Speak Low, If You Speak Love

The minute Leighton handed in her Child Development final, she knew she'd failed. Her lack of concentration was going to single-handedly ruin her college career. She could blame her problems on numerous people. Alex Gaskarth for proposing. Jack Barakat for being a lovesick moron. Elysa Marino for being born. But, what it all boiled down to was that it was her own fault.

Leighton pushed the door to the building open and stepped into the Baltimore winter. She had four weeks until the next semester started and she planned on enjoying every day starting now. She wasn't going to let anything ruin her Christmas break, not even the wind that was fighting her coat and chapping her face.

"Leighton."

Cursed. Leighton Walsh was cursed. That Irish luck must have skipped a generation because Leighton didn't have an ounce of it. She bit her tongue as she turned around. "Hey, Lys."

The brunette bounced over to her. Her face was glowing and happiness was radiating off of her like the sun that refused to shine. Leighton didn't understand how one person could be so perky and lively.

"Congratulations," Leighton said quickly. "I'm so sorry I didn't get to talk to you after the party. I got a little sidetracked."

She smiled. "No worries." Her eyes danced down to the rock that was sitting on her finger. It was at least two carats. A princess cut diamond set in a white gold band. Leighton had no idea when Alex Gaskarth had learned how to pick out jewellery, but he sure as hell was good at it. "Are you busy?"

Leighton wished she was busy.

The one day I have absolutely nothing to do.

"No, not really."

"I have some last minute Christmas shopping to do," she smiled, adjusting her scarf. "You want to come? We could grab some lunch."

No, I would not like to go shopping with you.

"Sure, I still haven't got Jack anything..."

Leighton's inability to say 'no' was seriously starting to kick her in the ass. She had just agreed to an afternoon of shopping with the one girl she had secretly hated for almost ten years. They had never gone out of their way to hang out on their own time.

For being two of the only girls in their small group of friends, Leighton and Elysa didn't have sleepovers, they didn't do each other's make-up, and they didn't giggle over boys. It was like some cardinal rule that only Leighton was aware of. She just never felt that kind of bond with Elysa, or any other girl for that matter.

"I wish I had a boyfriend that wore more than American Apparel v-necks," Elysa mumbled as she sifted through racks of men's shirts at Nordstrom's.

"Fiancé," Leighton corrected her, laughing slightly as her eyes drifted from neon to pattern. She had no idea why Elysa was shopping for Alex at Nordstrom's. She sighed, not understanding the logic of it.

"Oh, gosh," she shrieked. "Fiancé. It's so surreal."

"It's something else."

They were barely in the department store thirty minutes before both girls decided that there was nothing there. Not wanting to venture into the rest of the mall -- Leighton imagined it to be Christmas Hell -- the two decided to grab lunch. The hunger pains in her stomach were so unbearable that she couldn't think of anything else, let alone the fact she still hadn't purchased Jack's gift yet.

Leighton slid into the bench of the booth opposite Elysa at the small restaurant they had both decided upon. It was a local treasure that was hidden well from tourists. Leighton remembered the many Friday nights she'd spent there with Jack and the rest of their friends.

"Everything sounds so good right now," Elysa babbled as her dark eyes scanned the plastic menu.

Leighton chose not to respond. Minimal conversation was going to be how she survived this lunch. The last thing she needed was to have some heartfelt conversation with Elysa that she would mock herself for later.

"What can I get you two?" An overly perky elderly waitress smiled down at the pair of them.

"Um," Leighton bit her lip, not entirely sure what she wanted yet. "I'll just get a cheeseburger."

The waitress turned to Elysa, who was still scanning the menu. "And for you?"

"Hmm." She pondered as if this were some sort of important decision. "I'll just have the, um, cob salad. I am going to have to fit into a wedding dress soon."

Leighton rolled her eyes when Elysa wasn't looking. As if she was going to have trouble fitting into a wedding dress with her size two frame. If anyone had to worry about fitting into something, it was Leighton. She'd have to do a hundred crunches and an hour on the treadmill to work this burger off and her metabolism sure as hell didn't help the situation.

"Okay," Elysa grinned once the waitress left. She folded her freshly manicured hands on the table and looked straight into Leighton's eyes. "I have something to ask you."

Leighton was confused. What the hell could Elysa need to ask her? They weren't exactly BFFs. They had no common interests and they knew practically nothing about each other. Leighton was the last person Elysa should be asking anything. "Okay…"

"I know it just happened and I probably should be worrying about other things," Elysa rambled. "But, Leighton, I was wondering if you'd be my Maid of Honour?"

Leighton choked on her ice water, sputtering the liquid frost all over her shirt. "What?"

"Well," Elysa straightened up. "I have no sisters and all of my family is up in New York. And you're the only girlfriend I have."

Girlfriends? That was the last word Leighton would ever use to describe them.

"I know we don't hang out much without the guys, but I want that to change."

Every part of Leighton told her to say 'no'. She couldn't possibly stand up next to Elysa at the ceremony and hold her bouquet and watch as she made a life-long commitment without gagging. Not to mention the amount of time she would have to spend with her in preparation. It was a terrible idea. "I'd love to."

Leighton really needed to learn how to say 'no'.