Begin Again

Chapter 27

Arriving at the venue everything was in full swing. The caterers where running around her wedding planner was freaking out about something, her assistant was running after her with some calming meds and the poor venue coordinator was wishing the damn wedding would just be over and done with.

The venue was amazing Claire had a winter wonderland theme and the navy and pink just pulled it all together. There was fake snow and navy and pink snowflakes everywhere you looked.

Just seeing it in its early stages I knew it was going to look beautiful. Making my way to the brides dressing room I took a deep breath before knocking. I could hear a rustling and a few voices before the door flew open.

"Good you are here. Just in time for our facials." Says a very nervous looking Claire

Facials, that didn't sound right. Shouldn't she have done that a week before the wedding. My skin is always as red as a tomato after a facial for at least a day.

"I think I'll sit this one out Claire. I will look like a tomato for the entire day if I had a facial now. I will just keep you company till we start on the hair and makeup."

I don't think she heard a word I said as she was already busy barking orders at the poor ladies that had to do the facials. Looking over to Sarah I could see she was trying her best not to laugh at bridezille.

As the preparations for the day went along Sarah and I did our best not to start laughing at Claire. Not even her mom could calm her down and she was driving everybody so crazy they all really just wanted to tell her to buzz off.

Me and Sarah's hair and makeup was done first and from before noon we have been trying our best to calm Claire are the hairstylist tried getting her hair done. She had decided to go for the wavy look pinning up a few strands at the back to allow her veil to stay there. The rest of her hair hung loose over her shoulders and back.

It was finally time to get Claire dressed me and Sarah was already in our bridesmaids dresses. Sarah having went for the long Greek style dress, and I went for the cocktail length dress. Claire like the fact that our dresses were different, me I just wore the dress to irritate Brandon as he sees me standing there in that one dress.

So just as Claire had her wedding underwear on and the garter in place she hit one of her panics again. For twenty minutes nobody could get her to calm down. So me finally not being able to take this for one more moment told the makeup artist to have her powder brush close and I planted an amazing bitch slap on Claire's cheek.

The sound of my palm connecting with her face had the entire room freezing in there steps. The makeup artists mouth dropping open, Sarah biting her cheek not to laugh, Claire's mom on the brink of tears and Claire finally quite.

"Now listen to me Claire. This was the last freak out for the day. The next one you have I am loading you in the car and taking you away from this wedding venue. I am sorry I slapped you but really there was no other way to calm you down."

"You are freaking out over stupid shit where you should rather be thinking about the look of amazement on Brandon's face as you walk down the aisle to him. You have nothing to freak out about anymore. That what is not right by now will never be right and there is nothing you can do about it."

"So you are going to take a deep breath now. Go sit on that chair so the makeup artist can cover up my hand on your cheek and then me and Sarah are going to help you into that amazing, beautiful ball gown of yours and the photographer is going to take amazing pictures of you and the you are going to kiss your mom and take your dads hand and he is going to take you down the aisle."

"There will not be a dry eye in the house and Brandon would be fighting to get the air flowing through his lungs again when he sees you, then your dad is going to kiss you and you are going to marry Brandon. We are going to have an amazing party celebrating the start of the two of your lives together."

By the time I was done with my speech there wasn't one person whose mouth wasn't hanging open. In the eight months Claire was planning this wedding I didn't say one word and then all at once I write and entire essay.

Without saying a word Claire took her seat at the dressing table and the makeup artist rushed over starting to cover the red marks on her cheek. When she was done me and Sarah helped her into her wedding gown all the while her mom was wiping at her eyes as she tried to keep her makeup from running.

Fitting the veil on her head we stood back to have Claire look at herself in the mirror before the photographer took over. Claire had chosen a vintage ball gown with lace long sleeves and sheer jewel neck line. Because of the neck line she wasn't going to wear anything around her neck but her mom had given her, her mother's wedding pearls as a something borrowed so Claire was wearing those earrings and she was wearing her mother's cathedral vale as her something old. Her garter was her something blue and had taken a 10c and stuck it with superglue to the bottom of her shoe. The hair clip for the veil she had specially made and that was her something new.

So all in all she had the entire package and she was looked beautiful. After the makeup artist touched up all the smudged makeup the photographer took over and took a million and one pictures of the bunch of us.

All too quickly it was time for us all to go to the chapel. Arriving at the chapel ten minutes late because the photographer needed to stop on the way and take some more pictures it was finally time for me and Sarah to make our way down the aisle.

I was to go first, then Sarah and then Claire and her dad. Taking a deep breath I waited for the music to start before I started making my way down the aisle. Keeping my eyes on the pastor I knew if I was going to see his parents or him I would burst out in tears. So I kept looking at the pastor up to the moment when I had to take my spot in the front. I made sure to keep my eyes low and only to look up at Sarah as she was making her way towards me.

When she finally reached me Claire and her dad stepped into the opening and ever so slowly started making their way down the aisle. I tried my best to just keep looking at her but my eyes had a life of their own and they popped over to where Brandon was standing.

His eyes where full of tears and the love was so visible on his face. Not one person had to wonder if he loved her or not. When they reached the front and her dad kissed her, handing her over to Brandon he couldn't help it and leaned in and kissed her. Only to have the pastor jokingly telling him to wait before he can do that.

The pastor had a beautiful sermon I'm sure I just couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. It was taking all the power I had not to scream at the top of my lungs 'don't marry her' so I just kept thinking about him thinking about her and slowly going crazy as I stood there.

I didn't hear one word the pastor said up until he uttered the words.

"If anyone here has any reason why these two should not be married today speak now or forever hold your peace." Echoed the words through the chapel.

As I looked up my eyes connected with Brandon's. He was looking right at me his eyes pleading with me not to say anything. Giving him a small nod as reassurance that I would not ruin his wedding I could see the relieve flood into his eyes and my heart broke a little more.

As the pastor asked Brandon to say the vows he had written to Claire I couldn't take it anymore. As quick and as quietly as I could I started taking steps away from the alter. Once I was far enough away from then I dropped the flowers I was holding, grabbed my shoes in my hands turned around and started to run.