The Wedding - A Teen Romance Novel

This is a very rough first draft of a teen romance novel. I just want to know if this is something I should continue to work on or if I should scrap it.

Prologue

There is a visible bead of sweat running down Russell’s temple and into his side-burn. His tuxedo looks too tight, and he is running his hand through his hair-his nervous habit. His exquisite, hazel eyes are burning a hole into the back of the church doors. I know he's questioning his decision to get married at twenty. We both agreed that twenty-five is the earliest we would get married, but things change. He said that age doesn't matter when you know it is love. Our eyes lock for a brief second, and I am thrown back into the memory of the first night that he told me he loves me. "So, you said you had something for me?" I eyed him curiously as I got into his car. Russell isn't one for giving gifts. His color looked a little off, like after the time we went on Tower of Terror at Disney World moments after eating deep-fried cheesecake. "It's not exactly something tangible. It's just something that I want you to know." He looked so serious that I almost laughed. The expression didn't look right on his face. He was a great white shark trying to look nonchalant around seals. Russell doesn't do serious, and that made it hard trying to know where I stood with him. "Okay, what do you want me to know?" He took a deep breath, and out came the words, "I love you." "What?," I asked skeptically. I knew I misheard him. The idea that he could love me was preposterous at the time. We were only eighteen, and I at least had no idea what love was. "I love you. I'm in love with you." That moment changed both of our lives forever. It led us to the very church that we are in right now. All of our friends are here--everyone from high school and college. We have had the same friends since the summer before senior year when we met. They are all smiling and eagerly awaiting for the reception, so that they can take advantage of the open bar. I smile inwardly at the thought. I look up at the priest and he asks Russell if he promises to love and cherish his bride forever. "I do," he says a little too breathy. I flush.

Chapter 1

"Cannonball!", yelled Adi, as she jumped into the hot tub my parents installed last summer.  My copy of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms nearly evaded the splash.  "Oh my god, Adi! You can't jump into a hot tub", I yelled back.  "I can do what I want. You're not my mom", Adi replied.  "Can both of you calm down and shut up?  I think I can see Michael", said Nikki.  Michael is my attractive next door neighbor and Nikki is my boy crazy best friend.  All three of us girls bonded freshman year when we realized we probably wouldn't see any action in high school.  We weren't unattractive, but we were shy and that only comes off as cool and mysterious for a few seconds.  "Stop being a stalker, Nikki.  He has a girlfriend", I said.  "So?  When has that ever stopped me from liking a guy?", she replied.  "Never", Adi and I replied in unison.  "We seriously need to get laid this year", said Adi.  Nikki and I laughed and Adi said, "Come on, I'm serious.  We are three attractive ladies and we are now seniors.  It's depressing that none of us have even been kissed."  This wasn't entirely true.  I had been kissing Russell for the past three months, but I didn't know how to tell my friends.  I had met him last year before Homecoming, and we had become close since then.  He worked at the golf course where I had varsity practice four days a week all summer long.  He lived a half mile from my house and I would pick him up on my way to practice.  He started work an hour before I had to be there, so we hung out at the driving range he had to man.  I was outrageously attracted to him, but I never thought it would lead to anything because no one else had ever shown any interest in me and I had no idea how to initiate that sort of thing.  The day he first kissed was just like any other day.  We were a couple miles from the course and he randomly asked me if I liked anyone at our school.  "Who do I like?  No one I guess", I said.  "Oh, there has to be someone.  Come on. What's your type?", he asked.  "Well, Matt is okay", and Russell mulled that over.  Matt is our valedictorian and star quarterback.  He was pretty easy on the eyes, too.  "What's wrong with Matt?", I asked.  "Nothing. I think you should go for it", he said.  "No!  He doesn't even know who I am. You have to tell me who you like now", I blurted out.  "You", he said without hesitation.  I nearly lost control of my jeep.  "Me. Sure", I said.  "I do. I like you", he said again.  I pulled into a spot at the course and before I could take my keys out he reached over and kissed me.  I'm pretty socially awkward, so I expected to ruin the moment somehow.  He saved me from myself by getting out the car and grabbing my clubs.  He took my hand and set me up at the range while he went to check in with his boss.  I didn't know how this all worked over in boy land, but I thought we were instantly boyfriend and girlfriend.  That's just how this seventeen year old brain works.  I didn't know how this would change things between us, but when he came back outside he acted as if nothing happened.  He joked with me like he normally did as he washed off a couple of the golf carts that were muddy.  Russell gets a ride home from his friend and co-worker, Dan, after work, so I went to say bye when I had finished my round.  He hugged me and kissed me and said he would text me later.  He has texted me every day since then and my friends have no idea.  Most girls would jump at the chance to tell their friends that they finally have a boyfriend, but I didn't want to make mine jealous.  We had successfully avoided common high school drama for three years, and I was proud of us for that.  Plus, what I had with Russell was just mine.  We didn't need to boast about it.  I loved our little bubble and I didn't want it to pop.  "Hey, earth to Stephanie!  I am starting to prune.  Are you ready go downtown?", asked Adi, breaking me out of my reverie.  "Yeah, I'll see if I can take the camaro", I said.

