Break This Spell You've Created

As I looked at myself in the three way mirror, wearing another dress for the wedding, I felt my world shrinking and shrinking. There was no silver lining. No Prince Charming to come and rescue me. No light at the end of the tunnel. The wedding was inevitable, there was nothing I could do to stop this from happening. This was not the way I had imagined getting married.

Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into day and days turned into endless weeks. Before I knew it there was only one month left of freedom; so to speak.
Being apart from Nathan was more painful than I thought. It was like a chunk of my heart was gone and there was left was a hollow space.

Cesar wasn't making easy either. He would come home late at night; around three in the morning. I didn't of course, but there was already pictures of him kissing other girls in clubs, all of the sluts. His father, Juan Rodriguez, and Cesar would argue about the pictures on the magazines. 'You're suppose to be settling down, not shoving your mouth on some pirujas (spanish for 'sluts').'

Mom, Dad and my little brothers were coming this weekend, it was the only thing I was looking forward to. I wanted to hug my little brothers, whom I haven't seen in months.

Ding Dong!

I literaly jumped from the living room couch and jogged to the entrance of the mansion, where the butler would open the door. I waited patiently, and with a smile on my face. I did little jumps and clapped my hands lightly in excitement. Four figures come through the door and immediately I recognize my mom and dad.

"Melinda!!" two little boys squealed and tackled me.

"Manuel! Victor!" I knelt down to their level and hugged them both at the same time. We pull apart and I mess with their hair.

"Hey!!" they both complain, as the fixed their hair back with their hands. I smile.

"Mija," said my mother opening her arms to me and I embrace her. She places a kiss on my hair and strokes it." How have you been?"

"Okay,....I guess." I shrugged the last part. She gives me a weak/sympathetic smile.

"Melinda," said my father sort of avoiding my eyes. I give him a smile and part from my mother's hug and walk over to him and hug him, he immediately returns the hug."I'm sorry." he apologized for the zillionth time.

"Good evening," said Mariela, Cesar's mom. She had a red Sunday dress, ironcally it wasn't a Sunday, but a Saturday. The smile on her face was faker than Pamela Anderson's breast. She was the modern mother-in-law, evil to the last bone in her anorexic body.

"Good evening." said my mom giving her a sincere smile. I think Mariela was jealous of my mother because she was able to keep a healthy body; maybe if she stopped shoving her toothbrush down her throat she might look decent.
I doubt it though.

"Ah! Sebastian, Bella, it's good to see you again." Juan said coming from the direction of his office.

"Where is Cesar?" questioned my father.

"Clubbing." I muttered to myself, no one heard me thankfully.

"He'll be here shortly, he had a tuxedo fitting around this time." said Mariela as we all noticed Juan couldn't think of an excuse.

"Shall we go eat. Maria made a delicous plate, Mole. Muah." Juan kissed his fingers like those chef's on tv.

*Author's Note: FYI, Mole, is of course a Mexican plate. The mole, itself, is like a melted chocolate but a spicy chocolate. The mole is poured on chicken, and on the side of the plate is rice. I usually mix the mole and rice. (pronounced: MO- le, not mole like the thing on your face.)

We all followed Juan to the dining room. We all took our seats.

"Your friends called, Melinda." said my mom as she sat across from me and next to my father. My hear skipped a beat in excitement.

"Really? How are they?" I asked desparate from some news from the outside world, from beyond this four walls.

"Rodrigo, in particular, has called the most often." my dad said with a stern face.

"He is my best friend for life, for a reason dad, he cares about me. Did you told them about the marriage?" I asked changing my gaze from my dad to my mom.

"Yes; they wouldn't stop calling and leaving messeges on the voicemails. They're truly friends." my mom said. I smile.

"I know. How did they take it?" I asked.

"Well...they were...shocked." she said chosing her words carefully."They didn't expect you to get married with someone else."

"Jeff, was extremely confused," my dad said.

"Of course, I broke up with him to be with Nath--" I stop myself as my eyes widen as I catched my mistake."--never mind."

"Finish your sentence, Melinda." smiled Mariela. She pissed me off.

"You see before this whole Arranged Marriage I was in LOVE with someone else. Someone who doesn't go out to clubs and has intercourse with some girl he barely met." I snapped all of a sudden. All of my anger was slowly rising and I held on the the handles of the chair, as I kept my anger down.

Everyone has shocked faces. The silence was broken by the arrival of Cesar to the dining room.

"Hola familia mia." he said drunk and hiccuped after his sentence. ( Hello family of mine.)"So sorry I'm late but...that...thing I had to do was...a lot harder than I thought."

"More like the 'slut' you had to do." I snapped, once more, now with venom in my voice.

"Ohhh, alguien esta celosa." he teased as he drunkly circled his index finger in midair, pointing it at me. (someone's jealous.)

I scoff."When hell freezes...twice."

"There seems to be trouble in paradise." my mom said in a serious face.

"I will not tolerate HIM cheating on my daughter with some golfas (sluts)." my dad said.

"He's a boy." Juan said defending his son.

"He's a man, and a man sticks to his commitment. If he's going to marry my daughter, he has to be at least be faithful." my dad said raising his voice and his tone serious.

"I'll take care of it, Sebastian." Juan said raising his hand as in enough.

Cesar was taken away by some servants to our room.

The rest of dinner we ate in silence. Well not really, Manuel and Victor told me about school and how well their doing.

"When are you coming back home Mel? We miss you." said Manuel with a sad look. I looked at both of my brothers. They were so innocent and had no idea what was going on around them. They had no worries, no love-ache; Gosh I wish I was a child again, don't you?

When you're a child nothing is important, only playing and having fun. School was always creative, but now it's all about testing. Government has sucked out the fun out of school. But back to being a child, it was a LOT better when boys had cooties.

Hesitating on giving my answer to Manuel, I eventually say."Soon." He smiles from ear to ear and so does Victor.

After dinner we moved to the living room. Gosh I hated routines, especially at dinners, from dining room to living room. I spaced out as I rested my chin on my palm and my elbow on the couch arm.

"Melinda." my mother's voice wake me from my thoughts, and I look at her."Come I need to talk to you."

Confused, as to why she needed to talk to me, I follow her out of the living room and into the bathroom.

"Why are we in the bathroom?" I raised an eyebrow. I stood lazily.

"I need to give you something from Nathan." she said. I suddenly stand up straight and hope finally in my eyes. Maybe there was a Prince Charming coming to rescue me.

"What is it?" I asked desparate written all over my eyes. She digs in her purse and takes out a white evelope, 'Melinda' written on the front.

"This." she said presenting it to me and held out to me. I gulp and take the envelope."Read it now." she hissed.

I quickly rip the envelope and start reading it.

Dear Melinda,
God how I miss you. Each hour is torture without you. I can't feel my hear beating anymore. All of those feelings you actually made me feel, are now gone. Happiness, joy are now replaced with empiteness. I know about the arranged marriage, I'm going to save you, don't worry. I won't let anything or anyone stand between us anymore. We can over come this as we have overcome dozens of dilemas.
On the night before your wedding we will be saving you. Leave your window open and somehow try to knock out the guy. (Cesar) Hang on Melinda. Play along for now, in a month or so, we'll be together
I love you with all of my heart,
Nathan Fullerton.