Two

Two

111 days until the wedding

Ironic is what it is.

When a seemingly awkward event occurs and your brain won't let you forget it. When you wake up dreading the day because of it, but then you remember your mom bought new cereal for breakfast and the dread temporarily subsides. You like to believe the day won't be terrible until you stuff a spoonful of cereal in your mouth and your brain reminds you of the last time you stuffed food into your face.

I turn the lever in the shower to cold, hoping the cold water will literally blast the memory out of my brain for the rest of the day, or maybe it'll even freeze me to the point where I can be like Queen Elsa and officially let it go.

That's all I really want to do. That's all I'm telling my damn brain to do, but it won't listen. Then again, it never listens. No matter how hard we all try to focus on the bright side and remember the so called 'good times' our stupid conscious finds it more fulfilling to torture us with unwanted thoughts. Last night wasn't even that awkward anyway, which brings me to another thing our brain likes to do. Make awkward situations appear even more awkward with constant over analysis of it all.

Once everyone blinked back at my chipmunk like form for a few seconds last night Aubrey's fiancé, Benjamin, or Ben, Cooper, being the incredibly sweet guy he is and completely unfazed by the situation at hand, immediately introduced arrogant jogger guy as Nathaniel Graham.

In return, Nate, as jogger guy was quick to correct Ben, then flashed me with a grin that most likely appeared friendly to everyone else, but I only knew the true meaning of it. His grin meant that I was the girl that spilt my frappe on him, and in return got frappe down my own shirt.

As I continued to stare back at Nate's grin, and gathered my analysis of it, Ben continued to introduce me and once he was done I, in turn, sent Nate a closed mouth smile of my own, that proved to be cheekier than I intended because my cheeks were full. Honestly, I think the whole situation was just plain old cheeky and by cheeky, I mean peachy in the most sarcastic way possible.

"Hey, Avery."

A screech tumbles out of my lips as the block of white soap slips from my fingers. I quickly pick it up before shutting the water off and pushing my naked body into the back left corner of the shower.

"What the hell, Aubrey?"

"Oh, calm down. I didn't see anything."

I glance over my shoulder only to find my sister looking at herself in the mirror, promptly blocking my body out with her own. She messes with her wavy red hair that happens to be just about a shade darker than mine and also a few inches shorter.

Once she's satisfied, she sighs. "I just wanted to ask you a question."

"And you couldn't wait two seconds?"

My older sister brushes my question off with a wave of her hand as she opens up the mirror that also acts as a cabinet door, and pulls out a bottle of perfume. "I was just wondering if you wanted to be my maid of honor."

I automatically snort out a laugh, but then quickly clamp my lips shut when her words are officially registered by my brain.

"Are you serious?" I ask wanting to make sure that she really is.

"Yes." She nods back at me in the mirror and that's when I turn back around, realizing I was facing her in all my naked glory. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I—" I start, but then lean my head against the cool tiles lining the wall. "I just thought you'd ask Brenna, or Sasha."

"No." She waves her hand again and places the bottle of perfume back in its rightful place. "You're my sister and I wanted you to do it. I mean"—she lets out a little laugh as she heads back towards the door—"unless you don't want to."

"No—" I quickly cut in before shaking my head. "I mean, yes. Yes, I want to."

"Good." She laughs again before retreating out of the room.

I flick the water on and finish washing myself before pushing open the heavy glass door to the shower. I stretch my body as far as it can go to grab the towel I left on the counter, refusing to step out of the shower without drying my feet. The bathroom can be a real slip n' slide if you know what I mean.

After securing my towel around myself, I quickly pad back down the hall to my bedroom all the while hearing Aubrey's laugh bouncing off the walls.

Aubrey and I have always been close, but once she left for college, and then eventually met Ben, we both drifted to a place where we don't really know how to address each other sometimes. It also doesn't help that she's twenty-five going on twenty-six and already seems to have her life figured out while here I am, still tripping through mine, sometimes literally.

That's another reason why I'm surprised she asked me to be her maid of honor. Originally, my only fear for this wedding was tripping down the aisle as a solo bridesmaid, but now I could possibly screw up something else and I really don't want to do that.

At the end of the day I love Aubrey, and after three years of them dating, I can officially say I love Ben too. She's a perfectionist determined to be her best, while he believes doing your best is already as perfect as it gets. Put them together and you get two people who are completely and totally in love. They are the type of people that can be in the middle of the biggest screaming match, but not even realize they're holding hands. Believe me, I've seen it and that is exactly why they deserve the best.

So, I suppose if I have to make a few center pieces, stamp a few invitations, or even plan a few get-togethers then I'll do it. I just can't promise I won't suck at it though.

****

"You do realize dad is on that couch right?"

At the sound of his theoretical name, my dad's eyes pop open. He tries to assess the situation at hand with sleep glazed eyes while my mom lets out a huff, and stops attempting to push the long couch located in the middle of our living room.

After taking another glance around the room I find that the couch isn't the only thing discombobulated. The coffee table has been strewn off to the corner of the carpet, the carpet is crooked and half rolled up due to having the love-seat shoved into it and the long couch is now crooked seeing as my mom attempted to move it further out of the way.

"What's going on?" I try to sound serious, but a laugh bubbles out of my lips before I can stop it.

My mom sighs and brings a hand up to her forehead as she realizes the mess that has now replaced our den. "Grandma Josephine just called and said she's now coming to stay with us."

"My mother's coming?" my dad asks as he's now sitting up right, but still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that he's no longer napping.

"Yes," my mom hisses, but then goes over to move the smaller table that usually rests alongside the two person love-seat. "It's supposed to be a surprise for Aubrey because she supposedly canceled her trip to Ireland." My mom abruptly drops the table in front of the mantel piece, just below the television. "So she can help plan for the wedding." My mom uses air quotes which only emphasizes her disdain towards the whole situation.

