, who looked just like her but with longer and darker hair. Jack's side, was a little more diverse. His father was huge scruffy; but not in the muscular kind of way. He kind of reminded me of Bam Margera's dad from Jackass, except with more tattoos.
Jack's mother was also this tiny little thing and all his brothers and sister's were somewhere in between.
I recognized a few people too. Some of them were cheerleaders like Beverly Miller and Stella Hopkins, but others were also people I recognized from them coming into work, like Johnny Callahan and Justin Moran. They all recognized us though, or at least El.
"Eleanor?" Beverly's jaw dropped when she saw the brunette. Beverly was an average height blonde with freakishly blue eyes and really big boobs. From what I've heard, she's a nice person but not exactly what you would call a genius. "Oh my gosh! You're all... pregnant and stuff!"
El laughed as she pulled Beverly into a tight hug. "Bev, it's been a while! This is my boyfriend, Squi- Alan!" I shot her a glare when she used my real name instead of Squid but El just smiled guiltily at me.
"It's so nice to meet you, Squalan!" Bev grinned. She was serious too. She literally thought my name was Squalan...
"Uh, yeah it's just Alan." I shook her hand. "And I think we went to school together." Since third grade.
Bev cocked her head. We waited to let it sink in for about a minute until her blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and she yanked me into a hug. "Alan! I'm so glad you're back! Everyone was so surprised when you got arrested!" Bev squealed.
Behind Bev's back, El shook her head, mouthing 'no we weren't.'
"Nice to see you too, Bev." I chuckled as she finally let go.
It's weird. All of these cheerleaders were people I thought I hated and really, they aren't that bad. Almost all of the ones I've met treat me like I'm family, even if we've never even talked before. I still have yet to meet a nice football player though.
"So are you two tying the knot anytime soon?" Stella Hopkins asked as she joined in the conversation. Stella was a little more alternative than bubbly little Bev. Stella had black and red hair that always went in front of her eyes. In school, when she wasn't wearing her cheer uniform, she was usually wearing black.
"No."
"Maybe."
We said it at the same time. El, who had said no, looked at me sharply with her eyebrows raised. "Oh? Is that a proposal?" she asked jokingly, but there was a hint of seriousness in her voice.
"I don't know, let's see how this baby thing goes first." I shrugged and El relaxed a little.
"The wedding is about to start. Please take your seats." Someone called out and we all finished our conversations and went to our seats. Since family sat near the front, El and I were sitting near the back. I was in an aisle seat though, so I could lean over and see everything.
Jack was already standing by the alter in a black suit when the wedding music started playing. And that's when Kimberley shows up. Her hair and makeup was all done up and her wedding dress trailed behind her. Some people even gasped at how beautiful she looked, but her eyes were only on one person. She took her spot by the alter with her maid of honor, her sister, right behind her.
The minister stepped up. "We are gathered here in the sight of God and these witnesses to unite Kimberley Rey and Jackson Rogers in holy matrimony. As followers of Jesus Christ, they believe that God created marriage. In Genesis it says, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'
Kimberley and Jackson, as you prepare to take these vows, give careful thought and prayer, for as you make them you are making an exclusive commitment one to the other for as long as you both shall live. Your love for each other should never be diminished by difficult circumstances, and it is to endure until death parts you.
As God's children, your marriage is strengthened by your obedience to your Heavenly Father and His Word. As you let God be in control of your marriage, He will cause your home to be a place of joy and a testimony to the world."
Kim and Jack said their vows (cue crying from every girl watching) and the ring bearer stepped up. He was a little kid about four years old and when he took a step towards them, he tripped over a rock and fell. He started crying uncontrollably and his mother had to grab him and take him away. The Bride and Groom looked like they were taking it all in stride until Jack leant down and picked up the pillow that the rings were supposed to be on.
"Uh, Kim?" Kim looked up, still looking relaxed when Jack spoke. "Do you happen to know where the rings went?"
And that is the moment when everyone lost their shit. Kim started freaking out and was literally on her hands and knees, looking for those rings. Jack stared at her for a second before dropping to his knees and looking for the rings as well.
The crowd gasped, because the bride and groom were not supposed to be on their hands and knees in the dirt. So El and I did the only thing we thought we could do: we dropped to the ground and started searching for those rings.
We figured that we couldn't just watch the bride and groom make fools of themselves so we tried taking the attention away from them.
"Is this really happening right now?" El hissed to me and I shrugged.
"I guess so. Just find those rings so we can never speak of this again." I whispered back as we crawled through the aisle and up to the alter, searching for those rings.
By now, Kimberley was crying hysterically and Jack was trying to calm her down. But thankfully, some other decent people were now on the ground too. Kim's sister and Jack's brother however, were just watching in slight distaste.
"I found it!" Bev screamed as she jumped to her feet with two gold rings in her hand.
It happened in slow motion. Bev jumping up with the rings, bumping into Kim's sister, falling backwards. The rings slipped out of the blonde's hands as she fell and they dropped in the pond, leaving everyone staring at where they disappeared too.
Silence.
Kimberley stared at the pool with her jaw dropped and her eyes wide in horror. Jack's shoulders were slumped and he even looked like he was about to start crying now. Kim's sister was the first to speak.
"Well that sucks..."
