Seem to Stop My Breath

What a beautiful wedding!
Patrick's point of View

I nervously straightened my bowtie at the back of the church lobby. Andie came over in her bridesmaid’s dress and straightened it again.

“You’re stressing out; you’re not the one getting married”

“I know, but it’s just”

“Patrick, calm down, breathe. Everything’s going to be okay. Now I’m going to
check on Chrissy,” Andie sighed,” Peter panda, it’s a bow tie, moreover it’s a clip on”
Andie had to go help Pete get his bowtie together and I went to find Andy. Joe was talking to the priest, just inside the doors to the actual church and Andy was leaning against the far wall of the church looking nervous. I walked over to him and leaned against the wall.

“You okay Andy?”

He straitened his glasses and looked at me, perplexed.

“Me? I’m just nervous. What about you? You’re sweating, a lot.”

“Really?”

I felt my forehead and realized that I was sweating a lot. I looked around for
something to wipe my face with. Andy pulled a handkerchief out of his tux pocket and handed it to me.

“You can keep it”

“Err… Thanks?”

“You need to relax; nothing bad is going to happed kid.”

I sighed and leaned against the wall. Everything was going to be okay, I wasn’t
going to drop anything. I wasn’t going to spill anything. I was going to be calm and collected for my sister’s wedding. I closed my eyes, trying to relax. I cracked my back a little and started to breathe a little slower.

“Hey Patrick”

“DAHledagh” I somewhat screamed to a very confused Taylor. Andy sniggered
next to me as Taylor tried to keep a straight face after the weird hand movements I had made while screaming. I had shot my hands straight up in the air then tried to cover my odd
reaction by pretending to fix my hair.

“Ric, you have to… I’m sorry” she mumbled trying to restrain her giggles. Once
she recovered she continued. “Patrick, you have to help pass out the little pamphlet thingies to the people as they enter the church. Andy, go to the front of the church now, your parents and the priest want to talk.”

Andy left Taylor and me standing there. She then grabbed my hand and led me
to the doors where Pete and Joe were standing, handing out the pamphlets filled with the songs and inspirational quotes about weddings. Twenty minutes later a majority of the people were in the church. Some still lingered in the narthex, which I had just learned meant church lobby.

“Do you guys realize that all the girls are smiling” I remarked as Gerard, Cassie,
Crash and Frank went by. “And all the guys look depressed?”

“I did notice that actually” Pete said smirking.

Everyone emptied into the church and soon after our dad came by saying that we were starting in ten minutes. The wedding party made last trips to the bathroom and the girls ended up fixing us guys so they looked somewhat decent. The bathroom was right outside the room where Chrissy and our dad were held up. As I walked by I heard someone talk.

“Ric come here”

I looked around and knocked on the door

“Ric?”

“Yeah?”

The door opened and I slipped in. Chrissy smiled and hugged me, quite tightly.
Our dad slipped out the door, no doubly to the bathroom.

“Chrissy, you look beautiful.”

“Awe thanks Patrick”

The dress was all sparkly and beaded on top, with off the shoulder sleeves.
There was more beading on the skirt part of the dress which led to the train that she had around part of her arm so it wouldn’t get caught on anything. She looked just as nervous as Andy but defiantly wasn’t sweating as much as me.

“Hey Chrissy,”

“You know that feeling you get when you’re nervous and you have to pee, but you
really don‘t have to?”

“No?”

“Oh… Well… That’s how I feel right now.”

“Okay… Um, am I still sweating a lot?”

She smiled and grabbed the handkerchief in my hand and dabbed my face.

“You’re going to be fine, stop freaking out. All you need to do is remember the
rings, you have those right?”

“Yes”

“Okay then, what’s to worry about?”

The door to the room opened and we both turned around and looked.

“Patrick, they’re looking for you, we’re about to start.”

“Okay dad.”

