"I’m not going to tell Amber, just yet. If I keep seeing you on your phone trying to get a hold of him, or any sign that you are still trying to stop their wedding. I will tell her, and you will no longer be a bridesmaid.” I warned as I left her to decide and walked in. Amber asked me what it was about, but I did as I promised and shrugged it off, if necessary, I could tell her the truth later. I then forced a smile and told Amber that it was nothing and she bought it.
But it was later that night when it all fell apart; everyone knows the story. Charlie set her phone down so that there was no temptation, Amber was going to call Jessica, her sister, and Amber realized it wasn’t her phone. It was in her hand when the buzz for the text from Liam went off, she clicked the button while setting it down and the message caught her eye.
Liam: Dustin isn’t going to listen to you, he knows you are lying. Give it up before you get hurt again.
The look on her face went from confusion, to understanding to shock and then back to confusion. She probably had so many questions at that point, and no matter how much I hated it, I had the answers.
“Why would Charlie need to talk to Dustin just a week before my wedding?” Amber asked looking at me. I couldn’t help it, her innocent eyes begged me to tell her the truth, and as my High School, current and most trusted best friend, I had to tell her the truth.
Everything and I mean everything I thought I knew came spilling out. I felt so bad, but she needed to hear the truth and in plenty of time Charlie walked up while I was telling her everything. She caught Amber’s horrified facial expression and asked what was wrong, she seemed genuinely worried about her. Quickly I saw her eyes shift to Amber’s hands where her phone was still lit up from another text message it took a second, but she connected the dots.
Oh
I thought for sure I was going to watch everything that happened junior year, and freshman year happen all over again, but this time in person and not over instant message and phone conversations. As I watched their falling out happen I was impressed with both of them. The way they acted so calm, there was no yelling, no words that either would want to take back, just a simple, “by the way, you are no longer a bridesmaid, I’ll give the dress to Ashley, and you two are about the same size.” Amber walked Charlie out the door, and as Amber went to close the door, Charlie turned and didn’t even put up a fight. The door was almost shut when Amber opened it again saying, “now that I think about it, don’t even show up at the wedding. I don’t want you there, and stay away from Dustin and I from this day forward.”
There was a clang and the door was closed, I saw the lights of Charlie’s car turn on as she pulled forward and kept going down the street, most likely never looking back. I had warned her and although things didn’t go the way she expected them to, she got what was coming to her, because unless she had changed between junior year and that night, she would have kept going as far as she could before Amber found out.
When Amber knew Charlie was gone she ran out of the room and I followed after her, it was my job as a best friend and a bridesmaid to make sure she was okay. While I was talking to Amber, Charlie was calling Liam.
“Let me talk to Dustin.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you Charlie.”
“Well Liam, it’s because of you that I’m no longer in the wedding. I told you to call me, not text me!”
“Well I’m sorry, but after what Dustin’s been telling me, I didn’t want to talk to you either. I can’t believe you told him that Amber’s not eating, you know she is!”
“I know that she isn’t, and I am truly concerned for her. I just want Dustin to know what he’s getting himself into. I got myself into it freshman year and it was horrible, I’d never go there again. Amber was lying our junior year about eating, and she’s lying now.”
“That was never proven, and by the way, Dustin says you need to tell Amber what you really told him before the wedding, if not he will.”
“Why do I care about that?”
“Because your father and mother still don't know about Brian, Anthony, Hunter, Adam, Carter, Mason, Deon,Devon .”
“Okay, okay!”
“Let me ask you something Charlie… why do you want your parents to think you are still this perfect little angel? They caught you once; why not just admit it all to them? I mean, they can’t ground you, you’re an adult.”
“I have my reasons, goodbye Liam.”
“Wait! Don’t forget you have to tell her before the wedding.”
“Before they say ‘I do’?”
“Exactly,”Liam said with a stern voice ready to end the conversation. At that moment the song that was playing ended and the CD switched songs, a very old song came on, one that the girls loved. It was by their favorite artist… the bridge was the first few lines of the song and as Charlie listened to the lyrics she knew exactly when and where she should tell Amber.
“Okay, goodbye Liam.” He didn’t even say goodbye when he hung up the phone, there was a long monotone beep, he was gone, and thanks to a famous country artist she had a great plan.
Three days before the wedding Charlie started to get second thoughts, but she got lucky and ran into an old friend at church, she hadn’t been there on a Wednesday night in forever, but apparently she and Abby had an idea to visit the youth group on the same night.
A short conversation started and Charlie ended up explaining the entire thing, including her idea of when to tell Amber. Abby could tell that Charlie was getting a little nervous about telling Amber, and when she would do it, but then Abby said with encouragement, “if you want, I’m invited. I can come and do it with you if you are nervous.”
