Human Medicine, chapter 32
It was October 1st, 2007 and still Jess and Jem had no idea where the wedding was to be held.
They were picked up at 7 AM and taken to a professional hair salon. Four hours later, they arrived back at an empty house. They separated on the top landing to go to their own rooms. Two hours after that, Jess emerged from her room, her hair earlier seen to a half up half down style, brown and straight. She had slight traces of eyeliner, as always, and she wore her wedding dress. It rustled as she crossed the hall to Jem's door. To her horror, she opened the door to find Jem in a dressing gown.
"I can't wear it," she said, "It's a wedding dress and you're the one getting married"
"Jem, it's my wedding. But I want you to stand out, Billie Joe will be smitten with you in that dress, trust me... okay?" Jess asked.
Jem looked uncertainly at Jess, but then an image of Billie Joe's face flashed in her mind's eye and she smiled. Jess returned the smile and stood outside whilst Jem dressed.
"Okay," Jem called a few minutes later.
Jess swished into the room and marveled at Jem in the white, flowing dress.
"It's beautiful, you look amazing," Jess said, making Jem smile shyly. She swished the dress from side to side, her ringlets bouncing around her face.
Then Jem helped Jess with her veil and train. They heard a beep outside the house and carefully made their way downstairs.
A white limo was sitting patiently at the bottom of the drive. Jess's father, much to Jess and Jemma's surprise, stood from the car to greet them both.
"DAD! How did you get here?" Jess asked.
"Well, your husband to be phoned and dragged us out here," he explained with a smile, "Long story, but get in, no time to lose."
The three got into the limo with slight difficulty, due to the dresses.
The journey was an extremely long one and very mysterious.
Finally at 1:45 PM, the limo suddenly came to a halt.
"We're here?" Jem asked.
"Yep," the driver answered.
Jess's father got out and opened the door for the girls.
"Are you ready, Jess?" Her father whispered.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.
"Come on then."
The three walked up to the Berkeley Chapel in Oakland, Green Day's home city. The chapel was beautiful and the autumn atmosphere set the whole scene as very romantic. It was a small white chapel in a courtyard, amny trees surrounding it, leaves lining the ground and the reamining leaves on the trees were golden, red, brown, and orange.
Jess and Jem walked side by side, petrified of slipping or dirtying thier spotless white dresses.
Once they reached the large oak doors, David knocked. They opened mysteriously and the building was quiet.
Jem was told to stay in the porch area, to wait for Billie Joe to meet her.
Jess and David continued to the second pair of doors, leading to the main church. When those doors opened, music reached their ears. An instrumental version of "Wake Me Up When September Ends" played from somewhere in the front.
The audience was very large. Jess knew a few of the people, but spotted Tre at the front and saw no one else.
Tre's jaw dropped when his eyes met Jess, walking slowly towards him. She was nervous, trying to mask it with a smile. Tre's hands were fidgeting and Mike, as best man, tried to stop him because it was annoying him.
***
Finally Billie Joe appeared from a door on Jem's left.
"Hey," he said, he seemed very nervous about something and it was starting to rub off on her.
"Hey," she replied.
"My God, you're beautiful," he whispered, walking to her.
"So are you," Jem replied, looking his black tux and yellow bowtie up and down.
"Don't be silly. I look like I always do," Billie Joe said, waving his hand.
"Nope. No eyeliner, yellow bowtie - you're different," Jem said.
"Thanks for noticing." He smiled. "Come on, that's our cue."
He opened the doors and offered his arm to Jem, which she took willingly.
Half way down the aisle, Billie Joe suddenly stopped.
"Billie? What are you doing?" Jem said quietly through clenched teeth.
He turned to Jem and in the middle of the church, he bent down on one knee in front of Jem, who looked down at him in fear.
"Oh...shit," she breathed, watching him take a little square black box from his jacket pocket.
"Jemma, will you marry me?" Billie Joe asked the silence. The whole audience gave an audable gasp. Jess and Tre and Mike and David were all smiling at her knowingly. Of course they all knew - the wedding dress, the hair. Jem looked back into Billie Joe's pleading emerald eyes.
