You're My Favourite Sound

For a week I moped around. I moped around the apartment, I moped around school, I moped around work. I hadn't had another phonecall from Frank and that I was grateful for, it helped me deal with it a little bit. I did however get a call from Hazel, finally, telling me what's been happening on her side.

Joshi was never at the apartment, and when he was, he'd ignore her completely. It was like he wasn't even living there at all. This depressed us even more than we were already, but the two of us decided we were going to forget about everything for one day and spend that day shopping. We were female, after all.

So shop we did. We managed to pick out bridesmaid dresses, as well as the long white gown I would be wearing for my wedding, along with shoes and accessories and other little bits and pieces. We just went wild. It was what we needed.

But by the time we'd finished what we needed to do and we'd gotten back to my apartment complex parking lot, where Hazel had left her car, the heels I was wearing had rubbed against my feet badly, and to say the least, they were absolutely killing me. So after Hazel and I said our goodbyes, I quickly made my way to the front of the building. In the hurry, I dropped a couple of the many shopping bags I was holding, and bent down to pick them up. But when I did, the footwear rubbed against the backs of my feet again, causing me to cry out in pain a little.

"Goddamn it!" I hissed, dropping all of the bags to the ground and standing again to remove one of my shoes. After finding my foot with nasty blisters, I cursed again, but completely stopped moving when I spotted a man in dark clothing standing just ten feet away.

Frank was just standing still and looking at me, up and down, his face showing disgust. I immediately felt uncomfortable and looked down at myself. The weather was getting warmer and warmer, being the beginning of June, and I hadn't any summer clothes a few days ago, but after I happened to mention to Ethan about the lack of my wardrobe, he, himself, took me shopping, picking out things that he thought would look good on me.

He bought the very short jean shorts I was wearing, along with the white Hollister top and fluorescent pink heels, where I was now holding one of them in my hand. He'd even taken me to get my hair done, which now had a couple blonde streaks at the front.

I was going to be a wife living in LA in a couple of weeks so I decided I would start to act like one. But now, standing in the middle of shopping bags and seeing Frank look at me like that, I just felt embarassed.

"I feel like I'm in a Hills episode," Frank finally said, his eyes briefly passing the diamond bracelet on my right wrist that matched my current earrings, more presents from Ethan.

"What are you doing here?" I simply questionned, moving my oversized sunglasses to the top of my head.

"I've come to tell you that you're making a huge mistake," he said, walking the rest of the way towards me. "Surely you can see that, I mean, have you looked in the mirror?"

"Yes, I have," I replied smartly, "And for your information, Ethan said this look suits me."

"Ethan's blind," said Frank. I sighed and put my fluorescent pink shoe back on.

"Just go, Frank." I felt his eyes on me as I began picking up my bags.

"You're not actually gonna go through with this, are you? I mean, you'll, you'll end up like one of those married rich brats, you know? The person you were so against of becoming as a teenager."

"Frank, just leave, okay? I've made up my mind, I'm not gonna tell you that again."

"But if you get married in a fortnight then you're gonna get regret it, October. I know that, you know that. I know you're scared, but I'm scared, too. And you've gotta face up to your fears, you gotta take risks-"

"Frank!" I yelled sternly, facing him now that I had my bags, causing him to jump slightly. "This stops now. Okay? Me and you, that's it. No more. Please deal with it and move on, for both our sakes. Now, I am going to go upstairs to my home and I will be at that church in two weeks time, and whether I see you there or not... Well, that's your decision. So go back to whatever you were doing, please."

Frank sighed and rubbed his forehead, probably knowing he wasn't going to get anything else out of me.

"Fine, you know what? I will go and I will see you at that church, and I'll act asthough everything's fine and that I'm happy for you," he told me. "But whilst you're up there in front of all those people, bullshitting your vows, just remember that I will be sitting there, waiting for you."

His eyes moved to and fro between my own and I swallowed, clenching my jaw tight, trying to keep it together.

"I will always be waiting for you, October," he added softly, before turning around and quickly walking back the way he came.

My trance on the back of his head was broken when he turned the corner, out of my sight. I shook my head, breathing out a sigh of frustration, and made my way inside the building.

As I dropped all the bags on top of the big double bed, the phone began to ring and I made my way to the living room, picking it up off the hook and putting it to my ear. "Hello?"

"I know you didn't go with her because you wanted her to do it, I know that, but you have to understand how I would feel, October."

It was Joshi. My eyes widened a little and my mouth opened slightly. He sighed into my ear.

"You were just being a friend, that's all," he continued, "I mean, she must have been terrified and you only went to make sure she was okay, right?"

"Right," I nodded to no one, "That's right. I had nothing to do with her decision, I didn't want anything to do with her decision. But, Josh, I really am sorry about everything and I really want you to find it in your heart to forgive her-"

"Don't, babe, please," he interrupted. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I just rang to tell you that I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you in so long, and that I'm going to be with you every step of the way on your wedding day, okay? I mean, I'll be civil to Hazel, but it doesn't mean I've forgiven her or anything. Okay?"

I smiled a little. That was a start.

"Okay," I answered softly. "Oh, but, um, we went shopping for bridesmaid dresses today and I still haven't got you a bridesmaid suit..."

"Ah, don't worry about that," said Joshi, "I've had mine picked out since the day you announced your engagement."

I chuckled, "I should have known."

"Ooh, how's your dress looking, by the way?"

"It's... it's nice. Well, I like it, but you'll have to wait and see."

"Damn, I'm excited now." He seemed to have perked up, causing my smile to grow. "If we go get my suit tomorrow, can I see it then?"

"Hmm," I replied, "I'll think about it."

I still couldn't believe that I hadn't told this man about the affair I'd had, or Hazel. Those two were my life and I hadn't uttered a single word about it to them... Maybe I'd tell them one day when we were old and wrinkled, who knows?