"Hurry up and finish in there!" came the voice of my mother.
"Fine." I told her. I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror.
I was wearing a white lace dress and black flats. My light brown hair was tied in a flowery ribbon.
It was the prettiest I've looked in my entire life, considering I never really wear dresses.
I studied my face in the mirror. My green eyes appeared to be sparkling. My lips were a deep red.
I hate to admit it, but I was liking how I look... a lot. I twirled around in the mirror once more and went out the door before Stacy started getting mad at me.
"You look better." She blew out smoke from her cigarette. I looked down at my freshly manicured hands. My aunt Casey paid for it. She said I need to 'at least try and look nice for once.'
I looked around in the wedding room. It was beautiful. I gotta admit, Casey has good taste.
"Get over here." Came a voice. It was Casey. Her face was caked with makeup.
"Glad you finally decided to get ready."
"It was five minutes." I retorted.
"How dare you speak back to me?"
She raised her hand to slap me, but stopped. She wouldn't have hesitated if we weren't in public. "This day better go well, or else, you know who I'll blame." No matter how bad I didn't want to, I kept my mouth shut and nodded. It was only one day, that's all. She let me go and I sat down, waiting for this to be over.
"Why are you sitting down, Lazy?"
I looked up to meet the eyes of my cousin, Ashely. She calls me lazy because it is the only insult she can come up with for my name, Zee.
No one in this family calls me by my real name. Either offending nicknames or just "you". I got used to it. I ignored her.
"Hey! I said, why are you sitting down, idiot! Are you deaf or something?"
"No, I was listening, it's just hard to process all that stupid at once."
She growled at me and stormed away.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair.
Tomorrow was school. I didn't have to look at these people's faces for eight hours straight. Sweet relief. My mom suddenly appeared and grabbed me, squeezing the blood out of my arm, "It's time to start, go to the back." I nodded and obeyed.
Everyone met me with glares, making me stare at my shoes and squirm.
"Get behind Ashely."
I quickly walked over there, praying for the reception where no one pays attention to me and I can sit in a corner and listen to music or something. "It's time to go." Casey growled.
Thank God.
As we went through the doors, Ashely stepped on my foot, making me stumble. I caught myself, used to this type of treatment. I quickly got up, hoping no one saw.
As I walked down the aisle, I felt a little too old to be a flower girl. Usually it's the three year olds with their dad walking behind them holding their baby sisters. I guess since I was the youngest in the family, I had to do it.
For Ashely, it's just an excuse to dress up and show off.
Then again, so is her life.
I sighed and dropped a few petals. As we neared the front, I saw something shiny in my basket. I picked it up.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
It was Casey's wedding ring.
My life is officially over. What is Casey's wedding ring doing in my basket?
We got to where the groom, Jeff, it's standing. I looked at the ring in my basket. It looked super expensive.
I was trying to make a plan, but it's hard when fifty plus people are staring at you and the ring bearer hates you.
Wait.
I decided I'll keep it for the wedding and sneak it deep into the pillow. They'll just think it fell into one of the creases of the pillowcase. And maybe, Andrew, Ashely's brother, and the ring-bearer, might get in trouble as a bonus.
I smiled at the thought of them getting yelled at by Casey. Ashely glared at me, stepping in my foot again, with her five-inch heel. I winced and looked out into the audience.
No one saw.
Can't this be over already?
* * * * * *
I take that back.
The ring exchanging ceremony came all too soon. My palms feel sweaty. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down.
Maybe going to jail won't be so bad.
Maybe I will still be able to go to school.
Maybe my best friends, Jacob and Cora will visit me.
"Aww, you look nervous." Ashely whispered to me. I glared at her, but stayed quiet.
"Present the rings."
I closed my eyes again."Where's my ring!?" Casey screamed, "Somebody stole my ring! If I find that piece of-"
"Calm down." Jeff said, "We'll find the person who did it."
Casey looked at me and I immediately realized...
She was the one who put the ring in my flower basket.
"You!" She screamed, pointing a finger at me, "She has it. She always steals my stuff. And my dear Ashely's and Andrew's belongings too! She is a thief and always will be. The little runt!"
I'm dead.
