One Heart

Nathalie's POV

“Oh God, do I look okay?!” This was about the hundredth time in the past five minutes that Chloe had asked me this, constantly smoothing spots down upon her wedding dress that didn't need it. It was only natural though, she was going to get married in an hour.

“You look beautiful, just like you did all the other times you asked,” I replied, pulling down on the circus-themed jacket I was wearing.

Chloe wasn't exactly having the traditional wedding- sure she was having the vows, and the normal wedding dress and tuxedo duo for the bride and groom but everything else was different. For one, everyone else participating in the wedding- as in me as the Maid of Honour and Brian as Zacky's best man- had to dress up in costume. My costume basically followed the ringleader theme that I wore in my pole-dancing performance in Deviate all those years ago- something I think Chloe chose because of that. However I did obviously tone it down, wearing the red, cut-off tailed jacket with a plain black vest underneath and a pair of vinyl leggings that slipped easily into some heeled boots. I didn't know what they made Brian dress up as since I hadn't actually seen him all day, likewise he hadn't seen me. It did amuse me to think what he would say to see me in this outfit again. Then again knowing him, he would probably just make some kind of cheeky comment asking me to strip.

Of course this costume-rule did extend to the guests, but while theirs was a choice ours were non-negotiable. This was mainly because Chloe and Zacky had decided to get married on Halloween, but the date wasn't the only thing they had that was not traditional.

They were going to get married in the middle of the band's set.

Where this idea came from I have no clue, but Zacky and Chloe decided that it would be a good idea to marry in the middle of the A Little Piece of Heaven, in a small set the guys were playing in the nearby venue, put on specifically for the wedding. It was going to be your typical performance as well, fans, merch on sale and everything, just that there was going to be a wedding in the middle. I guess in a way it isn't exactly weird when you consider some other out-there weddings that have happened, but it was still weird in my books. Especially when it meant I didn't just have to sing in front of everyone Chloe and Zacky knew, but a shitload of fans as well.

“Are they starting to play?”

Chloe suddenly tore her gaze away from the mirror when music began to play to a roar of screams- indicating that everyone had taken to the stage. The guys had decided on one of their old setlists, namely the one that they had recorded for their DVD before I had left for Phoenix. Ironically this was the same setlist and venue that I had decided to volunteer to dance for during their play of Scream- those were good times.

I listened for a few moments before recognising the piano intro as Critical Acclaim. “Looks like it.” This just sparked a whole new flurry of Chloe-frets, which now included me. It took me enough self-restraint not to tie her to the couch in the guys' dressing room. “For fuck's sake Chloe calm down! There are still ten songs until you get married!” It was a mistake to say a time; that is if the fact she was hyperventilating on the couch counted as a bad thing. “Oh geez. Look, I'm going to go get Val okay, you just...” I paused as I looked at her hunched over on the couch, shaking slightly. “...you just stay there, okay?” I highly doubted she was going to get anywhere like that anyway, but I felt like I needed to say it.

I waited until she managed to choke out, “Okay,” between her deep breaths before I left to get Val, knowing that she'll think of a way to calm down the freaking out bride. Luckily she was in the first place I looked, watching the guys' from her perch backstage.

“Hey Val,” I greeted as I walked up to her. “Where's Sarah and Leana?”

“Helping out the Berries with merch since apparently it's getting out of hand,” she replied.

“It's those new T-Shirts isn't it?”

“I told them it was a bad idea,” she sighed.

For some reason the engaged couple had decided that since Zacky owned Vengeance University that they should make a 'Limited Edition Wedding T-Shirt' and sell it at the gig. Of course any fan would go crazy of anything classed as 'Limited Edition' so of course they were going crazy and all trying to get one from the booth before they ran out. The fact they even said through the band's site and Zacky's that there were only going to be like 1000 sold for a sold-out venue able to contain over 13000 people certainly didn't help.

