I watched as Nathan and his newly arrived friends packed up their luggage in the car. Nathan's friends, a boisterous group of four, had orchestrated a last-minute bachelor party trip to Las Vegas.
"Remember, no crazy stuff," I told Nathan jokingly.
Nathan, ever the calm one, just gave me a reassuring nod.
"Don't worry about it, Daniel. We'll get this one back safe and sound," said Mark, one of Nathan's friends.
However, the smiles on the faces of his friends told a slightly different story. Their grins were wide, almost too wide, like kids in a candy store who had been left unsupervised.
"Have fun, boys," Mom said, her voice carrying a hint of laughter. "But not too much fun," she added, a playful warning in her tone.
We watched them drive off.
"So, are you sure we can't change the seating arrangement?" I asked Mom.
"Daniel, I've told you a thousand times before, the answer is no," Mom answered.
"Come on, why do I have to sit with Nathan's crazy family?" I asked.
Mom said nothing and walked into the house with me following behind her. The thought of being seated next to Nathan's family, especially his conspiracy theorist mother, Nancy, filled me with a sense of dread.
"I could sit with my friends," I offered.
Mom turned with a finality in her eyes. "Daniel, it's too late for any changes. Besides, they're family now. You need to be seated with them," she explained, her tone gentle yet firm.
I sighed, resigning myself to the inevitable. "Alright, Mom. I'll manage," I said, though the thought of enduring conspiracy theories and awkward hugs for an entire evening wasn't exactly appealing.
The conversation shifted to the final preparations for the wedding. It was going to take place in this nice venue overlooking the ocean. Cam had helped Mom find the place. The guest list was relatively small, consisting of Nathan's family and close friends, some of Mom's friends and mine, and some people from the studio. Nathan was going to meet us there with his friends from Vegas. I hoped the day would go smoothly, without any hitches.
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Matt, John, Lucia, and Joanna were seated around their usual table in the crowded cafeteria, waiting for Daniel, who was unusually late today.
"Hey, look who's here," Matt said, pointing at the entrance.
Daniel walked in, laughing along with Haley.
Lucia glanced at Joanna. She observed a subtle shift in her expression, a fleeting shadow that passed over her face before she masked it with a neutral smile.
Matt turned to John with a grin. "Look at him; he's all grown up," he teased.
At the time, Daniel was telling Haley about his mother's wedding.
"Oh, what are you planning to wear?" she asked.
Pulling out his phone, Daniel swiped to a photo of an outfit he had picked out. Haley leaned in to look. Her eyes lit up with approval. "Wow, that looks really sharp."
"I have you to thank for my new fashion choices, really. You've got an eye for this stuff," Daniel said.
They soon went their separate ways, with Daniel heading towards his friends. He sat down with them and noticed the looks they were giving him.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," Matt and John said together.
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Murphy's law states that 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong'; it has an extended line which says 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.'
We had arrived at the venue where the wedding was taking place. Mom was busy preparing, so when she asked me to check in on Nathan and his friends, who had returned from Vegas,so I went and did just that.
I was a bit on edge as I wanted to make sure nothing went wrong and everything went smoothly. I wanted this day to be perfect for mom.
I made my way to Nathan's room and knocked on the door. I could hear some people whispering in there.
"Hey, it's me, Daniel. Open the door," I called out.
The door opened, and I saw Nathan's friends there. They looked very nervous.
"Where's Nathan?" I asked.
One of his friends nodded towards the bed; he couldn't meet my eyes.
The sight that greeted me was not what I had expected. Nathan was sprawled out on his bed, completely passed out, with a noticeable tan that seemed out of place.
"What happened? Why is he still asleep? Why does he have a tan? Wait, is he sunburnt?" I asked in quick succession, trying to piece together what had happened.
His friends exchanged sheepish glances before one of them spoke up. "Well, it's kind of a long story," he started, hesitating. "Let's just say we had a bit too much fun in Vegas."
They recounted the events of what had happened. It sounded like something straight out of a movie: accidental drug use, unexpected mishaps, a spontaneous tattoo, and a series of increasingly improbable events that led to Nathan's current state.
"Wait, a tattoo? Where?" I asked.
Mark went and pulled down Nathan's pants a bit, and there it was. The man had gotten a tramp stamp with Mom's name on it.
"Oh my God, this can't be happening right now," I said, starting to freak out a bit.
I approached the passed-out Nathan and tried to wake him up, but the man was just unresponsive. His skin was a bright shade of red from the sunburn, and he was mumbling incoherently in his sleep.
I heard one of his friends joke that maybe they should do a 'Weekend at Bernie's' if Nathan doesn't wake up on time.
That was the last straw.
"Are you kidding me right now?" I exclaimed, frustration boiling over.
"You think this is funny?" I asked.
"Today is my mom's day, and I won't allow you or anyone else to spoil it for her."
"If this man isn't awake and at the altar when the ceremony begins, I promise you, with every ounce of power I have, I will make sure every one of your lives is ruined. Believe me when I say, gentlemen, I will turn your worlds upside down."
The room fell silent at my threat, the gravity of the situation finally dawning on Nathan's friends. They exchanged guilty looks, realizing the severity of the situation.
