Brian's POV

How the hell do you plan a fucking wedding? I have no fucking clue. Michelle is going crazy about not having enough time to plan the wedding. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A FUCKING DATE YET. I mean, we've only been engaged for a month. I'm sitting at Johnny's Bar at 2 PM, drinking my frustration since I was expelled from my house. My OWN fucking house. There was gonna be some sort of girl gathering to talk about dresses, color, flowers, china & God knows what else. I sigh while I sip from my beer when someone sits next to me.

I turn to see this delicate girl with her sunglasees placed on her Keith Richards shirt & a leather jacket on, even though it's hot, black heels to gain some height & her sking tight jean... & smile.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Thought I should be a bit tipsy if I'm gonna have to hear Michelle babble on & on about coloros" She says, smiling back. "The usual" She says to the bartender with a genuine smile & he nods before going to fetch her beer.

"They must be waiting for you" I say, sipping from my beer.

"I know" She says, sipping from her cold beer. "I told them I was gonna be late" Sje says, turning on the stoll. I just nod. "How are you?" She asks, glancing at me.

"I'm fine" I answer.

"No... I mean, how do you feel with the whole wedding planning?" She turns to me. I look at her & see her apologetic face. I now she knows how I feel, so I just shrug. "She's just excited, you know. Us, girls, dream about these day forever. She just wants everything to be perfect"

"I know. I just wonder.... why the rush? I mean, we have a whole fucking time to plan the wedding. I'm not going anywhere. Why do we have to do it right now?" I say, letting out a frustrated sigh. "She wants the fucking thing like right now"

"Wedding" She mutters.

"What?"

"It's not 'the fucking thing', it's your wedding" She says. "I don't think Chelle is gonna appreciate you calling her wedding a fucking thing"

“That’s the thing. It’s her wedding when it’s supposed to be our wedding” I sigh, shaking my head.

Wow… who would've thought I was so irritated about this whole thing.

That’s the thing between Belle & I… we can talk about everything. With Michelle is different. All deep conversations & shit are not our style. We talk about lighter things. I just I don’t want to overwhelm her with my bullshit. And I have a lot, trust me.

“Have you told her this?” She says, drinking her beer. I sigh. “I take that as a no” She says. “How do you expect her to know what bothers you if you don’t tell her? She isn't a psychic”

“Well, I don’t have tell you what bothers me & you always seems to know anyways” I say. "Why can't she be like that?"

“Because she’s not me. She'll never be me” She says & I look at her. “I’m not the one you’re getting married with… she is” She says the last part with a small smile.

She’s so right. I can’t expect Michelle to be like Annabelle. Ann & I have such a huge history together that we can almost finish each other sentences. We can even tell what the other is thinking. Not even Chelle & Val have the connection we have. That’s just the way we are. The way we’ve always been. Unbelievable I have to rely on a 23 year old for advice. I nod.

“What do you want?”

“What do you mean?” I ask her a bit confused.

“I mean… what do you want for your wedding? How do you picture that day?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it” I say, lying straight through my teeth & gazing ahead of me.

“Liar” She says & I laugh. “Tell me” She watches me intently & see her she’s not wearing any make up today. In fact, she’s looks so natural with her hair held back with a leather head band from her face. She can really pull off that ‘natural clean’ look. Maybe it’s because she has flawless tan skin. “Don’t be ashamed. I know guys think about this type of things too. Not as much as girls & you guys aren't usually collecting magazines & stuff like that, but…”

“Well, if it was up to me… it would be a small, private thing. Only the people that really care about us, you know? Family & close friends. 50 guests top. It would be in the open, at midday. All white, to match Michelle’s dress. Not over the top flowers. A few lilies. No roses… they’re so overrated” I say & Anna just laughs. I let out a small laugh too. I've always liked to stand out. “I sound like a chick, I know”

“It’s cute though. I feel honored to see the feminine side of Synyster Gates” She says winking at me. I just shove her a bit. “What about the reception?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want something too fancy. I mean, like any other gathering we have, but a bit more polished & everyone dressed up, you know” I say & look at her. I see her brows furrowed. “What?”