Just then an evil smile spread across her face and she immediately regained her confidence that she could do this. Amber was right in saying that Abby and Charlie were perfect for each other, because their evil methods were just about to come and bite Amber in the butt.
The day of the wedding came and timing was everything if they were too early somebody would spot them, someone that knew that Charlie wasn’t supposed to be there. If they were late… well, a big entrance wasn’t the key in this scheme. They snuck in just as the doors were closing and everyone was being seated, they acted like they were supposed to be there, and were just running a tad late.
They took a seat toward the middle and the wedding started shortly after. The wedding proceeded and Charlie hid her face half the time, and the other time acted like she was supposed to be there, not like she had been kicked out. If she didn’t make her presence obvious things would go smoothly and she knew that.
Soon enough the words came, the same words from the song, “Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Charlie barely hesitated before she stood up, her heart was pounding though. She had something to say, something to admit, and a truth to tell. Nobody said anything; they were standing there with their eyes beating down on her. Nerves were starting to kick in. Amber stood horrified, but there was some amazement to how many buttons Charlie would push. The silence grew and the more it grew the more it took for Charlie to say something. She couldn’t get the words out; all of her confidence was gone.
The girl was manipulative and destroyed any friendship she had, but only to a point. There was always a point to where she would stop so sometime, maybe not soon, but sometime later in the future, she could regain the friendship. She then expected to pick up where she left off, but this was it and she knew it. Interrupting her best friends wedding just to say something, and then not even saying anything, but there was a comfort that came. Abby stood and grabbed her hand as to comfort her, it took her long enough.
Now you all know what happened… and I can even tell you what happened after that point. Amber lead Abby and Charlie out into the foyer at that point, Dustin followed behind. Liam and I stayed and told everyone to keep calm and that it was all going to work out. At that point that’s when the truth came out to Amber. That day I thought I knew the truth, Charlie had stood up because she didn’t want them to get married, but that night when I caught her on the phone she lied to me.
“Dustin, she needs to be taken to the hospital! I’m telling you she’s not eating and I am really concerned about her.” She left a thousand messages like that, that’s when she called Liam she was telling him that Amber hadn’t been eating all night. Well she wouldn’t have known that, but she had made it sound like she was had been there with the whole time… maybe even holding her hair while she was making herself vomit over the toilet. That had been the second low point.
She used everything that happened freshman year against Amber that night. She told both Liam and Dustin that she was in the bathroom making herself vomit, and that’s when I came out. They hadn’t been answering their phones so she was leaving messages so it’s not like I had caught her in the middle of a conversation, that’s why she was able to hang up so fast. When I asked her what she was doing she was hesitant, but realized she could lie about it, because I didn’t know what she was really doing.
If I had found out that she was telling them that Amber was going bulimic, she knew I would have gone and told Amber right then and there, but she held me off for as long as possible. Then even when the truth came out it wasn’t even the truth, so Charlie was able to walk away feeling accomplished with her plan still going.
While they were out there that’s what had all happened, Amber didn’t forgive Charlie at the moment, but she let her stay for the end of the wedding. I never understood that until Charlie told me what had happened. Now that I know I am proud of Amber, but what I didn’t understand is why Charlie left and went back home.
“I want to go back to where it all started and see if I can remember who I was before I got myself caught up in this.” She told me after explaining everything. At that point I was proud of Charlie.
If your best friend had done that to you, what would you have done back to her? Would you have let her stay for the wedding and the reception, would you have forgiven her? What about this… would you have let the story get out? The truth about who you had once been, insecure, anorexic and bulimic? Would you have handled yourself so well? Or that night when you read the text from Liam would a fight have broken out that night? What would it have taken for a fight to break lose, would it just have been the fact that it was your wedding that she was trying to destroy… or would it have taken a threat on your life for a fight to break out? What about the day of the wedding… how would you have reacted if you best friend was the one to stand up when the preacher said “speak now or forever hold your peace.”? New York, you have asked all the questions, and I have given you all of the answers… all except one… which was why Charlie wanted to keep her “good girl” reputation with her parents… that’s something I could never tell you… use your imagination. Why would you want to keep that reputation?
Now I have asked my fair share of questions throughout the entire thing… and I’ve even asked you ask the reader some questions about what you would do… now I have a request. Please, look at Charlie any way you want, you can look at her as a liar, and pathetic, and alone and someone who just wants attention, (which is the reason her and Dustin officially broke it off… supposedly). You can call her mean, and manipulative, you can say all these things, but there will always be this truth. No matter who she is, what she becomes… she will always be one of my best friends. I may not trust her with everything, but no matter what she does to me, or my other best friends, I will stand by her side and she will always be in my prayers.
