An Arranged Marriage to a Jerk

Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Motives are Revealed, Jealousies are Explained

Pure humiliation. That's what I felt as my friends gently pulled me out of the water. A million eyes were staring at me. Water dripped off my uniform. Make-up was smeared on my face. And mouths hung open in shock and disbelief.

Someone quickly wrapped a towel around me, which I accepted gratefully. I was blindly led through the halls to the girls bathroom. First bell rang but the normal shuffle of feet outside the door was not there. I sank to the floor and buried my face in the towel. After a few moments of wallowing in self pity, I look up.

Mark, Sarah, Kim, and Nikki stand before me. "Are you okay?" They exclaim in unison. I glare back at them.

"I'm fine," I almost shout. "Just suffered complete humiliation in front of the entire school because you-" I point to Mark "-decide to push my fiancee into me and me into the fountain."

"I didn't mean to!" Mark says as his face turns red.

I turn on Kim. "And you! I saw you push Connor, what the hell was that about?"

Her eyes dart around, looking for answers. "Well... he... he told everyone! And I knew that it would ruin your reputation and you'd have to marry him."

I roll my eyes and stand up quickly. "Oh, don't give me that! You could care less about my 'reputation.' I think you were just jealous."

"Jealous of what?" She yells back. Sarah and Nikki have backed away and shrunk against the wall. Mark glances at them but stays rooted to the ground. 

"Of me! Of my marriage, of my fiancee! Of my life!" She glares at me and I stare back.

After a minute of silence that feels like an eternity, she finally answers. "Fine! Okay! I was jealous. I was so, so jealous of you. You're engaged to the guy that almost every girl in the school wishes they could marry. And you're acting like a complete snob about it! As if you don't want to marry someone. Who wouldn't want to marry him? Who wouldn't want a successful, smart, loving husband to provide for you? Who wouldn't want to be sure of their life by the time you're a senior?"

I look away guiltily. She's right, but should I admit it to her? I mean, a part of me says that i should be angry about all of this. But another part says that I should be happy. She's right- Connor is a good guy, and I'm lucky to have him. But is he really who I want to marry? I'm not sure.

Suddenly, Kim starts talking again. "But that's no excuse. I shouldn't have done what I did. And I never should have told Mark."

Mark shoots her a look and she covers her mouth. NIkki and Sarah are suddenly attentive. They, too, silently shake their heads quickly at her. "Tell Mark what? What aren't you telling me?"

Kim shakes her head and a tear slides down her cheek. "Tell him... that.... I'm engaged."

I take a step back. What is she talking about. "What?"

She smiles a little. "Gavin proposed last night. We were going to tell everyone in the courtyard today, and I was so excited because I thought everyone would be so happy about it. But... then Connor went and ruined it. And you didn't even appreciate it. It was my moment. My moment! And he ruined it."

I step forward. "Oh, Kim, I'm so sorry! I had no idea... but that's fantastic!"

Her face lights up. "Thanks! I'm so excited, we get married next summer! Isn't it fantastic? I mean, there's so much to do, and there's so little time!" She keeps talking but i tune her out. It's true, she and Gavin have been dating for years, since freshman year. And she should be excited, it's her dream. They'll have graduated, be on their way to college, and they'll be eighteen. It will be legal. It will be beautiful. And I'm jealous. She has someone to love, someone to care about, and someone who loves her back. Gavin is a great guy. She's really lucky.

Kim pulls out her ring and shows us all. It's smaller than mine, but just as magnificent. It sparkles under the cheap school lights and we all gather around and hug her. I glance down at my hand and turn over the ring. It feels so foreign; it feels like a lie, because Kim's ring shows how much Gavin loves her. And mine shows a mutual agreement between two lawyers.

I try to plaster a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Kim tells everyone the news, and they're all so happy for her. Apparently my falling in the fountain has made me invisible for the day They cleaned me up in the bathroom and Kim happily chatted the whole time about wedding plans. It's going to be on June 4. An outdoor wedding, maybe, with lots of flowers and a nighttime reception under a huge tent with a dance floor. She's got it all planned out.

We listen intently at lunch and play the part of good friends. But Nikki and Sarah are hiding looks of envy that they shoot one another at lunch. Mark is happy, but jealous of all her attention. And even Connor, who hasn't left my side since the fountain, looks a little disappointed at everyone's reactions.

And of course, there's me. The silent friend with the perfect life, perfect fiancee, and perfect future. All of which she hates.