(Ben winced uncomfortably in the Rust Bucket and groaned outwards.)
Ben: "Don't think I can take this much longer!"
(he groaned.)
Max: "Just hold on."
(Max said.)
Max: "We're almost there."
Ben: "I can't breathe!"
(Ben shouted.)
Max: "Don't give up on me now, Ben!"
(Max said as he took a pair of scissors from a tray that Gwen was holding.)
Ben: "Gotta get out of here!"
(Ben shouted.)
Ben: "Going hero!"
Max: "No you're not!"
(Max said.)
Max: "Save the drama, will you please? I just need to make sure that this tux fits."
(Ben was in front of a full view mirror, dressed up in a small maroon tuxedo that looked absolutely ridiculous on him.)
(He also had his normally unkempt hair brushed back into a neat comb.)
(Jen, however, winced on the other side of the Rust Bucket as Allison tied her corset into place around her stomach.)
Becky: "This isn't as bad for you, is it?"
(Becky asked Jen as she winced and looked herself in the mirror.)
(She wore a pretty pink off-the-shoulder dress with a darker pink corset and pink dress shoes with her hair brushed back into a low ponytail.)
Jen: "No."
(Jen said as she checked out her look in the mirror.)
Jen: "It's just that I'm not as comfortable wearing a dress as others."
Becky: "I think that you should probably loosen that bow tie, Grandpa."
(Becky said.)
Becky: "Ben's brain needs all the oxygen it can get."
(Ben sighed in relief.)
Ben "The only thing worse than going to a stupid old boring wedding is being in a stupid old boring wedding. Why can't Cousin Joel find someone else to be the ring bearer?"
Allison: "Relax, Ben."
(Allison said as she sat down on her bed.)
Allison: "It's only for one weekend out of 104 days of summer vacation. You'll live."
Ben: "Easy for you to say."
(Ben said.)
Ben: "You're not invited to this wedding because you're not family."
Allison: "No."
(Allison said.)
Allison: "But I've been to a wedding before when I was a little girl and they're not that bad."
Gwen: "I'm glad we're here."
(Gwen said.)
Gwen: "I've never been a flower girl before."
Jen: "And at least I'm doing something that I love to do for my part in this thing."
(Jen said.)
Becky: "That's right."
(Becky said.)
Becky: "You're the wedding singer. Cousin Joel must have seen you perform on TV in Royal Woods."
Jen: "Yeah."
(Jen said.)
Jen: "It's just that I'm not used to wearing a dress in my human form."
Max: "This tuxedo is a family heirloom."
(Max said to Ben.)
Max: "I wore it when I was your age. Then your dad wore it and now you."
Jen: "What about this dress?"
(Jen asked, pulling at her waist.)
Max: "I bought it for your mom when your Uncle Gordon and Aunt Betty Jean were married."
(Max said.)
Jen: "Really? Because it feels brand new."
(Jen said as she turned to her cousins and best friend and turned around.)
Jen: "Well? How do I look?"
Gwen: "Beautiful."
(Gwen said.)
Gwen: "Now your brother on the other hand..."
Ben: "Oh, lucky me. I'm a part of the family tradition."
(Ben groaned.)
Max: "Just be careful with it, please."
(Max said to him as Gwen pointed her camera at him.)
Gwen: "Smile and say "Mega-dweeb!"
Ben: "No!"
(Ben shouted as he scrambled for the phone.)
Becky: "It's just for us, don't worry."
(Becky smiled and laughed.)
(Jen then tossed Ben his clothes.)
Jen: "Now get out of that monkey suit and get dressed. We need to meet Joel and his fiancee."
(Jen smiled as she went to the restroom to get back in her regular clothes.)
Allison: "At least one of us is glad to be here."
(Allison said as she sighed and Ben waited his turn.)
(Later, our heroes, now in their regular attire, walked out and looked at the rented out wedding area overlooking a huge lake and they smiled at the pretty decorations.)
Becky: "These two must have outdid themselves with the planning."
(Becky smiled.)
???: "Uncle Max."
(a voice heard and they saw the young happy couple walk up holding hands.)
Max: "Joel."
(Max greeted his nephew.)
Max: "And this must be Camille. You remember my grandkids, right?"
Joel: "Definitely."
(Joel said as he smiled and hugged Ben, Jen and Gwen before turning to Becky and smiled.)
Joel: "So, they finally found you, huh?"
(he said as Becky sighed and brushed some of her beautiful black hair out of her face before Joel tackled her in a laughing hug before giving her a quick noogie.)
Becky: "Oh, Joel. You do remember me."
