'Till the End

A banquet followed the reception.

“Alright, there is definitely something going on between you two.” Militia stated pointing her fork with cake on it’s tines at Dakota and Aaron “It is getting really uncomfortable watching your awkwardness.” she continued.

“Nothing is going on!” Both Dakota and Aaron denied at once.

“Lies,” Militia hissed stabbing her fork back into vanilla flavored wedding cake.

“What about you and Jacky?” Olivia questioned Militia shifting the subject. Everyone at the table turned their attention to the person in question.

“Jacky and I are just friends.” She said dismissively and almost too calmly.

“Psh, lies” Olivia didn’t believe her friend. The surrounding bridal party giggled.

“It is true! I mean, we’ve been on a few dates but that was last year before you guys moved away. My feelings for Jacky are completely platonic.”

“Guess who?” A disguised voice asked covering up Olivia’s vision. With one quick whiff of the air she knew immediately.

“Ronald?” she guessed pulling the hands down and checking to find out she was correct.

“You smelled me, you cheater!” Ronnie exclaimed kissing his girlfriend's cheek.

“No, you’re just obvious.”

“Come, I need to talk to you.” He pulled her wrist. Olivia followed. They left the banquet tent, walking hand in hand. It was comfortable silent between the two as the walked all the way passed the bridal gazebo and all the way to the lakes shore.

“What do you need to talk about?” Olivia asked as they looked over the lake.

“Well, I've been thinking about earlier,” Ronnie began with a sigh. Olivia heard the guilt in his ominous tone

“Do we really have to talk about this? I am sorry, so are you let just move on.”

“Yeah, but I feel like I haven’t been completely honest myself or you and it’s not fair to our relationship.”

“You haven’t been honest?” Ronnie nodded “Like, how?”

“Well, there’s things that I’ve done that I’m not completely proud of...”

“So have I Ronnie. Everyone has, I’m sure. You know what they say about digging old graves.”

“I just don’t want anymore lies between us. I need to come clean about somethings.”

Olivia nodded. She realized to prevent future arguments, it was the time for some confessions.

Ronnie had told her things he’d been hiding. Such as, Why Nason really left the band, almost beating up Marti, and almost killing Stoney. Olivia told Ronnie what she did while she left, like living with Marti for two months and having a somewhat relationship. She explained the night her and Nason slept together. Everything was said, the were a few awkward moments. There were times when both of them had confessed a chord was struck in them but they were aware of the need to let the things go.

“We should head back.” Olivia broke the silence taking Ronnie’s hand. He nodded. Just as they stepped back into the banquet tent another wedding tradition begun.

“All the single women and men gather ‘round! The bouquet and garter are about to be thrown!”

“Oh my god!” Rue skyrocketed out her seat and B-lined over to the said location.

“I guess I fall under that criteria” Militia shrugged getting up, fixing her dress she sauntered over to the groups leaving only two people at the table.

“Why aren’t you two joining?” Olivia asked Aaron and Dakota.

“I don’t feel like it” Dakota said grimacing.

“I’m pretty sure I’m excluded from this activity.” Aaron said.

“They so want each other” Ronnie mumbled.

“Mhm.” Olivia nodded. They looked over to the activity about to take place.

“I don’t think so, Derek” Ronnie grabbed his friend by the collar as he tried limping in to the guys group.

“Ugh, I’m just trying to have fun, buzzkill” Derek grumbled standing next to him

Ridley was the first to take part. She turned around and all the single women got ready as each of them had an ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ look in their expression. The bouquet flew over head of the woman. What happened next looked more like a brawl. It was of hard to tell who actually caught it. Instead of going into one lucky girls’ victorious grip it just sort of bounced from one french manicured, and other brightly colored finger tips to another as each girl swatted the grasp of another. The bundle of wedding flowers ended up landing a few feet away and that was when a stampede of high heeled, bouquet wanted women dashed, dived, and sprinted to the item in dispute. Hair was ruined, heels of shoes were broken, ear rings were ripped out and dresses were torn. Everyone was dead silent, and everyone was staring at pile of girls. After a brief moment, a single arm out reached with the bouquet in hand.

“I caught it!” Rue arose from mound of defeat “I caught it!” she squealed, and everyone covered their ears “Yes, yes, I caught it!” Some people could’ve sworn they heard a few champagne classes crack because of Rue’s ridiculously high pitch.

“Alright we get it!” Militia said covering Rue’s mouth before everyone ears would start to bleed.

“Sorry” Rue quickly apologized.

It was Nason’s turn to throw the garter. As the stretchy lace fabric threw over head of the bachelors. Every single male took a few steps back away from it, except for Jacky who was in the front of the group and didn’t notice that everyone had stepped away. And so as fate had it, he was the one to catch it.