Chapter 2

The farmer's market was every Friday during the summer and our town treated it as mandatory every time.  The cops blocked off the half a mile long street that led down to the waterfront, and all the shops were open for business even though no one came for them.  Every block had a different artist playing a saxophone or a guitar, and every food truck had a different smell coming out of it.  Personally, I come for the grilled veggies and the atmosphere.  Our town has 28,000 people, but when we all gather on First Street it feels like a small town.  We feel like we all know each other and we feel safe.  Adi, Nikki and I make our way down the street, stopping every few feet to say hi to someone we know.  School starts this upcoming Monday, and we act like we haven’t seen our school friends in years.  ‘School friends’, I don’t know what else to call them, but you know the type.  You stop and say hi to each other if you run into each other on the street, but you don’t call them up at 3a.m. to analyze the weird dream you just had like best friends.  I catch a glimpse of Russell while we catch up with Ashley, who is trying to pretend like she didn’t get a nose job over the summer.  I think Russell sees me, but maybe he doesn’t because he starts walking in the opposite direction.  I think about texting him, but decide to just let him go.  My friends want to go down to the water, so I follow them instead.  “Seriously, guys. All of us are getting some this year.  I can feel it”
, says Adi.  “You can feel us having sex?”, I jokingly ask.  “What? No. I don’t get it”, says Adi.  “You never do. It’s okay”, says Nikki.

Chapter 3

The morning of the first day of senior year is finally here.  I hate school, but I love the first days.  It’s a scorching 102 outside, so I get to wear a tank top, shorts and flip flops-my go-to outfit.  Even at 7:00a.m. the sun is out, and I love that.  I grab a water from the fridge and the five dollars my dad left me for lunch.  “Steph, is that you?”, my mom sleepily asks from the couch in the family room.  “No, I’m a robber. Give me all of your money”, I said.  My mom always wakes up at 5a.m. when my dad gets ready for work and she tries to stay awake to see me off to school, but she fails most of the time.  “You picked the wrong house to rob. I don’t have any money”, she says.  This is accurate.  We might come off as middle class, but we’re poor.  We only moved to this town because we kept getting robbed in our old town.  I walk outside to put my bag in the jeep, but there’s no jeep.  I walk back inside and stare at my mom.  “Oh!  Dad gave the jeep to your brother”, said my mom.  “He what? Why? What am I supposed to do for school?”, I asked.  “You can take the camaro”, she said.  “Really? Sweet. I don’t care why Glenn needed the jeep. Byeeee!”, I said.  The camaro was my baby.  It was a beautiful turquoise and in pristine condition, and handled like a dream.  Glenn was my oldest brother, so he had every right to this car.  However, he knew nothing about responsibility.  I know my parents would never trust him with this car.  My other brother, Eric, was also older than me.  He, unlike me, didn’t want to drive.  He had no shame in hitching rides from friends, so the camaro was left to me.  I texted Adi and Nikki to see if they were up.  I normally didn’t give them a ride to school, but this was senior year.  We were going to start it together, and in style.  They rightfully freaked out when I picked them up.  We blasted NSYNC on the way to school, and turned on eminem as soon as we pulled into the school parking lot.  We desperately needed to come off as cool.  As soon as the car was parked,  Matty took a running start at the camaro and then jumped up on the hood and slid his butt all the way across to my door.  Adi and Nikki laughed and I freaked out.   This car had a fresh paint job.  I couldn’t go home with scratches on the hood.  He ran off before I could yell at him and my friends tried to calm me down.  “It was funny. Let it go.  Matty is cute”, said Nikki.  “You think every guy is cute!”, I replied.  Adi laughed and said she had to get to class.  We told her she had at least fifteen minutes before school started, and she said she needed that long to find her room.  “Come on, I’ll walk you to class.  My class is right next to yours”, said Nikki.  This meant I would be left to fend for myself as I said bye to my friends.  I decided to just go to class and get a good seat.  When I opened the door to my economy class I saw Eric baker and Corey Fraiser, who both happen to be friends with Russell.  I sat down behind them to try to score a seat next to Russell when he showed up.  He came in a minute after me and sat down in front of Eric.  I tried to make eye contact with him, but failed.  “Yo, bro.  So, did you do it?”, Corey asked Russell.  “Shut up”, said Russell.  “Oh my god! you bitched out, didn’t you?  I knew it.  I knew you wouldn’t do it”, said Eric.  “I did do it, but shut up”, said Russell.  I was trying to figure out what they were talking about, but I was lost.  What did he do?  “You got with her, huh?  That only took four months”, laughed Corey.  Got with who after how many months?  “becky is one lucky lady”, joked Eric.  “Guys, shut the f**k up”, said Russell.  “What? We can’t congratulate you? You’ve been dating Becky for a long time.  If you didn’t sleep with her soon I was going to have to do it for you”, said Eric.  Russell seemed to finally notice me and he immediately looked away.  Just then the bell rang, and thus started the worst year of my high school career.

