Wedding Bells

Chapter 1: Arrange marriage?

I woke up as I saw the sun rays beaming on the balcony. It was very early on the morning. I went to the washroom and got fressed. Today was a holiday and I was printers tired from my university classes. I leaned on the balcony and looked at our backyard. We are not rich but we have enough money to get a house in a beautiful country side in California. We have been living in the country side of California for a long time.

"Max, come downstairs to eat your breakfast, honey," mom said.

"Okay mom," I said as I ran downstairs. Max is my nick name. I know it is ungirly for a woman to have a boyish name but hey, I like the name Max, however, my actuall name is Maxine.

"Hey mom," I said as I sat on the chair beside my dad. "Hi dad."

"Hey sweetheart," Dad said as he kissed my forehead and we started to eat breakfast.

After we had breakfast, I went to my room and started to do my homeworks. My aunt and my cousins family came over to our house and aunt was giggling when she saw me and hugged me. Everybody was vey weird for some reason.

At night . . .

I was going downstairs to get me some apples and oranges when I heard mom and dad talking.

"Our daughter is going to be a beautiful bride, don't you think so?" Mom asked dad.

"Of course, our daughter will look beautiful in her wedding. We have to tell her about her wedding," Dad said to mom.

I was a bit shocked. My wedding?

"I think she will like the man that we choose as her husband," mom said.

"Of course, Nicklaus seems quite understandable," Dad said.

"Nicklaus is going to be a good husband for her," mom said.

Nicklaus? Who is Nicklaus ad mom and dad wants me to marry him? How can Imarry a man that I don't know? "Mom? Dad?" I said. "What are you saying?"

"Oh Max," mom said.

"Max, you heard about the wedding?" Dad asked.

"Mom, dad, whose wedding are you planning?" I asked.

"Sweetheart, we are planning your wedding," mom said.

"What?! My wedding?! Mom! What do you mean? I cannot marry a man that I don't know!" I said.

"What do you mean, Max!?" Dad yelled angrily.

"Max, how can you say such careless thing! Have you have any idea of what are you saying!? We planned your marriage so that you can be happy and your to-be-husband is very rich so you will be like a princess!" Mom said.

"I don't want to be a princess, mom. I don't want to marry somebody for money!" I yelled. "Marriage is suppose to make a bond stronger for a couple became of their love, not because of money," I said.

"Shut up, Max! You are not even old enough to understand what is the meaning of love and you are telling me about those type of things!" Dad yelled.

"Max, try to understand," mom said. "Nicklaus is a good person."

"Mom, I don't want to marry a man that I don't know or love!" I yelled.

"Shut up, Max! We never yelled at you and you are forcing us to yell at you today! I don't care you want to marry Nicklaus or not but you have to marry Nicklaus," mom yelled.

I could feel tears running down my eyes as I ran to my room and shut the door and started to cry. How can mom and dad do this to me? I don't even know a man name Nicolaus and mom and dad wants me to marry him?

After a while, I started to calm down and then thought, I am not going to marry a man that I don't love. I always get bully in school and people think that I am a nerd and I never had any boyfriend, but that doesn't mean that I am weak. I am strong and I am going to support myself. I am going to run away from home and work.

I wrote a letter to mom and dad saying that I am running away from home and I am not going to marry somebody that I don't know and love.

I opened my window door and got out of my room and climbed down the house and started to run. Outside was dark and I didn't noticed where I was running, until I found myself in a forest. I could hear some sounds of animals. I turned around, finding some wolves in the forest. I stepped back as I got scared. Some wolves started to step closer as I yelled, "somebody please help!"

The wolves started to step forward as I stepped backward. Tears were running down my eyes. Wolves started to run towards me as I started to run and a wolf ran near me and was going to bite me when somebody threw a wooden piece that had fire on it. The wolves started to move back but some wolves tried to attack me when somebody, holding a wooden piece that had fire on it, ran towards me and threw the wooden piece to the wolves, and the wolves ran away.

The man looked at me and grabbed my hand and we started to run to get out of the forest.

After a couple of minutes . . .

"Huff . . ." I panted.

We ran for a couple of minutes and we are now out of the forest, on a park.

"You okay?" That man asked.

"Yes . . . Huff . . . Thank you," I panted as I saw a bench and sat on the bench.

"Why were you doing in the forest? Wolves could have attached you!" He yelled.

I looked at him and found him worried as I noticed his hand bleeding. I quickly ripped my scaf that I had in my bag and took his hand mine and wrapped his hand to stop bleeding.

"Thank you," he said as he calmed down. "I never saw a stupid woman like you. Honestly, who goes to the forest at night when this forest is filled with wolves!"

I kept quiet. This man didn't had any idea of what happened at home.

Suddenly, a car stopped infront of us and my parents got out of the car and hugged me.

"Max! You okay?" Mom said as she hugged me.

"I am okay, mom," I said. I can hear her worried voice.

"We are sorry, Max. We shouldn't have yelled at you like that," dad said.

"I am sorry too, mom and dad," I said.

My parents looked at that man, who saved me from the wolves and said, "Thank you, Nicolaus."

My eyes wided. This man is Nicklaus who my parents wants me to marry?