"Laney!! Will you please open the door!" Brian's voice loudly sounded through my bedroom door. "Nick's gone over to AJ's so you don't have to worry about him seeing you!" I wanted to scream, cry and throw something all at the same time, but I didn't.
"Brian," I mumbled threw the tears that were running down my face, making my cheeks puffy and my eyes bloodshot. "What am I going to do?" I swung the door open and there he stood, looking incredibly handsome in his tux. He smiled, though he was obviously shocked to see me in such a state.
"Oh Laney… what happened..?" I could tell he was trying his hardest not to laugh, which really pissed me off. I turned around and headed back into the room, pulling the hair clips out of my hair.
"I can't do this Brian! I can't go to my wedding looking like I've been dragged through a bush backwards." I turned back to face him. "And it's NOT funny!! Will you stop laughing!!!" Brian cleared his throat and stepped towards me. He took my hands in his and smiled,
"Okay. I'm sorry. Now… just calm down. Getting all hot and bothered is not going to help. What exactly have you done to your face?" I pulled my hands away from his angrily. "Laney, I'm not being horrible. I'm just wondering… and then, if you tell me what happened I can help you sort it out." I sighed and slumped into the chair in front of the mirror. My reflection gazed back at me with a look of angry defeat. My hair fell is disarray around my flushed cheeks, and a line of black eyeliner ran from the corner of my eye a little too far up my face. Streaks of black mascara had made tracks down my cheeks from the tears I had shed in my growing frustration and annoyance.
"I don't know what happened. I just started getting nervous and agitated, and the next thing I know I look like something out of a pantomime!!" Brian smiled sympathetically,
"Well, we can easily sort that out. We have ages yet, and I know it doesn't take much to make you look beautiful." He stood behind me and, picking up a brush, gently began to brush the tangles out of my hair. I began to relax slightly, and finally felt able to have another go at my face. I picked up some make-up remover and slowly began wiping away the mascara streaks and other black marks that covered my face. "You okay?" I looked up and smiled at Brian's reflection.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Sorry about that… I'm just so worried about today."
"Don't be," Brian replied. "Everything is going to be perfect. Now," he walked round in front of me and studied my face. "I'm going to leave you to do, whatever it is you do. And I want you to take your time. Can I get you anything?" I shook my head. "Right. Well, I'll be downstairs if you need me." I sighed and turned back to the mirror as the door clicked shut behind Brian. This was it. The day every girl dreams of. Her wedding day… and here I was panicking. I knew for sure that I wanted to be with Nick, but it seemed so soon. I inhaled deeply before reapplying makeup.
Nick continued to turn the pages of the magazine that lay on his lap, but he absently watched the breeze blow the leaves of the tree which stood a little from AJ's window. His mind was on the day ahead… on his wedding. He knew he was doing the right thing, but that didn't stop the nervousness building up in him, to the point that he wanted to take his fiancée and baby far away from the chaos of the wedding and the rest of the world.
"Nick… did you want to call Laney before we left… to check everything was okay?" AJ asked, tucking in his shirt - it was a special day meaning he had to make a special effort.
"Why wouldn't everything be okay?" Nick replied, seeming a little panicked as he quickly stood up, the magazine falling to the floor.
"Hey! Calm down," AJ answered, holding his hands up in defense. "I just meant that maybe you'd want to talk to her… see how she was feeling and that everything was ready..?" Nick visibly relaxed and ran a hand through his hair,
"Sorry… I guess I'm just anxious." AJ smiled,
"Come on… we better get going. Don't want to be late for the big day." The tall blond nodded and followed his friend out to the car.
I held my dress up so as not to trip over it as I stumbled down the stairs. Lowering the hem to the ground I breathed deeply and held my head up high. Walking in to the lounge I found Brian and Kevin both stood talking - not wanting to sit down as they might crease their suits. The both turned to face me and I smiled. A hopeful, seeking for approval smile. When they didn't say anything I started to feel all hot and distressed.
"Well?" I asked, trying not to fidget even though I felt agitated. "Do I look okay?" Finally Kevin smiled and approached me,
"Wow Laney! You look beautiful!" He bent down and kissed my cheek.
"Thank you Kevin." I looked past him to Brian who was still staring at me. I caught his eye and he half-smiled,
"Laney… Nick is going to be blown away. You look gorgeous, and… man… you guys are gonna get married!" I laughed and he gave me a small hug. "Well, I think we should go… Nick will be waiting!" I bit my lower lip in an attempt to stop my nervousness and placed my hand over my stomach, almost feeling the butterflies that had arrived as soon as I had put on the dress.
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