They were picked up at 7 AM and taken to a professional hair salon. Four hours later, they arrived back at an empty house. They separated on the top landing to go to their own rooms. Two hours after that, Jess emerged from her room, her hair earlier seen to a half up half down style, brown and straight. She had slight traces of eyeliner, as always, and she wore her wedding dress. It rustled as she crossed the hall to Jem's door. To her horror, she opened the door to find Jem in a dressing gown.
"I can't wear it," she said, "It's a wedding dress and you're the one getting married"
"Jem, it's my wedding. But I want you to stand out, Billie Joe will be smitten with you in that dress, trust me... okay?" Jess asked.
Jem looked uncertainly at Jess, but then an image of Billie Joe's face flashed in her mind's eye and she smiled. Jess returned the smile and stood outside whilst Jem dressed.
"Okay," Jem called a few minutes later.
Jess swished into the room and marveled at Jem in the white, flowing dress.
"It's beautiful, you look amazing," Jess said, making Jem smile shyly. She swished the dress from side to side, her ringlets bouncing around her face.
Then Jem helped Jess with her veil and train. They heard a beep outside the house and carefully made their way downstairs.
A white limo was sitting patiently at the bottom of the drive. Jess's father, much to Jess and Jemma's surprise, stood from the car to greet them both.
"DAD! How did you get here?" Jess asked.
"Well, your husband to be phoned and dragged us out here," he explained with a smile, "Long story, but get in, no time to lose."
The three got into the limo with slight difficulty, due to the dresses.
The journey was an extremely long one and very mysterious.
Finally at 1:45 PM, the limo suddenly came to a halt.
"We're here?" Jem asked.
"Yep," the driver answered.
Jess's father got out and opened the door for the girls.
"Are you ready, Jess?" Her father whispered.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.
"Come on then."
The three walked up to the Berkeley Chapel in Oakland, Green Day's home city. The chapel was beautiful and the autumn atmosphere set the whole scene as very romantic. It was a small white chapel in a courtyard, amny trees surrounding it, leaves lining the ground and the reamining leaves on the trees were golden, red, brown, and orange.
Jess and Jem walked side by side, petrified of slipping or dirtying thier spotless white dresses.
Once they reached the large oak doors, David knocked. They opened mysteriously and the building was quiet.
Jem was told to stay in the porch area, to wait for Billie Joe to meet her.
Jess and David continued to the second pair of doors, leading to the main church. When those doors opened, music reached their ears. An instrumental version of "Wake Me Up When September Ends" played from somewhere in the front.
The audience was very large. Jess knew a few of the people, but spotted Tre at the front and saw no one else.
Tre's jaw dropped when his eyes met Jess, walking slowly towards him. She was nervous, trying to mask it with a smile. Tre's hands were fidgeting and Mike, as best man, tried to stop him because it was annoying him.
***
Finally Billie Joe appeared from a door on Jem's left.
"Hey," he said, he seemed very nervous about something and it was starting to rub off on her.
"Hey," she replied.
"My God, you're beautiful," he whispered, walking to her.
"So are you," Jem replied, looking his black tux and yellow bowtie up and down.
"Don't be silly. I look like I always do," Billie Joe said, waving his hand.
"Nope. No eyeliner, yellow bowtie - you're different," Jem said.
"Thanks for noticing." He smiled. "Come on, that's our cue."
He opened the doors and offered his arm to Jem, which she took willingly.
Half way down the aisle, Billie Joe suddenly stopped.
"Billie? What are you doing?" Jem said quietly through clenched teeth.
He turned to Jem and in the middle of the church, he bent down on one knee in front of Jem, who looked down at him in fear.
"Oh...shit," she breathed, watching him take a little square black box from his jacket pocket.
"Jemma, will you marry me?" Billie Joe asked the silence. The whole audience gave an audable gasp. Jess and Tre and Mike and David were all smiling at her knowingly. Of course they all knew - the wedding dress, the hair. Jem looked back into Billie Joe's pleading emerald eyes.
