AN: I seem to do well under pressure...yet another chapter.

“Oh my God, I don’t believe I’m actually getting married soon.” Carrie said as she struggled carrying the six bags which were filled with merchandise she had just purchased.
“Do you really need all of that?” Destiny said, walking beside her. For once, her hands were empty. She had not bought a single thing and it was killing her. She was jealously looking at all the shops’ windows and urging to run in there and buy the store out. But no, she wouldn’t. This was Carrie’s day.
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Why in the world do you need baseball bat for the wedding?” Destiny asked, pointing at one of the bags.
“You never know what freaks you’ll run into.” Carrie answered.
“At your own wedding? I think you would know what freaks are there because you invited them.” Coral said. She grabbed the bat and kept it her hand.
“I think I’ll keep this until your wedding’s over. I wouldn’t want some innocent victim hurt.”
“Hey! I need that! What if someone pisses me off while I’m getting ready and I need to put them back in order?” Carrie whined, trying to grab the bat back but Destiny pulled in her in the different direction.
“Okay, NO, especially since we’re the ones helping you prepare.” Destiny turned her back to Carrie and assisted Coral in hiding the bat.
“Well I wouldn’t hit you hard! Just a little tap!”
“I think the wedding’s making you delirious.” Coral said
“More than she was already and that means trouble.” Destiny added. They nodded in agreement and turned their back and started running away from their friend.

“Come back! Okay that’s rule number one. Do not leave the bride stranded by herself in the middle of a mall!” Carrie yelled loud enough for them to hear and started chasing after them. Being the clumsy person she was, she tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor. Carrie cringed as she pealed herself from the ground, got up and did a frustrated monkey dance. She turned around as she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Are you okay ma’am?” the police officer asked with a fearful look on his face.
“Um...yeah. I’m fine.” Carrie said slowly, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing.
“I just forgot I was in a public place...” She giggled nervously and quickly departed from the police officer.
“Rule number two, do not break any bones before your wedding. Meaning, do not fall and do not make an ass of yourself in a public place.” She said quietly to herself.

Carrie made her way to the food court on the first floor. She searched around for her girls and finally found them sitting in the most distant corner of the hall. She groaned as she tiredly dragged the bags and rested them beside Coral’s feet.
“You finally made it. I was worried.” Destiny looked up from the burger she was stuffing in her mouth.
“I can see that.” Carrie said sarcastically.
“Uh oh, watch out! Keep every flammable thing away from this woman. I think fire’s going to come out of her nose.” Coral said and slowly backed away from the obviously annoyed Carrie.
“Yeah, yeah just give me your food.” Carrie said, grabbing Coral’s food away just as she was about to bite into it.
“Excuse you?” Coral said.
“You stole my bat. I stole your food.”
“It’s not like I was going to smack you with my burger.”
“Well, ya never know.”
“Oh yeah, BAM! BAM! Carrie you’re a victim to meat, lettuce and tomato shreds. I always say, when you’re mad at someone smack em with a burger. That’ll always put them into place.” Coral said, rolling her eyes.
“Geez you two gotta stop hanging around me. You’re getting too much of my sarcasm.” Destiny stated.
“If I recall, you got most of it from Amber.” Coral laughed.
Destiny’s face turned a sickly white when she heard her former best friend’s name mentioned.
“Oh wow, I’m so sorry Des.” Coral said.
“It’s okay. You’re right. I did get it from her.” Destiny said as she tried to shrug Coral’s comments off.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Coral soothed as she noticed Destiny was still upset.
“No. It’s time I deal with the fact that she’s gone. Amber was my partner in crime. Remember the days we just didn’t feel like going to class after lunch and we all just stayed outside for an extra 20 minutes? We always had Mr. Feemster for AP English and every time we walked in late he was about ready to burst. Always looking forward to sending us to the principal’s office. Till this day I think he has some thing against me. I’m sure he was arguing over and over again with the management to give me a B even though I only had A’s in his class. Screwed up man he was. Anyway, on those days, when we walked in as a group. He asked why we were late and Amber just looked him straight in the eye and told him that she had a feminine problem and that we were out searching for pads. Every time she mentioned that word his cheeks got so red and he was silent for a few minutes. Then he would barely manage to point for us to sit down. Never did he say a word...I don’t think he could repeat the word pad. It was too much for him.” Destiny described every single detail and a smile came to her. Her eyes shined brightly as she reminisced those times.

