Maid of Honor

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I sighed heavily as I paced back and forth in my room. John was already gone and at the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was taking place. Everyone I knew was there. The Maine, A Rocket To The Moon, Maria, and more of our countless friends. John’s family, and Julie’s family was there. The only person missing was me. I was pacing and freaking out on the inside. I don’t want to face John or Julie. I knew that I had caused some bump in the road when Kennedy called me and said that John was pissed beyond belief. He didn’t want to see me, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to see me either. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I jumped at the motion. Quickly slipping it from my pants, I checked it to see a message from Kennedy.

Where in the fuck are you? Julie’s worried, but John’s going crazy. Look amazing, Julie looks like Barbie.
I sighed heavily, that was him telling me to actually put on the dress that I was going forced to wear. I quickly slipped out of the skinny jeans into the strapless, black dress. Everything else was done except for the fact I was barefoot. I really was trying to put this off as much as possible, but it wasn’t exactly working. I finally took a deep breath and I put on my heels. I swiped up my phone and walked out of my room. If I didn’t leave now, I would surely change my mind. Even if it took me twenty minutes to actually start up my car for the five minute drive, I knew this was part of the process. I had to face these people and lie about how happy I am. I’m totally not happy with this. If John would open his mother fucking eyes then he would see that.
I quickly got out of the car, and walked into the expensive restaurant that the O’Callaghan’s and Stone’s rented out just for this night. I was spotted right off of the bat, and everyone turned to stare at me. I knew that I looked different, but I honestly didn’t think that it was worth all of the stares.
“Don’t just stare at me now, I want hugs.” I joked lightly as some of the people started to stand up. The Rocket boys swept me into a huge group hug before letting me go. Halvo picked up my brown hair and inspected it closely. “It’s just hair, Eric.”
He laughed.
“It’s so…different.”
“And hot,” Nick playfully winked.
“Always the gentleman,” I rolled my eyes before I was being attacked in another hug by Shane and Ross.
“You look so different,” Ross commented.
“John can’t stop staring,” The youngest whispered after Ross sat back down.
I giggled and looked in his direction. John definitely looked like he was in some sort of trance. the rest of The Maine smiled at me.
“Garrett, aren’t you going to hug me? Dammit.” I stated.
He laughed and stood up before giving me a bear hug. He finished our act by placing a soft kiss on my lips. We sat down at the table and Maria sent me a wink.
“Glad you could make it.”
“I’m so sorry about being late.” I apologized. “Traffic was a nightmare on the way here.” I lied.
No one even caught my lies anymore…which slightly scared me.
“We’re all glad that you’re here now,” Julie said truthfully.
I looked over at the other brunette and I noticed that she did seriously look like Barbie. She was decked out in all pink. Even her eye shadow was a glittery, baby pink. It was insane. I tried my hardest not to laugh, and I forced a smile instead.
“Me too, I couldn’t miss this for the world,”
“You’re hair looks fabulous by the way,” She smiled.
I returned it.
“Thank you. I needed another change, so I figured that I would try brunette for a while.”
“I like it but I totally miss my blonde.”
“You’re a blond too?” I asked.
“Well…I used to be a while back. I really want to go back blonde.”
“I encourage it.”
“This color looks really different.” Big John commented.
“I love it, Dorinda. It looks amazing.” Momma Ohh stated, smiling at me.
I felt instantly better.
“Thanks.” I replied, blushing slightly. “I need a mango margarita.” I stated.
“I already ordered you one,” John spoke for the first time. He sounded upset still, and it broke my heart.
“Thanks,” I nearly whispered. He nodded his head slightly in return. I was starting to really hate this silence that’s been going on between the two of us. I chose to ignore it all the way though dinner. Music was playing over head and a lot of the couples got up and started dancing. I watched at Julie latched herself onto John and how his arms were wrapped around her. They looked all twisted up and un-matching. He was wearing tight skinny jeans with a black v-neck and some dress shoes while she was all decked out in pink. They didn’t look like they belonged. I took in a deep breath before I stood up and walked over to wear his jacket was laying on the back of his chair. I stuck my hand right into the pocket and pulled out both his cigarettes and a lighter. Momma Ohh gave me a questioning look before I smiled slightly.
