Wedding Bells

By:  Stacey

Chapter 1

October 8^th, 1985

I was six years old. My parents and I had just moved to Florida from Westburg, Pennsylvania. Our new neighbors, Micki and Mel Estrada, came to welcome us to our new home.

“I just know you’ll like it here”, Micki said to my mother, Miska. My parents were from Germany. My father, Stefan, immigrated to America with his parents when he was seventeen. My mother immigrated when she was nineteen. I stood beside my mother trying to make myself invisible. Mel came over to us with a little boy who looked like his mother. Mel smiled, shook my father’s hand, and smiled at me.

“Who is this young man?” My mother’s accent made some of her words sound slightly slurred. Micki smiled.

“This is my son, Erik-Michael.” She said proudly. “Erik, say hello to our new neighbors.” Erik gave his mother a frightened look and squeaked out a hello. I giggled softly and he turned to look at me. I gasped and hid behind my mother’s skirt. Micki and my mother laughed. My father and Mel had disappeared into the house to watch a football game. My mother sighed and pulled me from behind her.

“She’s very shy. She was never very good at making friends. She, she is a, she is like a boy.” Erik laughed at the way my mother stuttered and spoke because she didn’t know the word. I was furious at him. I let go of my mother’s hand and ran at him. I stopped and glared up at him. I realized I was two inches shorter than him. I glared again and kicked him in the shin.

“Don’t you laugh at my mother! Ever!” Erik grabbed his leg and turned and ran behind his mother.

“Isana Marie Krieger! You apologize this instant!” My mother told me. She picked me up and lightly shook me. I looked down at the ground sheepishly after she set me down.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered. I looked up at Erik and he scowled.

“You’re just a stupid girl, you can’t hurt me. And she means you’re a tomboy!” I looked at him sharply and we stood there glaring at each other for two minutes. When I blinked, the spell was broken and I noticed that our mothers had disappeared. Erik smiled.

“Do you want to go play some basketball?” He asked. I was puzzled.

“What’s basketball?” I asked. Erik laughed.

“C’mon, I’ll show you.”

_____________________________________________________________________

7^th grade, October 17, 1992

“Erik, I’m scared. What if no one likes me and I’m booed off the stage?” I asked. I was getting prepared for the 7^th grade music festival. The festival was a series of recitals, turned into competitions. I was competing in the piano recital against a 5^th grader, another 7^th grader and a 9^th grader. Erik laughed.

“You’ll do great, Isa, I promise. You’ll blow the competition out of the water. If you get too nervous out there, remember, I have faith in you, your parents have faith in you, and you have faith in God. Okay?” I nodded. My name was called and I gave Erik a nervous smile. He smiled back. I turned to walk on the stage.

“Hey!” Erik yelled. He ran up to me and gave me a kiss on the lips. I stared at him. “For good luck.” He said. That piano recital won me a blue ribbon and entered me in a countywide talent contest. I won the county and state competitions and placed 5^th in the national. I also developed my first crush. I thought that if Erik hadn’t given me my good luck kiss, I would have lost. How was I supposed to know that first crushes sometimes develop into something more?

_____________________________________________________________________

Graduation Day, June 8^th, 1997

“Erik! Hey are you ready?” I asked. He turned and I started to laugh. “ERIK the zipper is supposed to be in the BACK!” He had put his gown on completely backwards. Erik frowned.

“Are you serious?” He turned and looked at everyone else’s gowns. “Oh. Why do we have to wear these stupid things anyway?” I laughed.

“Because we’re finally graduating!” I heard someone call my name and turned. The vice principal was calling for me to prepare my speech. I had somehow won the class presidency and I was the class valedictorian. Erik smiled.

“President.” He said. I turned and he lightly kissed me on the lips. “Good luck.” I took a deep breath and stepped onto the podium.

_____________________________________________________________________

September 12^th, 2002

“Hello?” My voice was terribly groggy considering it was 3 in the morning.

“Hey Isa, it’s me, Erik. I need to talk to you.” I sat up in bed. Erik sounded excited, tense.

“What is it that couldn’t wait until normal people get up? Normal people aren’t up at 3 in the morning!” I started to get nervous. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in Germany with your band?”

“It couldn’t wait. I have something majorly important to tell you. We aren’t going into Germany until Sept. 30^th. I told you that.” I started to get scared.

“What is it? Is it your parents?” Erik gave out a nervous giggle.

