A Recipe For Disaster

♠ Audrina ♠

Felix flew in this morning with Jesse. We had to talk ASAP.

“Audrina!” Felix pretty much roared over the phone.

“You brought Jesse over? I didn’t think there even was a Felix-and-Jesse happening?” I hummed in polite question.

“Well—it kinda sorta just happened… yesterday,” he replied, and I could hear Jesse laughing in the background.

“As long as you’re happy. I missed you, and Jesse,” I smiled and I heard a shuffling noise at the end of the line.

“Hi Audrina!” Jesse shouted into the receiver; I literally jerked the phone away from my ear and brought it back cautiously.

“Hi Jesse!” I laughed.

“Felix—no—stop!” Again the shuffling noise and I hoped they weren’t doing something awkward while talking to me on the phone.

“Audrina, are you gonna be okay? And sorry I was tickling the shit out of this beautiful boy,” he informed me, and in the background I heard Jesse shout, “you’re gonna get it later!”

“Yeah, I’m… actually, no. I’ve never been so lost in my life, Felix. I don’t want to condemn Alexander to a life with me. I’d rather be doomed in solitude then with company, if you get what I mean. I just… don’t think it could work,” I choked, holding back frustrated tears.

“Aw, Audrina. You know what? We’ll be there as fast as we can; just try to get through the day. We’ll see you real soon!” I could tell he was smiling really wide and we hung up.

Getting through the day proved harder than I thought.

-----------------------

I was in a predicament where there was no rehearsal practice for this doomed union. There was literally no run through, or “the do’s and don’ts of getting married” guide. I’ve watched countless movies, but that’s not enough to go off. I could run away and no one would care because I’m completely stranded. I don’t know where that bastard Alexander is; meanwhile both our parents are doing their business—that I do not even know of.

I lay down on my bed, wanting to rip all the sheets and wreak havoc in this cage. But before I knew it there was a knock on my door and four very terrifying words spoken:

“The press is here.”

-----------------------

“Fuck the press!” I shouted at my mother who looked taken aback.

“Audrina… your marriage is a—”

“It’s not really my marriage, is it mother?” I snapped. “You were the ones who set us up, you’re still pulling the strings on this play and I’m sick of you monopolizing me. Bringing in the press? You’ve gone too far. I’m gonna fucking stand there like a doll and feign my happiness. You know what? I might as well confess all the things you’ve put us through!”

If this was a normal circumstance, my mother and I would’ve engaged in a heated argument, but as it turns out, her look of complete sympathy made me crack.

The tears cascaded down my face faster than I could comprehend.

“Y-you, you and dad only want more money! I don’t think I even want any money if it has to be this way!” I sniffled, wiping my face viciously. Maybe if she saw how disgusting my tear-stained expression was, I wouldn’t have to go to the press.

"Audrina, dear, I know you and I have continuous issues and I know you're extremely upset right now, but there’s something you need to know, now.” She gripped my shoulder not gently but not hard either. She spoke softly but firmly and coughed to clear her throat.

“What is..it?” I asked with precaution.

"We always thought of you, dear. You have to understand why we've done everything we've done. Well, most things, certainly one thing. Dear, the reason why your father and I forced you to marry Alexander—" she chuckled softly at that— "is because... well, maybe you'll remember. Do you know what you told me the first time you met Alexander?"

At this point I was thinking what the hell did that have anything to do with it? Meeting Alexander? We met when we were kids! Oh my gosh, please don't tell me she and Mrs. Vaun made some pact for me and Alexander to marry with each other when we met! Ew!

"Try remember dear," she held me and looked me directly in the eyes.

"Mom...we were freaking six or seven, or eight or—"

"—you were seven. Now go take a trip down memory lane and tell me what you know," she smiled and gently squeezed my hands.

~~~~~~~~

"Charlotte!" A very beautiful lady came smiling, hugging my mother while they both laughed. A boy stood behind her, watching me.

“My, my, it’s been a while. Is that your son?” My mother asked the other lady.

“Yes. His name is Alexander,” she sparkled when she said his name.

“Hello ma’am,” he spoke.

“What a gentleman,” my mother cooed. “Nice to meet you. This is my daughter, Audrina. Audrina honey, this is my good old friend, Leilani and her son, Alexander”

“Hello,” I nodded meekly at both of them and she smiled down at me with a pretty smile while the boy, Alexander, continued to look on.

She gently pushed the boy named Alexander forward and as he stood in front of me we both just stared.

There was something about his eyes that made him very pretty. I wondered if my eyes looked half as shiny as his.

I liked him immediately.

“Hi,” he spoke nimbly.

I tugged on my mother’s sleeve and she bent down to my level.

“May I play with him?” I asked and she laughed.

“Is it alright if they play?” My mother asked politely.

“Of course. Since we just moved back here Alexander really hasn’t settled in or made any friends. And we should catch up,” Alexander’s mother beamed.

They had walked a few steps away and Alexander took my hand.

“Let’s play?” He questioned, but he did not wait for my reply as we ran off, racing each other to nowhere in particular. We had stopped some distance away from our mothers and we sat down on a bright green patch of grass.

“My mum’s really busy. So is my dad. We used to travel a lot, but now I think we’re going to stay here,” he breathed.

I looked at his young face and smiled.

“I’ve lived here my whole life. My dad doesn’t like to move so we never go anywhere. Mommy says when I’m older I can take our jet around the world if I wanted to,” I smiled up at the sky.

“Can I come?” He questioned and I nodded immediately.

“Of course!” I giggled and he nodded quickly, still looking as if he was thinking about something.

“Race you back?”

And with that we ran off back to our mothers who had taken their conversation inside the house over a cup of tea, leaving Alexander and I to play.

The last of the memory of this moment was me whispering to my mother, “I want to marry him. If I can’t marry him, I’ll become a bad girl!”

~~~~~~~

I sat there, with my mother in present time as I comprehended the situation.

“A-are you telling me… that… I fucking created my own demise?!” I wailed and my mother laughed, smiling with wrinkles creasing her eyes.

“This is not your demise, Audrina. Ever since you were little, I’ve always been proud of how smart you were, how beautiful and how like me you were. I had almost everything, but losing you was something I never wanted. So… maybe I persuaded this marriage, but even though you were seven, I believed I could see you in the future with Alexander. You were such a duo,” she spoke.

“Mum, I was seven. Why did you care if I became a “bad girl”? I didn’t even mean what I said! And what the hell did I know about love and relationships? Who I marry is never something you can stage,” I sniffled again.

She patted my shoulder and hugged me to her chest.

“Audrina, I think you like Alexander more than you realize,” she whispered and got up to leave the room.

“Felix will be here shortly. I hear he’s bringing someone? Anyway, I’m sorry about the press. It was actually your father who called them. He wanted to world to know of his beautiful daughter getting married; to show how proud he is of you despite everything that’s happened.”

She left me in solitary contemplation and all I could think was that I hated myself.

Damn you seven-year-old Audrina, you were so fucking stupid.