I gave Chrissy one final hug, and left the room to go find Ana, who was the Maid
of Honor. Joe was paired with Andie and Pete was paired with Taylor as we walked up the aisle. At the front of the church we all stood in a nervous silence. When we all turned around to watch Chrissy walk up the aisle, I heard Andy gasp and mutter “wow”. As she got closer I realized that a small tiara was now in her hair, it wasn’t a normal tiara, and it was more like a circlet in her hair. I hadn’t noticed it before, maybe it hadn’t been there before; well I wasn’t really looking at her hair before. I shrugged it off blaming my poor observational skills. When she got to where we were all standing she smiled even bigger.

“Hi Andy” she whispered

“Y-You look b-b-beautiful” he stuttered back.

The rest of the actual wedding went smoothly; I didn’t drop the rings, much to Pete’s dismay. After the whole “you may now kiss the bride” thing we stayed at the church to take an insane amount of pictures. Eventually we all made it to the hall for the reception. For some reason at the reception we were introduced. If the people at the wedding didn’t know who we were, that’s their own damn fault. Before dinner was served, I had to make a toast. I nervously stood up.

“The four of us, Andy, Pete, Joe and I have been inseparable since, well we knew what inseparable was. It’s funny to think that the guy that once said “ew, your sister has cooties” is now marrying her.” Everyone laughed, so I got a little more confident. “All of the people at the head table can tell you how I dealt with the news. Sleeping outside her door for the past two years has not been good for my back, although Joe and Pete have helped me on several occasions, Chrissy never tripped over them when she was leaving her room; I guess I’m just lucky.” More laughter. “As most of you know, the four of us have become infamous as a paintball team. When everyone moved into the house, we started playing more often. During a game of capture the flag paintball at our house, Andy and I had snuck across enemy lines and were coming up on the flag. Mikey was walking around the flag, guarding it from us. It had rained the night before, and the grass we were on was still a little slippery. The flag was on a stick, near the edge of small grassy area. Right next to the flag was a small creek, cut about two feet into the ground, that was only wet right after it rained. It’s essentially a mini ravine. When Mikey turned around, we both shot him in the back. He turned around to say “it’s so not fair to shoot me in the back” and we shot his chest. Mikey, not covered in red and green paint, sat down in the middle of the clearing and Andy ran for the flag. Unfortunately for him, he forgot how slippery wet grass is. As soon as he grabbed the flag and tried to stop, he slid into the creek bed with a loud splash. I ran over to the creek praying that he was still alive and I didn’t have to explain how my friend died playing capture the flag, and looked over the edge. Andy’s face was inches away from the water, right as I asked “you okay?” He plunged his face in the water and looked up at me smiling. A very muddy and wet Andy got up and hugged me, just so I would get somewhat muddy. After a quick sprint back to our flag, and winning the game, Andy and I were the first ones inside, being in dire need of a shower, or a hose. In fact, I distinctly remember Chrissy and Ana standing in the entryway staring at us, appalled at our mud covered everything. I do believe Chrissy said “I thought you were paintballing, not mud wrestling.” Since Andy and Chrissy started dating though, there has been a dramatic decrease in our mud wresting paintball matches. However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. She may just have knocked some sense into him.” I stopped to catch my breath a little. “So, let’s raise our glasses to my best friend, and his new wife my sister. Cheers”

Everyone clinked their glasses and I sat down very quickly. Someone patted me on the back, and I sighed sipping my champagne Ana looked down the table at me and mouthed “good job”. I smiled as she stood up to give her maid of honor toast.