“No. It isn’t my parents. They’re fine. It’s me Isa. I, I’m getting married.” I jumped as if someone shot me, and fell off of my bed. I landed with a hard thud. Erik? Marriage? Not possible. I heard Erik ask if I was okay.

“WHAT?” I shouted. “You want to repeat that? I thought I just heard you say that you are getting married!” Erik laughed again.

“I am getting married Isa. In two weeks. To the most perfect person in the world. Her name is Isebel Greeves. She’s from Connecticut. I met her a month ago and just forgot to tell you. I want you to be there. Please. I have to go. Bye” I sat staring at the phone for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn’t believe it. Erik, getting married so quickly, so suddenly? Without knowing how I really felt? I had to stop it. I had to let him know. Now. I quickly got dressed and grabbed my car keys. 

 

Chapter Two

I arrived at the O-Town house at 7:20 in the morning. I walked through the security gate and rang the doorbell. Trevor answered. He smiled when he saw me. I pushed my blonde hair out of my eyes and smiled at him.

“Hello Trevor, is Erik still here?” Trevor’s smile got broader.

“I was hoping you would come here and knock some sense into Erik’s thick bald head. He’s absolutely nuts.” I laughed nervously. “Wait until you see her Isa, it’s gonna be scary.”

“Thanks for the warning Trevor, I’ll keep that in mind.” He led me into the living room where we found Erik and a blonde girl talking softly with their heads close together on the couch. I cleared my throat and Erik turned and smiled.

“Isa. I didn’t think you would be here until normal people wake up.” He joked. I managed a small smile.

“I have to talk to you.” I whispered harshly. Erik’s smile faded slightly.

“Let me introduce you to Isebel.” He turned to her and motioned for her to stand. She got up walked beside Erik and smiled. I suppressed a look of shock. She looked me up and down and her smile turned rigid and her deep blue eyes were narrowed and cold.

“Hi. I’m Isebel. It’s nice to meet you Isana.” She purposely pronounced my name I-sana, instead if e-sana. I frowned.

“It’s nice to meet you too Jezebel. I mean Isebel, sorry.” She glared and I smirked. She rolled her eyes and flipped her middle-of-back length hair behind her shoulder.

“Erik, sweetie, I’m going to go to work today. I’ll see you this evening. Okay?” She asked. Erik nodded and leaned down to kiss her. Isobel turned the kiss into a practical make-out session, not surfacing for air until Erik almost turned blue. She broke it off and turned toward me, smirking. She lifted her right hand just so you could see the beautiful engagement ring that Erik had given her. I could have killed her right then and there.

“Bye sweetie. I love you.” Erik said. Isebel smiled and walked toward the door.

“I love you too.” I really could have puked. Her smile was so fake, her eyes cold, cheap and hard. When she looked at me it was like she was appraising me for highest selling price. I hated her from then on.

“Erik, I really need to talk to you.” I said pleading with him.

“I need to talk to you too. Isebel wants you to be a bride’s maid. One of her friends bailed on her yesterday and I want you to be in my wedding.” ‘I want to be in your wedding too Erik’, I thought. ‘Just as your bride.’

“Don’t you see the resemblance Erik? She looks like me!” I was getting hysterical. He couldn’t marry her. I just had a very bad vibe about her. I couldn’t let Erik marry Isebel Greeves. I'd die if he did.

“Erik. You can’t marry her. You don’t even know her. For all you know she could be a Russian spy or an undercover mafia member. She could even be a freaking mental institution escapee!” Erik looked at me as if I was crazy.

“Her name is Isebel Lynn Greeves. She’s from Newport, Connecticut. Her mother design clothes, her father died in a car accident when she was five. Her sister is Marina Greeves, a world-renowned photojournalist; her brother, Samuel, is a Harvard Law student. She is 22; she went to the University of Maryland for three years before coming to Orlando to be a make-up artist. She is also very good with computers. She had an ex-fiancée who left her for a Victoria’s Secret model. Anything else you would like to know?”

“Sounds like you read that off of a resume.” I muttered. “Why does she look like a mirror image of me?” Erik looked startled by the question.

“She does? I never noticed.”

“We are the same height, the same body type the same build, the same eye and hair color. We are even wearing the same perfume. Doesn’t that strike you as weird?” Erik shifted uncomfortably.

“It is a little strange. But what does that have to do with me marrying Isebel?” He asked. I was getting to him. I suppressed a smile. I shrugged.

