"Alright, spill." Melissa said as we gathered our books from the last class before lunch.
"You don't miss a thing, do you?" I replied, with a cheeky grin, and started for the door.
"And you," She replied, grabbing the rest of her books and trailing me out the door, "are trying to change the subject again."
"Okay, okay." I said walking out to the picnic tables outside, where we always eat lunch. I plopped down on the bench, and shrugged off my bags.
"Well..." Melissa said, looking like she was about to explode from anticipation.
"OkaywellyouseeIamkindagettingmarriedtomyoldfamilyfriend'sson." I said, receiving a thoroughly confused look from Melissa. "Okay, here's what's going on...." I began, telling her everything that had happened in the past four days.
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Once I was done explaining, I found I was staring into the wide-eyed and opened-mouth expression on Melissa's face.
"Wait, what?!?" I heard exclaimed from behind me. Turns out Helen (the sense of the group) had come up to surprise me just as I was beginning my complicated tale. So again I launched into explaining the major changes happening in my life.
"Oh my gosh Shaliene! You can't be serious!" She said as I finished.
"I'm afraid she's quite serious." Katherine said, coming and joining our group. "And her fiancé isn't too bad looking either." She added with a wink in my direction.
"Wait, how have you already met him?" Melissa asked Katherine as she glared me down.
"I met him on Thursday." Katherine replied, in a 'matter-of-a-fact' way. "They went to Tony's, and I was working."
"Hey guys!" Olive said in her usual cheerful manner, walking over to join our group. Olive was and still is the sweetest person I know, but since she started hanging out with our rowdy and mismatched group, she seemed to have traded her soft-spokeness for a loud and opinionated personality.
"You wouldn't believe my Chemistry professor," she began, launching into her daily rant, "he kept us after class an extra five minutes because he hadn't finished explaining the wonderful world of carbon to us." She finished with a shrug. "Oh well. What are y'all talking about?" She asked, receiving exasperated looks from everyone in the group. Feeling as though I couldn't find the effort to relay the story yet again, I looked to Katherine, who completely understood, and launched into the explanation for me.
"Oh my gosh Shaliene! That's crazy!" Olive squealed.
"Now that everyone's heard the story, and all of y'all are here, I have a question for y'all." I said.
"Yes?" They asked in perfect unison.
"Will y'all be my bridesmaids?" I asked, and received in reply loud gasps and girly squeals from them all. So loud, we had half the student body looking in our direction. "Nice going you guys," I said trying to hide my face behind my hand, "why don't you just announce in front of the whole school?"
"Oh, Shaliene! This is so great! I can't believe it!" Olive said, leaning over the table to hug me.
"That's sweet. Thank you, I'm honored. Oo, this is exciting!" Helen added, revealing her inner teenage girl, and also leaned in for hug.
"Thanks, 'Leney." Katie replied with a grin, then whispered in my ear as she hugged me too, "even though I was the first one you asked." She said, pulling away and grinning, making me smile too.
"Absolutely; but one question." Melissa said, revealing her cynicality when it came to changes with their friendships, causing everyone to turn and look at her.
"Shoot." I replied.
"When are we going to meet him?"
"He is coming to youth group with me on Wednesday." I responded, trying to hide my growing grin. I was so excited for my fiancé to meet my friends.
"Oo, oo! I have a question too." Olive said with her hand raised.
"Yesss...um...let's see.....Olive!" I replied search for her hand like a teacher, squeezing a laugh from her.
"Haha, okay. Who are our groomsmen?" Olive giggled out. Did I also mention her recent infatuation with the opposite gender? Because that changed when she joined our group too.
"Ah, yes Ms.Stewart. The groomsmen...." Just then the bell rang and we all gathered up our stuff.
"Well, so much for lunch." Helen said, stuffing her books into her bag, and fishing for her id.
"How about we meet after?" I suggested, "I would like to discuss some more of this stuff, if y'all don't mind?"
"Oh, I'd love too!" Melissa said.
"How about Pewra?" Katherine added.
"Sounds good to me." Helen agreed.
"Awesome." Olive piped in. "See y'all there!" She shouted, rushing off to her next class.
"Okay, see you in a bit!" Melissa said, heading back in.
"Yeah, bye!" Helen shouted, jogging to catch up with Olive.
"Hey, 'Leney, can I catch a ride with you?" Katie asked, as we walked back together to our next class.
"Absolutely!" I said, happy to have some company.
"Thanks." She replied with a full on smile. "Maybe A and P won't be as bad now, since we have something to look forward to."
"I sure hope so." I agreed, heading into Mrs.Walker's Anatonmy and Physiology class, hoping to survive the next hour...
YOU ARE READING
My Past, Your Past, Our Future (arranged marriage)
RomansI knew the moment he walked through that door, and into my life, everything was about to change. For better or worse, I didn't know. But one thing I do know is that I'll never forget him and all we went through. This is our story. (Christian Romance)
