Chapter 11: Born Ready

I woke up to an extreme headache, I wasn't sure if it was due to the amount of alcohol I'd ingested last night or due to the nightmare I'd created for myself. If anyone had asked me what I expected coming here to prepare for Carly's wedding, I sure as hell wouldn't have told them this. I sat up in bed and stared across my room to the mirror. My hair was a mess my face was flushed and I felt sick to my stomach. What had I done? Why would I create stupid memories that couldn't be undone? Why would I lose my virginity now, when hours from now I'll be saying goodbye forever to the loser I'd now confess to loving. I couldn't even look at him. I lied and gave into my anger last night. I was angry at him for getting the better of me without even trying. I knew he was bound to be lying too. I knew that I was his second choice. I always knew that, and part of me should feel that's not okay, but my feelings for Freddie were something I never really had control over. I shifted out of my cover and placed my feet on the carpet, as I stood upright I felt dizzy. Drinking was most definitely not a smart thing to do last night. I groaned as my dizzy feeling affected my stomach and made the two bags of cheetoes I'd digest revisit me. I rushed to the bathroom to ensure the orange ick would make it to the toilet instead of the floor.

"Gross!" I sat staring at it before flushing. I sat there for a minute making sure I was finished. Then I heard knocking at the door. "Yeah what?" I yelled.

"Miss Puckett, the wedding party is set to leave for the venue in one hour, Mrs. Scott told me to wake everyone." One of the Mitch, the butler, yelled I can tell he'd probably been getting the same tone from everyone. It was kind of early for us to be heading out considering the wedding was scheduled for late afternoon.

"Okay I'll be ready," I said lessening my bark; it wasn't this dude's fault I was an idiot. I started packing a small bag when I heard another knock at the door. I marched over to the door; I figured the guy must have been hard of hearing. "Wha … what are you doing here?" I said elated to see my partner in crime … literally.

"I was invited to wedding Sam," Max said as she pushed me into the room. "I forced the hubby out here early so that I could talk to you and Carly before the 'I do's'"

"Well, I'm happy as hell to see you!" I embraced her, Max's presence reminded me of the life I was going back to, the life up until this event I'd become accustom to and satisfied with.

"I'm glad to see you too!" She smirked. "I'm surprised by one thing though." She said looking at my bed.

"What's that?" I asked cautiously.

"I figured you be waking up next to your new boo and potential sugar daddy." She chuckled as I rolled my eyes. I went back to the dresser to get my strapless bra to place in my bag.

"Drop it Max," I warned and she threw her hands in the air. "Freddie and I are most definitely over, through, and done!"

"Really, it didn't seem like it to me, it sounded like the two of you got busy! Next remember to shut off your chat before knocking boots." She delivered her information with way too much satisfaction.

"It isn't what you think," I prepared to lie.

"Don't waste your time coming up with an alibi. I heard most of it. I heard how many times you told him you loved him. I wished Carly had gotten married sooner it would saved me a whole bunch of time and energy scrounging up date for you." She continued on her tirade as she checked her makeup at my mirror.

"Wow, I forgot that you don't hear so well, Freddie and I aren't together." Saying that actually heart it was sad how soft I'd become. Max scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.

"Please Sam, are seriously telling me you are going to be satisfied with you first time being like this?" I couldn't look at her. "You waited all this time, there had to be a reason. You love Freddie and this is fate's way of letting you know that he's the guy for you … I don't see how it could be seen any other way." I wanted to believe her, but the reason I'd left him still hung over my head and it was something could not deal with.

"Well think of as Freddie being really good a feeding chick's lines. He's always known what to say to get what he wanted … well, once he beefed up it worked better, but he just wanted to collect the one thing he wasn't able to get as a teenager. He's had it now he can move on!" I snapped. Max started to argue in Freddie's defense but I couldn't hear it. "Stop, for sake of Carly's wedding drop it, please." Max twisted her face up making that expression she made when she doesn't get to make her point.

"This conversation is on pause for now but once this is all over we will revisit the situation." She sighed. "Well, give me another hug, you can't be pissed at me if we're gonna party together later." I hugged her and she stepped out of my room to rejoin her man.

