Chapter 16:
---Ashley---
I smiled happily as Zac and Mary-Kate reunited, then noticed another figure climb out of Zac's car.
What was Josh doing here?
I watched him as he watched Zac and Mary-Kate, then quickly acted like I hadn't seen him when he looked in my direction.
A moment later I risked a glance at him..
But he wasn't there. I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"Hey, Ashley?" Aaron asked from where he was sitting next to me
"Yeah?" I glanced over at him. He looked kind of nervous.
He gulped, summoning up the courage to say it "I was wondering.. would you like to go out to dinner with me?"
I smiled and Aaron smiled to, still waiting for my response.. "I'd love to!" After all, by the looks of it, things between Josh and I were over, I just wished we could be friends...
Crazy huh? Josh and I friends? Like that would ever happen...
---A couple of weeks went by.
The girls abandoned their road trip Idea. Wonder why? And their life went back to normal (as normal as it would ever be).
Ashley went back to school. She and Josh were still on their not speaking terms, but then they didn't see each other very often. But she and Aaron, however, were definitely on speaking terms, and kissing. They'd gone out on the date, Aaron asked Ashley to that day she saw Josh, and many more after that. Their one month anniversary was in a week!
After her adventure Mary-Kate realized how quickly her life could be taken from her. Why wait for the future? In doing so it might never happen... Live life now! Needless to say she and Zac were still engaged.
Which brings us back to the present...---
---Mary-Kate---
Zac and I were sitting on the couch, in my apartment, together, talking, occasionally kissing, basically just enjoying spending time in each others company, and arms. I glanced over at my calender April 5th was marked as our wedding day.
I let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Zac asked nuzzling my ear.
"It just seems so far away" I said motioning to the calender.
"The calender? I could go get it for you" He said unwrapping his arms from around me and starting to get up.
"No!" I pulled him back onto the sofa, "I meant our wedding silly!"
"Oh" He said sheepishly. "Well,..." He got lost in thought for a minute.
"What?" I asked.
"We could change that" he said glancing up at me. He looked a little unsure about what he was going to say next..
"How?" this was interesting..
Although we were alone in the apartment he leaned over and whispered in my ear, so no one could hear "We could elope"
My heart rate quickened and my mind started racing. Elope? Could we? Of course we could. We could start our life together that very day. I loved the idea! "We could" I said to him with a big smile.
He told me of this place he knew near by. "We could go there now" he suggested jumping up from the sofa and turning to me excitedly.
I jumped up too, my face lighting up with a smile.
Forget a big wedding. This seemed so much more exciting. More romantic. More secretive. More personal, just the two of us.
I hugged him then ran to get my coat. We then got in the car and started for the chapel...
Chapter 17:
|
After spending the last three hours studying I felt I deserved a break. I looked through the newspaper to see what was on. Movies sounded nice and relaxing, I ran through the list until I found one that I'd been wanting to see for ages. I remembered back when Josh and I were dating we'd heard about the movie and decided to go together. Yeah that was really happening...
I brought my ticket and walked into the semi darkened theater. The previews were just starting. I glanced around for a seat and eventually saw one. "Is this seat taken?" I asked the guy who was sitting there.
He glanced up. Oh brother it was Josh "No and if you sit there this won't be either" he said with a slight trace of humor.
Not really knowing what to think I sat down. "So... how have you been lately?" I asked.
"Ok" he gave a short answer.
I took the hint and didn't try to strike up conversation after that.
The movie was good... I think. I didn't really pay that much attention. When it finished I glanced over at Josh as I got up. He was still avoiding me.
So you see what I mean? Us being friends? Crazy!
I walked out of the theatre worse then I had when I walked in.
---Zac---
As I've said before. I'm not stupid, and today was no exception to the rule. Sure I'd suggested eloping to my fiancee, when I knew how much all our family and friends were looking forward to our wedding. But that was just it, it was our wedding. Our life together. Shouldn't we be able to start it as we pleased?
What was I saying again?
Oh yeah, I'm not stupid.. I knew Mary-Kate was a little unsure of herself now. She'd spent the entire drive staring out the window, totally lost in thought.
We reached the chapel and I pulled the car over to the curb. "Ok, what's up Baby?" I asked turning to her and brushing a lose strand of hair behind her ear.
