Blue Letter Night

28. Mason is giving updates

Today was the big day and Eddies FOMO kicked in early in the day, demanding hourly updates. I also got scolded for not "just freaking going for it" and loosing Eddie five dollars.

What even are the terms of this bet? I asked him.

I can't tell you, it's against bet rules he texted, quickly followed by: screw it! I've already lost! You need to kiss— without tongue is fine

I rolled my eyes. We agreed on hourly updates because Eddie was deprived of any entertainment while visiting his family. I wasn't sure if there would be any entertainment. I wasn't even sure if there was going to be a wedding if Lisa's reputation held up. Still I put on my suit, and tried to comb my hair so it didn't stick up in every direction.

Mom was sitting in the kitchen in her dress, all ready to go despite it still being early.

"Morning sweetie," she sipped her coffee and made no comments on my hair or clothes so I guessed they were fine.

"Morning. Is there anything to eat?"

"Beth and Machelle went to get eggs and bread," my stomach grumbled at the mention of food, "so," my mom said shortly.

"So?" I answered, confused on the intent look on her face.

"Beth looks very pretty in her dress, don't you think?" I tried to ignore the heat rising to my ears and grabbed myself a glass of water.

"Sure," was my simple answer. My mom squinted like she was trying to look through me, and I was sure at the very least she could see through this act.

"Are you going to ask her to dance?" She prompted.

"Probably. Anne too. We're friends," my mom frowned, clearly it was not the answer she had wanted.

"Oh come on!" I was startled by my Moms bluntness almost as much as what she was saying.

"Wh-What?"

"We all know about you and Beth and your little thing and we're all in agony, including you two, so just get together already,"

"Mom," I said still taken aback, "it isn't that easy,"

"Sure it isn't," sarcasm draped her tone. Our conversation was abruptly interrupted when Machelle and Beth walked in the door arm fulls of bread and eggs.

"Hey guys," Machelle was out of breath and still in her pyjamas, she had a face full of makeup though, "we got as much as we could carry,"

"I still think it'll be too much," Beth told her. Beth was also still in her pyjamas but from the neck up she looked like she was playing a princess in a play, cheeks rosy and eyes bright. Her hair was perfectly curled and the top half was pulled away from her face except for two little curls which dangled by her cheeks.

One by one the rest of the cabin woke up and we all ate breakfast and got ready. Mom and I were already ready and were waiting around for everyone else. Mom was very excited when Beth came out in her full ensemble. Her dress really topped off her princess look and I had to keep myself from staring. She always look bright anyways, but the more people told her how much she looked like her Mom the brighter she grew.

It happened a lot when we were physically at the venue with relatives and family friends. People were always a little startled at first, they knew immediately this is Lucy's girl and I thought Beth would be sad, so much mention of her Mom, but she seemed to enjoy hearing the stories of her Moms youth.

I gave Eddie his hourly update right before the ceremony.

It looks like cousin Lisa is actually getting married and she did. She walked down the aisle, her white dress twinkling in the summer sun, Mark, her future at the end. There was I do's on both parts and we all watch their first dance as a married couple when we all headed to the reception hall. It was incredibly messy and they would probably be embarrassed about it for the rest of their lives. Still, Anne let out a few "awww"s and Beth laughed endearingly and quietly every time.

Max's leg bounced anxiously and made glances over to Oliver during all the toasts and the cutting of the cake. I wasn't the only one who had noticed. Beth, Anne and I all exchanged looks until I leaned over and asked, "what's up?" During Lisa's Dads very unrehearsed toast.

"I think I'm going to do it," he said with conviction.

"Do what?"

"I'm gonna ask Oliver to dance,"

Beth and Anne were ignoring the train wreck of a toast and had laser focus on Max and I.

He's going to ask Oliver to dance, I mouthed to them.

Beth's eyebrows shot up in excitement and Anne gave twisted in confusion. what? she mouthed back. Beth rolled her eyes and whispered something in Anne's ear. Now her eyebrows shot up in excitement. Max however, was still bobbing his leg up and down.

I could understand being nervous to ask someone to dance, I was nervous to ask Beth to dance, but this was more than that for Max. He hadn't exactly come out to any of the adults yet, just Anne, Beth, and I, and depending on how close they danced and how other people saw it, it would be like a mass coming out to everyone who put two and two together.

Finally, the toasts ended, we ate cake and dinner, and the dancing began.

"You got this," was what I had said before Max stood up, walked one table over, offered Oliver a hand. Everyone at our table pretended not to be paying attention. Beth and I were pretending to have a conversation while Anne was pretending to inspect a fork. The adults attention had been grabbed too, but they all shifted they're eyes towards the two.

"Please?" Max asked loudly over the music, "will you dance with me?" Oliver smiled and grabbed Max's hand. They stood up and walked hand in hand to the middle of the dance floor. We, as well as everyone else seated around the dance floor, exchanged excited eye contact then watched as they wrapped their arms around each other and swayed gently to the music.

Anne let out an excited squeal and shook Beth's arm, "my little brothers got a boyfriend!" Beth laughed and was practically vibrating in her seat with excitement. I quickly looked to catch Machelle's reaction. Her mouth hung open at first. The way Oliver and Max dances it was obvious they were more than just friends. After a second, when the shock wore off, a smile spread across her face.

"Quick!" She shuffled around in her purse, "where's my phone! I need a picture!" She had to dump out her purse but found her phone and quickly took the picture with embarrassing flash. I turned to Beth.

"Miss Rogers," I said in a mocking posh tone and offered her my hand dramatically. She smiled.

"Mister Carter," She put on the same posh tone and placed her hand in mine. The song was slow and we definitely were not dancing like Max and Oliver were, but we swayed gently to the music.

"You look nice by the way," the word nice came out weird, like there should've been something else in it place. But nice was the word I had chosen. Safe. Lame.

"Thanks," she smiled at me fondly and I thought my knees were going to give out, "you cleaned up pretty well too" I made a show of straightening my very straight tie and running my hands through my hair.

"You know, I ended up liking you a lot more than I thought I would," I meant that more than I think Beth could've known.

"Ditto,"

We smiled and laughed and yes, Beth looked beautiful in her dress, but she always looked the best when we were sitting together in the glass room, her eyes turned towards the sunset, telling me a goofy story or about the shapes of the remaining clouds.