“Where are you going?” She questioned.
My eyes swept over to Julie and John as I replied.
“To clear my head,” I answered before I moved away from the table and out of the restaurant. I beat the pack and pulled out a cigarette. I placed the death stick in between my lips. After it was light, I took a long drag.
“I didn’t know that you smoked.”
I jumped and turned my head to see Mr. Stone standing there.
I gave him a small smile.
“I don’t usually. I just…really needed a stress reliever.” I replied carefully after I blew out the smoke.
“Me too,” He nodded, holding up his one cigarette. “This wedding is putting more stress on me than it should,”
“Well I hear that being the bride’s dad is a tough job.” I shrugged.
“It definitely is, but I head it’s tougher being the maid of honor at your soul mates wedding.”
I raised my eyebrows at Bob.
“Pardon?”
Bob blew out some smoke before looking at me.
“Dorinda, I see the way that you look at John, and I see the way that he looks back at you. It’s the same way to Jenny and John look at each other, and how I look at my own wife, Renee.”
“That obvious?” I asked, almost laughing before I took another breath from the cigarette.
“To me it is, but my daughter is pretty much clueless.” He replied. “You’ve been trying to show John that you’re the perfect one for him, correct?”
“Nothing gets past you,”
“I try,” Bob laughed. “John knows in his heart that you’re the one he loves.” He said, looking at John and Julie through the window. “Julie is so in love with the idea of love that she doesn’t realize that she doesn’t love John. She just wants a story book romance, and she wants it now. She doesn’t see that John’s practically throwing himself at you.”
“I’m sorry, Bob. I-I don’t want to hurt Julie. She is a really sweet and pretty girl,”
“Which is why she is going to bounce back from this,” Bob replied. “I’m assuming that you are going to stop the wedding tomorrow?”
“I can’t do that, Mr. Stone. I’ve done enough to the two of them to keep me guilty for the rest of my life. I can’t break them up.”
“You haven’t told John that you love him, have you?”
I shook my head and took one last breath of the cigarette.
“He has no idea.” I replied, blowing out smoke. “He’s just as clueless.”
“Dorinda, will you do me a favor?”
I looked hesitantly at Mr. Stone.
“Um…okay?”
“Tell John that you love him before Julie walks down that isle. I don’t want that to be the place where you admit your love.”
I nodded, and tossed the but on the ground. I stomped it out and watched as Mr. Stone, Julie’s father, walked back into the restaurant. Julie’s dad just told me to tell John that I love him. Sure, he wasn’t the first, but he was the last person I figured that I would hear from. Mr. Stone just gave me full permission to break his daughter’s heart.
You better fucking believe I planned on it.
I was going to tell John that I loved him.

♥

“I’m packing up everything just in case, Maria.” I explained to my best friend again.
“What if he doesn’t reject you?”
“What if he does reject me?” I retorted back at her. “John’s unpredictable in this certain area…obviously. He came back home with news of an engagement, and now I’m about to admit something that’s really hard for me to admit.”
“Why is it so hard?” She questioned. “It wasn’t that hard when I told Kennedy.”
“But you and Kenny are different from John and I, Mar.”
“How? You’re both crazy for each other. It’s obvious.”
“That’s what Mr. Stone said.”
Maria laughed.
“I still can’t believe that he gave you permission to fuck over his daughter. He must really not want her to get married.”
“He says that she’s rushing into it because she’s in love with love or some gay shit like that. I don’t know, but all I know is that I have to tell him,”
“Good. I’m proud of you, Dia.”
I smiled.
“It’s going to be hell, though,” I sighed heavily, stopping myself from packing.
