vulnerable

80.

"Stella! If you're going to be my maid of honor, you have to stand beside me and not Gio!" Hannah huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms in the process. The sun cascaded across her smooth face, showing off her flawless no-sweat trait. Unlike Stella- who could feel buckets of water dripping down her back. It was even worse with a hot blush forming on her cheeks.

"But I don't wanna play this game. I want to watch Big Time Rush! The new episode will be on soon." Stella tried to rid the water from her back while Gio wasn't looking. He had focused his eyes on the back of Christian's head, maybe hoping too that he could escape.

Hannah clapped her hands as if her words had been nonsense. "It's not a game! This is real life! Well... it will be! Right, Tiger?"

"Right, Princess." Christian winked at her, still holding her hands from his position across from her small frame. They were standing on an old wooden bench that represented the "alter." Though, Stella knew in real life it wasn't that high up. They looked like giants on stilts.

"Right! So stand beside me, Stella!"

"Fine." Stella groaned, begrudgingly walking over to Hannah's side of the wedding party... if that's what you call empty space and grass in the backyard.

"Can we get a move on? I'd also like to catch the new episode." Gio swiped some sweat from under his eye. "Why couldn't you two have gotten Carolina and Joah to do this?"

"You watch Big Time Rush?" Christian whirled around in shock.

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Do you see Caro and Joah around? No. You don't. So clearly we had to ask you two idiots."

"You want to watch the episode with me?" Stella felt her heart rate pick up as she glanced into Gio's caramel brown eyes.

He showed off a cute dimple on his right cheek, nodding slowly. His skin was turning slightly pink. "As long as you don't fangirl over Kendall too much."

Stella chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Why? You jealous?"

"Will you two be quiet!?" Hannah snapped.

Stella and Gio bit back their laughter. Christian pulled out his paper rings that he had made long ago. He put one on Hannah's finger and the other on himself. He smiled brightly at his girlfriend. Stella watched him, wondering if one day a guy would look at her like that. And she hoped that guy would be Gio. He flickered his own caramel brown eyes in her direction, winking quickly.

"Shit. We don't have an officiant." Hannah mumbled.

"Alright!" Gio threw his hands up wildly. "Time to go inside."

"Yeah, Han it's scorching out here." Stella waved her shirt in hopes of the wind pushing up her chest. "You guys will get married later on anyway. Why are we practicing right now?"

"Yeah." Gio made his way over to her, throwing an arm around Stella's shoulder. "What's the rush lovebirds?"

"I can't imagine my life without you." Christian murmured to his girlfriend. He turned a bit to look at the two bystanders, "If I could really marry her now, I would."

"I don't think mom and dad would like that." Stella giggled. "They already have to worry about Devyn."

"But they know we will get married." Hannah smirked, hopping off the table with the help of Christian. "So do Danielle and Claudio."

"I'm well aware." Gio groaned. "Are me and Stella excused?"

"Go ahead." Hannah smacked him on the back of his head. "Go have fun lovebirds."