Chapter 4

Russell has a girlfriend.  He has a girlfriend named Becky.  My name is not Becky.  I had no idea what to do with this information.  I still haven’t told my friends about him, so I couldn’t turn to them.  Then I remembered Dan’s girlfriend, Ashleigh, and I texted her.  We had a couple classes together last year, and she was friendly enough.  The key factor is that she isn’t friends with Adi or Nikki.  “Hey...this is random, but does Russell have a gf?”,  I texted her.  She texted back immediately that, yes, he did have a girlfriend.  The good thing about Ashleigh is that she doesn’t pry.  She didn’t need to know why I needed to know, she just told me the answer.  As soon as the bell rang, I ran out of class and down the steps to the quad where I met up with Adi and Nikki.  They knew something was wrong, but there wasn’t enough time to get into it.  I told them I would meet them for lunch in the cafeteria and we went our separate ways again.  I sat down on my stool for ceramics when I got a text.  I opened it to see that it was from Russell, and he wanted to know how my day was going.  Was he not aware that I knew he cheated on me?  Or, that he cheated on Becky with me.  Ew.  I told him to leave me alone and he texted back asking what was wrong.  I told him that I knew about Becky and that he could find another ride to the course after school today.  He texted back saying that he wasn’t sorry about anything.  Excuse me? Not sorry that you cheated on your girlfriend and that you used me? Hell no.  As soon as he sent that text, I was over it.  I felt over him and the whole situation.  I didn’t need the drama.  My friend, Will, sat down on the stool next to me just then.  “Sup, Steph?  How was your summer?”, he asked.  Will has been my friend since ninth grade, and I think I understood him better than I understood myself.  It was so obvious to me that he was gay that I was baffled that no one else knew, not even him.  He was always so sweet and nice to me when it was just the two  of us, and then he butched it up big time when any of his guy friends were around.  “It was great, yours?”, I asked.  “Good. Sort of.  Not really.  I’ll tell you about it later or something.  Oh, and if anyone asks, we’re dating”, he said.  “What? Did I miss the part when you asked me to be your girlfriend? Also, did I miss the part where you weren’t gay?”, I asked.  “I’m not gay.  I don’t know why you always say that.  I have a girlfriend”, said Will.  “If you have a girlfriend then why do I need to tell people that I’m your girlfriend”, I asked.  “Uh, because she doesn’t go to this school.  No, she goes to another school. Yeah”, he said.  He spoke like that.  Like he was having a conversation inside his head with someone, but only speaking his parts.  “I’m not telling people that we’re dating”, I said.  Although, I wouldn’t mind Russell hearing from someone that I had a boyfriend.  The ceramics teacher was kind of a joke.  He just sat at his desk and told us to create something out of clay.  No instructions given.  I started to mold mine into the head of Stewie Griffin from Family Guy when Will started laughing.  I have to explain this laugh.  He sounds like he is choking on his own laugh, and he starts coughing and laughing at the same time.  Also, he falls down most of the time.  I don’t know what makes him lose control of his body when he laughs, but once he starts his butt is hitting the ground shortly.  I pull him back up on his stool and tell him to shut up.  He claims that my clay head looks nothing like Stewie, so I take a look at his creation.  So far, all he has done is make the letter ‘L’.  “What the f**k is that?”, I yelled a little too loudly.  “Uh, what does it look like? An ‘L’. That’s right. That’s what I thought”, he said.  The bell rang and we walked out towards the quad together.  We both had History next, so we slowly made our way to the classroom.  Will opened a pack of gum and I asked if I could have a piece. He said no and put the pack in his front pocket. Just then I saw Russell walking down the steps from the math building.  I avoided eye contact with him and promptly shoved my hand inside Will's pocket. He started laughing and pulling away and I made sure to make a big show about it.  He caved and gave me a piece of gum and put his arm around me as we continued to walk to class.  Maya, a friend of Will's, ran up to us and asked if we were dating. Russell was staring at us as he walked by and I laughed as Will said that we were.  A few seconds later I got a text from Russell asking if I could hang out tonight just as friends.  I said we could talk at the course after practice tonight and he agreed to speak to me then.

