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"Is this gonna be... are you using my name or anything?

"No... just that, well, I guess it's okay....

"So, what? Like from when we got there? Well, I guess that was about... ten? Thereabouts, anyway.

"Yes, Chelsea and me and Sydney. We came in Chelsea's mom's van 'cause Syd's dress wouldn't fit in my.... Yeah, we did all the prep over there, her mom's great.

"Anyway, we phoned ahead to Harry - he did the music for the dance - and gave him the thumbs-up and thank *gawd* it wasn't raining or windy, but Chelsea parked where Sydney could walk without getting her hem dirty....

"No, it was real. Didn't you see it? Tch! You must be about the only.... Okay... well, it's a totally classic wedding dress, y'know? Petticoats, white, veil, taffeta, beads... the works. I mean, it has a *real* corset! Syd looked just perfect in it, and I did a fantastic job our hair and makeup too, if I have to mention it myself....

"Us? We had these drop-dead gowns, with *exactly* the same neckline look as Sydney's gown, but that's all? and midnight blue and they were tight sheaths? They were just perfect, so... I dunno, so wedding, but *costume-y* too, y'know? I mean, like for a real wedding? But they were perfect.

"No, Miz Baker had them. She has a shop, and these were all for modeling? I dunno, she said they were already worn, for a couple of shows or something, so one more time wouldn't hurt, and she even altered our dresses, Chelsea's and me, 'cause she said they probably would be again anyway.

"No, Sydney's dress fit with the corset and all; she didn't need any fitting at all, 'cept she did a kinda temporary hem-job on the skirt, I think. No, wait... Yeah, Syd wore higher heels I think.... Anyway, she didn't take it in or anything... it would've taken forever!

"Okay, so.... You want *everything*? Okay..... Hope you got a *lot* of tape.

"Well, we got there, about ten, like I said, and we got Sydney's veil and all arranged and the bouquets sorted and I phoned in and Harry said he'd be watching and was cued up and all and he'd cut it like we arranged, too, when we were gonna do the veil... well, I'll tell you.

"No... we just talked to him about it, for the act, like to do it right? He wasn't in on anything else.

"So... wedding march, *really* loud, like dance club loud? And me and Chelsea parade in, step-pause, step-pause, and we go about twenty feet, and turn, and it's all I can do to keep a straight face it's so *incredible* and then in comes Sydney looking like some video goddess... just *beautiful*... and I guess Harry warned the light guy from the balcony, but there's this *spotlight* too, and... well, it's just *perfect*....

"Oh yeah. she was as white as a sheet, just shivering! I mean, being the centre of attention, and the dress and the music? I kept thinking that a fainting act might look okay, maybe romantic and dramatic? But a sick bride is just YouTube....

"No, nothing happened, and all Syd had to say, thank God, was name, rank and house, kinda, over at the rush tables that we made a procession to, too, and then we got to see the Greek geeks implode. I think that was what really relaxed.... What?

"No... the president, of Syd's house... what's his face? Yeah. I think he was setting her up... no.... I mean, c'mon... it was just totally unfair even for pledge hazing... I mean, she had to look perfect, so nobody'd know!? It was totally bogus and I still think she shoulda gone to the Greek council and complained. I mean, he was obviously trying to humiliate her, not... I think he never intended to let her pledge!

"Well, he had to... to, like be a totally believable girl, or... but is that fair? I mean, with, with us, with Chelsea and Mrs. Baker and Miz Keely, and everything she had to do, it turned out, but it was s'posed to be impossible, the way the frat committee set it up!

"Look, what I know is she had to attend, and be a girl, and nobody was supposed to know, and they were going to embarrass her... yes, that's what they said, before. Like expose her, even if....

"I don't... yes. That's what Sydney told us, yes.

"No! Look, I *heard* them, what they were saying at the dance, right in *front* of us, and it was all just like she said. Everything, and it was all Trent Winters doing the talking, and his stupid buds on the council, and the rest of them were the ones who really made it... what happened.

