The Tale Of A High-school Badass

Chapter 1 - New beginnings

I watch as puffs of white lace and gossamer tumble down from my mother's midriff, tight cutout lace is wrapped around her chest, and a thin chain of silver with a circular diamond dips beneath the strapless dress. The veil falls around her heart-shaped face, and her brown tresses are tucked back in a halo braid. My mother's high cheekbones are brushed with a popping powder white highlight, her lips are a rose pink and her long eyelashes frame her warm hazel irises. Her eyes are glistening with tears, tears that speak volumes about pure bliss, she stares at my soon to be stepfather, whose knuckles are turning white as he clasps her hand in an iron grip. They stand at the altar that is surrounded by white carnations and calla lilies. The intensity of their gaze is so intimate that I am compelled to turn my head. 

My brother and I slowly move our palms towards each, we grip tight as if we are hoping to make time stagnate. She finally got another shot at love, a love that deserved her completely and truly. As I look across our garden, that is lined with people seated in elegant white chairs, the tears slowly beginning to slide down their cheeks. My closest friends Ava and Christian sit in the front row, Ava wipes her face on Christian's shoulder, he scowls at the black streaks of mascara on his jacket sleeve and she stares witch-eyed as my mother begins to recite her vows. 

" I vow to hold you when we are watching baseball matches on the couch on a Monday night. I promise to save you the last piece of bacon for breakfast. I promise that I will not make you haul my over-packed suitcases on our honeymoon. I vow to never watch the season-finale of Riverdale without you, again. I promise to kiss you every night no matter how annoyed or angry I am. I promise to never eat all the marshmallows from the lucky charm cartons. I promise that I will not scream at you for leaving books on the table whilst I am PMSing. I vow to love you till death do us part, unabashedly and unapologetically," my mother says in her lilting voice. She slowly tilts her head downwards to hide her face and delicately wipe away her tears.

Hot, large teardrops are streaming down my face in rivulets as my step-father begins to say his vows, "I vow to never leave wet towels on the bathroom floor," he says his throat closing in, " I promise to not mix the whites and the reds in the laundry. I vow that I will never let Cookie Monster on the bed in the morning when we are spooning." Cookie monster our 3 month-year-old Labrador barks happily at his statement and puffs of laughter escape from my little family. "I vow that I will not use your toothbrush when I'm too drowsy to notice. I promise that I won't hide your little stash of Doritos just to annoy you. I promise that I will drive 30 miles to Daddy Joe's soup store to buy you schezwan chicken soup on the days you have a sore throat. I vow to love you till death do us part, unabashedly and unapologetically," Dominic finishes softly, his voice is raspy with emotion and his eyes are brimming with tears as he stares into my mother's eyes. 

"Do you, Julianna Carson, take me as your lawfully wedded husband in all my imperfect glory?" Dominic says, his hand gripping mum's tighter.

"I do," Mum says, an unparalleled smile coloring her face.

He slips a diamond ring on her finger and leans down to press a  delicate kiss on her hand.

"Do you, Dominic Wright, take me as your lawfully wedded wife in all my imperfect glory?" Mum says, stumbling over her words.

"I do," Dominic says, his eyes glittering with incomparable and pure joy. She slips a platinum love band on his finger.

The officiant, my grandfather, begins to speak in his roaring, booming voice "You may kiss your bride."

I avert my eyes as they begin to kiss, and my eyes stay that way for the next 2 minutes. 

x-x

The dance has begun, and my stilettos are already being a bitch. My mother and stepfather are twirling in the center of the garden, whispering and giggling together like a teenage couple. My brother sits in the chair opposite me, and he is rubbing my bare feet that are peppered with blisters.

"Look at how happy and blissful she is, look at the spark in her eyes and the bounce in her step," I tell Brayden softly.

He squeezes my foot, " I know, who knew that one day can make a person morph into somebody else altogether?"

I stare at the fairy lights that are coiled around the pillars in the garden and the fishbowls filled with ivory roses that are perched upon every table.

"Let's dance," I say as I shake myself back to reality.

I jump to my feet wincing at the pain that shoots through my ankle. Brayden puts his arm on my waist to steady me, and leads me to the dance floor. Ava and Christian are swinging together, Christian dips Ava and releases her waist suddenly. She falls onto her behind, and her face contorts into an expression of pain and surprise. She tugs and pushes at his legs in an attempt to trip him over, and he just laughs at her hurt-vengeful expression. Brayden and I giggle softly and move to the center of the yard, the dewy grass cold against my feet, soothing the soles of my feet. It's around midnight, the moon is high in the sky and the harmonious chirping of crickets is echoing across the garden. My brother and I begin to dance together, and he steps on my toes. I glare at him annoyance flickering in my eyes like embers and a mischievous gleam in his. 

Ava and Christian saunter over to us, Ava's heels are in Christian's hands, and he has a slight grin on his face, whilst Ava's face is set in a scowl. 

"I would have preferred to dance with Cookie monster rather than this insignificant little bastard," she mutters angrily.

Christian chuckles and he wraps his arm around her shoulder, "But baby doll, Cookie monster doesn't have this jawline and neither does he have a set of washboard abs that could cause a stampede," he says cockily, running a thumb down his stomach.

"1. You barely have a jawline, you would be glad if you could through butter with that. 2. You don't have abs! What you do have though is a very crooked nose and absolutely no sense of flirting! You used 'Are you Google? Cause I found what I am searching for' as a pickup line! How much more geeky could you get!?" Ava screams back at him. 

His cheeks are turning a light shade of pink, "I was hoping you would've forgotten about that," Christian murmurs.

Ava steps closer to him and presses her size zero waist against his side, she presses herself to his ear and says in a rough voice, "I could never forget anything you say."

Christian's turns an alarming shade of red, almost glowing like a traffic light, "Umm... ummm.." he stutters, his hand moving toward his crotch.

My eyes are bulging at this point, wide and surprised. "And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you flirt," Ava says triumphantly and pulls away from Christian's body grinning for ear-to-ear.

"Um, excuse me," Christian says in embarrassment and cuts his way through the crowd to the men's room.

Brayden is smiling with amusement, and I am laughing a whole pure laugh. I loop my arm into the crook of Ava's elbow and we head down to the pavilion to grab a plate of muffins.  

x-x 

The wedding's over, and we are back in the house. Cookie monster is lounging on my lap and I am rubbing his velvet-soft ears, my mom and 'dad' (too soon?) are sitting on the couch, their hands clutched. Brayden is passed out on the floor, curled into a fetal position. For the first time in a long time, my heartbeat is echoing happiness, it feels like the universe has finally realigned, the world isn't a jumble of emotions that have suppressed for years. One word summarizes how I feel now, a very rudimentary word: Open.

Dominic is an incredible person, he is loving, caring, sensitive, responsible, attentive and practical. He loves Brayden and me, he understands how we work. Suddenly, the bond and connection between us have warped into something more complex. Living together and accepting the role of a father figure officially now seem to be two very different concepts. By marrying my mother, Dominic officially sealed the trust we shared, he is now part of our little-broken family that seems to have resurrected. The life we lost has been given back to us, and Dominic understands how important that is to us. 

We sit facing the bay window in the living room, and it seems almost symbolic as a little streak of white glides smoothly across the sky. That's the mark of our new beginning. Unless I screw it up.