Chapter 5

Practice was the same as always except the last few holes seemed to drag on and on.  I was anxious to talk to Russell because I wanted to know where his head was at.  There was no way he could think what he did was acceptable.  When the last girl left and the coach drove off in her car I was finally alone with Russell.  He came up behind me when I was practicing my drive at the range.  "Hey, so, are you dating that guy?", he asked.  "What guy?", I replied.  "Will. I saw the two of you together today, so I was just wondering", he said.  "Oh, no we aren't dating.  We're just friends", I said.  "So you're still single?", he asked hopefully.  "Yes, but you aren't", I said.  "I broke up with Becky today. It's over", he said.  "Wait, she slept with you and then you broke up?", I asked.  "No, I swear it wasn't like that.  I told her I didn't think we should continue seeing each other because she keeps trying to control me, so she used sex to get her way", he said.  "How was she trying to control you?", I asked.  "She wanted me to go to the college she is going to instead of trying to join the PGA", he said.  "The PGA? That would be awesome", I said.  “Yeah, it would be and that’s what I want to do”, he said.  “You think you’re good enough to make it?”, I asked.  “Yes”, he smiled, “I know I’m good enough.”  He really was good enough.  He’s been the boy’s varsity number one since he was a freshman and our team was number one in the state.  “I know I should have told you about Becky.  We broke up over the summer and she was just trying to get me back.  I’m over that now.  I want to be with this girl who doesn’t try to control me because she’s awesome like that”, he said.  I was trying not to smile because I was still upset about everything, but he did say he was single now.  There was no reason why we couldn’t be together now.  I wanted him to have to work for it a little harder though.  I’m not sure where the confidence came from, but I felt like I was actually worth something.  “So, can I take you out on an actual date sometime? Maybe this Saturday?”, he asked.  “Saturday is my Grandma’s birthday.  Our whole family is taking her to the beach and it will be an all day affair”, I said.  “Well, what time will you be home?  I could pick you up when you get back?”, he said.  “I should be home by seven”, I said.  “Then I’ll see you at seven”, he smiled that smile again.  “Can I get a smile out of you?”, he asked.  “No, you still have to make up for all of this”, I said.  “I will.  Just smile”, he said and I gave him a small smile that turned into a big smile when he hugged me goodnight.

