Uncomplicated 2.39: Oh happy day!

     I'd forgotten all about Mom and Dad's wedding when I'd scheduled that date with Joseph. However, to my surprise, they didn't plan a rehearsal the night before. They both say that as long as they're married at the end of it, they're happy.
     So, I go on my date with Joseph. I can't help but notice he looks at me differently. I'd hoped I was imagining it at school. His gaze is bolder where it rests, making me sometimes want to grab his face in my hands and remind him where my eyes are. At the middle and end of the date, I have to stop him from going nuts while kissing me. His hands have gotten very frisky.

     We buy a small lot by the beach and set it up for our little shindig. My parents want a sunset wedding, so we have plenty of time to set things up.
     Guests start arriving.

     It's Little Orphan Annie! She was adopted by some guy called Oliver Starbucks or something. She's the most famous child in Roaring Heights, and she decides to crash my parents' wedding. Nobody minds.

     Many people crash the wedding. Dad is a celebrity, after all. Still, does that mean Helen Jones has to show up?! I notice she starts zeroing in on Joseph, and he looks like he likes the attention.

     Prepare for wedding day picture spam.

     Dad thought this day would never happen. I'm so happy for both of them.

     I start tearing up, watching from farther away. My mom being alive still has its moments when it feels unreal, so the two of them getting married seems alien. Don't get me wrong; I'm happy.
     A smile breaks out on my face when I see Mom and Dad do something cute. My eyes get drawn to Helen's blonde pigtails when she pops her head over to Joseph. She covers her mouth in a giggle, and he winks at her.

     My parents start saying their vows, and Joseph blows Helen a kiss. The NERVE!

     The Maker loves this shot. I would too...if it weren't for the bottom right.
     A bartender arrives right on time, and the reception gets going. I debate what I'm going to do about Joseph. Should I go up and punch him in the face? Should I find a sharp rock, pin Helen to the ground, and shave off those stupid pigtails?
     "Dance with me. Please," I hear next to me.
      I turn my head and see someone I've seen at school, but I can't remember his name.

     He starts dancing and encourages me to do the same. "Just stay over here and dance." I start to turn my head to look at Joseph and Helen flirting, but the blonde guy stops me. "No. Don't even look over there."

     "I hardly know you," I say. Is he Helen's brother? Is he a Capp? I bite my lip.
     "I know," he says, not sounding insulted at all but merely understanding. "But I've noticed you can have a bit of a temper. You don't want to cause a scene at your parents' wedding. Call me your guardian angel." He chuckles at himself.

     "Who wouldn't cause a scene when they saw their boyfriend flirting with their enemy?" I ask him hypothetically.
     "Um, hopefully you?" he questions as an answer anyway.
     Some ways behind and to the left of me, I hear, "So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

     "He just asked her out," I say and stop dancing.
     "Yes, I believe he has," my dance partner replies, and I spin around to go give that Joseph a piece of my mind. "Wait, Anastasia!" the blonde guy pleads and grabs my arm to stop me. I turn to him with accusing eyes, and he swallows. "There's something you need to know. Joseph's and our families are great friends. Our parents have been trying to get them together for years. Joseph has been taking Helen out every Sunday for months now."
     My face falls. "Why has nobody told me?" He's Helen's brother.
     He blushes. "B-because Robert has gone around school and told everyone you're a fast woman. People didn't think the two of you were actually dating. People told Helen, and she shrugged and said, 'Let him have his little tart if he wants.'"
     I jerk my arm free, and he winces like he wished he could take back his words.

     "Ana! He's not worth it!" he cries as I leave him standing alone on the dance floor.
     So, I was the other woman! Is Helen's opinion of herself so low that she'd let Joseph cheat on her instead of dumping him?
      "Anastasia!" Joseph cries out happily like there's nothing amiss here. "Congratulations on your parents' wedding!"
      Ironic pity fills me for the annoying blonde as I walk up to them. "When were you going to tell me, Joseph? Huh?"
      "...fast woman...tart," echo in my head.
      He looks momentarily confused. "I thought I just did."

     I glare at him. "I think you know what I mean."
     "Wow! Look! It's Dyno Marks! I wonder if I can get his autograph," Joseph says, walking around Helen and looking like he'd like to walk away from me too.
     I look at Helen. "You know, you could've told me too."
     She turns her head to give me a scathing look before flouncing off in another direction, headed to the buffet table.
     Now that Helen's gone, Joseph looks me up and down in an admiring way. "You look absolutely gorgeous, Anastasia."

      He vainly flexes his muscles like I'm going to like what I see.
      Boys. Everywhere, they're all nothing but jerks. And to think I'd had fantasies of Joseph asking me to marry him!

     "Don't start that crap with me, Joseph!" I yell, causing the scene the Jones guy wanted me to avoid.
     "What are you talking about, baby?" he asks, looking totally thrown.
     I explain. "With the calling me gorgeous junk! I'm not some bit of fluff on the side!"
     "I never said you were!" he says back to me, still acting lost.
     "You've been dating Helen for months!" I explain further.
     "Yes. And?"

     I'm going to claw his deep-set eyes right out of his head!!!
     "AND?!" I scream, not caring for the moment if I'm disrupting the reception. "And you don't do that sort of thing!"
     "Whoa, baby. Calm down. You're the one that threw yourself at me, remember? I, well, I was going to call it off with Helen the next day, but then, when I figured out you were that kind of a girl, well-"
     I slap him across the face. "I think you need to leave," I hiss at him while he holds his cheek. "And take that tramp with you." I storm off to the newly-constructed bathrooms to go cry.

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Thank you, jazen, for Nick's wedding suit! I didn't forget even though you got it for me years ago and said he needed to get to marrying that girl, something like that. It took longer than expected, but it happened. :)

I could've done the scene with her dancing with that guy better, have it make more sense and all, but I'm already stressing about trying to make other stuff work. Stressing over this would've broken my 'uncomplicated'-ness of this story. Basically, the wedding started, and Anastasia stood off in the distance complaining about being cheated on. I'm like, 'huh?!' I didn't even recognize Robert without his hat. Then, I focused on the wedding, the important bit, right? Then, that blonde guy came up and asked Anastasia to dance. So, this is what I made of it. :)

That's the end of Generation Two! This story marks the first time ever I've made it to Generation Three. True that it doesn't have as many chapters as others, which is probably why, but still. I made it to three!

Pic heavy but fast read summaries of Generation two:
Part One
Part Two

Click here to go to 3.1