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Saturday morning, my mom and I were sitting on the couch watching Steel Magnolias. We each had a bowl of cereal in our hands as we watched it.

"I don't know why we watch this movie. It always makes me cry in the end." My mom said as she ate her cereal.

I smiled. "That's what makes it a good movie."

Personally, I wasn't paying attention. I was a little worried about Kelly. I wonder if her mom knew she got drunk last night at the party. Ryan probably got a hold of her.

"So I thought you were going to stay at Kelly's house." My mom spoke up. "What happened?"

Oh! I haven't thought this through yet! "Um..." I trailed off. "Kelly got sick and you know how I am around sick people." Seriously?? That's all I could think of?

"Oh." She said. "Poor Kelly. I wonder how she's doing this morning."

My mom actually bought it. Victory dance! "Yeah. I'm going to go call her real quick." I stood up. I walked into the kitchen and put my empty cereal bowl in the sink. With that, I ran upstairs to my room, grabbed my phone, and called Kelly.

"Hello?" She answered sleepily.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked.

"Kind of." She groaned. "My head feels like it weighs a ton."

I smirked. If I drank as much as she did last night, I would feel the same way. But I was smarter. "I bet it does."

"And I got an earful from Ryan last night. He promised not to tell mom though."

"That's good." I said. I wouldn't want her to get into too much trouble.

She sighed. "Yeah. I'll talk to you later Riley. I need medicine."

I hung up with her and sat on my bed for a minute. My thoughts drifted to Aiden then. Did he go back home to see his dad after he left this morning?

There was a knock at my door then it opened. My mom walked in and smiled at me.

"Riley, Anna just called me-"

"And she wants us all to meet at her house." I finished for her.

She nodded. "They want everyone there by ten o'clock to discuss some things."

"Okay." I looked at the clock by my bed. It was going to be nine thirty.

My mom left my room to let me get ready. I gathered up some clothes and went and took a shower.

***

"How is everything going?" My mom asked me as she drove.

"With what?"

She glanced at me then back at the road. "With the wedding Riley. How's it going?"

"Oh." I said. "It's going fine I guess."

I know she wasn't satisfied with my answer. But she knows I don't give her details even when she wants them. My mom and I talk to each other, but we aren't very close.  Like I've said before, she wanted a peppy popular cheerleader for a daughter but she got me instead.

We pulled up to Anna's house right at ten o'clock and I opened the passenger door.

"Behave Riley. And have fun." My mom said to me as I got out.

"Will do." I nodded. I walked up to the front door and before I could ring the doorbell someone opened it.

That someone was Kelly.

She smiled at me and opened her arms. "There you are." She gave me a hug.

I walked inside and Kelly shut the door behind me. We walked into the living room and I saw the girls sitting there with a few other guys I'm assuming are the groomsmen. A few looked older than me. Ryan gave me a small wave which I returned.

Not too long after I got there, two other guys walked in. One of which was Lucas. He sat down with the guy he came with and that's when Anna entered the room with Robert at her side.

She smiled at all of us. "I'm glad everyone could make it today. We just have to discuss a few matters that need to be taken care of."

I happened to glance at Lucas and he looked in my direction also. He smiled at me and I smiled back. The cut he had gotten last night was still slightly visible on his cheek.

"With less than two weeks left until the wedding, our first rehearsal will be next Thursday at six o'clock in the evening. It will be held at the church down the road. We will let you know when the next rehearsal after that will be later on." Anna said to all of us. That's when she started talking to one of the other groomsmen personally.

Lucas stood up from his seat and made his way in my direction. Kelly elbowed me and when I turned to scowl at her she just winked at me.

"Hey Riley." Lucas greeted.

"Lucas." I acknowledged him. "How's your face?"

He chuckled. "It's doing alright. How's your friend's face?"

"Aiden is not my friend. But he seemed fine." I told him.

"Okay!" Anna exclaimed. "I almost forgot to mention this, but we will be taking pictures next Friday. So I want all of you to have your dresses and tuxes by Thursday. Maybe before the rehearsal you can all get those." She suggested. "And the rehearsal dinner will be held sometime not next week, but the week after."

Someone asked Anna something and she walked over to them real quick.

"So you're the only brunette out of all five bridesmaids?" Lucas asked me.

I nodded. "Which means I'm going to stand out in front of everyone."

"Isn't that a good thing?" He asked.

"No." I shook my head. "I prefer to stay invisible, if that's possible."

Lucas laughed a bit. "Well good luck with that."

"One more thing, ladies and gentlemen!" Anna's voice rang. "When we take the pictures, we will have one group picture, one of myself and Robert, singles of the bridesmaids and groomsmen and also the couple pictures of the groomsmen and bridesmaids. Which means I have to assign you to a partner." She said something to Robert and he left her side for a moment.