“Figure it out on your own. Life doesn’t always give you all the answers and neither will I.” With that, I walked out of the living room and out the front door. I was counting on Jacob to help me out. I walked around the house and tapped on a large picture window twice. Jacob was waiting for me and opened the window. I crawled through and stood beside him.

“Thank you Jacob. Can you do me one more small favor?” I asked. On the way to their house I had called Jacob and explained to him that I couldn’t let Erik marry that woman before he knew that I loved him. Jacob sighed.

“What is it?”

“I need you to talk to Erik and sort of lean him toward me. Please?”

“Why? You talked to him already.”

“But I need you to give him advice. You are the only one who knows my motive. The others just think I’m being a protective big sister type. PLEASE. HELP me!” Jacob sighed again.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

I watched from the patio outside Erik’s room as Jacob walked outside to talk to Erik. I could hear everything and I was still hidden. Even Jacob couldn’t see me.

“Hey Erik! Wait up.” Jacob yelled. Erik stopped walking and smiled.

“What’s up man?” Erik asked.

“I need to talk to you. I heard your conversation with Isana. I wanted to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about? She’s just playing big sister. Why?”

“Well, I was thinking of the quite scary resemblance between Isebel and Isana. Have you noticed?” Erik sighed and nodded.

“So what?” Jacob looked frustrated.

“Well,” he hesitated. “Do you think maybe you’re attracted to Isebel because she looks like the real person you want?” Erik looked genuinely confused.

“What are you saying Jacob? Are you saying that I’m confusing my attraction to Isebel for Isana?” Jacob slowly nodded. “You are insane!” Erik yelled, but I could tell that he was still confused. Jacob had gotten him thinking. I smiled. I slowly realized that I was getting stiff. Erik started walking back to the house. I got up stiffly and ran into Erik’s room. I walked down the hall and saw Erik walking to his room. I quickly opened a door and ran in, shutting the door behind me. I looked around and saw I was in Dan’s room. With Dan. He turned and jumped.

“What are you doing in here Isana?” I laughed nervously.

“Be quiet. I’m not supposed to be here.” I whispered harshly. Dan gave me a confused look.

“I’m, uh, trying to change Erik’s mind about Isebel and I enlisted the help of Jacob. That’s all I can tell you right now. Just don’t tell Erik I was here. Okay?” Dan, still looking confused, nodded. I knew that I had his trust. I really couldn’t blame him for being confused. “Now, how do I get out of here without anyone noticing?”  

After I slipped away unnoticed (thanks to Dan), I began to plot how I would make Erik forget all about Isebel (or as I liked to call her: Jezebel). After trashing many ideas, I finally found the perfect one. 

Sept.13, 2002

9:00 a.m.

Phase One

I walked into the studio with Mich (a guy that owed me big time). He turned to me and smiled.

“You have one hour to do the song. One of our vocal coaches will help you.” I smiled.

“Thanks soo much Mich, this really means a lot to me.” I leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I walked into the studio and waved at the vocal coach. He spoke to me from a little room in front of me.

“Hello, Isana. I’m Andrew Copas. Now, I have to ask, what’s this for?” I explained to him my plan and he smiled. “You go for it girl!” I smiled (did I fail to mention that Andrew is gay?). “Well, let’s get started!”

“After one hour I had everything done and I walked out of the studio with the cd in my purse. ‘Now, for phase two’, I thought. I smiled. I drove to O-Town’s house and knocked on the door.

10:00 a.m.

Phase Two

I tiptoed down the hallway to Erik’s room slowly, fearing that he would open the door. I slid the cd under the door and ran down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out to Jacob’s guesthouse-like room.

“Jacob, Do you think it will work?” I asked hurriedly. He was sitting on his bed strumming one of his guitars.

“Did you slide it under the door like I said?” I nodded. “He’ll find it. And I know it will work. He might not be the smartest crayon in the box, but he gets things that are important. Believe me.” I laughed.

“Thank you Jake, this really means a lot to me. I still can’t believe it takes Erik getting engaged to ‘Jezebel’ to make me realize how I feel about him.” Jacob shook his head.

“You really are a messed-up person, Isana. REALLY messed up.” I gave Jacob a hug and tiptoed to Erik’s room. I knocked on the door and ran around a corner into someone’s room and hid. No one opened Erik’s door, so I snuck in and hid in his closet.

After about ten minutes Erik walked into his room. He picked up the cd and looked at it. On the front of the cd it said ‘Listen to me!’ in my handwriting. He opened the case and put it into his stereo system and pushed play. After about ten seconds, my voice started talking.