“I actually remember that day that they came into the house covered in mud.” Ana said with a smile. “Honestly, we just stared at them for several minutes before we went back to doing whatever it was we were doing before. Sometime later we were sitting in the same spot in the front hall. Chrissy was acting, well strange. She was jumpy for no apparent reason. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. I asked tons of questions and eventually gave up, asking her if she wanted to go see a movie that night. Her response, a quick “no” got me curious. After asking why and getting the response “date”. It honestly took me another ten minutes to get her to say who she was going out with, even then she whispered it. I practically screamed “Andy? Your brother’s Andy? Andy ANDY? Niccee” Andy was laughing, because he had never heard this story Chrissy was a deep shade of red, but still laughing. “Well, Chrissy quickly hushed me and turned about the same shade of red she is right now. Later when she went to get ready she said “and no matter what don’t tell Patrick” I didn’t, but he found out and it was a very awkward couple of weeks, until of course he started sleeping outside Chrissy’s room, somehow that relaxed any tensions between them. Pete and I had a bet on how long it would be before they got engaged. I won, much to his dismay. The more time you spend with Chrissy and Andy you realize how perfect they are for each other. Even before they dated you could see they would be perfect for each other. So, my dear friends, Good luck on the rest of your long lives together.”

Everyone clapped and cheered as Andy and Chrissy kissed after toasting. After all of us goofing off at the head table during dinner came the first dance as a couple. Everyone had attuned the countless balls and galas held throughout the area at different covens for so long, formal dancing was not a problem. More pictures followed, I was started to see spots from all the flashes. I was innocently standing at the bar when Chrissy came to find me.

“Hey Patrick!”

“Yeah?”

“We’re doing the garter thing now”

“Do I really need to see my best friend take my sister’s garter off with his teeth?”

She fought back a giggle and just smiled instead.

“No you don’t have to watch, but remember “operation engagement””?

I stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds, completely not remembering
anything that took place before today. Then it hit me, last week Chrissy had talked to Gerard about getting engaged, he said he would do it eventually and that he now carried the ring everywhere he went. Waiting for the opportune moment supposedly. Chrissy and Andie then decided that the opportune moment was another wedding and spread the word at the rehearsal dinner. If entirely possible, Cassie was to catch the bouquet and Gerard the garter.

“Yes I do remember operation engagement, but you never said we were going
through with it.”

“Everyone else Okayed it kid; you never expressed an opinion against it”

Puppy dog eyes are the sole creation of Satan incarnate. A guy can never say no
to the puppy dog eyes, especially when it’s his sister’s wedding day. I sighed and walked over to the dance floor, Chrissy smirking behind me.

“I can watch this, she’s like a sister to me” Joe muttered under his breath.

“It’ll all be over soon” I said, hoping more than knowing.

I saw Chrissy sit down on the chair that they had brought to her and Andy smile
as he slowly reached for the garter. Chrissy had pulled the dress up to where the garter was so I didn’t have to go through the severe mental torture of my friend’s head disappearing underneath my sister’s skirt. I glanced at Joe who looked like he was about to squirm.

“This is weird” Joe mumbled staring at me.

“I know” I squeezed my eyes closed when I heard Chrissy giggle. When I
opened them Joe was still staring at me.

“I can’t look at her so I’m going to look at you, okay?”

“Fine with me.”

Eventually there was cheering so I assumed he had gotten it off of her leg. I
chanced a look and both Chrissy and Andy were standing up. Joe and I took our positions on either side of Gerard as Andy searched the crowd for us. Chrissy threw her bouquet first though. She seemed to throw it right to Cassie. All the other girls standing around her almost started to fight for it, then realized it wasn’t’ worth it and congratulated her. Now came Gerard’s turn. Andy has great aim, honestly he does. Straight to Gerard, and he happily caught it. The person in front of him, some distant cousin of mine who I had met once and lives halfway across the country, looked like he was going to jump and try to get to it first, but Gerard reached over his head and caught it.

“Congrats buddy”

“Thanks Patrick” Gerard replied and I could see he was doing some fast thinking. He looked towards Cassie who was talking to a whole bunch of girls, who I am probably related to, then back at me. His eyes narrowed then he glared at Joe.

“You two planned this didn’t you?”