“Wow. You actually talked about her.” Coral said and reached over to give Destiny a hug.
“Yeah. I’ve had time to think about it and I guess it’s not my fault...” Destiny said.
“It’s not, Des.” Coral said sincerely.
“Thanks. Listen, this might make me sound like a bitch but I don’t really think I can go to the next memorial service. I will go visit them I just don’t think I can go that soon.” Destiny said.
“Well, it’s not that soon. So, I’m not going to take an answer from you yet, alright? If you can’t go then I won’t hold it against you. I just don’t want you to give up yet.” Coral said, patting Destiny on the back.
“Okay. Give me time. I just think I’d do better if it was me and her family alone rather than all those people. I can’t help think that most of those people still blame me.”
“They never blamed you to begin with, Des. It’s all in your head. I might have resented you a bit for not being there for us when we needed you and not going to her funeral but once I saw you again I just understood the way you were thinking and I don’t blame you one bit. No one will. Take as much time as you need to heal from this loss and since you’re just starting to deal with it now, I know it might take a while. Just know that I’m here for you and anytime you want to talk about her and you need someone to sympathize, you know I’m here. I’m going to go to the memorial service anyway so if you come or not is up to you. I’ll understand either way.” Coral noticed the tears forming in Destiny’s eyes and she handed a napkin over to her. Destiny graciously accepted it and stopped the tears from flowing.

Destiny nodded slightly and looked up to Carrie who was staring at them with her eyes wide open.
“You’ve been awfully quiet, mouse girl.” Destiny said.
“Didn’t want to interrupt the moment.” Carrie answered simply.
“You wouldn’t have. Anyway I’m going to stop being over dramatic and pay full attention to the bride here because God knows we’re thankful someone proposed to you.”
“HEY! I do not have to sit here and take this,” Carrie stood up.
“No you don’t, but isn’t it better than standing up and taking it?” Destiny asked.
“Yeah, you’re right.” She sat back down.
“There we go...So Ms. Young how does it feel knowing that you’re going to be Mrs. Carrie Jeanne Young-Combs?” Coral asked
“It’s stressful. I don’t know if I have everything ready and everything has to be ready because my wedding day has to be perfect. No one or nothing can destroy it for me. I’ve dreamt about this my entire life...” Carrie said with paranoia.
“Every little girl does.” Destiny agreed.
“And Spencer has been adorable over it. This might be off topic but have any of you seen the guys since the tour ended?” Carrie asked.

“Yeah, I’ve talked to Brian just to check up on how he’s doing.” Destiny replied.
“How is he doing?” Coral questioned.
“He’s good. He’s been spending some time with his family, chilling out. I think he was just extremely stressed out.”
“So he’s not drinking anymore?”
“Nope.” Destiny said with a victorious smile.
“That’s good.” Coral sighed in relief.
“Is he coming to the wedding?”
“Oh yeah, I asked him. He said yes. He’s not bringing a date, though.”
“Mmmhmm, thanks.” Carrie said noting the guest for her catering list.
“What about the rest?” Carrie questioned.
“Howie and Kevin are coming. I don’t talk to AJ so I wouldn’t know.”
“He’s not coming. He’s spending the day with his mom or something. He told me already but you’re missing one.” Carrie said quietly.
“Oh yeah, Nick.” Destiny tried to act dumb.
“Yeah, that one.” Carrie nodded.
“Nick’s not coming. He’s spending the day with Serenity.”
“And that’s more important than a wedding?” Coral asked.
“I told him it wasn’t and he said it was.” Destiny shrugged.
“That son of a...” Coral started only to be interrupted by Carrie.
“Don’t worry about it, Corz, it’s no big loss.”
“Okay so now that we’re fed, can we go?” Destiny asked
“Correction, you two are fed. I’m still hungry.” Coral said, rubbing her stomach.
“Bat!” Carrie demanded.
“I don’t think so. Not unless you plan on giving me back that burger you just ate.” Coral said
“That could be arranged...”
“Ew, please don’t.” Coral begged.
“Okay, I heard plenty. We’re leaving NOW.” Destiny said and tried to find her way out of the incredibly large maze, also known as the mall.

The day of the wedding has arrived and Carrie was running around her hotel room like a mad woman. The limo was to arrive in less than five minutes and she felt as if the make up the make up artist applied made her look like a clown or like Christina Aguilera on a bad day. She sat in the stool beside the mirror and looked herself over for the millionth time to day. Her hair was up and small curls fell to her face. She tried to remove some of the makeup but spitting into a tissue and rubbing the moist cloth on her face. She cringed at thought of what she was doing and realized that people would be kissing that cheek later. She quickly dropped the tissue and threw it into the trash can. She missed the can by about 5 inches. She started getting up to pick it up but changed her mind and sat back down. She looked at her reflection in the mirror for the last time. This was it. The beginning of her life as a married couple. She wasn’t responsible for herself anymore. She was responsible for some else too. Spencer - the man she loved, right? Carrie thought it was normal to have wedding jitters but never did she think it would get to this point. She felt like escaping but she couldn’t. Her feet felt like they were glued to the floor. Each movement was slow and heavy. Also, she wouldn’t do that to Spencer. She cared for him too much to leave him stranded but the thought seemed so tempting. She was too young and it was too soon.
“They’re only jitters.” She convinced herself.
“The driver’s here, Carrie!” She heard Destiny’s voice from outside the room.
“It’s time...” Carrie took a deep breath and carefully got up and opened the door, facing her new life.