“Do you know where you’re going to even start?”
“How does one even start that kind of conversation?”
“I dunno,” She replied. “It shouldn’t be that hard telling him about your hook up.”
“Oh yeah, what do you expect me to say ‘Hey John, do you remember that night we got trashed after karaoke when we were completely trashed? Yeah, well we totally had sex in your bathroom.’ That’s not goi-.”
“What?”
I spun around quickly, seeing John standing in my doorway looking completely shocked.
“Dia? Dorinda…are you okay?”
“I have to go…” I trailed off, and hung up on Maria without an response.
I slipped the phone back in my pants, and stared at John. He stood there, horror all over his face before he turned around and bound down the stairs that were near my door. It took me a minute but I finally got my feet to work. I ran out of my room and toward the top of the stairs.
“John! Wait!”
He turned around and stared at me.
“Why the fuck should I, Dia? Hmm? Give me a good reason to.”
“Don’t be like that. You don’t know the full story.” I begged.
“Well please enlighten me, because what I got from it is that my best friend is a lying slut.”
I felt my mouth drop.
“Excuse me! John Cornelius O’Callaghan the Fifth! You better apologize for calling me a slut. You know good and damn well that you’re the only man I have ever been with.”
He just shook his head at me.
“It doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me, Dorinda.” He replied, walking closer. I started walking down the stairs slowly, taking them one at a time.
“What did you want me to say, John? Did you honestly want to hear that your best friend was just some meaningless fuck in your bathroom?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together.
“No, Dia, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that,” He stated, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t John. It’s not that easy.”
“Why isn’t it?”
“You’re getting married!” I yelled. “I don’t want to ruin it!”
“News flash, Dorinda, my world doesn’t just revolve around you!”
“I know that! Why do you think I didn’t tell you?!”
“So you rather me wonder than tell me straight up? Some friend you are!”
“John, stop it!” I stated. “You’re being unreasonable!”
“I’m being unreasonable?! My best friend failed to mention that we hooked up in my bathroom.”
“I wasn’t ready to tell you,” I replied, feeling tears start to build up in my eyes. He was two steps below me, but now we were eye level.
“You weren’t ready to tell me what? That was hooked up? Come on, Dia. I thought you knew me better than that.” He stated before he was about to turn around.
“I love you!” I almost yelled.
John stopped moving and he turned back around toward me.
“You…what?”
“I. Love. You.” I stated, looking right into his green eyes. “I’m in love with you, John.” I confessed. He stood there and looked at me, so I did what my heart had been yelling at me to. I grabbed his face in my hands softly and I bought his lips to mine. I kissed him with everything I had, and John surprised me by returning the kiss. He stepped up on the stairs until we were on the same one. His arms wrapped around me, holding him closer to his body, and my hands moved from his face to his hair. My fingers raked through the mess as he kissed me like he’s never kissed me before. When we finally pulled away from each other, his lips pressed against mine two more times. John finally pulled away from me completely and he stared down at me. His arms unwound themselves from my body, and he gripped my arms much like he did when he was about to kiss me just last week.
“I’m getting married today. If only you would have told me sooner,” He replied, pulling my arms off of him. He walked down the two stairs, but he stopped at the door. “You know, I wasted my entire high school years pining over you and watching you go out with other guys. It killed me, but I’m getting married. I’m glad that you finally feel that pain I felt for years. Goodbye, Dorinda.”
Then he turned and walked out of the door.
I slid down on the stairs and I started to cry. I haven’t cried like this in a long time, but the tears just wouldn’t stop. I pulled out my iPhone and I called Kennedy.
“Dorinda, what’s wrong?” he asked after he answered but I didn’t.
“I…I told him.” I babbled.
“Shit. I’ll be right there,” Kennedy muttered. “Please stop crying…for me?”
“I’m sorry, Kenny. No can do this time,” I whispered before hanging up.
The tears just kept coming.