She glanced at me sadly "I just..." she started "I just feel selfish doing this"
"Why selfish?"
"Well, Ashley has been SO looking forward to our wedding, she wanted to help me with all the arrangements and be a bridesmaid and everything... She would be so hurt to find out that I was going to secretly get married and she wouldn't be involved"
"Well,.." I tried to think of a solution "Maybe we could tell just her?"
"But she isn't the only one" Mary-Kate gave me a plaintive look "EVERYONE has been looking forward to this so much. We'd be letting them all down."
"But what about us?" I asked. I don't know why I was arguing, after all I did feel the same way "Should we let ourselves down just to please them?"
"I don't think it would be exactly 'letting ourselves down'" she pointed out "A big wedding wouldn't be that bad" she got a dreamy expression on her face. Obviously day dreaming about a beautiful white dress and wedding cake and all that wedding stuff.
"We could always bring the date forward a bit.." I stated quietly starting to agree with her.
"yeah!" she said smiling happily "We could have it closer to new years or something"
New years? It was November already. That meant it would be only like, two months away. It really wasn't that long. Especially considering we still had nowhere to live, unless we moved into Mary-kate's apartment which was a little on the small side.
"Would that be enough time for all the arrangements?"
She nodded with an earnest expression on her face.
I started the car and pulled away from the curb "It's decided then" I said
"Are you ok with this?" She asked.
I smiled at her "Totally ok with it"
She sat back in her seat happily, and we drove back to the apartment.
Chapter 18:
|
"I can't do this! I can't do this! How on earth am I supposed to do this?" Mary-Kate rambled on and on. She had a veil in one hand and a phone in the other. The two of us were smack dab in the middle of making wedding arrangements.
I got up from where I'd been sitting and walked over to her. I held her by the shoulders "Breath in and out" I said.
She did so and managed to relax a little. She then glanced around her.
"Lost something?" I asked.
"My pen" She said looking under the table.
"It's behind your air" I said pointing.
"Oh," she blushed a little then went back to what she'd been doing.
---Zac---
"28, 30" I read the numbers on the letter boxes as we drove past the house "32! Here it is" I said to Mary-Kate as I drove in to the driveway.
"It looks a little run down" Mary-Kate said with a disappointed expression.
"Yeah, but it could be fun restoring it"
"I guess.." She didn't look convinced.
"There's the owner!" I said pointing to a guy who had just walked out from inside.
As you've probably guessed, Mary-Kate had managed to take a few minutes from her wedding plans, for us to go house shopping. This was the fifth house we'd looked at. And so far we hadn't liked any of them!
---Mary-Kate---
"I really liked it!" Zac said as we drove away from the house.
I glanced back to get one last look at the house then shuddered "All the paints flaking and at least some of the walls are majorly wrotten" I said feeling disgusted by the condition of the house.
"Just think" He said with a dreamy expression "You and I sanding, painting and building the house back to it's former glory!"
I wrinkled my nose "How... wonderful!" I said sarcastically.
He pretended to sulk "Well I liked it" He said softly.
I just laughed "Lets look at the others before we go getting to attached to any particular house.
---Michael---
I walked into the studio where Melanie had been spending all her time lately. I understand there was a lot of work to be done. Singing and dance rehearsals, photo shoots and all that, but I was still a little jealous.
Anyway I walked into the studios and my ears were immediately bombarded by a loud song blaring thruout the studio. I recognized Melanie's voice along with some other people.
I rounded a corner and finally found Melanie. I immediately had to push away the feeling of jealousy that was invading my very being. The song that was playing was a slow love song and the 4 people who made the band '4 U' were rehearsing their dance for the song.
Now I do understand that for a slow romantic song. You have to have slow romantic dancing but... this was rediculous. I didn't see the other 2 but Melanie and some guy were dancing together. He had his arms wrapped around her waist from behind then she spun around to face him. Their faces were so close. And.. I DON'T LIKE THIS!
I slumped down in a nearby chair, an angry expression on my face and waited for Melanie to drag her gaze from the guy long enough to see me.
Chapter 19:
Oh great! Mr. Jealousy is here! Honestly this is getting really old. He needs to learn the difference between business and my life. He's part of my life. The band is part of business.
So what that Malcolm and I were dancing like we were crazy about each other, and acting like we were in love, That's part of the image we're supposed to get across!
