~Dedicated to weddings and happily ever afters'~

Chapter Thirty-Five

It was the day of mum’s wedding and to say that everything wasn’t running smoothly would have been a huge understatement. Mum was panicking and had that whole crazed bride look going on. It all started this morning when we arrived at the hotel only to find out that the woman who was supposed to book us a hotel suite had left it until the last minute and so we; ‘we’ being the bridal party, arrived at the hotel all happy and naturally asked for our hotel suite and after much confusion and of course mum yelling insults that brought up the front desk’s secretary’s love life, we were ushered to the ‘room’ that had been booked for us.

And the room was tiny. It was nothing more than just a single room with a bed and a dresser with the view of the car park below us along with a bathroom so tiny, you couldn’t even fit a makeup kit in there. So the day had started out badly, heck it started out great if you considered what happened afterwards. Mum’s dress had gone ‘missing’ after a while and since no one really knew where it was, mum had another panic attack which resulted in tears and a lot of calming down from her best friend Kelly.

It turned out that the wedding planner had assigned Kelly on bringing the dress to the hotel but Kelly didn’t get the memo and so I was forced to take Holly with me as we went to pick up mum’s dress from the bridal store. Of course after we explained who we were, the woman at the bridal store pointed out the rest of the blue, bridesmaid dresses that were also on Kelly’s to-do list and Holly and I had to lug around heavy plastic bags filled with dresses to the car before rushing back to the hotel.

By the time Holly and I got back to the hotel, mum felt and looked terrible. Her hair was half done and her makeup was taking forever and for the first time since hearing about her marriage to Jeff, I wondered if my mother planning this wedding with her wedding-planner was as fun as she made it to be. Kelly took Holly by her hand and led her to the café downstairs and both the hairstylist and the makeup artist went to demand for a bigger room which left me alone with my mother.

“Oh God Viv,” my mother breathed, “What have I gotten myself into?”

“You’re just stressed mum,” I replied before I gave her a small hug, “it’s going to be fine.”

“What if this is a sign that I shouldn’t get married?” she blubbered.

I raised an eyebrow and put on a determined tone, “If you believed in signs then you should have realised the fire alarm going off over five times was a sign you should just give up cooking.”

My mother cracked a small smile before she replied, “Everything’s just gone so wrong today honey.”

“Which will make it all the more perfect,” I answered with a smile.

Glancing up at me with watery blue eyes and a smile of her own, my mother pressed a small kiss on my forehead before she whispered, “You’ve grown up so much Viv.”

I smiled down at my mother as I replied, “I wouldn’t have if you weren’t there.”

My mother smoothed down my hair before she whispered, “I’ll miss you when you’ve gone to college.”

I swallowed a lump and suddenly realised my mother wasn’t just worried about the wedding. She was worried about me leaving. It never really occurred to me that my mother would really miss me all that much when I left because I just assumed she’d be fine with Jeff and Holly. But it was clear that she would miss me just as much as I would miss her. After living almost eighteen years together, my mother was finally learning to let me live my life as my own person.

“I’ll visit,” I promised.

“If you don’t, I’ll hunt you down,” my mother replied with a small smile.

After our heart-to-heart, everything suddenly seemed to run smoother. The hotel staff had relented and given us a larger room and soon everything was on track. The other bridesmaids arrive a short while later and had fitted into their dresses before they got their makeup done and we were soon in the limousine that was to take us to the church for mum’s romantic wedding where she could be Cinderella to Jeff, her prince charming.

The colour scheme for the wedding was blue and silver, elegant and sophisticated with a hint of a laid-back approach. The church was out of town and we had to travel at least forty-five minutes before we reached it, but the long journey was completely worth it. The church was surrounded by cobblestone paving and large green fields filled with small rose shrubs. Everything seemed magical as though it was pulled straight out of a romance novel.

I exited the car and followed the rest of the bridal party to the side entrance of the church so that no one saw mum’s dress before she walked down the aisle. Holly was the perfect candidate for being the flower girl and was dressed in a frilly blue dress that came down to her small feet. Her hair was curled and open with a little flower tiara placed on it like a beautiful princess. She carried a basket with her filled with rose petals as she made her way to the double doors we were to walk out in a few minutes.

Running a hand down my own sky-blue dress, I turned my eyes to Juliet who stood next to me with an excited smile. Unlike Juliet who had left her long locks to drape around her shoulders, I had an elegant bun that was knotted at the nape of my neck. We each carried a small bouquet of white and blue carnations and roses, fastened together with matching blue and white silk ribbons.

Slowly, the music began playing and the double doors opened. I heard my mother gasp from behind her veil and a small smile spread across my lips. Holly began to walk down the aisle as the crowds of family and friends stood. My blue eyes raked over the different faces, staying a little longer on Edward, my father and Amanda before I gave them a small wave. Holly began to throw down the petals as we made our way to the front of the church where Jeff stood in his dark tuxedo and a smile so large that it looked like he was about to become the luckiest man on earth.

After locking eyes with Sean who sat near Amanda with Chris, I followed Juliet onto the side of my mother as we stood and turned our attention to the bride and groom take their vows. Jeff slowly removed my mother’s veil and I found his smile widening as he scanned my mother’s face. The only word that could describe the look that passed through their eyes and smiles was ‘love’. Holding onto my mother’s bouquet, I turned to watch as my mother and Jeff both said their own vows which they had written.

Jeff took hold of my mother’s hands in his as they both recited their vows and then with the final, ‘I do’, they sealed the ceremony with a kiss. The crowd cheered as my mother and Jeff both pulled away from their kiss and turned their eyes back to the crowd who were now whistling and clapping as the couple made their way down the aisle. Holly had found Toby somewhere in the crowd, and she tugged on his hand as they raced ahead of my mother and Jeff to the open doors of the church.

