"She's not even that pretty," I said to my best friend Jenna over the phone. "Yeah, I know! I think I should've at least been considered, you know? Oh, I gotta go. Talk to you later. Bye!" I snapped my phone shut at the sight of Kendra approaching, a smile worn one-too-many times plastered on her face with stressful, leering eyes.
"Monica," She addressed me with that tone. The one where she seems to think that she has a legitimate reason to believe that I have done something wrong. "Wrong" to Kendra was having a clock, a round clock, one degree too far in one direction. No one could even tell; it was round. "Monica, I need to speak with you."
I cocked my head to one side to give her the impression that I would listen and actually care about what she had to say.
"Yes?" I said sweetly.
"I thought that I told you before that you need to sprinkle confetti on the tables. It needs to brighten up the place but not so much as to take away the attention from Jane. It's her special day, you know!"
I paused before I answered. "I already put confetti on the tables, Kendra." I watched her warily, looking for any signs that she may have an outburst. She scoffed.
"If you call that decorating-" Kendra began.
"If it's not good enough, why don't YOU do it?" I crossed my arms. She can decorate her stupid tables if they need to be beyond compare. Even if I did it perfectly, it wouldn't be up to Kendra's standards. She had a surprised look in her eyes, though she covered it up with annoyance.
"Monica, I don't want you talking to me like that. I'm just trying to make this day perfect for Jane with as little stress for her as possible. I'd appreciate some cooperation from you seeing as how all everyone gets to see lately is your rebellious nature. What happened to the sweet little girl who always ran to me first at family reunions and holidays when everyone was together?"
I never really liked Kendra. Apparently when I was younger, she gave me candy so I went to her whenever I saw her and she thought that it gave everyone the impression that I loved her the most. She bribed a child just to impress her family. I get the feeling that the family in general keeps their distance, but maybe that’s just me. I don't think anyone really cared if the children liked her. No one really talked to her unless they were backed into a corner. As I grew older, the candy seemed less and less appetizing, making Kendra seem less and less cared for, in her opinion. She kept attempting to bribe me with more candy, chocolate, trips to the zoo, even crayons. Crayons. Eventually at one family event, I avoided Kendra and made excuses when she came up to me. Years passed and now I don't understand how anyone could stand to be near her for more than two minutes. It's almost impossible.
"Monica, I'm talking to you." Kendra said impatiently.
"Huh? Oh, I wasn't listening, sorry." My phone rang. "I have to take this. Excuse me."
Kendra looked at me almost like she was in disbelief. It's not that hard to comprehend, really. I don't like her. The family doesn't like her. No one knows how she convinced Jane to let her be the maid of honor. Must have bribed her…I took a glance backwards for a moment to see Kendra violently reject a tray from a server by hitting it, causing the tray to flip around, flinging the contents all over the server…she must have thought of an extremely intelligent bribe. Jane would never go for someone like her.
All the reason more to choose me, I thought. I'm more beautiful. I'm more intelligent. I have more manners when I need them. I have a gorgeous smile. I have such straight teeth. My posture is phenomenal. The dress would fit my figure perfectly. Who wouldn't want me in their wedding? Obviously Jane.
In a daze once again, I missed the call on my phone. No one important, I thought. I slid the phone into my purse, not really caring who called just glad they called when they did. I turned around again and started to walk back towards the reception room only to bump into my first cousin once removed, Hector.
“Watch where you’re going, kiddo.” I said to him. I noticed he was carrying some saran wrap and a fishing line. “What’re you doing with that?”
“Uh…” he said, looking at the objects in his hand.
“Well?” I looked directly into his eyes. I knew he’d be up to something here at the wedding. Hector always loves playing tricks on people. One could only wonder what he would plan for the next disaster at a family event.
One last glance in my direction and he was off. Hector jumped over a fallen chair and pushed open the door to the bathroom. The womens’ bathroom. I was about to go after him but decided against it. I sighed. I don’t even want to know what he’s up to, I thought.
I continued walking back towards the reception room. Confetti on the tables is obviously an important task. I looked at the doors and none other than Kendra came out of them.
“Monica! I need to speak with you again.” She said while walking towards me.
I sighed once again. “Yeah?” I asked.
“You need to help with the streamers, okay?” She asked as if I’d do anything she told me to.
“And why can’t you do it? I don’t see you doing anything but bossing people around.” I crossed my arms and balanced all my weight on my right leg.
“Monica, I’m telling you. Don’t give me anymore attitude. It’s getting really old and quite annoying.” Kendra crossed her own arms.
All I did was stare at her. All she did was stare at me. I don’t think we even blinked. I’m not sure how long we stood there, but my mind kept racing and I figured she was thinking about how I’m so “disrespectful” and how bad my attitude is. It’s not like Kendra’s anymore bearable than I am.
“I don’t have an attitude.” I said bluntly.
“Yeah, ooookay, Monica. Just go help with the streamers, okay?” Kendra said as if she were fed up with dealing with me.
“Whatever.” I said. I stormed off from the hallway to the reception room.
Cut, twirl, tape. Cut, twirl, tape. Cut, twirl, tape. Cut, twirl- I’m so sick of this, I thought.
“Monica?” I heard Kendra’s voice from behind me. I groaned.
“Now what?” I whipped around.
“Monica, I need you to-“ She started to say before I cut her off.