When I found her that day and we discussed the whole situation, and she seemed to be the same Charlie I had met back in fourth grade, the outgoing loving girl that I used to know. She seemed completely different, we have been in contact, and things between the two of us seem to be back to normal. No weddings to crash, after a month of getting my facts together from her, she gave me permission to submit the entire story to the New York Times. Hope to see you all soon, and thanks for letting me share the truth about the biggest wedding of the year. –Vanessa Lines
But it was later that night when it all fell apart; everyone knows the story. Charlie set her phone down so that there was no temptation, Amber was going to call Jessica, her sister, and Amber realized it wasn’t her phone. It was in her hand when the buzz for the text from Liam went off, she clicked the button while setting it down and the message caught her eye.
Liam: Dustin isn’t going to listen to you, he knows you are lying. Give it up before you get hurt again.
The look on her face went from confusion, to understanding to shock and then back to confusion. She probably had so many questions at that point, and no matter how much I hated it, I had the answers.
“Why would Charlie need to talk to Dustin just a week before my wedding?” Amber asked looking at me. I couldn’t help it, her innocent eyes begged me to tell her the truth, and as my High School, current and most trusted best friend, I had to tell her the truth.
Everything and I mean everything I thought I knew came spilling out. I felt so bad, but she needed to hear the truth and in plenty of time Charlie walked up while I was telling her everything. She caught Amber’s horrified facial expression and asked what was wrong, she seemed genuinely worried about her. Quickly I saw her eyes shift to Amber’s hands where her phone was still lit up from another text message it took a second, but she connected the dots.
Oh
I thought for sure I was going to watch everything that happened junior year, and freshman year happen all over again, but this time in person and not over instant message and phone conversations. As I watched their falling out happen I was impressed with both of them. The way they acted so calm, there was no yelling, no words that either would want to take back, just a simple, “by the way, you are no longer a bridesmaid, I’ll give the dress to Ashley, and you two are about the same size.” Amber walked Charlie out the door, and as Amber went to close the door, Charlie turned and didn’t even put up a fight. The door was almost shut when Amber opened it again saying, “now that I think about it, don’t even show up at the wedding. I don’t want you there, and stay away from Dustin and I from this day forward.”
There was a clang and the door was closed, I saw the lights of Charlie’s car turn on as she pulled forward and kept going down the street, most likely never looking back. I had warned her and although things didn’t go the way she expected them to, she got what was coming to her, because unless she had changed between junior year and that night, she would have kept going as far as she could before Amber found out.
When Amber knew Charlie was gone she ran out of the room and I followed after her, it was my job as a best friend and a bridesmaid to make sure she was okay. While I was talking to Amber, Charlie was calling Liam.
“Let me talk to Dustin.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you Charlie.”
“Well Liam, it’s because of you that I’m no longer in the wedding. I told you to call me, not text me!”
“Well I’m sorry, but after what Dustin’s been telling me, I didn’t want to talk to you either. I can’t believe you told him that Amber’s not eating, you know she is!”
“I know that she isn’t, and I am truly concerned for her. I just want Dustin to know what he’s getting himself into. I got myself into it freshman year and it was horrible, I’d never go there again. Amber was lying our junior year about eating, and she’s lying now.”
“That was never proven, and by the way, Dustin says you need to tell Amber what you really told him before the wedding, if not he will.”
“Why do I care about that?”
“Because your father and mother still don't know about Brian, Anthony, Hunter, Adam, Carter, Mason, Deon,
“Okay, okay!”
“Let me ask you something Charlie… why do you want your parents to think you are still this perfect little angel? They caught you once; why not just admit it all to them? I mean, they can’t ground you, you’re an adult.”
“I have my reasons, goodbye Liam.”
“Wait! Don’t forget you have to tell her before the wedding.”
“Before they say ‘I do’?”
“Exactly,”Liam said with a stern voice ready to end the conversation. At that moment the song that was playing ended and the CD switched songs, a very old song came on, one that the girls loved. It was by their favorite artist… the bridge was the first few lines of the song and as Charlie listened to the lyrics she knew exactly when and where she should tell Amber.
“Okay, goodbye Liam.” He didn’t even say goodbye when he hung up the phone, there was a long monotone beep, he was gone, and thanks to a famous country artist she had a great plan.
Three days before the wedding Charlie started to get second thoughts, but she got lucky and ran into an old friend at church, she hadn’t been there on a Wednesday night in forever, but apparently she and Abby had an idea to visit the youth group on the same night.
A short conversation started and Charlie ended up explaining the entire thing, including her idea of when to tell Amber. Abby could tell that Charlie was getting a little nervous about telling Amber, and when she would do it, but then Abby said with encouragement, “if you want, I’m invited. I can come and do it with you if you are nervous.”
Just then an evil smile spread across her face and she immediately regained her confidence that she could do this. Amber was right in saying that Abby and Charlie were perfect for each other, because their evil methods were just about to come and bite Amber in the butt.