“Erik, I know you and me haven’t really talked or even seen each other for a long time, and that this is sudden, but I have to give this a try. *sigh*. Here goes.

“If you gave me just a coin for every time we say goodbye,

Well, I'd be rich beyond my dreams.

I’m sorry for my weary life.

I know I’m not perfect, but I can smile.

And I hope you see this heart behind my tired eyes.

If you tell me that I can’t,

I will, I will, I’ll try all night

And If I say I’m coming home, I’ll probably be out all night.

I know I can be afraid, but I’m alive

And I hope that you trust this heart behind my tired eyes 

Cause I’m no angel. But don’t think that I won’t try and try.

I’m no angel, but does that mean that I can’t live my life

I’m no angel, but please don’t think that I can’t cry.

Oh, I’m no angel, but does that mean that I won’t fly 

I know I’m not around each night,

And I know I always think I’m right

I can believe that you might look around 

I’m no angel, but please don’t think that I won’t try and try.

I’m no angel, but does that mean that I can’t live my life.

I’m no angel, but please don’t think that I can’t cry

Oh, I’m no angel, but does that mean that I can’t fly?

(Dido, I’m No Angel)

“Erik, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I can’t let you marry Isebel, because someday I hoped you would marry me. Maybe I’m just crazy, but I'd hoped you felt the same way. I’ve felt this way since, well, since I met you I think. It just took your engagement to Isebel to make me really see. I, I love you Erik. I really and truly do. I want you to know that I’m ‘No Angel’ and I might make mistakes, but I know I would never hurt you. I hope that whomever you choose, that you’re happy.”

I sat in that closet for what seemed like an entire hour, but could have only been a few minutes, when I heard some movement from the other side of the room. ‘I have to get out of here,’ I thought, ‘I’m going to freeze like this.’ My right leg had already gone to sleep and my left leg was starting to join the right one. I heard more noise, then suddenly, the closet door opened and I fell out at Erik’s feet with a big ‘oomph!’

“What in the hell? Isana, why were you in my closet?” I looked up and saw the confused _expression on Erik’s face.

“Erik, I, I need a little help.” My legs were stiff and I couldn’t get up.

“Of course you do. You need mental help.” I frowned. He was going to play it cool was he? Well, two could play that game.

“Yeah I guess I do. So, how are things with,” I paused for dramatic effect, “Isebel?” I growled. Just saying her name was sending shivers down my spine. It was like saying ‘the world is damned and we’re all going to sit at Satan’s Throne’ in a church. It was terrible.

“Um, things are okay.” I seemed to have caught him off-guard by asking about Isebel. I was determined to play it cool. Nothing he could do could affect me. He walked to his dresser and grabbed the cd, then walked up to me. He got very close. So close I could smell a hint of his aftershave. So close that I could feel his breath. My confidence wavered for a moment. He held up the cd.

“When did you make this?” He asked placidly. I struggled with words.

“Th-this morning. Why?” I tried to stay as cool as possible. I gave a weak smile.

“I was just wondering because you must have been drunk when you made this.” He was starting to get angry. “I’m getting married, Isana. You had your chance to tell me how you felt. It’s too late now.” I stared at him.

“Erik, I” He interrupted me.

“I think you should go Isana. Don’t worry about being in my wedding, we’ll find someone else.” I looked at him with tears in my eyes, threatening to fall from my eyes. I walked out of his room and walked down the steps. Jacob walked toward me.

“How’d it go?” He asked. I burst into tears.

“Oh, Jacob he hates me! He told me that I missed my chance and that it’s too late for me.” I sobbed. Jacob had a determined look on his face.

“I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry.” 

Sept. 26, 2002

The Wedding Day

I walked up the steps to the church. I wasn’t invited. I tried to blend into the crowd, be a family member. I knew no one would recognize me. I put contacts in to change my eye color and I was wearing a long black wig, so I looked nothing like the real me. I disguised my voice so no one knew it was me except Jacob, who had given me the idea. I took a seat near the back of the huge church. I intended to ‘object’ when the preacher said ‘speak now or forever hold your peace’. Everything went according to plan until the vows. Erik said his perfectly. Isebel had trouble getting the words out. She was shifty and anxious looking, like she was waiting for something to happen. Then the preacher started speaking.

“Whosoever does not believe these two should be wedded in holy matrimony should speak now, or forever hold your peace.” I was just about to say ‘I object’, when the doors to the church opened and a handsome man yelled. “I object!”

“What are you doing here, Joseph. I told you not to come here.” Isebel hissed.