My dad chuckles. "But you love my mother."

"I know." My mom sighs again before gesturing for me to help her move the coffee table further off the carpet and out of the way. "But she can be so critical."

My dad snorts as he stands up. "She's critical of me, not you."

"Yes, but she still always has something to say." Now that my dad's up, my mom goes over and starts pushing the couch back until it's up against the wall by the window.

"Yeah, about how wonderful you are, and how after all these years you're still out of my league, and she's glad the girls didn't take after my troll like appearance."

My mom finally barks out a laugh as she turns around, and finally flops down onto the couch behind her. Her natural auburn hair is loose from the low ponytail it's resting in and her paint t-shirt and yellow sweatpants cover all the motherly curves she's always worried about, but I've never been one to take notice.

"I wouldn't have married you if you looked like a troll." She smiles up at my dad.

"I know." My dad leans down, and plants a quick kiss to her lips. "I'm going in the shower." He heads to the bathroom while I plop down on the cushion next to my mom.

She turns her pale green eyes on me, eyes that I've always wished I inherited, but both Aubrey and I got stuck with our dad's plain brown.

"I love your grandmother, but she drives me crazy." It's a line I've heard from my mom all my life and yet it makes me laugh just the same.

"She drives us all crazy," I say staring back at her before pointing my finger in her direction. "Just don't buy any diet soda."

"Oh." My mom huffs before pushing herself back up. "Never again."

****

I stumble for a second as the front of my flip flop rolls under my foot, but since that happens to be the fourth time that's happened in the past hour, I decide to take them off. I make my way over to the sliding glass door and chuck the hazardous shoes inside the house before turning back around.

The red plastic cup in my hand remains poised in front of my chest as I let my eyes wander around my backyard. Even though I'm twenty-two, the only thing my cup contains is iced tea because I've never really enjoyed the taste of alcohol. Unless it's a fruity wine cooler, or even better, spiked eggnog. Even so, since my parents have never been big drinkers, it's something I've rarely been around accept for the occasional house party, which happens to be going on right now. But I suppose it can be considered more of a backyard barbecue engagement party. A party that's a few weeks late, but really it's just a get together with the entire bridal party now that everyone who's in it has been established.

My eyes land on Grandma Josephine who arrived a few hours ago, and I know she definitely doesn't have iced tea in the wine glass she's been unashamedly tipping back. Eighty years old and she's still got the spirit of a twenty-year-old. Just by reading her lips, I can practically hear the words she's currently spewing off to one of Ben's dads. It's the same story she's told almost a billion times at almost every family gathering. The one where she met Angelina Jolie and Bratt Pitt at a local grocery store and by met, she really means she stood behind them in line, which is still cool, but it may, or may not even be true.

Ben's dad, Baxter, also seems to be questioning the validity of my grandma's story as his eyes glance down at the wine glass in her hands, but he continues to smile and nod back at her nonetheless.

Hearing the sliding door open from behind me, I step further to the left, making sure I'm out of the way, as my mom walks out with Ben's other dad, Connor, trailing behind her. They both continue talking animatedly to each other, and as they make their way over to where my dad is standing at the grill I can affirm that my mom is telling him how to make her famous macaroni salad. Just like Ben I can officially say that his fathers are some of the most genuine people I've ever met.

They've been together for almost as long as my parents, and on the outside appear to be complete opposites. Baxter is a buff, burly looking guy, with a bald head that happens to be shiner than my future. Connor, on the other hand, has dirty-blonde hair, naturally sun-kissed skin, and who always seems to be sporting a country club look with brightly colored polo shirts and tennis shoes. You'd never expect them to be together, but just like Aubrey and Ben, they're perfect for each other.

And I think the best part is, aside from the fact that they adore Aubrey as much as my parents adore Ben, they happen to be gynecologists.

That's right. B&C's GYN.

I bring my cup up to my lips and go to take a sip of my drink only to have the liquid completely miss my mouth. Iced tea and ice cubes fall into the front of the blue romper I threw on for the occasion.

"Crap," I mumble.

I glance up quickly to make sure no one's watching before turning around and pulling the chiffon material away from my chest. I shake it, shaking out all the ice cubes before glancing back up only to see a white paper napkin dangling in front of my face.  I allow my eyes to travel along the arm of the holder before coming face to face with Nathaniel Graham who happens to be barely containing his amusement. When I continue to stare back at him, he throws me a sheepish smile.

"It's a peace offering."  He jiggles the napkin and I begrudgingly take it from him, turning back around and using it to wipe at my chest even though my efforts prove to be useless. A dark stain has already formed there.

"Thanks." I mumble not wanting to be impolite.

I see him nod as he tips back his own cup in my peripheral vision

"So." He pops his lips after a few seconds of silence.

I bob my head, glancing everywhere and at anything, but him. "So... "

"I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, huh?" He passes a glance in my direction.

I nod once more still refusing to look at him. "Appears so."

That's another thing I realized about this whole maid of honor thing. Not only is Nathaniel Graham supposedly Ben's best friend that I somehow never met over the course of three years, but he has now also gained the title of Ben's best man. Which means instead of avoiding him, like I originally planned to do after everything that has gone down between us, I'm now forced to associate with him even more.

"Let's make a deal."

I finally turn my head, making sure Nate was addressing me, before promptly giving him my attention.

"Let's be... friends."

I blink back at him for a second before he holds out his cup.

"For Aubrey and Ben's sake."

I nod in agreement and at the realization of common ground. "For Aubrey and Ben."

We both tap our cups together, sharing halfhearted smiles, before tipping them back, and I can't shake the feeling that I'll be agreeing to a lot of things for that reason in the next few months.

For Aubrey and Ben.