The World As It Is ; m.c.

Procession.

Vow

noun

1. a solemn promise

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Everything was so white, I thought. White tables with white chairs and white flowers on top of them, everything in the backyard was white. Even I was white, I looked at myself in the full length mirror. I saw a stranger looking back at me, her hair curled and makeup done. She was wearing a flowing white dress.

The only part that was still slightly me were my shoes. I had convinced my Mom to let me wear converse shoes instead of the heels she had suggested with the help of Pluto. Of course, the pair of converse were white as well.

I sat down on the bed so I couldn't see the venue downstairs through the window or myself in the large mirror. Shouldn't I be terrified right now? Shouldn't I be feeling anxious and scared, the thought of all this making me doubt how I felt or something? The fact that I should be feeling terrified right now was the only thing terrifying me.

"Hey," Pluto called, coming into my room without knocking, making me to jump.

"Aren't I supposed to feel scared right now?" I asked, looking over at Pluto.

"Why would you be feeling scared?" Pluto asked. "Are you scared, because that's normal?"

"Exactly. It's normal to feel scared. So, why don't I feel scared?" I asked, staring at my hands. I felt Pluto sit down next to me. The fabric of her blue dress over lapping the fabric of my white one. At least Pluto wasn't in white like everything else seemed to be.

"Probably because it's Michael you're marrying," Pluto told me. "Also, you're kind of marrying him now. As much as I love to see you, I came up here for a reason."

"It's happening now?" I asked bewildered, I hadn't realized the time.

"Are you ready?" Pluto asked me, getting up and walking to the door to open it for me.

"I don't know," I muttered, holding onto the knob of the bed frame to steady myself. I felt the anxiety now, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. "I don't know if I'm ready."

"You don't have to be ready. You don't even have to feel ready. I'm just going to ask you a question. Can you answer a question?"

"Yes," I answered, finally feeling terrified at the whole prospect of all that was happening. I cursed myself for wishing to feel terrified, wanting the numbing calm feeling to come back.

"Do you love Michael?"

"Yes, of course." I furrowed my eyebrows at her question. Why was she asking me a question with such an obvious answer?

"Do you want to be with Michael?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered, still staring at her with a curious expression.

"That is all you have to know right now." Pluto smiled, taking my hand and leading me out the door, out into the hallway at the top of the stairs. "Now I am met with my second obstacle as maid of honour."

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.

"First, the bride is anxious about getting married. Conquered, by the way." She winked at me. "Second, the stairs vs dress."

I stared down the narrow stairs and realized what she meant. This was going to be difficult to get me down in my large dress. At least I wasn't wearing heels or else I would have most definitely fallen down and broken my neck or something.

"Oh well, guess I can't get married now," I muttered sarcastically.

"That obstacle was conquered, were you not listening?" Pluto smiled. "I hear that dresses that are in one piece aren't in style. So if it rips, it rips in the name of aesthetic."