Chapter  6

I took the camaro to my grandma’s party on Saturday, so I could leave early and prep for the date.  I wasn’t one to get dolled up for anyone mainly because I didn’t know how.  I got home at 6:15p.m. and I raced to the shower.  It took forever to get all of the sand out of my hair after my cousin decided it would be a good idea to pour some on me while I was laying down trying to tan for tonight.  Makeup was a little lost on me.  I put on some mascara because it seemed easy enough and it did seem to make my eyes pop.  I threw on eight outfits before settling for a flowery sundress I had bought on a whim last month.  Russell pulled up right at seven and I walked out to his car.  He smiled and told me that I looked beautiful.  This is the first time anyone, including my own mother, has ever said this to me.  I was a little stunned, so I just smiled and mumbled my thanks.  Russell looked handsome, as he always did.  His dark brown hair was at the perfect length.  Not too short, not too long.  He rarely shaved, so he almost had a full beard going.  I thought it made him look sexy.  His dark, hazel eyes and tanned skin just made it not fair for a girl.  He asked me where I wanted to go, and I asked if we were still going to the movies like we had planned.  He said he didn’t have time for a movie anymore because his dad wanted him to go to his house later tonight, and his dad lived over an hour away.  I told him that was fine and that we could go wherever he wanted.  I said this as he pulled onto his street.  I didn’t really care that we were going to his house because I had been there before.  I just wanted to spend time with him.  We walked up the stairs to his room and he sat down on his bed.  His room was almost tragically ‘guyish’.  The only places to sit down were on his bed and an old couch, but the couch had clothes piled all over it.  I wasn’t sure if they were dirty or clean, or a mixture of both.  He took my hand and pulled me over to the bed.  He laughed as I sat down and he asked if we could cuddle.  I told him we could even though it was still over 90 degrees outside.  As soon as he wrapped his arms around me I started to shake.  I was so nervous about being this close to him, and I couldn’t control it.  He asked me if I was cold and I cursed myself for being awkward.  I told him I was fine and he laughed again.  He put his forehead right up against mine and smiled.  His eyes were killing me.  He could ask me to help him bury a dead body and I would as long as those eyes were looking at me.  He brushed my lips with his thumb and said that he wanted to kiss me.  He didn’t wait for a reply and I was glad that he didn’t.  I knew I would always remember this kiss because of how it made me feel.  I felt wanted.  I felt important.  I felt alive.  This kiss was different from the others because we were finally together.  We stayed in his bed until my phone went off with a text, and I realized it was ten.  I told Russell I would have to get back home now and he said he would drive me back.  We made out for three hours?  It was fun, but I thought he had to get to his dad’s house.  When he pulled into my driveway he leaned in for a kiss.  When we pulled apart I asked him if he was going to his dad’s house now.  “Yeah, I think I have a text from him saying that I could come over whenever”, he said.  “Oh, I thought we couldn’t go to the movies because you had to drive over there”, I said.  “Yeah, I just lost track of time laying in bed with you”, he smiled.  I smiled back and gave him another kiss.  He said, “Hey, about us.  I’m not really looking to be in a relationship right now. I hope that’s okay”, he said as he tried to lean in for another kiss.  I shoved him away from me and asked him what he meant.  “Why didn’t you tell me that three hours ago?”, I asked.  “I didn’t think it was a big deal.  I just don’t want you telling anyone that we’re together when we aren’t.  I just broke up with Becky”, he said.  This was unbelievable.  He used me twice.  I threw the car door open and ran up to my front door.  He texted me again saying that he wasn’t sorry.  What the hell?  I ran into my room before my parents could see me.  Luckily, my mom was already asleep.  My dad wouldn’t notice a post-breakup teenager if his life depended on it.  I wiped off all of the makeup and put on a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt.  I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and went out into the family room.  My dad was watching a rerun of M*A*S*H*.  “Hey, kiddo. You were out with Nikki this late?”, he stared questioningly at the clock over the kitchen stove.  “Yeah”, I lied, “We had an English paper to work on”, I said.  I didn’t have the nerve to tell my friends about Russell, so there was no way I was telling my parents.  I got on the computer and went on Facebook.  I knew that I could count on my cousin, Christina, if I needed to vent.  I sent her a message explaining the whole night and I instantly got a reply.  She called him everything from a douchepants man-w***e to a dickface asswipe.  I needed to be able to laugh about the situation before going to sleep, and she wouldn’t let me leave until she knew I was okay.  She asked if I could pick her up on the way to school tomorrow so we could talk more and I agreed.  I turned the computer off and the television since by now my dad was passed out asleep on the couch.

Chapter 7

Sundays are the best and worst day of the week.  They’re the best because there’s no school and you have every right to be lazy.  They’re the worst because you realize your whole weekend is now over and you got nothing done, so you actually can’t be lazy.  This was an extremely bad Sunday given that I got dumped yesterday without ever actually being in a relationship.  I heard that girls take breakups worse than guys when the relationship lasts less than a month.  I’m not sure how true that is, but I felt pretty s****y, and I’m sure Russell was fine.  I wanted him to think that I was fine, but I didn’t know how to do that.  I could overtly flirt with Will in front of him again, or I could just try to ignore him for the rest of my life.  Ignoring him was going to be difficult given the fact that he was in my first period class.    

Author's Note

Ignore grammar problems. Is this story worth telling? Is it believable? Are any of the characters likable? This is an unfinished first draft. There will be more detail and more dialogue if I decide to continue to work on it after receiving feedback.