He came back with a small notepad and a pen which he handed to her. "Okay. Jenna and Ryan will be partners since they are the maid of honor and the best man." She wrote it down on the notepad. "Then we will have Kelly with Drew, Halle with Max, Holly with Lucas, and Riley with Steven."

"Hey mom," Kelly spoke up. "Don't you think Riley and Lucas should be paired together, since they're closer in age?"

What was Kelly doing?

Anna hesitated for a moment. "I suppose you're right. Riley will be paired with Lucas and Holly will be paired with Steven."

Lucas grinned at me when she finished talking.

"Okay." Anna said as she finished writing. "Now that's done and over with." She handed the notepad and pen back to Robert. "Robert is going to be making lunch soon, so you're all welcome to stay and eat." She smiled at us.

Well I have nothing else to do today, so might as well stay.

A door was slammed somewhere in the house and we all looked around confused. My eyes widened a bit when I saw Aiden walking in with his leather jacket hanging off his shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. Just wasn't in a hurry to get here." He said as he plopped himself onto a chair. He noticed me and offered me a smile and wave.

Robert walked up to him and crossed his arms. "Aiden, I need to talk to you outside."

Aiden crossed his arms as well. "Nah, I think I'm good."

"That wasn't a question Aiden." Robert said lowly.

"I think I'm just going to hang out with my dear friend Riley for a minute." Aiden said, standing up. He walked towards me and sat right in between me and Lucas.

His dear friend Riley? Where did that come from?

"Hey Riley." He said to me. He glanced at Lucas and held out his hand. "Hey man. Sorry about your face."

Once everyone saw that the drama was over, they made their way towards the kitchen. Robert and Anna were talking quietly to each other. No doubt talking about Aiden and what they were going to do with him.

Lucas shook Aiden's hand. "No harm done."

Aiden looked at me seriously. "Thanks for last night, even though I was a complete jerk to you most of the time."

"I don't know if I should forgive you." I raised my eyebrow. He thinks he can just come over here and pretend we're best friends? No, I don't think so.

"I think you should." He said to me. "You're practically the only person who I can tolerate talking to right now."

"And that's why I should forgive you?"

"Yes." He nodded.

I sighed. "Whatever. Just know I'm not going to put up with your crap anymore." I pointed at him.

He grinned. "Okay."

I looked over his shoulder and noticed Lucas was no longer sitting next to him. "When did Lucas leave?" I asked, looking around for him.

"Who? The guy I punched last night?" Aiden asked.

"His name is Lucas, Aiden." I rolled my eyes. I spotted Lucas talking to Kelly near the kitchen door.

Aiden smirked. "So Kelly got wasted?" He asked quietly.

I nodded. "She said she got an earful from Ryan."

He shook his head and laughed. "I bet she didn't even drink that much. She probably just acted like she did."

How could you tell if someone is just pretending to be drunk? That was my question.

I heard laughter come from the kitchen and sighed. Aiden and I were the only ones in the living room.  Everyone else was enjoying themselves. They were basically all family or were close. I just got thrown in with the bunch and was expected to fit in.

Well, that's how I see it at least.

I looked at Aiden then. "How did we end up sitting in here by ourselves?"

Aiden shrugged. "Hell if I know. Well, I'm not exactly welcome here anyways."

"Honestly Aiden," I started. "You are scary, and intimidating, and frightening and I don't understand why you're around me. We are not the same." I looked him straight in the eye.

He stared at me before answering. "And you are innocent, nerdy, awkward, and not easy to converse with. But we are the same. We are both outcasts."

I guess he had a point there. I don't fit in because I am nerdy. I'm not like all these other girls who giggle every five seconds.

Then there's Aiden, who everyone is kind of afraid to talk to.

"Do you have any close friends?" I asked him out of the blue.

"Define close friend." He said, leaning back.

I thought for a minute. "Someone who you can talk to about anything. Someone who knows the real you and doesn't care. Someone who will always be there for you."

He hesitated but eventually answered. "No."

"Neither do I." I said as I thought about it. Sure Kelly was a friend, but she hardly knew anything about me.

"So, you think I'm scary?" He asked, sounding amused.

I nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."

He chuckled. "I'm not that bad."

"You just keep telling yourself that." I told him. "Do you want to go into the kitchen?"

"I told you, I'm not exactly welcome." Aiden said sourly. "I'm fine right here."

I stayed put and sighed.

"Aren't you going to go inside?" He asked me after a while.

"Aren't outcasts supposed to stick together?" I asked him.

A smile played at his lips. "I guess we are."

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