“You want the reception to be like any other party we had? Are you crazy?” She gasps. I shake my head no.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s special about that?” She retorted. I scoff at her & she just glares at me. She hates me doing that. I roll my eyes & now she scoffs. Hypocrite. “No wonder Michelle won’t let you help her” She mutters.

“What about you?” I ask, with an eyebrow raised.

“What about me?” She asks confused.

“How do you picture your wedding day?”

“I-I don’t know” She says blushing.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire” I softly say. “Come on, tell me” I say bumping her leg with mine. “I just told you mine” She sighs & smiles.

“Ok. I picture my wedding in that small church my Mom used to take me & my brother. It’s perfect. Small with big windows so it almost appears you’re outside. And like you, I don’t want a big wedding. But I do want lots of flowers” She says & I can see her picturing everything in her head.

“What type of flowers?” I ask.

“Calla lilies & stephanotis decorating the church & I'll have a chic round bouquet of hot pink, hot orange gerbera daisies, and white carnations. While the maid of honor carries a lighter colored, simpler & smaller version of my bouquet" I’m surprised with her quick response.

“What else?” I pry at her, not wanting her to stop talking. It's fascimating when she starts rambling about this kind of stuff.

“The reception would be very simple but classy. Dim lights & crystal, because I love how light reflects on it. White linens on small round tables, so everyone can talk to everyone” I smile, because by now, she’s also speaking with her hands, not leaving out one detail. “ White calla lilies for centerpieces, placed over mirrors with tiny candles, so the light reflects off them & into the water creating this beautiful effect, you know? And daisies petals thrown over the mirror” She turns to me & smile.

I smile at her because she’s almost beaming. I can almost see her radiate this glow from how excited just thinking about that day makes her. She looks… beautiful.

“Well, it looks like you haven’t thought about it” I say. She eyes me playfully, sipping her beer. “What about the cake?”

“I wouldn’t have cake. I would have cupcakes. Something different & less complicated” She says, standing up & paying for her beer. “Gotta go. Bye. And don’t even think about stealing my wedding, Haner” She says kissing me on the cheek after hugging me, leaving me with my beer, but picturing the wedding.

What I don’t understand is… why am I not picturing my wedding with Michelle? Why am I picturing Belle’s wedding… with me as the groom?

Gena’s POV

“Red? Really?” Lacey asks Michelle.

“Yeah, why?” She answers while looking through another bridal magazine.

“It’s just so… common & overrated” She says & this captures Michelle’s attention.

“Well… good thing I’m the one getting married & not you. When your turn comes, you can do whatever the hell you want” She sneers at Lacey. Talk about a bridezilla.

I don’t even know why she asks us for our opinions if things are gonna be done her way anyway. She doesn’t even listen to any advice. Not even from her sister/maid of honor. I would definitely listen to her… she’s already married.

I hear the door open. & by the way Pinkly jumped up & sped towards the back door, I know Annabelle is here. Even the dog wants to escape Michelle.

"Finally” Michelle half yells, throwing her arms up & standing from her seat, walking to the foyer. “What took you so long?” She asks Annabelle, who enters with the bundle of fur on her arms.

“Sorry, couldn’t get out sooner. They really needed the shots” She apologized.

“I’m just glad you’re here. You’re the only one that understands me” Michelle says, hugging her & walking her to where we’re sitting, smothered by magazines, types of fabric & color samples.

“Hey” Annabelle says to me when she takes the sit next to me, taking off her jacket… & that’s when I felt it. “Where’s Leana?” She asks, grabbing some fabric samples & starts touching it, making a face when she felt the texture of it. It was way to heavy & way to thick.

“She had a doctor appointment. She won’t come” Michelle answers, taking her seat. Annabelle just nodded & kept feeling the fabrics on her hands.

Val & Michelle started discussing something about… I don’t even know & I don't even want to know. I turn to look at Ann with a no so subtle stare. After a few seconds of me staring her, with a small knowing smile on my face, she turns to look at me & smile.

“What?” She asks.

“You weren’t at a photo shoot. You stink of beer & smoke. You smell like you were at Johnny’s Bar” I whisper to her, not wanting to blow her cover. She scoffs.

“No, I wasn’t” She replies & I give her my ‘come-on’ look. “I needed alcohol in my system if I have to stand Michelle bitch for the next 4 hours” She says, sheepishly. I laugh. She’s so right.