“This woman cannot be married. She is already married by law in the state of California. She’s my wife!” Joseph said clearly. There were many gasps and whispers. I stood and walked out into the aisle.

“I object also.” I said. Everyone turned to look at me and there were more gasps and whispers. I took off my wig.

“Excuse me.” All of us turned to the open church doors. “I’m Detective Roger Olds with the F.B.I. I’m looking for Isebel Smith. Also goes by her maiden name Greeves. I was informed that she was here today.”

“What in the hell is going on?” Erik asked, so confused-looking that he just blurted it out.

“Isebel Greeves is being charged with hacking into a local bank in Orange County, California and transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars from a person’s account and transferring that money out of the country into a Swiss bank account in her name.” Everyone gasped at the same time. Erik turned and looked at Isebel.

“You’re married already? And you stole money from a rich person?” Isebel glared at him scornfully.

“I was going to marry you, change the account into your name, and disappear too. How’s that sound?” Again, everyone around me gasped. Erik looked shocked.

“So, you didn’t love me?” He asked softly. She laughed. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard.

“Love you? I can’t even stand you or your ‘band’. You guys really can’t sing. I love Joseph and we were going to disappear. And you would get caught when the F.B.I. showed up.” Erik was beyond disbelief. He looked around the room full of people and his eyes rested on me. He looked at Isebel and then at Joseph and then at Detective Olds and walked down the aisle and out of the church. As he passed Joseph he said, “You can have her.” I looked at Detective Olds. He had with him two State Troopers and he was reading Isebel and Joseph their Miranda rights and the Troopers were handcuffing them. I walked down the aisle after Erik. I found him sitting on the last church step with his head in his hands.

“Erik?” I asked tentatively. He looked up at me miserably.

“What did I do to deserve this? All I wanted was to get married today. Then that Joseph shows up, you interrupt and the F.B.I arrests her. Then I find out she was going to frame me for fraud and that she hates me. What am I supposed to do? It seems like the world is against me ever falling in love.” I sat down next to him.

“Maybe the world is trying to tell you Isebel isn’t the one you’re supposed to fall in live with.” He looked at me skeptically.

“Really?” He asked. I laughed.

“No. I’m just stalling until I find the nice way to call you a loser.” I said with a straight face. Erik looked horrified. I laughed again. “Not really, you dumbass. I believe the saying that describes it best is ‘the world works in mysterious ways’.” Erik looked like he was thinking hard.

“I though it was ‘the Lord works in mysterious ways’.” I smiled.

“It is but don’t worry about it. It applies perfectly.” He looked at me thoughtfully.

“You know Jacob was right about you.” I looked at him.

“What do you mean?” Erik smiled.

“He said that ‘the things you want most are usually right in front of you’, and you’ve been right here the entire time and I never saw you as potentially more than a friend. He also said that I’m a complete ass who doesn’t see a good thing when he looks at her.” I laughed again.

“That sounds like Jacob.” I said. Erik looked at me and leaned forward and kissed me just as Detective Olds and the two State Troopers brought Isebel and Joseph out and put them into police cruisers. Detective Olds looked at us and cleared his throat. Erik and I looked up at him.

“I’m sorry I had to break up your wedding Mr. Estrada, but seeing as she was already married, it would have been illegal anyway.” Erik smiled and stood up.

“I should thank you. You stopped me from making what would have been the biggest mistake of my life. Who’s bank account did she hack into anyway?” He asked. I stood and looked at the detective. He smiled.

“Bill Gates.” He walked down the step and got into his cruiser. 

The European Tour was cancelled on account of an emergency wedding. Erik and I were wed on the 5^th of October 2002. We went to Maui for our honeymoon and came back on the 13^th. We’ve been married for three years and have two wonderful twin daughters, Carmen and Marina. We’ve decided to tell them this story when they’re older.

O-Town had a big success, recording five albums of original material. They broke up about six moths ago because Jacob and his girlfriend Janie got married and moved to California. Ashley went on to acting and now has his second blockbuster hit hitting theatres in May of next year. Trevor married his long-time girlfriend and moved back to Rancho Cucamonga. He is now a successful television show producer. Dan went into the music business and is a songwriter/producer at Arista Records. They are planning a reunion tour for sometime next summer. The last time we saw Isebel Greeves was on CNN. She is housed at the Women’s State prison in California. I think she looks good in orange. Bill Gates never did recover the $900,000 stolen from him. He whines about it to this day.

The End

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