I Never Meant To Fall

22. Wedding Day

Clarke:

It was mayhem as soon as the sun was up.

There were bundles of people coming in and out of the tent to see Clarke.

Her mum had woken her early, insisting she dress.

Then some girls had come in to do her hair. They were clearly buzzing with excitment and Clarke sat before the mirror in dismay as they faffed with pins and flowers and all sorts.

Her mum went off and returned with food that Clarke refused to eat. Abby said it was understandable and that it was normal to be nervous.

Clarke tried to smile and tried to catch all their happiness but it wasn't working.

She was thankful when the girls left and her mum followed them out. She had a moment alone to simply look in the mirror.

Her expression was miserable, her features drawn and her jaw and cheekbones a little more pronounced than she'd seen them before. Her hair was done nicely in wavy ringlets which fell around her shoulders, the front pinned back with blue clips.

She practiced smiling before another wave of people hurried into the tent.

They explained rather hurriedly how the ceremony was going to progress. Apparently everyone outside was preparing. Her mother would lead her down the aisle and everyone would be watching. When they left, Clarke was sick. Luckily, her mother didn't notice. While outside, Clarke got a short glimpse of the true chaos.

People were rushing round, carrying bunches of wild flowers. A wooden arch of some kind was being set up and the snow was being shovelled to make an aisle, chairs being placed either side.

Luckily the sun was up and it was rather warm, despite the light fall of snow.

Clarke was hurriedly shoved back inside by yet another wave of people. This time, they had the dress with them and very quickly Clarke was stuffed inside it.

They seemed to spend hours, pinching it, rearranging it, tightening it, fussing, changing and fixing until Clarke felt like a human pin cushion.

Finally they left and it was only Clarke and Abby.

Clarke walked over to the full-length mirror and Abby stepped up behind her, beaming.

"So how are you feeling?" Abby asked quietly and Clarke inhaled shakily.

She stared numbly at her appearance. She had slimmed in the past few weeks and the dress hugged her figure in a death grip. The dresses neckline cut accross her chest and around the sides of her shoulders, exposing her protruding collar bones and taught neck. The back was laced and tied with white ribbon. The skirt ruffled out in smooth waves from her hips and just hit the floor around her feet. She felt like she was suffocating.

"I feel good." She said and Abby held out her arm. Clarke took it and they left the tent.

Bellamy:

He'd been jittery and angry all morning but now the despair set in.

He had regrettably been helping with the wedding set up, and now he stood amongst the crowd of buzzing, excited people.

Miller and Bryan were beside him hand in hand on one side, and his sister stood on the other. She seemed to sense her brothers distress and gave his hand a squeeze.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Not long ago he'd been thinking about the sort of future he and Clarke could have had together. He had forgotten all the boundaries of class that separated them...but now...

The music started (some bells made from dropship metal) and Bellamy opened his eyes.

There she was. The most beautiful creature he had ever seen. The snow fell gently around her, landing in her beautifully curled hair. Her cheeks were rosy - from the cold? From nerves? Or excitment?

"She looks like a princess" Octavia whispered, "just like the ones in the stories that you used to read to me, Bell."

Bellamy nodded, his mouth dry. He knew the stories she meant, he remembered the silly illustrations. They couldn't compare with the bride.

Clarke's mother walked beside her with a wide smile and everyone fell silent in complete awe but no ones heart was beating as fast as Bellamys - except maybe Clarke's.

As she grew closer, her eyes on the ground, she grew more beautiful but something was wrong. Something was different. He saw the bony fingers clasping her mothers arm and the fragile wrist. He noted her slight waist and protruding cheek bones aswell as the shadows under her very blue, very sad, eyes.

Bellamy swore under his breath and Octavia glanced at him warily. Had he been a fool to let her go through with this? Had he really managed to convince himself this was something she wanted? When he had seen her that night in the cold, had he not known something was terribly wrong? And yet he had walked past her as good as if they never knew oneanother.

The bells stopped and Bellamy watched forlornly as Clarke stepped up beside Aaron. Aaron, wearing a suit too big and a smile too eager. He was a kid, a popular brat who could never dream of being good enough for Clarke.

Bellamy watched as Clarke forced a smile and the wedding began.

Clarke:

It was an effort to keep herself from looking around in search of Bellamy. She could feel that he was there. She was almost sure she had seen him in the corner of her eye but she daren't look.

Aaron was clasping her hand too tightly as the cermony continued. The snow was only light but it seemed to rage all around her and everything began to spin.

She was shaking but it wasn't the cold. She felt like she might throw up again.

It was then that she realised she was supposed to be saying "I do". Everyone was looking at her. Aaron was pleading with his eyes for her to speak.

She parted her lips to say it but the moment she did, bile rose in her throat like acid and black dots began to blur her vision.

She pulled her hand away and staggered, gripping the wedding arch. She saw a fleeting blur of the crowd moving foward in worry before turning and running.

Her dress flew out behind her in the wind as she ran, fighting for breath. Soon enough her knees buckled and her legs gave way. She fell into the snow and felt warm arms around her, turning her around.

"Bellamy" she whispered, sick trickling down her chin as she trembled in his hold. He brushed her escaping hair from her face.

"Clarke I'm so sorry." He cried, pulling her close and she closed her eyes, finally at peace.

"Take me away, Bellamy take me away from here" she whispered and, without hesitation, Bellamy bundled her into his arms and carried her off before anyone could catch up to them.