All eyes turned to the brunette in the purple dress with her arms crossed. There was a split second of silence before a loud slapping sound filled the park and Kim was storming away. Jack followed behind the sobbing bride as he tried to calm her down. And then, more silence.
It took a second to realize what had happened. Kim had just slapped her own sister before running out of her own wedding. The wedding bands were at the bottom of a pond that not a single person in this park was willing to swim in to grab, and the entire wedding had basically gone to shit.
Bev was still staring at the spot where the rings had disappeared and big fat tears were dripping down her face. Suddenly she burst, "I ruined everything!"
Jack's brother DJ knelt down beside the girl and started rubbing her back comfortably as she cried. "Sh, no, it isn't your fault. It's not your fault that you tripped over Karen! Kim and Jack will be okay."
As DJ comforted Beverly, I walked over to the edge of the pond and stared in. The sun shone onto the pond, reflecting the clouds and my face off of it. I let out a sigh and rubbed my face, about to turn around and leave. But just as I was about to walk away, a glint of gold caught my eye.
The rings.
I looked around to see everyone was busy, trying to calm down another person. But no one other than Jack had chased after the broken bride. Their entire world had crashed around them on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives and nobody even seemed to care.
I guess that's why I did what I did and said, "Fuck it." Wading into the pond, I made it hip deep before diving under. The water was nasty and foggy, but in all the muck and dirt, I could still see the solid gold shining off of the sun. I snatched the rings up in my hand, gripping them tightly before breaking the surface again.
Still, no one other than El and the couples parents were watching me now. With the help of El, I climbed out of the pond and held out my hand, revealing the lost rings. El yanked me in for a tight hug. Apparently, I had just saved the day.
"Where's Kim and Jack?" I asked anyone who was paying attention. Jack's little sister, Lisa, I think her name is, pointed me to a tree. From behind the tree, I could see a bit of Kim's white dress peeking out. I nodded to the minister to follow me.
El, the Rey's, the Rogers', and I all crept away from the crowd and made our way over to where Lisa had pointed us. Kim was on her knees, sobbing into her hands while Jack sat with his back against the tree and Kim pulled into his chest. He had a few tears slipping down his face as he rubbed Kimberley's back. He looked up when we approached him but didn't say anything until I held out my hand.
"Kim." Jack's voice cracked.
Kim looked up; her makeup was a mess, her hair was disheveled and her dress was covered in mud and dirt. When she saw me, she let out a bitter laugh. "Why are you so we-" She stopped talking when she saw the rings in my hand.
"Want to finish this wedding?" El asked hopefully and Kim nodded, letting out a choked sob. Only these tears were of happiness.
The couple pulled themselves to their feet as the pastor took his spot. Just as the pastor was about to speak, Kim jumped. "Wait!" There was a pause as she grabbed my hand and led me to Jack's side and grabbed El's and led her to stand by Kim. "El, I want you to be my Maid of Honor. It seems like out of all of my friends, you're the one who stood by me."
Jack stepped in, "And Squid, what can I say man? For a guy with a criminal record and who's named after a sea animal, you're probably one of the best guys I've ever met. You're literally the reason we're still getting married so, be my Best Man?" I simply grinned and took my spot beside Jack.
"Let's get married." Kim whispered as she took Jack's hands in hers.
"Do you, Kimberley Rey, take Jackson Rogers to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do." Kim sniffled. Jack slipped the ring on her finger.
"And do you, Jackson Rogers, take Kimberley Rey to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"Yes. I mean do I! I mean I do!" Jack finally stumbled out. "I really, really do." Kimberley laughed and wiped a tear from her eye before sliding the gold ring on his finger.
"Then under the goodness and strength of God, you may kiss the bride."
It wasn't just a kiss though. Jack literally swept Kim off her feet, tipped his back, and planted one right on her lips. The few people left at the wedding started clapping as Jack carried his bride away. They forgot to sign the papers, declaring that they were actually married but everyone let them have their moment.
We all followed Jack and Kim to the pond where they announced they were married and everyone who wasn't on their hands and knees looking for the wedding rings could leave. Nearly half of the crowd was gone.
"Wait, before we get to the food, we need pictures!" Kim announced and clapped her hands. She pulled me and El along with her to where the wedding was originally supposed to take place. I stood on Jack's side with my arm slung around his shoulders while El stood by Kim, with her arm around her waist.
It was quite the sight. Four people, all who were covered in mud and grime, one of which was soaking wet and another in a wedding dress who's veil was torn, makeup was all over, and hair destroyed. But when the picture came out, we all couldn't help but laugh. They even said that they would print off a picture for me and El.
I laughed as the newly weds ran off to go mingle with the remaining guest. El stood beside me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "You know, it was quite heroic when you dove into the water for their rings." El murmured as my hands set on her waist.
"Oh yeah?" I smirked.
"Yeah, you know girls love heroes, right?"
"Is that so." I chuckled. "So does that mean you love me?" I teased as El pulled me closer.
"Yes. I love you, Alan."
I froze up. She loved me. She actually loved me...
Then I broke out in a smile, "Well I think I love you too, Eleanor."
Long chapter for the long wait! Anyway, they finally said the L word! Sadly, this story is coming to a close. About four more chapter left until it's over! It's actually really sad because I've grown fond of this dysfunctional couple...