Waiting For This Cough Syrup to Come Down (this version discontinued)

Chapter 20 (The Much-Too-Long-Awaited Wedding Chapter)

"All the black inside me is slowly seeping from the bone." 'Pyro' by Kings of Leon.

That night, I slept badly. Like, really bad. First, I woke up at three in the morning because of a dream where Zayn and I were supposed to get married in the London Eye - but I'd kept saying that we couldn't get married there because it was being attacked by Hippogriffs and Zayn was afraid of heights anyway. Around a  half hour later, I dreamt that Perrie showed up at the wedding with a giant Blast-Ended Skrewt that made everything blew up.

"DUDE!"

"OW! Jesus Christ!" I yelled as soon as sixty kilos worth of person landed on my side.

I clenched the edges of my pillows tighter and pulled it over my head, hoping that it would block out Sophia and Maha's voices or at least send me back to sleep.

"Get up, fool!" Maha shouted. "YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED TODAY!"

"Thanks for the reminder," I grumbled. "Will you go away now?"

"Someone's cranky!" Sophia sang in an annoyingly melodious voice whilst rolling off me and falling next to me on my bed in the hotel room.

The wedding itself was taking place in this fancy hotel which I'd forgotten the name of simply because I couldn't pronounce it properly. Last week, I'd moved into a suite, as had Khalti, Sophia and Maha to help me get ready.

"What time is it?" I muttered, pulling the duvet further up so that it covered my face.

"It's almost half past eight," Maha answered and I could sense that she was enjoying my pain through the tone of her voice.

"I hate all of you," I groaned. "Why the hell am I up so early?"

Because of the pause, I guessed that Soph and Maha didn't like my question.

"Because, you idiot," Maha began.

"You need to get your henna done -"

"And your hair -"

"The hair on your arms are starting to come back a little, so we'll get that all waxed off -"

"Excuse me?" I hissed. I'd hated the stupid waxing procedure - because my hair was black and my skin was pale, it looked awful when the hair grew on my limbs and upper lip. The last appointment I'd had was over three years ago because it had stopped growing back.

I peeked at my right arm which was crossed over my face and onto my pillow; the hairs weren't obvious, but I'd prefer if they weren't there.

"And your make up!" Maha added with a tone of triumphancy.

I sat up. "My what?"

"You heard her." Sophia smirked.

"I don't want to!" I whined childishly falling back on the bed and clutching the pillow over my face once more.

"Well when you're wearing your wedding outfit, you'll look like a right git without any!" Maha said forcefully. "Now get up, or we'll give you The Talk!"

The Talk was basically the description of what to do on the wedding night. Ever since I'd gotten engaged, I was wondering whether I'd get this talk. Maha had put Sophia through it and now they were both going to make me listen to it as well; I wasn't sure what they'd mention exactly, but looking at their faces, I knew it would be something I'd be desperate to forget.

"NO!" I yelled. "No - no! I don't want it, I don't need it! I'll wear a bright pink dress for God's sake, just don't -"

Sophia silenced me by planting her hand over my mouth. "Go on, lick it, I dare you!" she challenged. "And stop trying, Maha, we're giving her the talk whether she likes it or not."