“Ren Ren...” Nick cooed as he ran his fingers through his girlfriend’s hair. She was lying on his lap and closing her eyes, trying to fit in a small cat nap in the backseat of the limo.
“Yeah Nicky?” She mumbled softly.
“I love you.”< BR> “I know you do.” She refused to answer him back.
“Aren’t you going to say it back?”
“You know the answer already.”
“No, I don’t.” He insisted.
“Well, you should.”
“How should I? You never tell me!”
“What’s your problem, Nick? If I’m with you there has to be some sort of reason, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Yeah, if you think at all.” She rolled her eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing at all, Nick.”
“Just say the words and this will be over with.”
“I’m not going to say them because you already know the answer.”
“Fine, you don’t say them I’ll just assume you don’t.”
“Fine, assume whatever the hell you want, Carter.”
“Driver, excuse me.” He tapped on the glass window.
The driver lowered the dividing window.
“Turn the car back, will ya? I need to go somewhere.”
“Sure sir.” The driver said and pressed the buttons to raise the window again.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Serenity violently got up from his lap and looked him in the eyes, bursting with fury.
“I’m getting the hell out of here.”
“We were suppose to go to Disney.”
“You can go to Disney by yourself.” He sulked.
“Come on, Nicky...” She gave him a half smile and rubbed his knee.
He grabbed her and pulled her over him, so that she was sitting on his lap. He lifted her head so that their eyes were locked. Nick wrapped his strong arms around Serenity’s waist.
“Say it.” He requested in despair.
“I love you, silly goose.” Her voice was so sweet, you could get a cavity just listening to it.
“That was all I needed.”
“So, we’re going?” Serenity asked, ready to tell the Driver to turn back again.

The spacious car stopped and Nick shook his head.
“No Serenity, I’m going. You can stay here and do whatever you want. I need to be somewhere and I need to be there soon.” He slammed the door in her face.
“What the hell?” She swore to herself alone in the large limo.
The door opened again.
“By the way, when you lie, try to do it better because you sure as hell don’t love me.” He slammed the door in her face again.
Anger came to her as she existed from the vheicle and looked to see if he was still at sight. Even though he was far away she still managed to raise her voice loud enough to hear.
“Don’t FUCKING slam the door in my face!”
“My bad.” He yelled back and continued his jog.

“I never really imagine a church wedding.” Carrie said as she straightened out her long gown.
“No?” Destiny asked.
“Not really the religious one but Spencer is so, ya know.”
“You did it to satisfy him?” Coral questioned.
“Basically. I mean I got everything else my way.”
“Yeah and it doesn’t really matter as long as there’s love.” Destiny smiled.
“Too mushy and cheesy.” Coral frowned.
“It’s a wedding. It’s supposed to be mushy and cheesy.”
“But it’s so not you, it’s disturbing.” Coral said.
“Sorry, I’ll try to be more morbid.” Destiny said.
“Better.” Carrie winked.
They all heard the music start playing and they gave eachother knowing looks. Destiny and Coral walked out first. They wore light purple bridesmaid gowns and looked incredibly beautiful even though they weren’t the stars of the event. As they glided down the aisle, they looked at the people sitting in the crowd. Many familiar faces were staring at them and they smiled pleasantly. When they reached Spencer, the best man and the priest they stopped in their places and waited for Carrie. Carrie didn’t keep anyone waiting. Seconds later, she walked down the aisle in amazing grace with her father at her side. When she reached her husband to be, she turned to him and held his hands tightly.

“You look amazing.” He whispered.
“Thanks.”
Throughout the ceremony, Carrie was pretty much numb. She didn’t realize what was occurring right in front of her eyes. The words of the priest were in the background but they were too soft to be heard. She was in her own world. Now and then she heard a few words and even the opening and closing of the large church doors. Carrie knew she was making a mistake but she couldn’t stop it. It was too late now.
“If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.” The priest said, not expecting any comments.
“I OBJECT!” a trembling voice was heard from the back of the Church.
Carrie immediately recognized the voice. What was Nick doing here?