How it Happened

Eighteen

Eighteen

17 hours until the wedding

     After taking too long in the bathroom, I came back to find that my cousin unknowingly stole my seat, and I was left sandwiched in between my parents for the rest of the night, which wasn't a bad place to be. My dad kept telling me to check my phone for funny pictures, even though I purposely left the distracting device at home, while my mom casually rubbed my arm, and twirled my ponytail in between conversations with Ben's dads.

     I ordered a big beautiful plate of penne alla vodka to fill the gaping hole in my stomach, and as I proceeded to shove the pink sauce covered penne shaped pasta into my mouth, my eyes darted up and met the dark brown gaze sitting all the way at the other end of the table. As I sat there hunched over the table with my mouth full of pasta, I couldn't help but think that this is the second time in my life that Nathaniel Graham has payed witness to my chubby chipmunk cheeks. The only difference is, instead of attempting to smile, I decided to jut up the knife in my right hand, and give him an Edward Scissor Hand type thumbs up before turning away to gag at my own stupidity.

     My steps are sluggish as I trudge into my room with the hallway light as my guide. My black ballet socks happily accept the transition of hardwood floor to carpet as I continue to slide them against the floor.

     I enjoyed every minute of the food I stuffed into my face, but now I'm feeling bloated and fatigued. I blame all the salt and sugar I consumed opposed to the little bit of alcohol I was given since I switched to strictly water for the rest of the night. The switch also allowed me to take frequent trips to the bathroom, but after a while I even became too full to do that.

     "Just so—"

     The murderous scream I emit is not appropriate for this time of night, but I think my sleeping neighbors are so used to my antics by now that they will happily continue to forget I exist, opposed to being alarmed.

     "Girls!" my dad's shout rings throughout the house for the second time tonight.

     "Sorry!" I weakly call back before whipping my head back around to face my older sister. "Aubrey," I hiss when she continues to just sit on her old bed as if she didn't just scare me to death.

     "I'm sorry, I was just trying to warn you that I was in here before you completely stripped."

     My hands tighten around the blouse I wore today as my arms have it now coiled around my half naked torso. I continue to stand there for a second as the air in the room chills my spine before turning back around.

     "It's nothing you haven't seen before." I shrug because its true before dropping the blouse on my bed and stripping out of my dress pants.

     Even though I prefer not to see my older sister butt-naked, after sharing a room for most of our lives, we've grown up changing in front of each other all the time.

     After throwing my green and blue tied dye shirt over my head to match my green and blue plaid pajama bottoms, I grab a new pair of clean socks, and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. On my way back, I switch off the hallway light and flick on my bedroom light.

     "So, you guys are doing the whole not seeing each other before the wedding day thing?" I say, curious as to why Aubrey also happens to be sporting her own pair of pajama bottoms and big t-shirt.

    "Yeah." Is the only syllable to fall past her lips.

    I stand there for a second waiting to see if she'll continue, but as she continues to stare into space, I flop down on my own bed. I pick up the phone I left stranded on my floral comforter and begin aimlessly scrolling through it.