A couple weeks have gone by. We've basically gotten everything done for the wedding. Dodie, Macy and I have gone to get their bridesmaid dresses tailored. We've also picked out the color scheme for the wedding, and have decorations piled up in several rooms of the apartment. We've also reserved a five-star hotel room for our wedding night, and have also been working out where our honeymoon will be. The price tag of this wedding keeps growing higher and higher, but I try my best not to worry about it.

Dodie and I sit on the floor in the lounge, folding origami flowers in the color scheme of the wedding. The wedding is is designed to be more minimalistic, but we want a flower arrangement in the middle of each table during the reception, and making them by hand is a lot cheaper than buying actual flowers. Dodie insists it'll help the aesthetic of the wedding and reception feel more modern.

My fingers are stiff and covered in paper cuts, and the floor is littered with paper flowers. Sighing heavily, I lie on the ground, staring up at the ceiling.

"Can't we hire someone to do this for us?" I moan, rubbing my eyes. "It's so much fucking work."

Dodie laughs. "I mean, we could, but that would probably be just as expensive as buying actual flowers."

I sigh. "This bloody wedding couldn't come any sooner."

A few hours later, I stand in the kitchen, gripping the counter as I squeeze my eyes shut. I'm annoyed, and tired of the work. Weddings shouldn't be this stressful, especially when I didn't want this to be so extra in the first place. My head pounds with exhaustion, and I want nothing more than a long nap.

Footsteps come from behind me, and familiar hands grab my shoulders, massaging out the knots in my back. I sigh heavily with relief.

"Why're you so tense?" Dan's breath tickles my ear, and I sigh.

"I'm just stressed," I admit. "With this wedding. There's a million things to do, and after we finish one thing, it seems like two more take its place. I don't even want the wedding to be as big as it is. It all feels so...unnecessary."

I can feel Dan nod his head. "Yeah, I get it. Tell you what, from now on, you only handle the details you want. I'll handle what's rest."

I laugh. "You might have to ask Dodie, considering she's the one in charge of this whole operation."

"I'll talk to her," he whispers in my ear, shivers running down my spine.

"Thanks," I reply. "I would, but I don't want to hurt her feelings, or anything. She's doing so much for the wedding, and I can't be any more thankful."

"It's going to be alright," Dan tells me. "Before you know it, the weddings going to be here, and then we'll be in our honeymoon, and never have to look back."

"I still can't believe I'm getting married," I sigh. "I mean, my entire life, I never thought it would happen. I always thought I'd only end up with the shittiest of guys, and end up a single mom, or something of the sort."

Dan laughs. "Honestly, I never thought I'd end up married, either. But it's amazing, really. I can't remember when I've ever been this happy."

I smile, and turn around to face Dan. I wrap my arms around his neck, and gaze up into his eyes. "I don't think I've ever been this happy, either."

He smiles, before kissing me lightly on the lips. My heart flutters, and after all this time, I don't know how I still feel so in love with him. I never thought love could last this long.

Dan separates from me, our faces only inches apart. "I don't know about you, but I'm really craving some pizza."

I laugh. "It's like you read my mind."