Joe defiantly had a deer in the headlights look to him, except you could tell it
was from surprise, which he passed off as ignorance.

“Planned what?”

“Cassie and me catching the bouquet and garter”

“Dude, chill, I don’t think it’s possible to plan that, besides Andy has horrible aim.”

If I wouldn’t of known Joe was lying I would have believed him. Andy wandered over and asked Gerard to go take a couple of pictures with Cassie. The photographer had Cassie and Gerard pose in front of a background together. After a few serious pictures, Gerard playfully kissed Cassie on the cheek right as the photographer took a picture. She looked shocked for a minute then smiled and kissed him on the lips as the photographer kept taking pictures, obviously thinking they had just met. After another serious picture with Chrissy and Andy, Gerard and Cassie were free to hi the dance floor again.

The rest of the night went by as a blur. Around midnight everyone left. The wedding party and our parents started to head to the hotel. Joe and I were one of the last ones to leave the hall, Chrissy and Andy following us the short distance across the parking lot to the hotel. Joe and I walked to the front desk and stood in the line of people from the wedding waiting for their room keys. The self proclaimed “adults” were on their own floor. The rest of the group, mainly the friends of the bride and groom were on a different floor. I pressed the up elevator button and the doors opened. I then pressed the number seven, wondering where Joe had disappeared too. Right as the elevator doors started to close, they reopened and Andy stepped in holding Chrissy bridal style. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall.

“Hey Ric you okay?” Chrissy asked.

“No this isn’t awkward” I answered without thinking.

“Right” Andy giggled.

Thankfully the doors opened to the seventh floor and I practically ran out of the
elevator into Gerard and Cassie, who were searching for their room.

“Is it really that hard?”

“No,” Gerard replied, “we’re just tired and can’t think straight”

“Right, You know there’s a sign right there directing you where to go.”

I pointed at the Rooms 700-720 => sign and Cassie giggled. The probability of the three of our rooms being next to each other was very slim, but they all were. Chrissy took the keycard out of Andy’s pocket, because he was too busy holding her and opened the door to their Honeymoon suite. I mentally reminded myself to thank the people at the front desk that I wasn’t in the room directly next to them. I put my key card through the scanner and opened my door. Just then Chrissy popped out of the Honeymoon suite and looked down the hallway.

“Hey Gerard!”

I turned to look down the hallway to see what he was doing, or not doing that Chrissy needed to talk to him. Chrissy and Andy’s Room was at the very end of the hallway. She was standing with the double doors open and Andy’s arms wrapped around her waist, and his head resting on her shoulder.

“What?” Gerard finally responded.

“You know it’s after midnight, and technically the wedding has been over for
awhile.”

“I told you I wasn’t going to”

Cassie looked back and forth from Gerard to the Chrissy/Andy being standing at the end of the hall. Chrissy merely smirked.

“You said you weren’t going to at the wedding. Which is over, not to mention you’ve waited long enough.”

“Gerard, what is she talking about?” Cassie said her voice slightly shaking.
“Um, well, look,” Gerard seemed to have finally given in and his hand slipped into his pocket. Fumbling with a bump in it. He then grabbed her hand and knelt down. I
heard Chrissy go “Awe” and then giggle, probably because Andy had done something to her.

“Cassie?” Gerard’s voice sounded shaky, “will you marry me?”

Cassie kissed him with such force that he almost fell over their bags that
Gerard had dropped when they got to the door. He hit the door with a dull thud. I assumed that meant yes and turned to head into my room.

“Come here” Chrissy muttered to Andy, at a volume she thought I couldn’t hear. I
looked in their direction to see her hand slid from his shoulder across his chest and to his waist and tugged slightly on his belt. She then spun on her heel and walked further into the dark room. Andy watched her, his mouth slightly; open for a second then undid his bowtie as he closed both doors. I shuttered a little then actually walked in to my room. I yawned then disrobed and slid into the warm embrace of the blankets on the bed.