Max: "And this is our good friend, Allison Levin."
(Max said as she shook Joel's hand.)
Allison: "Nice to meet you. It's a shame that I'm not invited."
Joel: "Consider yourself invited."
(Joel said to her.)
Joel: "Any friend of my uncle's is a friend of mine."
Allison: "Thanks. I don't know what to say."
(Allison sighed.)
Max: "Congratulations, you guys."
(Max said.)
Joel: "I'm so glad you guys could make it. Maybe you can talk some sense into my parents."
Max: "Why, what's the problem?"
(Max asked.)
???: "Max."
(a gruff voice said and the kids turned to see two more familiar faces.)
Max: "Betty Jean, Gordon."
(Max said, greeting his older brother and his wife.)
Gordon: "We're so glad you're here, little brother."
(Gordon said.)
Gordon: "Maybe you can talk some sense into these kids."
Ben: "Why, Uncle Gordon?"
(Ben asked.)
Ben: "What's going on?"
Gordon: "Ah, they don't know what they're doing. This whole wedding is a terrible mistake."
(Gordon said.)
Max: "The whole wedding is a terrible mistake?"
(Max asked.)
Gordon: "See, listen to your Uncle Max."
(The team turned to each other and shrugged.)
???: "Now, Gordon, the kids are grown-ups."
(a man said as he walked in with his wife and a burly-looking bodyguard.)
???: "Who are we to get in the way?"
Camille: "These are my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mann."
(Camille introduced to the Tennysons.)
Mrs. Mann: "I'm sorry we had to meet under such awkward circumstances."
(Mrs. Mann said.)
Betty Jean and Gordon: "So are we."
(Betty Jean and Gordon said in unison.)
(Later, the parents walked away and Jen smiled.)
Jen: "You bought a black dress, just in case, right?"
(Jen asked her friend, who smiled in return.)
Allison: "Obviously."
(Allison smiled.)
Allison: "I had a feeling that I would be invited once they met me because we're close friends."
Ben: "Maybe this weekend won't be so boring after all."
(Ben said.)
Joel: "Uncle Max, this has been a nightmare."
(Joel said.)
Joel: "Not just with the families, either. The wedding dress got lost, the photographer's camera got smashed, all the flowers up and died, everything's going wrong."
Max: "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out in the end."
(Max said.)
Jen: "Tell me that the band's still here."
(Jen said to him.)
Jen: "I've got the perfect song to perform for you and Camille at the reception."
Joel: "Yeah, they're still here."
(Joel said as Jen smiled and hugged him.)
Jen: "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You know how much I love to sing."
(Jen said before she composed herself.)
Joel: "You were amazing at the Royal Woods Music Festival."
(Joel said.)
Joel: "When I heard that you guys were coming to the wedding, I knew that you were my one and only choice for the wedding singer. We got you a great band too."
(Gwen then smiled and turned to her cousin as well.)
Gwen: "Um, Joel, I have a few questions about being the flower girl. Does the flower girl's dress match with the other bridesmaids? Who designed the dresses? What color are the corsages?"
Joel: "Oh, I'm sorry Gwen."
(Joel said.)
Joel: "Didn't you hear? Camille's little cousin Lucy was able to make it after all. But thanks for standing in for us."
Gwen: "Oh."
(Gwen sighed in disappointment.)
Ben: "Oh, please tell me that you got another ring bearer too?"
(Ben begged.)
Joel: "Sorry. Nothing changes for you, Ben. Except for who you're going to be dancing with at the reception."
Ben: "Dance?"
(Ben asked.)
Ben: "I don't know how to dance."
Joel: "Then you'd better learn then. You don't want to end up looking like a mega-dweeb out there in front of everybody."
Ben: "Oh man."
(Ben said as Jen walked up to him and smiled.)
Ben: "Please tell me you'll teach me to dance. You used to take ballet when we were 7. Do you know any wedding dances?"
Jen: "I think so."
(Jen said.)
Jen: "I'll tell you what, bro. I will teach you to dance only if you perform with me at the reception."
Ben: "Are you kidding me?"
(Ben asked.)
Jen: "You love the guitar."
(Jen said.)
Jen: "You've peformed with me at plenty of talent shows. And don't think I don't know that you've practiced on my guitar when you thought I wasn't looking."
Ben: "You knew?"
Jen: "Duh, we're twins. Of course I knew. I'll teach you the song I have planned for the reception on the guitar and you can join in."
Ben: "Okay, I'll do it. What have I got to lose?"
(Little did they know, there was an unidentified presence lurking in the bushes near them.)
[To Be Continued...]