See you in the Aisle!

Chapter 3

Amid the storm of endless pages torn,

A weary soul in tangled threads is dressed,

Yet in the warmth of friendship, hope reborn,

Awaits the dawn where love might find its rest.

Three more years had passed...

After what felt like a century of exams and papers, I finally dragged myself into the coffee shop, feeling like a zombie. My hair was a tangled mess, and the oversized sweater I was wearing made me look like I'd crawled out of bed and forgotten how to dress myself. Which, to be fair, wasn't far from the truth.

I spotted Emily waving at me from a corner table, her usual energy radiating through the room. I trudged over, dropped my bag on the floor with a loud thud, and collapsed into the chair across from her. Without even saying hello, I buried my face in my arms on the table, letting out a dramatic groan.

"Well, hello to you too," Emily said with a laugh, clearly amused by my entrance.

I barely lifted my head, just enough to glare at her from under my messy hair. "I wanna die, Em. I'm tired, I'm broke, and I'm bored out of my mind. College is sucking the life out of me."

Emily chuckled and slid a coffee across the table toward me. "Here, drink this before you start planning your funeral."

I sighed, taking the coffee and sitting up a little. "Thanks. But seriously, I don't know how much more of this I can take. Senior year is killing me. Why did I think being a responsible adult was a good idea?"

"Because you're crazy," Emily teased. "And because you're almost there! Just two more semester and you'll be free."

I took a sip of the coffee, savoring the warmth. "Free? I'll be free to be even more broke. I'm so ready to graduate, but also not ready at all. I'm just so... bored, Em. Like, everything feels the same. It's all work and no play."

Emily gave me a sympathetic smile. "I get it. College life can feel like a never-ending cycle of stress. But hey, you've got two more semester, and then you'll be done. You'll be able to do whatever you want."

"Yeah, like be unemployed and living with my parents forever," I grumbled.

"Oh, come on!" Emily nudged my arm playfully. "You're way too smart and talented to end up like that. Besides, you're going to kill it after graduation. And speaking of killing it, don't forget to show up for the wedding planning with the bridesmaids. We've got a lot to sort out before the big day."

I groaned again but couldn't help but smile. "Oh, right, the wedding. How could I forget? The one bright spot in my otherwise soul-crushing existence. I'll be there, don't worry. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides, it's not like I have anything better to do."

Emily laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. As tired and over everything as I was, it was moments like this that reminded me why I was pushing through. And knowing I had friends like Emily made it all a little more bearable.

After five years of navigating the twists and turns of life, I found myself meeting up with my high school friends to plan one of their weddings. We gathered in the cozy living room of Emily's house, surrounded by swatches of fabric, floral arrangements, and a flurry of excited chatter about the upcoming nuptials. The air was filled with the heady blend of anticipation and laughter as we delved into the details of the big day.

As we all sat around the table, flipping through wedding magazines and tossing out ideas, Kath suddenly looked up with a puzzled expression. "Wait a minute, why are we the ones planning the wedding instead of Emily and Leo? Shouldn't the bride and groom be doing this?"