The after-party of the wedding was being held on a private yacht that Jeff had hired for the night. It was his gift to mum as their wedding gift before they sailed together for their two week honeymoon. The after-party unlike the wedding was a lot more casual and filled with sounds of laughter and chatters among the different faces. I had changed my shoes to flat ballet pumps and had untied the bun, leaving my hair loose around my back as I made my way towards Sean.

Just like the first day I had seen him, Sean was as good-looking as ever. His hair was messily sleeked back and he wore a formal shirt and dark pants giving him the whole dangerous and mysterious look. I couldn’t help the quickening of my heartbeat and the way my breathing hitched as my eyes took in his appearance. He leaned against the yacht railing as he stared out to sea.

“Sean,” I breathed.

He turned to me with a smile before he replied, “Lanter.”

“What are you doing here on your own?” I asked.

Sean grinned, before he replied, “Just thinking.”

“Thinking about,” I questioned.

Throwing an arm around my shoulders, Sean pulled me in closer as he answered, “About you.”

My nose filled with Sean’s strong and spicy scent. I felt my throat tighten and my body cry out with joy with every little contact our bodies had. I fought away the urge to press my lips against Sean’s and turned my eyes out to the sea. The moon was shining brightly, a night lamp in the dark waters and it illuminated Sean’s face. It was a handsome face, one that I couldn’t find myself tiring of ever and for a moment, I was just content with being there with Sean.

“Sean,” I whispered, “do you want to dance?”

Sean raised an eyebrow at me before he smirked slightly and replied, “Aren’t I supposed to ask you that?”

I scoffed, “Well I beat you to it.”

With a chuckle, Sean laced his arm through mine and replied, “Then yes Vivienne Lanter, I would love to dance with you.”

I leaned my head closer to Sean’s shoulder as we glided through the different couples. My mother was in the centre, enfolded in Jeff’s arms as they gazed at each other longingly with warm smiles. I felt light and finally just happy with being me and being where I was. Sean tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me out of my thoughts and causing my eyes to snap up to his. I found a wave of emotions rush through me as my gaze connected with his.

“You look really pretty tonight,” he whispered.

My face warmed up before I replied, “You too.”

“I’m a guy,” Sean answered with a small smile.

“Guys can look pretty too,” I defended.

Sean tried to hide the smile this time, but failed as he replied, “Guys who look pretty usually like other guys. Either you’re wrong about me looking pretty or you’re a guy.”

My brows furrowed for a moment as I processed what Sean had just said before I finally replied in a stubborn tone, “I may be a guy Sean.”

A chuckle left Sean’s lips before he nuzzled his face closer to mine, “A guy Lanter, are you sure?” he asked.

I nodded, not trusting my voice due to the wonderfully good things that Sean’s mouth was doing to my neck. To everyone else it would have looked that Sean was just whispering into my ear, but instead, his mouth was pressed against the skin under my ear. It sent thrills rushing down my skin, causing a tingling sensation right down to the tips of my toes which curled slightly if I had to admit.

“I can prove you wrong,” Sean replied.

“How,” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

A look of mischief flashed through Sean’s hazel eyes and I suddenly got his suggestive meaning. I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off when I heard someone clink their glass loudly. I tore my eyes from Sean’s face and found Jeff smiling widely at everyone on the yacht. He was tapping the side of his champagne glass with a silver fork while my mother stood next to him in a much looser and flared dress than her wedding one.

“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” Jeff called over the crowd’s laughter and chatter.

A few minutes later, all eyes were focused on Jeff and my mother as they stood near the stage where the small band hired to play music was situated.

“I would like to thank everyone for attending the wedding,” Jeff began before turning his attention to my mother, “and making this a wonderful day to remember.”

My mother smiled up at Jeff before he continued, “I hope you all enjoy the party and dancing.”

The faces around us cheered and clapped as we toasted along with Jeff. The music started up again and I turned my eyes back up to Sean’s which were bright from the lights around us. He smiled down at me, his eyes moving to my lips for a split second longer than they needed to be there before they moved back up to mine. I breathed in his strong, warm scent before I smiled in return up at him and suddenly everything felt normal and better.

I wasn’t the same Vivienne from the beginning of senior year. I was the new and better Vivienne who still had bad hair days and sometimes needed glasses, but I was me. I was someone who was happy with herself and happy with her life. I wasn’t angry at Dave or Amanda anymore or even disappointed with my own self because I had now gained the confidence and family I needed, but most importantly I had found love in the least of likely places I would have expected to find it.

Staring up at Sean’s face while everyone else danced around us, with the sounds of laughter and music floating around our bodies that were pressed up close, I felt as though I could do anything I wanted. I leaned closer to Sean, as his hands slid up my waist and tightened slightly. I hooked my arms around his neck, my hands coming to a rest at the nape of his neck. I let out a breath before I raised my chin and stared straight into Sean’s eyes.

“Still want to prove me wrong?” I asked, my voice coming out soft.

Sean grinned, his mouth pressing against mine before he mumbled against my lips, “Definitely.”

A/N Alright Geeklings, this is the last and final chapter of Becoming Popular. There's only a conclusion left, so please be patient as I try and upload it soon so I can finally click on that green tick that finally ends Becoming Popular. I would like to thank every single one of you who have read and supported this story in any way possible. It means the world to me and this is one of my favourite stories that I've written. So thank you again :)

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(PS: I've decided to upload the short story supplement to BP after I upload the conclusion)

xoxo

Mona-Mae