Wallflower | Mario Götze

03. Banshee

Both Eleanor and Mario simultaneously whipped their heads round to face the source of their doom. Cathy was marching towards them, holding her dress up with both hands to get optimum speed. A woman on her wedding day was not one to be messed with. As they were about to find out.

“What. Were. You. Thinking?” Cathy hissed through her teeth in an ice cold tone. “It is my wedding! No, I know you weren’t speaking loudly”, she added as Mario began to open his mouth to make an excuse for himself, “but this is the most special day of my life and you were talking through it! Why would you do that? Couldn’t you have waited?”  

Mario shuddered. He thought that being a flower boy had been bad, but this was worse. Much worse. He knew that he was going to have to grovel for forgiveness afterwards or have to endure the silent treatment, neither of which were very appealing. Cathy was a nice person, but she was not to be crossed.

“-and I hope you are sorry and you realise what you’ve done and oh, Mario! You’re not even listening!” He blinked twice and suddenly was the center of Cathy’s laser-like gaze. “Mario did you listen to anything I just said?” As an answer to this question, he shamefully shook his head. “You are impossible. Especially after you have already been so kind as to interrupt my wedding with your ridiculous chatters!” She looked as if she could go and on, but miraculously at that moment, Mats swooped in and saved the day. A true hero.

“Now Cathy my love, let’s just...go now, they didn’t mean it and they have learnt their lesson, haven’t they”, he directed a look to Eleanor and Mario who both enthusiastically nodded, “and there’s no need to be too upset, ok?” Mats, also known as their saviour, gently guided the still slightly fuming Cathy away from them.

When Cathy was far enough out of range, the two exchanged an awkward smile. “I feel like a schoolgirl being told off all over again!” Eleanor said with a laugh, her cheeks flushed with the rosy pink of embarrassment. However, she was not the only one laughing. They heard sniggers behind them, and turned to see Marco and Erik, who had not disappeared during their confrontation, unlike everyone else previously around them had. Their sniggers became laughs, and soon they were both doubled over laughing.

“Y-you should’ve seen your faces!” Erik exclaimed, hooting with laughter.

“I’m glad we were able to provide you some entertainment then,” Mario replied dryly, “but I am sure that you would have reacted the same way”

At this, Marco smirked and said “Maybe, but we know how to, er, ‘keep it in our pants’, as they say”, Him and Erik then fell apart into the giggles again, and in return, Mario gave them a wry smile. Once he had composed himself again, Marco continued, “so, we would not have ever been in this situation because we,” he pointed at himself and Erik, “do not have to speak to every pretty girl we see.”

Eleanor frowned slightly. Were they implying that Mario was a manwhore? More importantly, was he? She hoped not.

“By the way,” Erik interjected, “who is she?” He gestured to Eleanor, not unkindly, but in a curious way. Eleanor, who had just been observing until now, had now become the subject of the conversation. 

“This is Eleanor, Eleanor this is Marco and Erik”, he said, pointing at each person as their name was said.

They replied with a “hello” and a “nice to meet you”, and she returned their greeting with a simple and somewhat awkward “hi”. After standing in silence for a few moments, Mario broke the silence. “So, before we miss everything at the reception, should we make our way there?” There was a small chorus of agreement and they all went to make their way to their own transport. Marco and Erik disappeared into their cars, but as Eleanor turned towards the shuttle bus, Mario reached out and grabbed her arm.