Carly would want all the groomsmen to wear bow ties. I hated bow ties; even the clip on version irked my nerves. I never could get them right and by the time someone would come along to fix it, it'd be all wrinkled looking. I left the light pink bow tie along and put on the rest of my attire. I felt like the odd man out. I was the only male in the wedding party excluding Spencer and he wasn't here yet. His wife was very pregnant and he actually had a job as an art teacher. Anyways, Dylan, his brother Adam and the rest of his groomsmen were about to make one last toast before we got ready to line up. I grabbed the last glass on the table and got in the group.

"Okay, this is to my brother and his excellent choice of a wife Carly. If you have to settle down you picked the perfect woman to be hitched to. Here's to you Dylan, good luck!" With that we all raised our glasses. Most of the others made their way to get lined up. I still had to get this bow tie situated.

"Need help?" I looked up and noticed Dylan's in the mirror's reflection.

"Yeah," I turned so he could fix my tie situation. It took him all of a minute to make it look perfect. "Thanks man." I smiled half heartedly and made my way to the door.

"Freddie?'' Dylan called after me. I stopped before I completely made it out of the room.

"You don't have cold feet do you." I laughed.

"No, not on your life, when I met Carly I knew she was going to be my wife. Everything with us just melded together perfectly. I've never had a woman just fix with me, even on our worse days … let's just say I'd rather argue with her forever than be with any other woman doing anything." Dylan smiled to himself; I knew he was still thinking of Carly. It was sad, I envied the guy, not because he was marrying Carly because he has happy. I was afraid that I'd never experience that feeling. "I have to ask you something. I really don't want to but it's all Carly could talk about for the past couple of weeks excluding wedding plans and stuff, what's up between you and Sam?"

"Nothing … absolutely nothing." I went to leave again.

"Carly and I broke up once. We broke up because I was working too much and she didn't think I had time for her. So she left me. We were apart for one month and three days. It took me that long to eat crow. I hit her with everything I'd seen in every corny romance movie she'd made me watch. I did it because I knew I wasn't going to be happy without her and in my eyes even when she's wrong she's right." There was a silence between us. I know what he was trying to say, but what he failed to realize is that Sam and I have already tried to be together twice. Sam has always been very clear when she wants something and when she doesn't. Right now I'm the last thing on Puckett's mind.

"Look, I appreciate it but Sam and I … it's a long old story, that's not going to end like you and Carly. There is no happily ever after. On that note let's get you hitched!"

"Oh God! Oh God!" I looked down into my bouquet of white and pink roses. I don't know why I was so nervous. This was what I wanted more than anything and Dylan was my prince charming. I wished my stomach would get the memo.

"You okay chica?" Sam turned back and looked at me. Note to self, I should totally become a stylist I picked the perfect dress for all of my bridesmaids. Sam looked like a little Barbie in her light pink dress.

"Yeah, she's okay she's just got the jitters," Spencer squeezed my hand a little tighter. "I had them too before marrying Willow."

"Yeah, yeah totally right." I took a deep breath and wished we'd picked a venue with a smaller aisle.

"Ha! Look shay you sweating bullets." Sam snickered, but actually had a couple of tissues and dabbed my face gently. "Why are you nervous? You've loved this guy forever." Sam whispered and I exhaled. Who knew that she'd be the one to speak the most logic? I mean, I love Sam but sometimes she's a bit of a fruit loop. "Oh I'm next … gotta go meet Adam in middle, see you at the altar." She smiled at me but something in me knew something was up. I couldn't worry about that now; I'd done everything I could. I gave Sam and Freddie the perfect opportunity to find their way back to each other only for them to argue through the last night I would be single. I took a deep breath and searched for my groom he was fiddling his fingers he did that when he was nervous. I've never seen him look so handsome. I then watched as Sam lock arms with Adam and made her way down the rest of the aisle. Maybe I was completely wrong? She and Adam did look good together. Granted Sam was gorgeous and would look great with just about anybody. I just so proud of Sam and all the accomplishments she'd made. I just wanted her to have everything she wanted and I know she wants Freddie.

"You ready kiddo?" Spencer said snapping back into the reality of the day. This was my day and my moment. It was crazy that my mind kept shifting to Sam.

"Yeah I was born ready!" With that I took the final steps as Carly Shay and began my journey as Mrs. Carly S. Scott.

Author's Note: Hi all! I'm so sorry that I have left this and all of my stories hanging. I have missed them terribly. I've been really sick … I can't explain it. Anyways, please know that I will finish everything I start! I hope you liked the chapter please read and review. Next, is the reception!