Just Let Me Go

TWO WEEKS LATER:

It's weird...I haven't known Melody for that long, but she's my new best friend. AND maid of honor. Yeah, I like the girl that much. She's like the sister I always wanted.
"Anastasia, what do you want me to do? I can't stand you not giving a fuck about this shit anymore!"
Yeah, we're in the middle of an argument right now...Like I said, she's like a sister.
"I don't know...Mel, I'm not good with this. I don't know what to do, the wedding's going to suck, Tony's going to--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop right there. Right there. That's too far. I'm just asking for simple colors and shit, and you go all crazy."
I sit down on the ground and put my head in my hands. "I know, I'm just worried...what if Tony doesn't like the wedding? That's on me."
"He'll love it, trust me! Now," she hits me in the head with a magazine, "look through this and tell me what colors."
I look up, grab the magazine, and flip through it. "Simple, ocean blue, black, and silver."
"That was fast." She mumbles tossing me another book. "Now, flip through that and tell me what type of venue stuff."
"We tackled the color scheme, can't we just--"
"Let's get as much done as we can today."
"But--"
"No but's."
"Dammnnn youuuuu toooo helllll, Melody!"
"Nah, that's God's job."
"Uh huh."
"I don't like churches, so outdoors. I want a sands ceremony, we'll need to get the vases and shit figured out--for another day, please. I want a place that has a little gazebo or pavilion or something that Tony and I will stand under, the crowd would sit on the lawn or something--in chairs of course. Hm...what else? Let's talk dresses. I want to go dress shopping tomorrow. Maybe for you a cute, little, black number with a blue bouquet?" Her jaw drops. Not hypothetically, either, it legit dropped a few inches.
"How did you...?"
I shrug. "I've thought about this before, it's not that hard to do. I had a pencil and paper, and began jotting this down. Simple."
"Okay...so, we should book an appointment for tomorrow then, right?"
I shake my head. "Nope, let's just drop by. They allow walk ins."
"Who does?"
"Uh...don't all the stores?"

"Ma'am, do you have an appointment?"
I stop flipping through the racks. You've got to be shitting me. "Um...no?"
"Well, this is an appointment-only store. I'm sorry, but if you'd like we could--"
Melody grabs my hand and yanks me out the door. "That's the third store today, Anastasia, I told you we should've made an appointment."
"It's fine, Melody, if we don't get it done today, we don't get it done. Not a big deal. I mean, we have a long time, right?"
I stop walking and stare at a store.
"What now?"
I point.
"Starbucks? Really?"
"Yes! I've been up since eleven, ELEVEN! Who gets up that early?"
"Normal people?"
"And to think, I made a mean person my maid of honor..."
"I love you, did I ever tell you that?" She links her arm with mine, "Now let's get some coffee or fraps."
The line isn't that bad, surprisingly. So, we could order our grande, mocha frappuccinos quickly. I pick a table outside under an umbrella and wait for Melody to come with our drinks. She walks out the door, a devious look on her face.
"What did you do?"
She takes a sip of her order, then hands me mine.
"Melody...?"
"Hold on."
She's silent for two minutes. How do I know? I counted. A girl in her mid-twenties walks over to our table, a coffee in her hands. Melody greets her warmly. Okay, so who is she?
"Ah, so you must be the bride to be!" she gushes.
"Um...yeah..yeah I am."
"Ariana, this is Anastasia. Anastasia, Ariana."
Ariana sticks out her hand, and I shake it. "Hi, darlin', your friend told me about your problem! Didn't you think about how busy those other stores would be?"
I smile at her voice, there's a little country twang to it. "Hi, I didn't really think one more person would be an issue." I laugh lightly, "Boy was I wrong."
"Alright, shug, why don't we take a walk to my friend's shop? It's about two minutes from here and we have a lot choices, against popular belief."
Melody flashes me an encouraging smile. I can't help but nod my head in agreement. We get up and follow Ariana down the street, then take a left. She looks over her shoulder to make sure we're still there, and then continues on. Melody's smile grows larger with each passing second.
"And here we are!"

