He left the year I arrived? Michael saw the rationale of why he didn't know this person.
Zoey broke her hug to Nickel and fixed his clothes while saying, "Let's not waste our time here babe. Let's go inside." Zoey then led the way while holding his hand.
Michael watched the disappearing figures of the two. Little did he know that America was eavesdropping on their entire conversation?
--
When Zoey secured that they were far from where Michael was, Zoey bent her back and took a 90° bow to Nickel. "I'm so sorry!" She was apologizing for the act she had done.
"I didn't mean to drag you to my mess. I'm sorry!"
Zoey was still bending her back as a sign of her saying sorry to the guy she just dragged down with her a while ago. Nickel didn't know what to do or what to say, he just patted her shoulder three times and smiled seductively. Zoey didn't saw his smile, so she didn't have any idea what kind of impression she made in this guy's eyes.
After stepping three steps ahead he said, "Come on babe your speech is about to come."
Zoey's spine shivered when she remembered that she needs to give a speech or message to the bride and groom. She strengthened her back once again and tried to catch up with Nickel steps.
--
After Michael disappeared from his seat, America tried to look for him. She visited the washroom, the lobby, the garden and even the back balcony of the hall but nowhere could she find Michael.
She decided to head to the entrance, maybe her luck is there. But before she landed her right foot outside the hall she heard Michael's voice.
America hid behind the post and tried to listen to them, as her emotions were at the brink of its breakdown.
When she heard him asking for forgiveness and for a second chance her heart was pounding really hard, she didn't know if Zoey would accept it or not. But she was hoping that she does not.
America was clenching her fists. There were droplets of blood on her hand, but the wounds in her heart were worse than compared to her palms.
Her heart was already filled with hate and jealousy; she was planning what should she do to separate them again or what kind of dirty scheming she should do to make her not to come back here again when suddenly Leo's best man appeared beside Zoey.
She observed their interactions without listening to their later conversation. She was not in the mood to concern herself with their talk but to watch Michael's reactions.
As she was observing Michael, she saw an unexplainable emotion written on his face, was it because he was seeing his ex-girlfriend's new guy? Michael's face had a killer intent aura going out of his body.
America didn't pay attention to Zoey and Leo's best man when Zoey mentioned that he was her boyfriend so she didn't have the slightest idea about the matters of their conversation.
--
Inside the halls, after Zoey expressed her tear-jerky speech came the wedding bouquet and garter tradition.
The bridal garter is likely the only piece of lingerie the bride ever have removed by her husband and then flung gleefully into a rapt crowd. Whether this wedding garter tradition makes you laugh or cringe, it's still going strong. And even brides that don't embrace the garter toss sometimes wear a garter, nonetheless.
Shane sat on a chair while Leo was kneeling in front of her. Parents with minor kids respectively covered their kids' eyes when Leo went inside Shane's gown. People start cheering and clapping to the extent to express their real joy. When Leo got Shane's garter, he shamelessly stood up and starts dancing after the beat from the stereos. Guests were all laughing at his dance moves. Shane covered her tomato like-face because of the embarrassment her husband was performing.
The host immediately called all the bachelors from the crowd.
The host gave the microphone to Leo. "From the count of three, I will release this garter and see who will be our next groom."
Bachelor guests were all excited to catch the garter as they all aimed their focuses to the said garment.
"One!"
"Two!"
Before Leo uttered number three, he already released the garment. Everyone from the crowd was caught off guard as they didn't expect Leo's scheme.
Nickel who was standing still at the back of the crowd suddenly felt something hit his head. As if an object has fallen on top of him. When he reached for it, he saw that the bridal garment was in his hands.
Alfie, who also joined the throwing of a bridal garment, felt disappointed because he thought that it was his chance to get married soon.
Ladies from the crowd cheered happily when they saw that Nickel got the garter. They then decided to take part in the bouquet throwing to have a chance to put it on them by Nickel.
Leo on the microphone said, "Hahahahaha! Nice catch bro!" He returned the microphone to the host as the host explained the tradition behind the bridal garter and its connection to the bridal bouquet.
Following the sequence, the host later gathered all the women in the crowd. Sweet and Lisa eagerly went to the center field as they also wanted to catch the flower bouquet. Zoey didn't mind the chaos happening around her as she was eating her mango graham cake.
Her mom forced her to stand and took her cake away from her when she saw her participative.
"Don't be a buzzkill, Zoey! Go there and join!"
Her dad didn't know if he should cry or laugh at his wife's action towards their daughter. For him, Zoey was still his baby girl, but she was also in the age to get married.
Though this tradition doesn't really come true, elders in all aspects of life would like to ask their legal aged children to take part.
With no choice given, Zoey stood up and went to the back part of the crowd. She didn't want to be bombarded with everyone's forces.
With the same spill speech given by Leo, Shane counted one to three before release her bouquet. Unlike Leo, she indeed finished counting to three before she let go of the flowers.
Ladies on the crowd simultaneously jump with their high heels as they were 100% dedicated to catching the flowers. As the flowers bounced on top of everyone one unfortunate girl was pushed by the crowd towards the center and handed the bouquet as it fell into her hands.