The day of the wedding came and timing was everything if they were too early somebody would spot them, someone that knew that Charlie wasn’t supposed to be there. If they were late… well, a big entrance wasn’t the key in this scheme. They snuck in just as the doors were closing and everyone was being seated, they acted like they were supposed to be there, and were just running a tad late.
They took a seat toward the middle and the wedding started shortly after. The wedding proceeded and Charlie hid her face half the time, and the other time acted like she was supposed to be there, not like she had been kicked out. If she didn’t make her presence obvious things would go smoothly and she knew that.
Soon enough the words came, the same words from the song, “Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Charlie barely hesitated before she stood up, her heart was pounding though. She had something to say, something to admit, and a truth to tell. Nobody said anything; they were standing there with their eyes beating down on her. Nerves were starting to kick in. Amber stood horrified, but there was some amazement to how many buttons Charlie would push. The silence grew and the more it grew the more it took for Charlie to say something. She couldn’t get the words out; all of her confidence was gone.
The girl was manipulative and destroyed any friendship she had, but only to a point. There was always a point to where she would stop so sometime, maybe not soon, but sometime later in the future, she could regain the friendship. She then expected to pick up where she left off, but this was it and she knew it. Interrupting her best friends wedding just to say something, and then not even saying anything, but there was a comfort that came. Abby stood and grabbed her hand as to comfort her, it took her long enough.
Now you all know what happened… and I can even tell you what happened after that point. Amber lead Abby and Charlie out into the foyer at that point, Dustin followed behind. Liam and I stayed and told everyone to keep calm and that it was all going to work out. At that point that’s when the truth came out to Amber. That day I thought I knew the truth, Charlie had stood up because she didn’t want them to get married, but that night when I caught her on the phone she lied to me.
“Dustin, she needs to be taken to the hospital! I’m telling you she’s not eating and I am really concerned about her.” She left a thousand messages like that, that’s when she called Liam she was telling him that Amber hadn’t been eating all night. Well she wouldn’t have known that, but she had made it sound like she was had been there with the whole time… maybe even holding her hair while she was making herself vomit over the toilet. That had been the second low point.
She used everything that happened freshman year against Amber that night. She told both Liam and Dustin that she was in the bathroom making herself vomit, and that’s when I came out. They hadn’t been answering their phones so she was leaving messages so it’s not like I had caught her in the middle of a conversation, that’s why she was able to hang up so fast. When I asked her what she was doing she was hesitant, but realized she could lie about it, because I didn’t know what she was really doing.
If I had found out that she was telling them that Amber was going bulimic, she knew I would have gone and told Amber right then and there, but she held me off for as long as possible. Then even when the truth came out it wasn’t even the truth, so Charlie was able to walk away feeling accomplished with her plan still going.
While they were out there that’s what had all happened, Amber didn’t forgive Charlie at the moment, but she let her stay for the end of the wedding. I never understood that until Charlie told me what had happened. Now that I know I am proud of Amber, but what I didn’t understand is why Charlie left and went back home.
“I want to go back to where it all started and see if I can remember who I was before I got myself caught up in this.” She told me after explaining everything. At that point I was proud of Charlie.
If your best friend had done that to you, what would you have done back to her? Would you have let her stay for the wedding and the reception, would you have forgiven her? What about this… would you have let the story get out? The truth about who you had once been, insecure, anorexic and bulimic? Would you have handled yourself so well? Or that night when you read the text from Liam would a fight have broken out that night? What would it have taken for a fight to break lose, would it just have been the fact that it was your wedding that she was trying to destroy… or would it have taken a threat on your life for a fight to break out? What about the day of the wedding… how would you have reacted if you best friend was the one to stand up when the preacher said “speak now or forever hold your peace.”? New York, you have asked all the questions, and I have given you all of the answers… all except one… which was why Charlie wanted to keep her “good girl” reputation with her parents… that’s something I could never tell you… use your imagination. Why would you want to keep that reputation?
Now I have asked my fair share of questions throughout the entire thing… and I’ve even asked you ask the reader some questions about what you would do… now I have a request. Please, look at Charlie any way you want, you can look at her as a liar, and pathetic, and alone and someone who just wants attention, (which is the reason her and Dustin officially broke it off… supposedly). You can call her mean, and manipulative, you can say all these things, but there will always be this truth. No matter who she is, what she becomes… she will always be one of my best friends. I may not trust her with everything, but no matter what she does to me, or my other best friends, I will stand by her side and she will always be in my prayers.
When I found her that day and we discussed the whole situation, and she seemed to be the same Charlie I had met back in fourth grade, the outgoing loving girl that I used to know. She seemed completely different, we have been in contact, and things between the two of us seem to be back to normal. No weddings to crash, after a month of getting my facts together from her, she gave me permission to submit the entire story to the New York Times. Hope to see you all soon, and thanks for letting me share the truth about the biggest wedding of the year. –Vanessa Lines
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