One of Nathan's friends, now looking more serious, nodded in agreement. "You're right, Daniel. We were out of line. Let's figure this out."
"One of you put him in a cold shower; maybe that will sober him up. I'm going to get some coffee or something that might help," I said.
Leaving Nathan's friends to tend to him, I hurried off in search of a remedy. The wedding was just hours away.
As I was walking away from the room, I saw Matt walking around with John.
"Hey," I called out.
"Hey," they answered back.
"Come with me; I need your help," I said as I filled them in on what was happening.
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With Matt and John now filled in on the situation, Matt suggested we grab some strong coffee and energy drinks, hoping the caffeine and sugar rush might snap Nathan back to reality. John, having a bit of medical knowledge, recommended looking for electrolyte packets in the hotel to help with Nathan's hydration and possibly alleviate some effects of the hangover.
We split up, with Matt and John heading to gather the necessary supplies while I went back to check on Nathan's progress. Upon returning, I found Nathan's friends attempting to rouse him by putting him in a shower.
That seemed to work as Nathan slowly regained consciousness, but then he went back to sleep in the shower.
"Maybe we should call a doctor or something," I suggested.
"No, no, this has happened before but not to this extent," Mark answered.
When Matt and John returned, we tried their methods as well. When that didn't work, we looked up unconventional methods on the internet. The coffee seemed to half work as Nathan seemed more awake now.
My phone rang, and I looked to see it was Mom.
"Yeah, Mom, yeah, I'm with him. Everything is alright," I answered.
She asked me if she could speak with Nathan.
"He is in the bathroom now, umm… I'll call you back later," I said, cutting the call.
"Well, at least he is speaking now," Matt said.
"The man can barely walk. How is he supposed to get married in an hour?" I yelled out.
"Calm down, Danny," John said.
I was starting to freak out a bit.
"Maybe we should do 'Weekend at Nathan's'. It looks like that is our only solution," I was staring sound a bit hysterical .
"No, no," I said holding my head.
"I need a drink. Yes, I need a drink; that will help," I said as I walked out of the room.
As I was walking away from the room to calm myself, I bumped into someone. I looked to see it was Tiffany, Nathan's sister. She had a drink in her hands.
"Is that alcohol?" I asked.
"Of course," she answered.
I grabbed it from her hands and gulped it down.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" she exclaimed.
"I needed that," I said.
"What's going on?" she asked.
I told her what was happening, explaining the dire situation we found ourselves in.
Her initial reaction was one of amusement. "Classic," she said, shaking her head with a smirk.
"I don't know what to do…" I began rambling, but she stopped me by putting her finger on my lips.
"Say no more," Tiffany interrupted, her tone confident. "I've got just the thing. Lead the way."
Puzzled but hopeful, I led her back to Nathan's room, where everyone was still trying to sober Nathan up.
They saw Tiffany and me enter.
"Hey, Tiff," one of Nathan's friends greeted.
"Out of the way, boys," she commanded.
She looked at Nathan's prone form and rummaged through her purse, pulling out a small bottle of what appeared to be some kind of concoction. With the precision of a seasoned pro, she managed to administer a few drops of it onto Nathan's tongue.
To everyone's astonishment, Nathan quickly sat up.
"What happened? What's in my mouth?" he said as he threw up on the floor.
"How did you do that?" one of Nathan's friends asked, wide-eyed.
"A trade secret," Tiffany replied with a wink. "Now, let's get this groom ready for his big day."
"What time is it? I have to get ready," Nathan said, still a bit woozy.
"Is that a tramp stamp?" Tiffany asked.
"What?" Nathan said as he looked at his behind in the mirror.
"What the fuck, when did I get that?" Nathan said, freaking out.
"Look, we have an hour till the ceremony begins. We need to get you ready," I said, reminding everyone.
We quickly sprang into action, each person taking on a specific task to ensure Nathan was wedding-ready.
We got him into the shower to wash off the aftermath, the unexpected side effect of Tiffany's remedy. While Nathan showered, his friends set about gathering all the necessary attire for the wedding. Tiffany skillfully covered up any remaining signs of his sunburn with a light touch of makeup.
"Holy shit, we pulled it off," looking at Nathan, who was now presentable for the ceremony.
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Finally, it was time for the ceremony. Nathan was at the altar with his friends by his side. He still looked a bit sunburned, and everyone was in their seats, waiting for the bride to arrive.
"Daniel, shouldn't you be taking your seat?" Mom asked gently as she prepared herself to walk down the aisle. I was standing beside her.
"I was thinking... maybe I could walk you down the aisle," I said, looking at her with a smile.
The corners of her eyes moistened, and a warm smile spread across her face. "Of course, sweetheart," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Damn, I was getting a bit emotional as well.
As the music began, signaling the start of the procession, I offered her my arm. She took it. Together, we began our walk down the aisle, slowly making our way towards Nathan.
"Why is Nathan so tan? '' she whispered to me as she laid eyes upon him.
"It must be the evening sun, the lighting or something" I replied quickly.
After reaching the altar, I gave Nathan a nod and took my seat next to Nathan's dad. The ceremony began, and after exchanging vows and a kiss, Mom and Nathan were married.
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I've had some trouble with Webnovel for the last few days, so I missed an upload.