Chapter 9- Change of heart....?

     I looked back at Melody, my mouth agape. I...I'm the maid of honor? In her wedding? No way...this is...fucked up.

     I stuttered to her, "I thought...I thought Christina was going to be your maid of honor."

     "Well...she's been being an utter bitch lately, so... I was hoping you wouldn't mind being it." she shrugged.

     "What...what did Christina do?" I asked, when I already knew the answer.

     Her voice lowered, "Well...she's been saying the meanest things about you. I couldn't let her keep going on about how stupid I am for making friends with you, so I decided to drop her from the guest list. I don't know why she doesn't like you-"

     She was interrupted by a large yelp from the corner of the room. Shit. I totally forgot about Justin being in the room.

     "I'm sorry," he apologized, "But Mel-"

     I cut him off. "It's time for you to go."

     Melody, surprised, looked back at him, "Um...it's okay J, you don't-"

     Justin waved his hand to dismiss her motion. "It's fine, I was just about to be on my way anyway."

     He smirked at me one last time, and left the house. Thank god.

~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~

     "So how does this dress look, Brooke?" Melody asked me, turning herself around in the mirror.

     "Uh..it's good," I said, glancing up from my magazine.

     I was officially annoyed. Damn. It's been four hours, seven dresses, and ten veils and she still can't decide what she wants.

     She sighed. "I'll try on one last dress." She picked up another dress on the rack and tried it on.

     She came out about five minutes later, and I have to admit...

     The dress was so stunning on her. It was a white strapless gown that hugged at her waist, and flowed to the ground. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle, and her brown hair landed softly on her shoulders.

     She looked radiant. She looked....She looked...

....Beautiful.

     She smiled at me, and asked for the eighth time, "So how about this one?"

     "Wow....Mel...it's...it's the dress. And I mean THE dress." I sputtered.

     "You think so?" She giggled.

     "Yeah...definitely," I nodded. I then felt a pang of jealousy. It was finally setting in...Melody is going to marry JC...but he...he loves me...

     My thoughts were interrupted, as a plump woman made her way over to Melody.

     "Excuse me, miss?" she tapped Melody on her shoulder.

     "Yes?" Melody responded.

     "That there is my dress!" the lady grunted putting her hands on her hips.

     "Your dress....?" Melody looked confused.

     "You heard me! That is my dress!" the lady shrieked.

     "Um...I don't think it is...it was on the rack..." Melody stuttered.

     "So? I put it there ‘cause I went to the bathroom, and I was going to pay for it as soon as I came back," she stated matter-of-factly.

     "Oh...okay then..." Melody murmured, reluctantly handing the dress to the lady.

     God...what was wrong with Melody? It's like she has no backbone! She didn't even bother standing up for herself. I couldn't stand seeing her being stepped on like a doormat, so I stood up and confronted the girl.

     "Um, I'm sorry, we're gonna take this dress," I said, snatching the dress from the woman's grasp.

     "Excuse me?" she snapped.

     "I believe we are going to buy that." I told her, making my way to the cash register.

     "I saw it first!" she shouted.

     "Well...you didn't buy it, now did you? Too late now," I shrugged.

     "Brooke...." Melody whimpered.

     "It's okay Mel.." I resassured her.

    "Don't let me get ghetto on your ass bitch!" the woman yelled, raising her bag above her head.

    "I'd like to see you try." I hissed.

     "Bitch who do you think you are?" she growled.

     "Brooke. Brooke O'Neil." I smiled, cleverly dodging her insult.

     "OHHH!!! So you're that punk ass bitch who's going out with that fag Justin Timberlake,." she commented.

    "We are not dating." I corrected her.

     "So just because you're going out with Justin Timberlake-" she started.

     "We are not-"

     "Bitch let me finish! Just ‘cause your man is rich don't mean a thing, honey. Besides I heard he's been sleeping around with Cameron Diaz again, and you're just a rebound girl." She snapped her fingers in my face.

     I don't know what about that comment made me so angry, but I lost it. Before I knew it, that girl was on the ground and I was pulling out her weave. I don't know what got it to me...It's like I actually cared about Justin.

     Security finally made its way into the store, and the pried us from each other. Luckily, Melody could bail me out.

     As we were walking to the car, I stopped Melody, and asked, "Did you get the dress?"

     "Yeah..." she whispered. "Thanks Brooke. Thanks for sticking up for me. I knew I made the right decision in choosing you as my maid of honor. Christina would've never done that for me."

     I felt the sincerity in her words, and for the first time in my life I didn't feel any hate towards her. Instead, I hugged her and said with all the meaning in my heart,

"You're welcome."