He smiles at me, before stepping away. He pulls out his phone, and dials a number he somehow has memorized. "Hello, I'd like to make an order..."

~~~ a few months later

Thanks mainly to Dodie, the wedding is completely planned out. Thank God, it's finally the day before. My wedding dress is put in a black garment bag, and hangs in my wardrobe, where Dan can't see it. I'll be getting ready in the kitchen, while Dan gets ready in his room tomorrow morning, and I'll have to leave before Dan so he doesn't see me.

I sigh heavily, running my acrylic nails through my hair. I had them done yesterday with Dodie and Macy, and I still haven't gotten used to them. I had them painted a creamy white, to match my dress perfectly.

I'm sitting in the lounge by myself, scrolling through my phone. Dan and Phil are out doing something, and Dodie is locked away in her room, writing a song. I'm bored, and have no idea how to spend the time. I rest my eyes, and eventually fall asleep.

A few hours later, I wake up, and check my phone. Four o'clock.

I immediately remember I'm supposed to be going out to dinner with Dan at some fancy-ass restaurant, and I only have an hour to get ready. I jump off the couch, my hair falling in my face as I run to the bedroom. I begin searching through the closet hastily, throwing things back and forth and looking at anything that could be considered formal.

I finally grab a dark blue dress with a high neck covered in sparkles. I go to the bathroom, and do my makeup. I do my makeup as good as I can, and as I do so, I hear the front door open, Dan and Phil's mingled voices coming from the other side of the door. As I'm putting on my fake eyelashes, Dan shows up in the doorway of the bathroom.

"What're you getting all dressed up for?" He asks, before shock and realization paints itself on his face. "Oh, fuck, is that date thing tonight?"

I can't help but laugh. "Yes, that date thing is tonight," I say.

"Fuck," he mutters under his breath, before walking to the bedroom. I finish my makeup and hair, before going to the bedroom, and throwing the dress on. Dan hastily throws on a black suit, struggling to pull on his socks, and I can't help but laugh. Finally, he's completely dressed, and as he fixes his hair in the mirror, I come up beside him.

"Here, let me fix this." I straighten his tie, and once I'm done, peck him on the jaw.

"Thanks." He smiles down at me, and I give him a quick smile back, before stepping away. I grab my coat, and throw it on.

"Ready to go?" I ask him, and he nods. After putting our shoes on, we leave the house at exactly five o'clock. After getting a cab, Dan opens the door for me, and I get into the car. He slides in after me, and gives the driver the address.

The ride is only around fifteen minutes, before we arrive at an ultramodern restaurant, blue and white lines shining through the door.

The inside is almost completely lit by black lights, and we walk to where a hostess is standing.

"Um, table for 'Howell,' please," Dan asks the hostess. She nods her head, before leading the way to our table. A bottle of champagne already sits on the table, along with two menus.  After the hostess walks away, Dan pours the both of us a glass, and I take a sip of mine.

"Oh, my god, this shit it amazing," I whisper, as aside from the classical music playing from the speakers, the restaurant is basically silent. Everyone looks about ten times more important than me, and I immediately begin to feel self conscious. "Also, I get this weird feeling that everyone here is judging us."

Dan smiles. "Let them judge us. It's not like they're ever going to see us again."

I laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's true. But seriously, you need to try that champagne," I say, motioning to his glass.

He takes the glass in his hand, and takes a small sip. I watch as his eyes widen, and try to not snort in laughter. "Oh, my god, that's shit's amazing."

I let out a laugh, and cover my mouth as I try to stifle it. Everyone surrounding us stares at me, but that only makes Dan and I laugh harder.

We order our food, and try our bests to joke around as quietly as we can, not wanting to get kicked out of the restaurant. We pick out random people from around us, and try to give their life story.

"He's been married to his wife for twenty years, but has hated her for the last seven. He has two kids, but at night, worries that they're not actually his. His wife's only with him because he makes a shit ton of money as a lawyer, and the only job she can handle is being a stay at home mom."

"That young girl is his sugar daddy, needing to make money to pay for uni. If her parents found out how she's been making money, they would disown her, so she told them she has a job at the hotel he owns. He's never been married, nor had kids, and feels like no matter how successful he is, his entire life has no meaning."

"She's a secret agent. After they finish eating their food, he's going to take her back to his apartment, and while he thinks he's going to get laid, she's going to murder him the second he closes the door."

We can't stop giggling the entire night, and it takes us nearly an hour just to finish our meal. The food is amazing, and I can't remember the last time I've tried something so good. Seven o'clock comes around, and we decide it's probably a good idea to go home now. Dan pays the check, and we leave. However, since spring is coming, we decide to walk home. Dan swings my hand back and forth as we walk down the street, the smile never leaving my face.

Finally, we reach the apartment. I wash the makeup from my face, and take a quick shower. After brushing my teeth and dressing in my favorite pajamas, I go to the bedroom. Dan sits on the bed, scrolling through his phone, when I walk in. I get into bed next to him, and place my head on his shoulder.

"I'm tired, but I don't think there's any way I'm going to sleep tonight," I moan, and Dan laughs.

"Yeah, me either," he replies. As I look at his phone, I see he's scrolling through the comments on his YouTube channel. I see all the positive messages people are giving him, and it makes my heart flutter. The support that both of us get from people around the world is something I'll never get over.

"Well, I think I should at least try," I say. I plug my phone in, place it on the nightstand, and turn the lamp off. Much to my surprise, I fall asleep in minutes.

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Hi! I was put on New mood stabilizers and I actually feel really good so I think I found medication that helps! It's weird though, thinking about in the near future I might not have to see my psychiatrist once a month, and might not be changing medication every other month. It's great, though. I'm happy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll see y'all later 💜