“Next time, take me with you, ok? I could really use a shot…” I turn to see Michelle talking while Val has an annoyed face. “Or 6” I say. She just nods.

“Okay, now that everyone is here, lets delegate” Michelle says after a while, handing each of us a small pad so we could take note of her orders. “First of all, we need to find a place” Everyone nodded.

“How many guests do you have in mind?” Anna asks.

“Around… 250” She says shrugging. We all stopped writing.

“250? Do you even know 250 people?” I ask. Seriously?

“That’s a rough draft” I let out my breath. She’s gonna cut the number. 250 guests is a lot. “It may be a larger number”

“What? Are you serious?” Lacey asks. Michelle just nodded. Everyone just looked at everyone, no one having the guts to say anything.

I elbowed Annie; since she seems the only one Michelle is gonna listen at the moment. She shakes her head no, but I motion for her to speak up. I see her close her eyes in defeat.

“Chelle” She says in a sweet tone, like she's talking to 5 year old. “Um… don’t you think it would be… better if it was just a small ceremony with just, uh…” She gets stuck & turns to look at me for help.

“Just the family” I say, finishing for her.

“I don’t want to leave anyone out. I want everyone to know I’m getting married to the love of my life & that we love each other more than anything” She says, getting glistening eyes.

Like that needs to be proven more than it already has.

“What does Brian think? Have you talked to him about this?” Annabelle asks.

“I don’t know. I haven’t ask him, but I’m sure he’ll be ok with it. That way, he can invite his friends from other bands” She says, not paying much attention to us.

“What if he wants a small wedding? Just the families, his band mates & the crew? With your closest friends too, of course” She says but her tone reveals that she isn’t asking this out of curiosity. She talked to Syn. These are Syn’s words, spoken through Ann’s mouth. Michelle seemed to think about it for a while.

“I’ll have to talk to him about it, I guess” She finally says. I see Anna nod. “Okay, moving on. I decided you guys will be wearing red dresses as my brides’ maid, since I want a red & white wedding” I can see Lacey make a disgusted face. She hates red. I don’t know why, but she does, I think it goes so well with her natural tan skin & dark hair. “And I want red roses all over the place” She says & I see Ann’s head snap up, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Do you guys have a date yet?” Valary asks. She’s been awfully quiet.

“No. But I’m thinking about April-May. I want a spring wedding…” And I zone out.

I was bored out of my mind, so I just turned to see what Annabelle was up to, & I see her eyeing something out of a magazine… too closely. I lean over to her to see what was causing her to be in such a trance with a goofy smile plastered on her face.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I whisper to her & she just smiles. “You would look gorgeous in it” I say. She blushes & her smile grows.

She really would look gorgeous. It was just the perfect wedding dress… just like her & for her. It wouldn't look as good in Michelle if I was honest. Ann sighs & it caughts my attention. It was almost like a sad sigh.

I know this is hard for her. Everyone around her is moving on, taking the next step.

Happened with Matt’s wedding, Jimmy’s & her brother wedding. Guess that’s the price you pay for hanging with older people than you.

If you didn't know her as well as I do, you would say it would pass after the wedding, but I know it won't. It's not the fact that another of her closest friends are getting married. It's because Brian is getting married. This is completely different for her.

It’s like she’s battling with her feelings. She wants to be happy for Brian & Michelle, & I’m sure she is, but at the same time, she can’t help but feel that he shouldn’t be doing this. Like he is making a huge mistake. She doesn't need to say it, I can see it in her eyes.

“You should tear the page up & keep it” I say. She laughs & turns the page.

“I think I should be more worried about my Halloween costume than my wedding dress, since that’s not happening any time soon” She says. I snatch the magazine from her hands, rip the page & fold it for her.

“Here” I say, handing her the page. “You never know when you’re gonna need it” I say, watching her bite her lip. “Your Romeo might just be around the corner” I say, patting her leg, pretending to focus on whatever Michelle is rambling about. But I glance sideways at Annabelle & see her watching the now unfold page, still biting her lip. I don’t know if she knows & is just playing dumb, or if she’s really dumb not to realize she already found her Romeo… & I’m not talking about Justin.