Let's Not Ask Why It's Not Right
;04
Whoever said that time flies when you're having fun was wrong. Time goes much more quickly when you're dreading something. Before I knew it, the wedding night was here.
This was the night that I would gain two new family members, and meet one of them for the first time. I can't believe I hadn't met her yet. Kaitlin and her mother had been staying at a friend's house for the past month, since both parents though it was best if Kaitlin didn't move in until after the honeymoon. Which was probably a good idea; leaving us alone together for two weeks with no parents to break the ice would probably be the most awkward thing possible.
I let out a sigh and adjusted the collar of my shirt. My tie was holding the fabric uncomfortably against my neck. I couldn't wait till the reception so I could take it off. The wedding seemed to drag on and on.
Finally, it was over. Everyone headed to the dance hall where the reception was being held. Zack drove Bailey and I. I stared out the passenger window while Bailey chattered excitedly in the backseat. Finally, Zack looked over at me.
"Ty, cheer up. So Dad got married. It's not the end of the world."
"It's a good thing," Bailey agreed.
I just shrugged. It was easy for them to say, since Zack didn't live with Dad anymore, and Bailey lived with Mom. They wouldn't have to live with a new stepmother and stepsister.
The wedding reception was much less grand and expensive-looking than the wedding (probably because my dad was the one who paid for it). After seeing the huge church filled with lace, silk, and bows, the dark dance hall with the chipped wooden tables, the buffet, the DJ, and the concrete dance floor looked like it should belong to a different wedding party.
I sat at the table, playing with my food rather than eating it, for the first few dances. When the bride and groom were finally allowed off the dance floor, my dad came and found me.
"Tyson, come meet Kaitlin."
I shrugged. "Okay, Dad."
He led me through the crowd of people until we got to a table with a girl sitting all alone.
"Kaitlin, this is Tyson," my dad said. She looked up at me. I smiled at her. She blushed and looked down.
"Hey," I said.
"Hi," she said awkwardly.
Suddenly, Kaitlin's mother appeared. "Your cousins are here all the way from New York, Kaitlin, come say hello to them." She pulled Kaitlin off into the crowd.
"Kaitlin's shy," my dad explained. "I'm sure you'll get to know each other eventually, but make an effort to be nice to her, okay?"
I nodded. "Sure, Dad."
"Come on, Tyson," my dad said. "You haven't even gotten up from your table in the past three hours. Go do something. Talk to people. Dance. It's a wedding reception, you're supposed to have fun!"
I sighed.
"Why don't you dance with Kaitlin?"
"Dad -" I started, but he'd already waved at Kaitlin for her to come over. She didn't look shy anymore - she was giggling and her cheeks were flushed. She looked like she'd had a few glasses of champagne, and whatever else they were serving at the bar across the room (nobody seemed to care about age tonight; they'd given me several shots without even asking for an ID).
Dancing was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't have much choice. I took Kaitlin's arm and led her out onto the dance floor.
This was the night that I would gain two new family members, and meet one of them for the first time. I can't believe I hadn't met her yet. Kaitlin and her mother had been staying at a friend's house for the past month, since both parents though it was best if Kaitlin didn't move in until after the honeymoon. Which was probably a good idea; leaving us alone together for two weeks with no parents to break the ice would probably be the most awkward thing possible.
I let out a sigh and adjusted the collar of my shirt. My tie was holding the fabric uncomfortably against my neck. I couldn't wait till the reception so I could take it off. The wedding seemed to drag on and on.
Finally, it was over. Everyone headed to the dance hall where the reception was being held. Zack drove Bailey and I. I stared out the passenger window while Bailey chattered excitedly in the backseat. Finally, Zack looked over at me.
"Ty, cheer up. So Dad got married. It's not the end of the world."
"It's a good thing," Bailey agreed.
I just shrugged. It was easy for them to say, since Zack didn't live with Dad anymore, and Bailey lived with Mom. They wouldn't have to live with a new stepmother and stepsister.
The wedding reception was much less grand and expensive-looking than the wedding (probably because my dad was the one who paid for it). After seeing the huge church filled with lace, silk, and bows, the dark dance hall with the chipped wooden tables, the buffet, the DJ, and the concrete dance floor looked like it should belong to a different wedding party.
I sat at the table, playing with my food rather than eating it, for the first few dances. When the bride and groom were finally allowed off the dance floor, my dad came and found me.
"Tyson, come meet Kaitlin."
I shrugged. "Okay, Dad."
He led me through the crowd of people until we got to a table with a girl sitting all alone.
"Kaitlin, this is Tyson," my dad said. She looked up at me. I smiled at her. She blushed and looked down.
"Hey," I said.
"Hi," she said awkwardly.
Suddenly, Kaitlin's mother appeared. "Your cousins are here all the way from New York, Kaitlin, come say hello to them." She pulled Kaitlin off into the crowd.
"Kaitlin's shy," my dad explained. "I'm sure you'll get to know each other eventually, but make an effort to be nice to her, okay?"
I nodded. "Sure, Dad."
"Come on, Tyson," my dad said. "You haven't even gotten up from your table in the past three hours. Go do something. Talk to people. Dance. It's a wedding reception, you're supposed to have fun!"
I sighed.
"Why don't you dance with Kaitlin?"
"Dad -" I started, but he'd already waved at Kaitlin for her to come over. She didn't look shy anymore - she was giggling and her cheeks were flushed. She looked like she'd had a few glasses of champagne, and whatever else they were serving at the bar across the room (nobody seemed to care about age tonight; they'd given me several shots without even asking for an ID).
Dancing was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't have much choice. I took Kaitlin's arm and led her out onto the dance floor.
♠ ♠ ♠
:]