Not The Other Guy

Chapter 45

After Amanda had shown up that night, Nick began to really regret telling her no. Tracy was obsessed with the wedding, wanted everything a certain way. She asked for a small wedding on the beach behind the house. Her parents didn't like him very much and Nick just felt like everything was going wrong. He wanted to escape....just run away and leave everything. He couldn't just leave but it was becoming overwhelming for him.

The day had finally arrived....the backyard wad decorated with bright flowers in orange and pink....flower petals littered the small platform that held the wedding guests. Nick stood inside the house, looking at himself in the mirror as he dressed and thought about being Tracy's husband. His stomach had been doing backflips all morning and he had thrown up at least twice since breakfast.

"Dude, you're just nervous." AJ had said as he observed Nick hugging the toilet seat. Nick looked at him, his face pale and sweaty.

"I don't think I can do this. Something bad is gonna happen...." he muttered.

"You're just getting married. It's not the end of the world." AJ laughed. As Nick slumped to the floor shaking....he highly doubted AJ knew his world was crashing down.

"Come on, baby. We are gonna miss the wedding if you don't get dressed soon." Lance called from the doorway. He was dressed in a suit, his blonde hair spiked with hair gel. Amanda stared at the blue dress hanging up by her closet and sighed, wiping stray tears from her eyes. There was no way she could do this, no way she could watch her best friend get married.

"Amanda I thought you said you were going. Come get ready." Lance said again.

"I'm not going, you go ahead." she replied coldly, her arms across her chest. Amanda's eyes fell upon the picture of her and Nick as children hanging on the wall and she teared up again.

"Look, Nick needs his friends there to support him. I think you ought to go." Lance said, walking towards her and rubbing her back. Amanda hated how happy he was.

"I don't feel well." she lied, although she actually felt sick to her stomach with stress. Lance wouldn't have any of it, he dragged Amanda off to the bathroom to get ready for the ceremony.

Amanda knew she would make sure to take extra aspirin that afternoon.

Nick stood in the mirror, looking at his reflection as he got ready. He was sweating bullets, feeling very nervous. As he walked around the room he sat down on the bed and took a box out of his night stand, opening it.

"Amanda..." he whispered, his eyes watering with regret. The ring was meant for her and he'd saved it after fighting with Tracy. Part of him still loved Amanda, still believed that they'd marry one day. Nick put the ring back and wiped his eyes, licking his lips. He knew what he had to do.

He took the steps carefully, walking down the halls of his house very slowly. He passed by the room where Tracy was and saw her in her wedding gown. He silently cursed himself, he knew it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. Nick looked around the corner, saw nobody was there....then made a run for the door. His hand was on the door handle when he heard footsteps.

"Where you going, Nick? The wedding is gonna start in like an hour." AJ said, startling him.

"Um....I just needed to run out for a bit." Nick laughed, but AJ wasn't buying it.

"I don't think so." he said, holding the door closed. Nick felt his heart race. He couldn't go through with this wedding, not after the dream he'd had the night before.

"Let me go AJ!"

"You can't take off now....NICK!!!"

It happened so quickly AJ didn't have time to grab him. Nick plowed through, knocking AJ to the floor.