"Anastasia, I"m not too sure about this one..."
"Which one is it?"
"The one with the lacey top."
Ariana can see the worry on my face. "Let's just get you out here and see what Anastasia doesn't like about it, if she dislikes anything."
What if Melody hates all of them?
When she walks out, I start laughing. "No. Uh uh."
"I knew it!" Melody screams, arms waving in the air as she walks back into the changing room.
I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. "I'm sorry for laughing, Ariana, we're just not used to things like this. Especially me."
Melody reemerges wearing a high-low type dress, and it's actually really cute. "Okay, now this one I like."
I nod my head. "I like that one, too." But there's something missing....
"Okay, I'll go try on the other ones."
I raise an eyebrow. "Other ones? I only picked those two!"
"I know, but I picked two as well."
"Always difficult." I grumble crossing my arms.
Ariana giggles and sits next to me. "So, how many years apart are you two?"
"We're the same age, which shocks most people. Judging from your face, you're shocked as well."
"I'm sorry, you guys just don't look like...twins."
Melody walks out in a long, floor length dress. It's a lot better than either of the two I picked out. "Wow, that's beautiful! And Ariana thinks we're twins."
"Thanks! And ohhh no, not the twin thing again. Why is it hard to believe that we've only been friends for two weeks?"
"Two weeks? Oh my lord! You guys are so close!"
Melody leaves the room to try on the fourth, and final, dress. "Yeah, it's weird."
"But wonderful."
"It really is."
Melody clears her throat from the doorway. When I look up, my jaw drops. Holy shit. I'm getting married, but man...I'd pounce that.
Melody twirls in a little circle, and curtsies. "What do you guys think?"
"That...That is just...wow. I love it!"
"Good because I want to wear this to your wedding!"
"And you shall!"
I get up and hug her. "This is going to be amazing. I promise to help you all the way."
"I know, thank you."
Ariana stands up and clasps her hands together. "Well, when do you need the dress by? When's the big day?"
My eyes grow wide.
"Ya'll don't even have a day set?"
"Erhm...not, uh, not yet."
"Girl, you gotta get on that! What about a wedding dress?"
I shake my head.
"Come on, I got the perfect one."
She extends her hand, and I take it. Melody says she'll meet up with us at the bridal side after she changes. Not gonna lie, if it were up to me I'd wear jeans and a shirt, but, come on, who am I kidding? I think this is a great excuse to be all girly and what not.
"I think you would look marvelous in," She drops my hand and hurries to a rack, flipping quickly through it. She pulls out a dress in a bag, "this."
"Is that...? No, it can't be. The Ariel dress?"
She nods her head excited. "Yes! Here, try it on!"
I take a step back away from the dress. "Uh uh, no. I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I...I..." Have scars on my arm, will not look good, and--Oof, do not bring back Negative Nacny! "I just can't..."
"Humor me?"
She sticks her bottom lip out and I let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine."
I snatch the dress from her hand and walk to the changing room. I slip my clothes off and grab the dress. Will I even fit in it? There's no way...I mean, it looks so tiny. I manage to get into it and go to zip it up when I realize there's no zipper...it's a lace up.
You've got to be shitting me.
"Anastasia, would you like me to come in and get you ready?" Ariana asks while knocking on the door.
I smile slightly, "I was about to just ask you to."
The door opens and I feel some tugging. Holy shit. Hoooolllly shit. How tight is she making this?
"Can you breathe?"
"Barely."
"Don't worry, on the wedding day it won't be this tight, I promise, I just did it really tight so you could stay in it."
That's reassuring.
"Ready to walk out?"
I nod.
She pushes me out the door (literally, the girl shoved me before I could look in a mirror) and onto the "walkway". I round a corner and see Melody sitting on a couch with her feet up. Classy. WHen she looks up, she jumps into the air and covers her mouth with her hands.
"YOU LOOK PERFECT!" She screams, her hands muffling it somewhat.
"I just want to see."
"Close your eyes, bitch!"
"Melody, we're in--"
"It's fine, I like girls like you, you tend to be more interesting than all the other cookie cutter brides."
"You're not so bad yourself."
Melody covers her ears. "Ewwww, ya'll are hitting on each other! That is NOT right! You're getting married, Anastasia!"
"Melody, shut up."
I spin and face the mirror. Holy. Shit. My lord. I look GOOD. Like...really good.
"What do you think?"
"I think that..."