Mark Foster's Pearly Whites (book 2)

The Big Day

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought: Wow, what a handsome young man! ?

Yeah, me neither.

"Come on, let us see you. It's embarrassing for all of us."

Evan shouted from outside of the fitting room. Lord, I better prepare for the wave of laughter that's gonna follow once I draw this heavy curtain and reveal my new "outfit". I took a quick peek in the mirror once again. The suit fit me alright lengthways but I felt like I was gonna suffocate any minute because of the way it tightly hugged my torso. I walked out of the fitting room into the hallway, where Ponsi and Evan were standing.

"Holy shit. We look like three confused penguins standing next to each other."

Evan laughed and Ponsi and I followed right away. The fancy dressed elderly lady, who was sitting close to us must've thought that we were complete lunatics, just laughing our asses off, all dressed in proper suits. Once we stopped chortling, Ponsi put his hands into his pockets and lightly bumped into me.

"You look hot in that suit. Like a proper gentleman."

I kissed him when I saw that Evan was looking away. Ponsi's fair cheeks blushed instantly and he winked at me flirtatiously. I may look like a gentleman but he looked like a straight up George Clooney look-alike. The black suit fitted perfectly his slender body type and his long neck helped that he didn't look dumb with a bow tie on. Man, I could stare at him dressed like this the whole fucking day.

"Alright you two love birds, should we pay for the suits?"

Evan interrupted my silent admiration of Ponsi's looks as he slapped his hands loudly.

"It's not llike we have much of a choice. Isom insisted that we all look identical, wearing a black suit, a bow tie and a white shirt underneath."

I chuckled. We all look pretty dumb but it's Isom's wedding after all so I think we can survive one day dressed like morons.

We all changed into our regular clothes and went to the cashier. However, when I saw that Evan head off before Ponsi and I, I decided to have a quick chat with the drummer.

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ponsi nodded and went to the corner of the shop, where no soul was spotted. I continued.

"Listen, I really think we should take Sean with us."

Ponsi's blond head fall down a little.

"Mark, we went over this; he didn't get the letter, Isom never called him, there was the incident at your birthday party - there is obviously something that prevents Isom from wanting Sean to be there. C'me here."

He gave me a hug and, despite his skinny and bony chest, it was a very warm comforting one. I guess we should just let it go...and be at the wedding without Sean Cimino.

●●●

( Three days later - 27th of January)

"This is chaos! Fucking hell, Mark, why did we come here?"

I laughed at Ponsi's desperate state and helped him carry the giant plate full of baguettes with crab spread. He's not wrong; this is a fucking chaos. Everyone is running around, bridesmaids seem to loose their shit over makeup, chefs are quickly finishing their last touch ups and, in the middle of all of this, Isom is helplessly sitting in the chapel.

"You two should check on him! You're his closest friends! And at least you'll do something useful."

A middle aged bridesmaid called Mary shouted at us and pointed to the chapel with her fat meaty fingers.

"What a bitch."

Ponsi muttered annoyingly and I nodded supportively in agreement.

It was a haunting scene, when we entered the little chapel; a hunched man, dressed in black, sitting right in front of the altar in a dimmed light. I carefully came closer but when the echo caught my footsteps, Isom jerked his head towards us swiftly.

"Oh..hi, guys. I was just - um- you know, thinking."

He came to us with hands in his pockets and a noticeable embarrassment covering his blue eyes. There was something rather concerning about him. He wasn't really nervous, which would be understandable but he was...perhaps upset? Or maybe even disappointed?

"You okay, man? It's the last day you can call yourself single without feeling guilty."

Way to go, Pontius, you just made him even more uncomfortable than before. Isom giggled nervously and ran his fingers through the brown curls. There was a long silence. Too long, in my opinion, too long for anyone to feel comfortable.

"Is Sean here? I didn't see him anywhere."

My eyes snapped to look at him and then at Ponsi. He was about to loose control again; could see it in his expression and the way his blue eyes began to fog. I have to intervene.

"He's not here. I mean -"

"You didn't fucking invite him, what do you expect?"

I covered my eyes in despair and silently apologised that Ponsi was using such a foul language in the house of God. I tucked at his black jacket and tried to get him out.

"I did invite him."

Isom's words leave a hole in my throat.

No. What is he saying? He invited him? So this is all just a big misunderstanding?

Oh, God, please let it be just a little fuck - stupid mistake.

"He didn't get your invitation, asshole."

I'm sorry God, for my idiotic partner.

Isom was getting more a more confused by every second and, to be fair, I don't blame him. Why would he lie to us? I'm pretty sure he's telling us the truth but why there are still so many holes -

"Aaa, there you are! Mary told me that you all were hiding here from work."

What a bitch.

Carli walked in on us, however she didn't have her wedding dress on yet, instead she was dressed casually in a green sweater and jeans. Her face was glowing with joy but one glance at Isom revealed her that something isn't quite right.

"Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

She chuckled but Isom didn't recover from his upset state.

"Sean didn't get the invitation. He's not here."

Carli's smile dropped dead. Her expression took on a completely different direction than I anticipated; she was afraid now. Her horrified face took a d at Ponsi and I.

"Oh, really? That's - alarming. Boys can you please come with me? I need some help in the kitchen. Isom will you excuse us?"

Her future hubby was reasonably surprised, when she walked away. Ponsi followed her, without saying a word but I turned to Isom, just to clear things up a bit.

"We'll talk after."

Once I stepped out of the church, Carli turned to us again, her expression as dark as night.

"Come with me. We need to talk."