First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Annaleah Johnson. I'm twenty-one, and I currently attend UCLA, where I'm studying to be an doctor. I'm also in love with my best friend, and right now this moment is indeed very hard for me, to witness his wedding is a bittersweet event for me.
Ever since I was a small kid, James was my greatest friend in the entire world. We were born in the same hospital, which is how our parents met, and I realized he was my best friend when he spilled a bucket of sand on me when we were both three and, after making me cry, he apologized. It's impossible not to love James, maybe I should refer to him as Lance to those of you who didn't know him before he became famous, he's one of the gentlest souls this world will probably ever know. I didn't realize I was in love with him until it was too late, until I couldn't say anything without having it ruin our friendship, which was a relationship that I thought was too good of a thing to risk.
But here I am, attending the wedding of the man I love and I'm not going to be the one who will be walking down the aisle on my father's arm. I won't be the one who looks up into his face and says those vows that I always thought I would say to him. It will be another girl. One who, I dare to say, better make my heartache worth it for Lance's sake.
Diane comes out of the house, waving happily at me as she rushes towards me and gives me a huge hug. I hug her back, memories of good times washing over me.
"Leah, baby, you look great!" Diane said, stepping back from me.
"Hey, Aunt Diane." I said. My heartbreak, for the moment, was temporarily forgotten. She smiled brightly.
"Oh everything's been so hectic lately!" She said, waving her arms around as she described the wedding plans. "I'm so glad you came," She said smiling, "Lance could barely stop jumping with excitement when he told me you'd be here. But you are a day early." She added.
"Yeah, I know. I hope that's not a problem-"
"No, no, of course not!" She answered quickly, pulling me into the house, "it's just that everyone will be so surprised to see you!" She walked over to the stairs, "Ford! Leah's here! Help her bring her luggage in!" Lance's younger brother, Ford, comes rushing down the stairs, his face flushed.
"Leah!" He yelled excitedly, giving me a hug. I laughed, "Wow, you got a lot taller since I last saw you!" I said, awed at how much taller he seemed. It seemed like ages since I'd last seen him, last babysat for him.
"I know," He said grinning, and I couldn't help but notice that his grin was identical to Lance's, although he was much tanner.
"Go and get her stuff outside," Diane said, shaking her head as Ford jogged energetically outside. "I don't know where he gets it from." She said with a sigh.
"Did I smell your cookies when I got here?" I asked her, smiling mischieviously.
"You bet," She said, "freshly baked." I followed her into the kitchen, and took a big bite out of one of the cookies that she handed me. I heard a crash near the front door, and cringed, thinking that it was Ford who had dropped one of my bags.
"Ford, are you okay?" I asked, heading out of the kitchen to the door while Diane went back to her cooking. My mouth dropped when I saw Lance standing there, a parcel under his left arm, looking at me with an expression of puzzlement.
"Leah? What are you doing here?" He asked, his face breaking into a large smile as he embraced me. I savored the moment, but made sure to pull away.
"I came a day early. Thought I'd surprise you guys." I said, feeling suddenly shy.
"That's great!" He said, "the guys just got here too, they're getting their stuff out of my car."
"Really? That's awesome!" I said, glancing out the door. After Lance joined N Sync, I got to know the guys pretty well.
"I can't wait for you to meet Janie," Lance said to me excitedly. I felt my good mood dissipitate as I remembered the bride-to-be.
"Me neither." I replied.
"I hope you like her, she'll be here in a little while," He added, his green eyes sparkling.
"Well, if you love her, she must be great," I said, meaning it. JC, Chris, Justin, and Joey entered the house, and we all exchanged hugs and greetings. They all looked great, I noted, and Lance was positively glowing, the smile on his face broad.
"Lance!" Diane called from the kitchen, "Janie's on the phone!"
"Alright!" Lance called back, "how about you guys go into the living room? I'll be back in a second."
"Okay." We all headed into the living room, where I instantly plopped down onto the large couch in the center. Chris and Justin both rushed to get the next available seat, and ended up arguing over it, while Joey adeptly grabbed it.
Lance came back into the room a minute later, "Janie's coming over in like 5 minutes, Leah." He told me, "oh yeah," he said, retrieving the parcel he left near the front door. "What do you guys think of what I got her?" He pulled out an exquisitely carved statue of two figures, a man and woman, holding each other. Their gazes were fixed on each other, and the expressions on their face has been painstaking carved, the love evident on the cold stone. The woman's long hair swirled around the two of them, and I held back tears as I looked at it.
"It's beautiful." I murmured.
"Aww, she's gonna do the chick thing and cry," Justin complained, then yelped in pain when I socked him.
"Am not!" I said indignantly, happy for the distraction. The doorbell rang, and Lance went to go and answer it. He came back with a girl, their arms laced together.
Janie was not how I would picture her to be. It's much easier to hate someone when you think of them as the drop-dead gorgeous model, the one who would make any guy swoon, one with an advantage over you that just wasn't fair.
She was beautiful, but her beauty was contained, not the glamorous yet trashy beauty of some fashion models. Her green eyes glittered intelligently as she smiled shyly at everyone. "Leah, this is Janie. Janie, this is my best friend, Leah." Lance said, introducing us. Her eyes lit up recognition.
"Lance talks about you all the time," She said, and instead of giving me a formal handshake, she gave me a sisterly hug. I felt myself immediately warming up to her, while inside I was in inner turmoil. Moments ago, I'd been seriously thinking about telling Lance, tell him to end the entire thing because I was in love with him and we were supposed to be together. But, looking at Janie and the way he smiled fondly at her and she at him, I couldn't do it. It was something you just don't interfere with, and as his best friend I just couldn't make the greatest moment of his life into a disaster for my own selfish wants.
After dinner, Janie had to leave. She gave me another hug, one which I gladly returned, and Lance walked her to her car before joining me on the swinging porch bench.
"Well? What do you think of her?" He asked me, watching her drive away.
"She's great." I answered, "she's a really nice person."
"Yeah, I know," He said, then turned to look at me, his green eyes serious, "What you think of her really means a lot to me, Leah. I appreciate it."
I returned his gaze, innerly peaceful, and smiled, "Thanks, James." We both turned out attention back to the street, watching the neighborhood kids play. A small girl and boy sat in a sand box in front of one of the houses, both digging intently in the sand.
"I love you, Poofoo." I said, using words that I knew that, from then on, I'd never be able to say again the way I'd wanted to.
"I love you too, Leah." He replied. We continued to swing on the bench. We swung until the sun set. We swung until I felt completely at peace with myself.