“Oh no...” Derek whispered.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Ronnie shook his head in disbelief

“This will be interesting to say the least.” Olivia commented

Jacky glanced for the red headed bridesmaid whom hadn’t stopped smiling since she had the flowers into her possession.

“Wait, isn't part of the tradition to for the garter to catcher to put it on the girl that catches the bouquet?” Derek questioned.

“I don’t think so...” Ronnie said

“Yeah it is. Look!” Olivia pointed, as the tradition continued.

Aaron dragged a chair to the middle of space, where Rue sat and Jacky looked more nervous than humanly possible.

“I don’t think I can watch” Ronnie said averting his head with mild disappointment.

“Psh, I can.” Eric said coming literally out of nowhere sound more creepy than usual.

“Got that right!” Jeff agreed with fist bump.

“I feel so sorry for Jacky.” Derek sighed as they all watched them carry on the awkward tradition.

A few hours later, many guest had left or had retreated into the house. If someone were to look outside they could still see Nason and Ridley dancing under the bridal gazebo.

“I just love weddings.” Aaron sighed blissfully looking out the window of the female guest house admiring the newlyweds “Don’t you Oli?”

“Huh?” Olivia looked over her shoulder to her friend, folding a shirt and placing it in her suitcase.

“They are just so dreamy.”

“Yeah I guess.” Olivia shrugged.

“You and Ronnie should get married next.” Aaron giggled.

“Whatever,” Olivia rolled her eyes, not indulging in Aaron daydream “Besides, Rue and Jacky, according to the tradition should be getting married next.”

“That would be interesting to see. Speaking of which, have you seen Rue?”

“Not since, after we left.” Olivia said folding another skirt and placing it in her suitcase.

“Oh,” Aaron said then went back to his daydream.

“Knock, knock” Ronnie said stepping up into the loft.

“Ronnie, I’m almost done packing.”

“Take your time,” Ronnie said laying on bed Olivia had been sleeping in the last week, “We still have a few more hours before we have to go.”

“I’m going to go look for Rue.” Aaron excused himself to give the couple some privacy

“Forget me not?” Olivia offered a blue flower to Ronnie. She a few left over from the bouquet she had purchase for her parents memorial.

Ronnie took the flower from her hand. “Thank you” he said. Olivia nodded and continued packing. He looked at the single blue flower that was just gifted to him “Is this why you like the color blue so much?” Ronnie asked piecing the clues together “It reminds you of your parents, doesn't it?”

Olivia stared at Ronnie for a second and nodded “Yes, it does”

“Are you done packing?” Ronnie asked, Olivia nodded. “Good, come on” He said getting up.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see”

“The zipline?”

“Yeah, remember I promised I do this with you later?” Ronnie asked starting to remove his clothes.

“Oh, it’s ok if you don't want to do it”

“I want to” he said stepping up the ladder.

~

It came to the time where everyone had to leave. It was more like a festival of hugs with a dim feeling to atmosphere. It had been so long since the group of friends had gotten together, they knew they’d most likely not see each other again anytime soon.

“Don’t be a stranger.” Nason said hugging his cousin

“I won’t” Olivia promised then went to get a hug from Ridley.

“See you.” Ronnie and Nason hugged briefly.

“Good bye, Jacky.” Militia said hugging him “I was nice seeing you again.”

“Aro” Dakota standing in front him

“Dakota,” Aaron said.

“I guess, this is goodbye”

“Yeah, I guess it is...”

Dakota signed “I wouldn’t suppose I could have your number?”

Aaron shook his head “Look, I told you before. I don't wanna go to ja-”

Dakota heard the boys excuses all weekend, he finally didn’t take no for an answer. He leaned in and Kissed Aaron on the mouth mid-sentence. Everyone took notice.

“754-338-2695” Aaron rattled off the numbers to his cell phone

“Fucking finally!” Militia announced.

“Didn’t see that one coming.” Eric commented spectating everyone from a distance with his best friend smoking a cigarette. He and Jeff decided to stay a from the sappy goodbye ceremony everyone else was indulging in. Instead, they decided to finish off the food left over from the banquet. They sat comfortably under the tent by themselves.

“Definitely didn’t see that one coming.” Jeff reiterated, shaking his head.

“Does this mean, Dakota’s gay?” Eric asked

“I don’t even know, dude” Jeff shrugged “More wedding cake, my friend?” he offered the final slice of the enormous cake they had manage to eat more than half of.

“Yes, please!” Eric put out his cigarette then threw it away to devour the delicious treat