I'm Glad I Crashed the Wedding

Elizabeth Gordon was raised in a "perfect" family on the perfect side of town. Only she wasn't the perfect daughter in her family's eyes. She wasn't head cheerleader or captain of the drill team, in fact she never participated in any of those. She would much rather spend her time running with her friends or shooting at the gun range. She participated in track and soccer instead of modeling and acting. She was the opposite of the typical rich kid. Her dad also didn't approve of her best friend since first grade. It was always 'he and his family are worthless'. Just because they weren't wealthy. They weren't his idea of a 'perfect' family. They weren't the family he was trying so hard to turn his own into. But all the way up to eighth grade, no matter how much her dad told her she needed to ditch him, she was friends with him. She constantly was telling her dad how great of a person he was, how her best friend in the entire world was worthy of at least one chance from her father. And just when her dad was finally coming around, something terrible happened. She never knew what had happened but she'll never forget that day. His face carved into an eternal smile and how he was escorted by three police men. She never knew what happened and she didn't inform her father that she was there when it happened. Her father assumed he just kind of disappeared in her eyes. Her father knew what happened. Everyone at the police station knew what happened. They had all seen that face and heard that voice. Now James Gordon got what he always wanted. With the boy locked up his daughter couldn't hang out with him. But what he didn't know was his daughter had developed feeling for this boy. Feelings that would change her perspective of life forever. Feelings that would make her numb to everything around her. She no longer cared what her dad said about him and she didn't stand up for him. She joined teams that she never would have imagined herself participating in. All just to please her dad and get him off her back. She was captain of the drill team and she was in Key Club (volunteer work) and Salsa. She studied instead of dating and had straight A's. She gave up on her photography dreams and pursued a business career. After graduating college she got a "great" job at Wayne Enterprises as Bruce Wayne's personal assistant. Her father encouraged her to date Bruce after he discovered Mr. Wayne's interest that she had kept secret. So she went out with him a few times so her dad would leave her alone but the fake relationship grew and soon she was engaged and helping her mother plan the wedding. She didn't care. The boy she loved had grown into a man locked away somewhere and she'd never see him again. She never watched the news or read the papers because everything was either depressing, and she was depressed enough already, or it was super good, showing her what she was missing. She didn't need to see or read anything that would make her feel worse than she already does. But that one day, the day the announcement for Bruce and her wedding was in the paper, she was forced to see it. To see everything on that front page. The wedding announcement, the big new shoe store, a smart dog, and a blown building killing fourteen people. But none of the head lines caught her eyes. It was that picture. The Joker. That's what they called him in the article. She'd heard her father speak of him but she'd never seen his picture. An upturned smile outlined in bright red lipstick. His face powder white with graying black paint bringing out his chocolate brown eyes. It was him. That was Jack. Even without the scars she'd recognize those eyes. Those brown eyes that make her want a giant Hershey's bar dipped in melted chocolate and shared with the only man she would ever love. Her father had long ago forgotten about his daughter's childhood friend and never made the connection throughout these past few years but in one minute and with one glance his daughter could see right through the makeup and into the heart of this psychopathic murderer. She had hope. Maybe Jack would see the announcement and come sweep her off her feet like in the movies or romance novels and they'd run away together. She'd do anything to be with him. The wedding was in three weeks. He had three weeks to save her from the hell she was getting herself into. But those three weeks went by fast and before she knew it it was the day before the wedding. With each day that had past she'd loose a little more hope and by the night before the wedding she was back to being numb. She no longer felt alive. She didn't care. The wedding day came and she got ready. She was frequently asked if she was nervous and each time they'd tell her it was alright, it was normal, before she even got a chance to respond telling them just how much she didn't want this wedding to happen. Just how much she didn't want to marry Bruce and have that stupid last name and his stupid dinner parties and cocktails. She never wanted that. She made it down the isle to the podium and stood with a smiling Bruce. She tried to force a smile so she wouldn't look how she felt. Miserable. Like she was going to die. But she didn't care and apparently neither did The Joker or Jack, whatever he decided to go by now. The priest won't shut up. Why won't he shut up? Hurry up and shut up. Maybe this was a horrible nightmare. Yeah a horrible nightmare that she'll wake up from any minute and she'll be plunged back into eighth grade. Jack will be there and she'll confess her new found feelings. She'd do anything for this to be just a horrible nightmare. She didn't want this to be reality. She was awoken from her denial when the priest started Bruce's vows. I'm going to start hyperventilating. Shit! I don't think I can put myself through this. I can't marry Bruce! I don't love him. But if I don't marry Bruce my dad will be disappointed and I'll never be able to look at him the same. I'd probably loose my job and if I didn't it'd be really awkward working with Bruce. I'm going to marry him so I'll be able to face my father and so I'll be able to go to work and because I have nothing better going for me in my life. I repeated the words up to where I was supposed to say my I do. I couldn't do it. I need to do what I want to do. Not what my father wants to do. I need to regain my confidence. The confidence that left when Jack left. When he was taken away. "I... uhh... bu... cah..." Mumbles. That's all that could escape. Those stupid unformed words. My lack of confidence. Bang. Everyone's attention was averted from the babbling bride to the man in the purple pimp suit with the green hair and makeup. For once a real smile spread across my face. He came. My father jumped up onto the podium to guard Bruce and my lives. I knew for sure that The Joker or Jack would never hurt me. Maybe Bruce but now that's not my problem, is it? And this is where the short story starts.