The End Of The Beginning

Invitations

It was now two days before our wedding. "We can invite CJ, right?" I ask. Dalton looks to me. "Anyone you want." I smiled. "We have a surprise for you, today." I frowned at him. "What is it?" I asked. "It's waiting for you at the mall right as we speak." "The mall?" I scrunch my face together in disgust. He laughs. "Don't worry. I think you'll like it." Dalton grabs my hand and speeds me to the mall.

"What is it?" I asked, confused. "Here she is." I look to where Dalton was looking. My mood lifts. "Aunt Erika!" I exclaim. She smiles. "Hi, Vanessa!" I hug her. "Guess what? We're going shopping! For your wedding!" I smiled brightly. "Oh my gosh! Thanks, Dalton!" "Don't thank me, it was Erika's idea." Dalton smiles at his aunt. She smiles back at him. "Have fun, you two. Don't keep her too long." Dalton tells Erika, then leaves us. "Let's get started!"

"Aunt Erika? How did you....not throw up before your wedding?" I asked, feeling overcome suddenly as we look through the wedding dresses. She laughs. "It was tough. Very very scary. But all I had to do was look at Fred as I walked down the aisle, and everything scary went away." I nodded. "I can do that." I said confidently. "Oh, um, I heard about Ruben." Erika mentions cautiously. I sighed. "Yeah..." "Zaiden?" I look to her sadly. "I get it." She says. "I've lost some of my friends who were like family to me. Tom, Kaylee, Lindsay, Gareth. They were all my friends. Tom was a very sweet boy, but he moved away after he found out about....Luke and I." Erika looks at a dress with sequins. "And Kaylee had a falling out between all of us. She started dating this mysterious Braxton. I think he was a bad influence for her. Then Lindsay...well, you saw that." I nodded. "By the way...who was Tom? I remember you mentioning that he could see that Dalton and I were going to make it." She smiles. "Oh, he could see the future. Whatever he said went. He was my closest guy friend." "And Gareth?" She sighed deeply and sat down.

"It was so tragic, what happened. My whole life has been one tragic story. None of my friends are the same, one way or another. And Gareth didn't deserve what he got. He was so kind." Her face goes dark. "It's hard to believe that Kaylee and I had once been best friends. She and Gareth had gotten in a fight over something I don't even remember about. Kaylee made Gareth forget about everything, that's why she remembered him the night of his birthday and he didn't." I sat next to her. "This all sounds awful." I said, frowning. "Which is why I'm going to stop talking about it. This is your wedding time!" Her eyes brighten. "It's going to be great!" I started getting excited again. "How about this one?" She holds up a beautiful strapless dress that goes down to my shins in the front and drags on the floor in the back. "I love it!"

"Now for the decorations. I'm in charge this time!" I smiled brightly. "Yay!" She laughs. "So who's all coming?" "Zaiden, you, of course, and Fred. My brother CJ." "Ooh! That's right! Human brother. Can't wait to meet him!" I laughed. "That's probably about everyone who can come." "Well, it's going to be a magically, wonderful wedding! And you and Dalton are lovely together!" "Thank you, Erika." She smiled. "One more thing before we head home." Erika says. "What is it?" I asked. She laughs and smiles.

"You can't have a wedding without a bachelorette party." I smiled. "How did you pull that off?" I asked. "Let's just say I am very fast when it comes to parties. I already have Dalton and Zaiden on their way to one." I laughed. "Nice!"

The next day, Erika and I had our own private bachelorette party. Even Zaiden popped in to crash it. "Zaiden! Get outta here!" Erika laughs and throws a pillow at her nephew. He laughs. "I'm sticking around." "Fine. But you'll have to handle our girl talk." He shrugs. "Bring it on." I smile. "So how was the bachelor party?" "Pretty fun. It's technically still going on." "You left Dalton all alone?!" I asked. "No, Uncle Fred is there." Erika nods. "I should've known he'd be there. He'll jump at any chance to party." I laughed. "I've never really met Uncle Fred." I realize. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to." Zaiden says. He was really sounding like himself again.

We actually dozed off at about 2 A.M. When I woke up again, it was 9 o'clock in the morning. "Guess what, Vanessa." Erika says all excitedly. "What?" I grumbled. "It's your wedding day!"