"Michael" I said running after him as he stormed out of the studio. I'd spotted him when the song finished, just in time to see him race away. "Michael wait up!"
He stopped a little ahead of me, not turning just waiting for me to catch up "What's wrong?" I asked.
"You two were all over each other!"
"It's acting Michael!"
"Well, I don't like it!"
"Then go talk to the dance choreographer! I can't do anything about it!" I told the truth.
He finally saw my point "Sorry" he said.
"It's ok... I guess. A little faith in me would be nice though!" I said before walking back into the studio, leaving him to vanish off to wherever he'd been headed a few minutes ago.
I'd quit school and devoted all my time to the band, And so far it was one of the best thing that ever happened to me. Michael was the other. And my career was really messing with our relationship.
---Mary-Kate---
Knock! Knock! Knock!
I walked over to the door and opened it to see Zac with his little sister Zoe "Hey Mary-Kate. Can you baby-sit Zoe for me? Thanks. Love you" He quickly kissed me on the cheek then vanished down the stairs before I could get a word in.
I laughed and turned to Zoe "Hi Zoe. How have you been?"
"Good" She answered shyly.
Zoe was 9 and one of my favorite people. I always loved hanging out with her and if Zac had given me time to get a word in I would have told him I'd love to baby-sit.
"I was just going to make pancakes" I told her as I walked into the kitchen.
"Yum! I love pancakes!" She said sitting on a stool bye the counter.
"Me too!" I said with a smile.
Today musn't have been my day for cooking though. What ensued would probably be classifyable as a nightmare!
Chapter 20:
|
First I over heated the pan. "Watch out" I said to Zoe as I took it to the sink. She ducked out of the way. I dropped it in the water and it sizzled and sputtered. "Never cook like that" I said to Zoe with a wink. She smiled and nodded.
The first pancake stuck to the pan so it was scraped off and put in the trash, and the pan returned to the water. I sighed as I glanced over at Zoe. She looked like she was trying to hold back laughter. I grimaced.
The second and third pancakes were burnt too. The third however was fine.. It was my finger that was burnt. I quickly put the pancake on the cooling rack then stuck my finger in my mouth.
As I did so the door opened and Zac walked in "Somethings burning" he said sniffing the air. His eyes then fell on the pancake "Yum!" He said rushing over and picking it up.
"Hey!" Zoe said swatting at his arm minutes before he put it in his mouth "That's mine!!"
"Sorry lil sis" He said putting it down. He then turned to me. I was standing by the stove my finger in my mouth. "What happened to you?" He asked concerned.
"She wrecked the first 3 pancakes" Zoe whispered to him "But don't tell her I told you"
"Traitor!" I said flicking a bit of flour at her. She just ducked out of the way with a smile.
Zoe was later sent to the lounge to watch tv, her plate filled with (not burnt not wrecked. believe it or not) pancakes and Zac and I were left alone to eat ours.
"Delicious!" Zac said finishing off the last pancake.
"Good" I said with a smile as I took his plate over to the sink.
Zac, meanwhile glanced at the bag of flour still left on the sink. An idea creeping into his mind.
---Zac---
When Mary-Kate's back was turned I quickly dipped my hand into the flour then stuck it behind my back. I then walked over to where she was rinsing the dishes. "Hey Mary-Kate!" I said.
She turned and I flicked the flour at her.
"HEY!" She screeched wiping it off her shirt and face.
I just made a face at her.
"Right!" She said grabbing some flour and flicking it at me.
The next thing we knew we were engaged in a full on flour-war. Things got a little sticky (no pun intended) when I splashed Mary-Kate with water and she splashed me back.
Wrapping my arms around her from behind and holding her to me so I couldn't move, I rubbed a mixture of flour and water all over her face.
"Ugh!" She said trying to pull away from me.
"Nuh-uh!" I said keeping her pulled against me and continuing to smear the mixture in her hair.
"Stop!" She said giggling.
I finally stopped and gently twirled her around so she was facing me. We shared an amazing kiss and she got her revenge, by running her fingers through my hair before wrapping them round my neck and kissing back.
"A-hem!" A voice said.
Mary-Kate and I turned our faces to see Zoe standing there. She put her plate down on the counter "Having fun?" She asked before walking back to the tv.
Mary-Kate and I just burst out laughing.