~*~*Chapter 23*~*~
Knock! Knock! Heather's mother banged on her door, and soon came flying in and opened her curtains.
"Time to get up! Let's go!" Her mother chirped.
Heather groaned and rolled over in her bed. It was her brother's big day. Reluctantly, she grabbed her shower things and met Brian in the hallway.
"Hey, Babe," he said, kissing her cheek. "Where are you going?"
"The shower," Heather replied. "Be back soon," she said, before slipping into the shower.
~~~~~~~~~~
Around 4:30, the men were as usual, waiting for the women. Brian had his suit and tie on, and he couldn't wait for Heather to come down the stairs. His fingers drummed a song until he heard footsteps on the steps. His jaw dropped when he saw her. She was radiant with beauty. She was wearing the blue stain dress that she had tried on in the dressing room and she walked graciously over to him.
"You look...amazing," he managed to say, causing her to blush. They were all ready to go. They climbed into the van and off to the graduation.
~~~~~~~~
There were a lot of people at the ceremony. He tried to stay low-key, but had already signed a few autographs in the parking lot. Brian and Heather grabbed a few seats in the back and squeezed each other's hands tightly. All of her high-school memories came flooding back to her. Just 4 years ago, she sat in that very gym, not even thinking about what the future had in store for her. She glanced over at Brian, and realized how happy she has been over the past week. After Brian had explained to her what the phone call was all about, she realized that there was no way in hell that he would hurt her.
When the ceremony was over, they were brought to a fancy hotel for the reception. They found Danny and his girlfriend Tricia.
"Tricia, this is my sisters boyfriend, Brian," Danny said, introducing them. She looked at him and gasped.
"Brian? As in Brian Littrell?" Tricia asked.
"Yea, SHH!!" Brian joked. Tricia laughed and called a friend over.
"Michelle-look who it is!" Tricia exclaimed to a blonde named Michelle. Michelle's mouth gaped open. The 5 of them talked for a few minutes until K-Ci and JoJo's "All My Life" filled the room. Danny and Tricia went onto the dance floor with many other couples.
"Brian,do you want to dance?" Michelle asked him. Brian looked at Heather before leading Michelle onto the dance floor. Heather watched them from afar, jealously taking over her. It bothered her the way that Michelle's laugh was heard from a mile away and the way she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. Her eyes met Brian's that were filled with sympathetic vibes. The song was finally over. It seemed like it lasted forever. Brian rushed over to her.
"I'm so sorry," he said immediately.
"It's OK. She's a fan" Heather said with a shrug, talking a sip of her drink.
"C'mon, let's dance," Brian said, pulling Heather onto the dance floor.
~*~*Chapter 24*~*~
They had danced the night away, laughing and joking as they danced. The song changed to Monica's "Angel of Mine." Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his shoulder, until Brian felt a tap on his back. It was Michelle.
"Brian, do you want to dance?" Michelle asked, oblivious to Heather. She curled the ends of her hair with her finger.
"Actually, I'm dancing with my girlfriend right now," he said happily, spinning Heather around the dance floor. Heather watched triumphantly as Michelle sauntered back over to her friends. Brian pulled her closer to him. Heather closed her eyes. "
"You came into my life
Sent from above
When I lost all hope
You showed me love
I'm checkin for you
Boy you're right on time
Angel of Mine," Brian sung into her ear, giving Heather goosebumps. She looked up at him and he planted a kiss on her lips.
"I love you," Heather said while Brian stroked her cheek.
"I love you, too Heather." He replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~
About an hour later, they were in the family living room, talking about the graduation. Heather and Brian were leaving the next day to go back home to Florida.
"Well, I'm hitting the sack," Heather's father said to them.
"Night, Dad."
Her father was soon accompanied by his wife and Danielle.
"I'll be right back," Heather said to Brian, leaving him to watch TV on the couch. She changed into an extra long Tee-shirt for bed. Before leaving her room, she took a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was wearing the look-of-love. She smiled to herself and went downstairs to find a sleeping Brian on the couch. She put a blanket over him, kissed his cheek and went straight for bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heather's alarm sounded abruptly at 7:30 a.m. for their 12:00 flight. She heard a knock on her door and Brian's head popped in.
"You almost ready?" Brian whispered, not wanting to wake up anyone else in the household.
"yea. We should wake up my Dad, first," Heather said, getting out of bed.
"No, not yet. We should pack the car," Brian said as they walked downstairs. Brian voluntarily packed Heather's bag and loaded them into the car. They grabbed some coffee before waking anyone else up.
They hugged everyone quickly before they piled into the car. Heather embraced her mother.
"Take good care of her," she overheard her father say to Brian.
"Don't worry. She's in good hands." Brian replied. She was so proud of the way Brian handled her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Heather's family watched as Brian and Heather's plane flew off into the sky.
"You know what? I think they fit each other well. They make each other so happy," Heather's mother commented.
~~~~~