“Anyway why are you out here?” She looked behind me, obviously searching for Chloe. “Where's Clo?”

“Freaking out in the dressing room.” I shrugged. “Think you can go calm her down?”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “You couldn't?”

“Didn't bother trying this time,” I replied casually, ignoring the 'that's-so-not-the-right-thing-for-a-best-friend-to-do' look she shot me. “Please?” I didn't care that I was pleading with her; I just couldn't handle another Clo freak out. I had been calming her down for the past few hours, and I needed a break.

“Alright,” she said, giving in. “But you need to watch over backstage when I'm gone, just in case the guys need anything.”

“No problem,” I said happily, jumping onto one of the instrument cases and taking my turn at backstage duty. “You're a lifesaver Val.”

She rolled her eyes. “What would you lot do without me?”

“Kill ourselves or each other?” I suggested, grinning.

“Probably,” she agreed, unable to help chuckling a little before walking away. “I'll be back soon.”

“See you later!” My voice dropped just as Val disappeared around the corner, leaning back across the length of the box and crossing my hands behind my head. “Good luck Val- you're going to need it.”

–

Around an hour later the band was performing Unholy Confessions, the last song before their encore of A Little Piece of Heaven. And just to top it all off, Chloe had yet to appear backstage. I was pushing it waiting until the end of the song hoping that she would still turn up but this wish was futile- when the lights went down Brian spotted me and walked over, dressed in a vampire costume that appeared to be stylised from the 19th Century.

“You look great,” he commented as he walked over, pushing his guitar to the side so that he could embrace and kiss me. “Where's Clo?”

“I have...” I paused, looking around before sighing. “...no idea. Val should be with her. Last I saw she was freaking out in your dressing room.”

“Shit,” he murmured. “She is still going to get married though, right?”

I didn't get to answer him since the rest of the band walked over in the brief break they were given before going back on for the encore, and then ultimately, the wedding. The rest of them apart from Zacky were also in costume, celebrating both the holiday and the occasion. Johnny had tactically decided to play on his namesake and dressed up as a variation of Jesus, although his depiction also considered of sunglasses and a spiked mohawk. Jimmy had gone simple with a black outfit that had the skeleton printed on it while Matt was the opposite in white with a cute pair of feathered angel wings I happened to have back at home. Originally Matt was meant to be a pirate but we kind of decided to play with his sword and hook the day before and pretty much crushed them. That and the fact Rae happened to find his outfit and put it on running around outside in the garden, so it was all dirty and there was no time to quickly wash it.

“Nat, you look great,” Zacky said, pulling me into a one-armed hug. “Everything is great; thanks for organising it all.”

“I'm glad you like it; makes the effort worthwhile,” I replied. “Plus it counts as your wedding present from me.”

“Fair enough,” he laughed. “Is Chloe ready?”

“Erm...”

“Hey Syn, Vengeance; we're up!” Matt stated as the encore video finished and the intro to the song began.

“Better go Nat, thanks for everything,” Zacky quickly said, hugging me again before quickly running out after the others.

Brian hung back, frowning. “Chloe is ready, isn't she?”

“Brian, don't you think you better get back on stage-”

“Hey guys!” At that moment the rest of the girls walked in- minus the bride. “Hey, where's Clo-”

“I'll find her; just get your ass on stage!” I said quickly, shoving him in the back and forcing him back on. As soon as he was gone I turned to Val. “Where's Chloe?”

She looked confused. “I thought she was with you.”

“But you went to go calm her down!”

“Yeah, but after she did she said she was going to find you backstage,” Val replied. “Why, has she not come to you?”

“Well... no,” I said flatly. “There is like five minutes of the song until the wedding bit right?” Matt had already started singing the first verse. “I'll go out and find her. You guys set everything up, okay?”

Val bit her lip in worry. “You sure you are going to find her in time?”

I smiled. “Hey, I wasn't on the track team for nothing.”