“No!” I snapped.
“Excuse me?” Kendra said, bewilderment shown on all her features.
“I’m not doing anything else! No one can ever get anything up to your standards! So many people will be in horrible moods because of you at Jane’s wedding. You’re stressing people out. You said that you want to make this day involve as little stress for Jane as possible. If everyone here is ready to flip out, what do you think Jane will think? What will she do? Do you think that won’t be stressful? Just leave me alone!” I yelled at her, about to turn around.
“Moni-“ Kendra started. I turned back around and slapped her face. The sound seemed to echo for a few seconds, though I couldn’t tell. It almost seemed like I lost track of time. We stood there in silence for awhile. I didn’t realize what I did until after it happened. I almost started to regret it. Almost.
As I took a few steps back, Kendra seemed to be in pain for a second. Tears threatened to come into her eyes, but she held it back. Soon she replaced the pain with anger.
“Get over here, Monica!” Kendra screamed.
I turned and ran. Ran anywhere I could think of. The bathroom immediately came to mind. The bathroom had a lock on the door. Even if I couldn’t lock the bathroom door, there are always the stalls, right?
I ran to my chosen destination. Jumping over the fallen chair that Hector ran over before, I arrived at the bathroom quicker than expected. I had no idea if Kendra was following or not but I didn’t want to take any chances.
Why did I have to hit her? Well, she deserved it, I thought. Maybe it’ll leave a mark and she’ll be too embarrassed to walk down the aisle. Maybe I don’t regret it as much as I thought.
Pushing the door open caused me to lose some of my speed from running and it made my breath leave me for a moment, and I dashed inside. I ran into Hector while he was leaving.
Panting, I asked him, “What’re you doing in here?”
“Nothingggg!” Hector said suspiciously.
“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and leave. I gotta lock the door, okay?”
Just as Hector was about to open the door to exit, Kendra came running in. My eyes widened involuntarily and I quickly backed up into a stall and locked the door.
“That won’t do any good, Monica.” Kendra said, kneeling on her hands and knees apparently attempting to crawl in the stall.
I looked around. It was a stall. There wasn’t really anywhere I can go, but Kendra was really motivated. To crawl on a bathroom floor is quite a feat. I backed up a step or two, tripping on a pant leg in the process, and I tried to grab whatever is around me to keep me from falling and that just so happened to be the seat of the toilet…with saran wrap on it?
“Hector,” I mumbled, “You’re such a brat.”
“Monica,” Kendra said, retreating from her failed attempt to crawl underneath the stall door, “Monica, just come out, okay?”
I stood up from the numbing floor, disgusted that I fell near the toilet. “Get out of the room first.” I said, “Because I’m not leaving otherwise.”
“I’m not going to hit you. I’m not filled with the need to get revenge. You should know me better than that.”
I sighed. I suppose she was right. Kendra really was a kind person once you got past the controlling side that I continuously got the lovely sight of. I took the saran wrap off the toilet before I unlocked the door, warily eyeing Kendra as she watched me leave the stall. I stood there. Waiting. For what? I wasn’t sure, but I waited. Suddenly, Kendra started running towards me again. I jumped a little and also started running. Opening the door, hoping it’d hit Kendra in the face or at least slow her down, I ran. I just ran. I had no intentional places to run, so I just went down hallways, through small rooms, anywhere. Before I knew it, I was in the reception room where all of my failed decorations lay incomplete on the floor and tables.
Once again, Hector appeared before my eyes. I ignored his call to stop and tried to run to the exit door. Once I got into the middle of the floor, it felt like Kendra caught up and tackled me. I was about to turn my body around, ready for a struggle, before I realized she was still a good ten feet away, laughing. But still running. Yes, she was still running. I looked around me and saw a sliver of light go across the floor. Fixating my eyes on that light, I realized that it was a fishing line. Hector, I thought. Hector’s planning to trip the bride and groom on their first dance!
“Hector!” I yelled. “Hector, where are-“
Kendra fell beside me, grunting. I started laughing.
“H-Hector! You little brat! What were you planning?” I shouted. I noticed Kendra stood up, flustered, and walked to the room where the other decorations were being kept.
Eventually, Hector appeared from behind a table that was leaning against the wall looking quite enraged.
“YOU! You ruined my plan!” Hector exclaimed, pointing at me.
“You were going to ruin the bride and groom’s first dance!”
“Nuh-uh!” Hector shook his head. “Hey, what are you doing?” He asked as he noticed Kendra with a pair of scissors in her hands. She opened the scissors. “No!” He yelled. She snapped the fishing line.
“Noooooo! Kendra, that’s so mean!” He yelled at Kendra.
I glanced at Kendra, noticing that she was looking in my direction. I pointed around the room to other fishing lines designed specifically for tripping the bride and groom. Kendra snapped those as well.
“Wanna throw him out?” I suggested, even though I knew she wouldn’t go for it. Kendra laughed. Well, that was a surprise.
“No, I don’t think we need to. We just have to crack open his head and make him spill his other schemes.”
“What makes you think there are others?” Hector asked, moving his eyes anywhere but in our direction.
Again, I looked at Kendra and Kendra looked at me.
“Well, aren’t there always others?” Kendra asked.
Hector huffed and crossed his arms, pouting as he marched around the building, to show us the remainder of his devious plans.
