View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
Chapter 28: Uninvited Guests
Faith stepped out of the limo after her friends had cleared out. She stared out
at Lake Michigan, it's deep blue waters reflecting the sun. It felt like a
furnace had been turned on. 'What was I thinking?' she asked herself as she
started walking towards her tent already set up a few feet from where the
wedding was to take place. Chairs for about 30 people had been unfolded and
almost completely full. She spotted Darren's family seated in the front row
along with many of his friends. He was probably in his tent, across from hers,
waiting for the wedding to start.
As Faith walked down to the beach, she noticed the photographers that were being
held back by security guards snapping away at her. She quickened her pace and
entered her tent.
"That was weird," she said to her friends as they fixed each other up
before the wedding started.
"Get used to it," Leonie replied. "It's going to keep happening
no matter how you try to avoid it. Now that the press knows Darren's getting
married, all the reporters from here to Australia are here."
"Oh, great!" Faith moaned. "The wedding I didn't want."
"Don't worry about it. Think of it this way, now you've got a written
record of it too," Morgan tried to cheer her up. "And maybe even one
of those huge magazines like People or US Weekly will want to interview you and
put your wedding in their magazine."
"Well, I guess you're right," Faith rationalized. "Maybe it's not
all that bad."
The flap to the tent opened and Daniel and Ben walked inside wearing their black
suits. "Hey girls," Ben said, immediately going over to Morgan.
"How's everything?"
"You look like a penguin!" Morgan laughed as she leaned over and
kissed him. "But you look cute, too."
"You look like a fairy!" Ben shot back. "But you also look
cute."
"Stop making fun of each other. The wedding's supposed to start in a couple
of minutes, so we'd better start lining up," Daniel interrupted as he took
Leonie's arm.
"Um . . . One good question . . . Where are the others?" Faith asked.
"Darren's already waiting at the alter, and by the looks of it, he wants to
get this going as soon as possible because he's melting under this heat. The
other two are waiting outside, also melting," Ben joked.
"Ha ha, funny," Faith sarcastically replied. "Time to get
serious. Go line up. When all of you are at the alter, I'll start moving down
there. That's the plan, like we rehearsed. Plain and simple. Now go! Go!
Go!"
"Yes, drill sergeant, sir!" Morgan shouted as she saluted Faith like a
soldier.
"Get out!" Faith giggled as they started to walk out of the tent. All
alone with no one else around her, she listened to the music as it began to play
in the background signaling the beginning of the wedding. She tugged at her
white silk gloves to reduce the number of wrinkles and continued to wait until
all her friends had taken their places. Just as she was about to leave the tent,
she heard someone enter. Turning around, she saw her mother and father dressed
in proper attire.
"What the hell are you doing here?" was the first thing that came out
of her mouth as she angrily glared at them.
"Well, we wanted to say we were sorry about what happened," her mother
replied softly.
"Bull shit!" Faith yelled. "The damage is already done, and
there's no way you can fix it."
"Don't talk to your mother that way!" her father's voice rose.
"I don't have a mother, nor do I have a father either!" Faith
screamed. "I don't have parents! They're dead!"
"How can you say that to us!" he yelled back. "We raised you for
19 years and now look what you turned into. A screaming little bitch."
Darren could hear Faith scream from the tent, as did everyone else. The serenity
of the wedding had quickly been broken as he ran down the middle aisle towards
it.
"Get out now before I call security!" Faith was screaming.
"You're not my parents! You're money hungry bastards! That's what you are.
You're here to get a piece of what I've earned. Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Darren ran inside the tent to see Faith's parents standing dumbfounded by their
daughter's sudden outburst. He quickly grabbed her trembling body before it fell
over.
"What in bloody hell are you doing here?" he growled. "I thought
Faith wasn't your daughter anymore?"
"Well . . ." her mother started to say.
"Save it for the police. I don't want to know," Darren spat.
"Security!" Suddenly two big men showed up at the flap of the tent.
"Arrest them and get them out of my sight. And make sure there are no more
interruptions for the rest of the wedding and the reception."
"Yes sir," the men replied in unison as they pulled out their
handcuffs and slapped them on the wrists of Faith's parents. They were dragged
out of the tent as the entire wedding party watched. Morgan had already made her
way through the crowd and was in the tent as Darren gently laid Faith on the
ground.
"My wedding's ruined," she cried. "Everything, just ruined.
Why?"
"Shh. . . Don't cry, baby. Don't cry. It's okay now. Security took them
away. They won't bother us anymore," Darren whispered as he held her in his
arms. Desperately looking over at Morgan, he waved for her to come closer.
"Faith, I'm here, honey," she said, taking Faith from Darren's arms.
"Everything's okay. I'll redo your makeup and we can start the wedding
again. Okay?"
"Okay," Faith blankly replied.
Morgan leaned over and told Darren, "You'd better get out of here before
she realizes that you two saw each other before the wedding."
Darren nodded, stood up, and quickly made his way out of the tent. Morgan looked
at Faith and decided that all she needed was a little bit of eyeliner and
mascara before sending her out of the tent.
"Faith, are you okay?" she asked before starting.
"No," Faith quivered. "My parents just ruined my wedding day. I'm
never going to be okay."
"Yes, you are. We called security and they're being taking away in a police
car as we speak," Morgan replied. "You have nothing to worry about,
except for maybe your face. I need to reapply your mascara and eyeliner then we
can start the wedding again." Without a word, Morgan began to do her work.
Faith sat still, her mind still spinning with what just happened. She took a few
deep breaths before calming down.
"Morgan?" she asked.
"Yeah, hon?" Morgan replied, her hand gently applying the liquid liner
beneath Faith's eye.
"Thank you," Faith said.
"For what?"
"For everything you've done for me. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what
I would have done or where I would be."
"You're welcome, hon." Morgan finished the mascara and helped Faith to
her feet. She inspected every inch of her dress to make sure it looked perfect
before adding, "Okay, time for you to get married." Handing her the
bouquet of white roses, Morgan left the tent to return to her position beside
Leonie and the priest.
The music started all over again from the beginning as Faith stepped out of her
tent and began her walk down the middle aisle. An instant smile came across her
face when she saw Darren at the alter, his face also lit up with a warm smile.
The music ended when she reached his side and the priest started the ceremony.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of this
couple in holy matrimony," the priest said. At that point, Faith stopped
listening as she gazed over at Darren, who was also staring back at her with
intense blue eyes. She was surprised by how quickly her mood had changed from
when she was in the tent to when she was actually standing here, at the alter,
with the priest making a big deal about how married life was such an important
commitment.
Faith finally tuned in when the priest asked, "Do you, Faith Somers, take
Darren Hayes to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, for
richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," she barely replied, on the verge of tears.
"And do you, Darren Hayes, take Faith Somers to be your lawfully wedded
wife, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in
health, until death do you part?"
"I do," Darren answered, looking at her with teary blue eyes.
"Do you have the rings?" the priest asked Daniel. He pulled them out
of his pocket and handed one to each of his friends.
"Faith, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed," Faith began to weep. She slipped it onto
his finger and smiled up at him.
"Darren, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed," Darren replied, holding back his tears
as he slipped the ring on her tiny finger.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest proudly announced to
the wedding party. "You may kiss the bride."
Darren stared at Faith for a long moment, creating this memory so he could
remember it forever, before finally pulling up her veil and leaning in for a
deep, sensual kiss. The tears streamed down both their faces as their lips
parted.
"I love you," she cried, burying her face in his chest.
"I love you, too," Darren said as he held her.
Chapter 27: Am I That Horrible?
BE NICE! Submit a review!