Wedding Bell Blues (7 page)

“You're welcome,” Joan answered. “Now go get dressed for my wedding!”

A few hours later the Tanners were on their way to Francie's, one of the nicest restaurants in town that
also hosted special events. On the drive over Aly and Brooke didn't move a muscle, not wanting to mess up their nails, hairdos, or new dresses. Dad couldn't believe how beautiful Mom looked and that Brooke was silent for the entire car ride.

When Brooke and Aly walked through the front doors of Francie's, Suzy Davis was there to greet them. “Hurry up, you two. We have to be ready before the other guests arrive.” Suzy was going to do their makeup there, and there wasn't a minute to waste.

“You both look fantastic!” Brooke said to Heather and Suzy. “I love the silver eye shadow, Heather.”

The girls rushed into the ladies' room, and Suzy quickly worked her makeup magic on the sisters. Aly kept staring at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing how grown up she looked. Suzy was talented—there was no denying it.

“Thanks, groomsgirl,” Aly said with a wink at Suzy.

Fifteen minutes later the bridal party was lined
up, waiting to walk down the aisle. Isaac would be first, followed by Aly and Suzy. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were next in line, with Aly's mom, as matron of honor, and Suzy's dad, as best man, walking together. Jonah, the three-year-old son of one of Isaac's friends, would bring the wedding rings. Next were Brooke and Heather, and then finally, it would be the bride's turn: Joan walking down the aisle with her parents on each side of her.

Aly couldn't believe how nervous she was. “I think I have to pee,” she whispered to Suzy.

“You do not have to pee,” Suzy whispered back. “You just peed ninety seconds ago.”

It was true; Aly had just gotten back from the bathroom.

“You're just nervous,” Suzy continued. “It's going to be fine. Stop worrying.”

Aly tried to stop worrying, but there were so many
people there and her dress was so long. What if she tripped? Aly took a deep breath.

“Seriously,” Suzy said, “whatever it is you're worried about probably won't happen.”

“I'm worried I'll trip,” Aly told her.

“Want to know a trick my mom taught me about that?” Suzy said.

Aly nodded. Why didn't
her
mom teach her a trick?

“You hold your skirt a little off the floor, like this.” Suzy demonstrated by pinching just a little part of her skirt, right where her hand fell against her leg, and lifting it a tiny bit. “Now you won't trip.”

Aly tried it, and it made her feel much calmer. Then the music started.

Suzy tugged Aly's arm, and they were walking down the aisle. Every guest was taking pictures. Aly was smiling her biggest smile and admiring all of the
flowers strung along the sides of the chairs. She felt herself wobble a little, but she held tightly to Suzy.

“Nice job not falling,” Suzy hissed through her smile.

After what seemed like the longest walk of Aly's life, the girls finally got to the front of the aisle. Aly forked to the left, Suzy to the right, and each stood on opposite sides of the judge, where they watched the rest of the wedding party come down the aisle.

Everyone laughed when Brooke started waving as she and Heather walked together.
My sister doesn't have a nervous bone in her body,
Aly thought.

An old Beatles song started playing. Joan appeared. Aly knew it was Joan, but she didn't look anything like the manicurist and baker Aly saw every day. She looked completely transformed. Her dress was a princess-style ball gown covered in beads and
lace. A long veil flowed behind her as she walked. Or floated, it seemed.

“Oooh,” everyone said, including Aly.

Joan and Isaac looked at each other like they were the only two people in the room. Brooke sent Aly a Secret Sister Message:
Isn't this amazing?
Aly started to send one back, but she couldn't . . . she had started crying. She gazed out at the guests and realized she wasn't alone: It looked like everyone was crying happy tears.

Aly glanced over at Suzy. Even she had tears on her cheeks, and Aly wasn't surprised one little bit.

A
fter the ceremony there was a cocktail hour, followed by dinner and dancing. Brooke and Aly made sure to dance to every single song they possibly could, including the last one—another old Beatles tune during which they danced with their mom and dad, all as a group, sort of like a big, swaying hug.

Halfway through, Dad turned and kissed Mom.

“Ew,” Brooke said.

But Aly thought it was nice that her parents liked to kiss each other.

At the end of the song the best man started tapping a water glass with a spoon. Other guests joined in, and then Isaac leaned over and kissed Joan.

“Double ew,” Brooke said.

Mom put her arm around Brooke's shoulders. “One day soon I bet you won't think it's quite so gross. Right, Al?”

Aly smiled. She liked being counted as a grown-up.

A grown-up! That made Aly remember that she and Suzy were in charge of helping Ralph with the food donation.

“I've got to go prep for Rock & Wrap It Up,” she said hurriedly. “See you later.” Then she took off to find Suzy.

The two girls waited outside Francie's until the truck arrived. They led Ralph and his driver, Ari, back to the kitchen.

“Do you need some help carrying the food?” Aly
asked when she saw all the trays, boxes, and bags lining the counter.

“Actually,” Ralph said, “that would be great.”

“Aly,” Suzy hissed. “We'll ruin our dresses.”

But Aly ignored her. She picked up a box full of crackers and a bag full of rolls. “Come on, Suzy,” she said.

Suzy huffed, but then she hoisted a crate of broccoli and followed Ralph to the truck. “I can't believe I'm spending my uncle's wedding carrying broccoli to a truck,” she grumbled.

“Stop it,” Aly said. “The wedding is basically over, and this will only take five minutes. Besides, I think it's pretty awesome that Isaac and Joan are doing this. So many people who might not have enough food to eat are going to get a lot now.”

“I guess you're right,” Suzy said. “That is pretty cool.”

“And it's cool that we got to be junior bridesmaids,” Aly added. “And groomsgirls.”

Suzy slid the crate she was carrying onto the truck. “And that we got to do this together.”

Aly looked at Suzy, narrowing her eyes. “Have we become friends?” she asked.

At the beginning of the school year—or even two months ago—Aly never would have believed that she could be friends with mean Suzy Davis. But now, even though Suzy was still kind of prickly and spoke her mind all the time, Aly had grown to appreciate her. She appreciated her ideas and the way she kept at something until she was happy with the way it turned out. And it also turned out that she and Suzy weren't a bad team.

“I think we have,” Suzy answered, helping Aly stuff her load into the truck.

“Hmm,” Aly said. “I think I like that.”

“I think I do too,” Suzy said. She gave Aly a high five.

Just then Isaac called out, “Don't move!” He pulled a small digital camera from his pocket and snapped their picture. “That's a great image to include in our wedding album.” He showed them the photo of their nail polish shimmering against the Good Knight–colored sky.

“You know what I realized, Aly?” he said. “This day never would have happened if it weren't for the Sparkle Spa. It wasn't until I came in to take pictures for Paws for Love's Adoption Day that I realized how special Joan was. So, really, I have you and the ­Sparkle Spa to thank for this wedding.”

Aly smiled. It turned out the Sparkle Spa was even more awesome than she and Brooke had ever imagined it could be.