"Yes! We were right there, and they were like saying Sydney was supposed to be doing all this alone and half the council was saying *where* did that rule come from, like even *they* knew the... what Winters had said, before, just that she *be* there, a girl, and be... convincing....

"Yeah, totally. Like, right *then* they were almost saying she was gonna be a winner, so *convincing* was covered, and fooling everyone.... That shut him up....

"No, I don't think so. Really, from what we saw, what they were saying, most of them were down on Gamma, that they'd made it really unfair for Syd and she just out-smarted them and did it better than....

"One or two, yeah, he wasn't alone, but I think they were just his friends, not that they were like a conspiracy.

"N-n- One of them... I think the president of Delta Kappa, the tall guy? Neil? Yeah, well, he even danced with Syd. And I *know* he's close with Winters. So, no, I think it was just him.

"Oh, they probably took about ten minutes, really just shutting him up. Then they made him tell Syd she was free, or the haze was over, that she could just party.

"No, I mean, Trent Winters had to actually say it was completed, but it was all of them that said that, that she was free. That it was all over, and she'd passed?

"No kidding! Like, she went about ten shades healthier! She even smiled at Neil and he just about derma-peeled.

"Well, mm, after the council, we, I guess we stopped the procession thing, really, but Chelsea, and... we kept Sydney's veil, up off the floor, and Maria and Carrie and them, the varsity squad, they called us over to their table, made a big space for Sydney, and, well I guess we took off her veil then, we had to....

"No, they were really cool with it, and none of them were in the rush stuff, being squad and all, but they thought Sydney was precious, all the blushing and all.

"Yeah, they were pretty well all there, but with dates, but together for some stuff.. they did a cheer at the ceremony, so I guess that was... yeah, in uniforms.

"No, Chelsea's in dance with a lot of them. I just hang sometimes. No, I don't think they knew Sydney, before.

"Well, right after... I guess they were finished with whatever when we got there, 'cause they didn't do any business or anything... and most of their boyfriends came over, or they....

"I dunno.... I guess they were okay?

"You know.... Most - pretty well nobody knew Syd was a boy, then. I mean, she was like... gorgeous, and the dress and all, and us? She looked the part perfectly, and she just whispered, or this breathy talking thing, really soft? She sounded perfect too. I don't think any of the guys knew, except the committee and her house.

"Yeah! I almost rolled off my chair the first time! This total Brad Pitt, Neil, he asks her to dance and Chelsea poked her so hard she broke a nail on her corset and Sydney probably didn't even feel it, but Chelsea's like nodding and winking and doing everything but screaming 'Do it!' and Sydney just looks all dazed until she looks up and Neil's like doing this smile and she just melts.... It was so romantic....

"Yeah, but it was Carl Munroe, mostly. She's like the first girl I've seen him dance with, I swear, and he goes to parties and dances and stuff, but he just hangs, and....

"No! He's not gay! Where'd you.... No! He *so* isn't! I mean, he's... he's not! He likes girls, but he's not the dating kinda guy, or if he does, he, it's not anyone on campus, anyway....

"I dunno.... I guess maybe not at first, I mean, the way she looked and all, but he danced with her, not just fast, up close I mean, Harry was in a mushy mood, really... it was half slow swaying stuff all night, and Carl danced about half the time with her. So he knew, for sure, and besides, she wasn't keeping it a secret, just not advertising, y'know?

"No, like *everyone* knew by the contest, I mean, it was all the talk. I think half the guys danced with her were just seeing if it was true! (snort) Carl cut in on most of those... It was a scream watching him kinda hover and some jerk would like stand up all straight with Syd and Carl would *right then* cut in and do this romantic twirl away. He is sooo sweet!

"I can't believe you missed it! It was the perfect ending, I mean... Sydney got best costume, we got best group, and she got her... passed the Gamma thing, and Carl does the groom thing *right* on stage! It was so perfect! He.... I can't explain it. I mean, he kissed her and like the whole *room* went 'awwwww...' and it was like she....

"I can't explain it, but it was just perfect, even with the... that bastard pulling on her hair... and... then Carl hit him and came to her rescue... so....

"See? I'm crying!!"

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