“I was scared of rats coming out of the toilet for five years!”
“Your parents didn’t really pay me enough to deal with you two.”
I shrug, agreeing. I would never wish anyone to babysit us together.
“But look at the bright side!” Jake places his arm around Patrick’s shoulders. “You met your bride-to-bebecauseof babysitting us together!”
“Now that I think of it, it’s kind of your fault. Our parents warned you we were biters and pushers.” I cut in.
“Yes, it is.ButI would put up all of your fights all over again for her.”
“Excuse me, I’m going over there to vomit.” Jake says, pointing to the wooden door containing the library’s restroom. I exhale and turn to him.
“You’re never getting a girl with that attitude.”
“Oh, but Madekins, I got you.” He winks at me, and I make a repulsed face. He trapped me, because he knows I can’t deny the fact that we are together in front of Patrick.
“You know what I meant.” I say, glaring.
“I’m not sure I do.” He teases.
“Then you’re an idiot.”
“Are you seeing this? My girlfriend bullies me.” Jake says, turning to Patrick.
“I’mgoing, but for the record, Linda definitely owes me.” Patrick tells us, ignoring Jake’s comment and observing the two of us.
“Owes you what?” I question with a not-so-friendly voice, turning from Jake to him.
“This is the part where you run.” Jake whispers to Patrick.
“Uh… You see… When you two were younger, I thought that hate would turn to love eventually…”
Ah, yes, did I mention Patrick is my type of people? We both were and are hopeless romantics. He would always watch romcoms with me, while Linda was playing Nerfs with Jake. Our parents never realized that they needed to trade babysitters.
“But Linda said it was impossible, so we made a bet.” He continues, crossing his arms.
“What? You bet onus?” I frown. “That’s the worst bet ever.”
“Apparently, it isn’t, and I’m twenty bucks richer.” Patrick says goodbye, leaves, and I direct my gaze to the invite in my hand.
“Why are you such a nerd?” Jake asks, while I look googly-eyed at the invitations.
“Just thinking about the wedding.” I simply respond, but while my answer is simple, my head is definitely not simple. I’m not imagining Linda’s wedding. I’m imagining mine.
The local church and all the seats are decorated with lilies and white ribbons while someone is playing a soft piano ballad. I’m wearing a white dress that looks straight out of a Disney movie, and my feet are very comfortable, because I’m wearing wide platform high heels, but still modest, which I later would trade into sneakers, which would make my Aunt Lori have a panic attack. My dad is beside me, smiling and almost crying. I see a lot of familiar faces at the place, and for the first time, I look ahead of me. In front there is-No.It can’t be…
“Brown?”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“I’m fine, West.” I respond dryly.
The person I imagined at the end of the church was not at all supposed to be there. Why did I even imagine that person? Never in a million years would they be in my wedding. It’s just absolutely lunatic to think about it. But at the same time scaresme, because if it is on my mind and in my wedding, it means I care about that person, and I can’t have that. I just can’t.
“Oh, what a sweet boy, Patrick.” Miss Patty intervenes for the first time since Patrick handed her her invitation. “And I did pray for him and Linda, just so you two know, because no one should ever fall in love while dealing with you two. It’s contradictory.”
