"Horrendous!"

That bad? Who was I kidding? Anyway, everything Susie doesn't select or do herself was horrendous. But no kidding the dress was kind of archaic.

"Quit battling with your mind and bloody speak up. You and I know that you know that the dress is bad!" My best friend yelled again.

I sighed musing over my thoughts. This was a tradition in my family, to wear an ancestral dress for our wedding but deep down I knew this wasn't what I wanted.

"Will. You. Speak. Up. Hailey!"

"Susie, could you please keep your voice down. You would wake grandma up," I pleaded, running a hand through the fabric of the dress as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror in my room that was the only thing I bought.

The rest of the things in my room—the bed, recliner chair, bookcase, and books though I bought some romance novels that I hid from my grandma.

Those little things that made up my room were handed down to me by my mother before she passed away, God bless her soul though I scarcely knew her.

Grandma... she didn't speak of her either and there was no picture lying carelessly in the house so I don't even know what she looks like.

If I got my looks from her then she'd be the older version of my average height, a round face, plump pink lips, auburn hair, and hazel color eyes.

Then my body curves were what grandma termed in her own words as, "A shape that would cause men to fall into sin. For that reason, you must always dress decently."

The last thing I needed right now was for grandma Maggie to be awake while Susie talked. They don't speak the same language.

"Oh, your grandmaggie is around. Imma tell her my mind right this fucking instant!" My best friend yelled louder.

This girl was gonna get me killed, she's breaking the golden rule—no swearing in the house.

"Grandmaggie pie!" Susie yelled the more walking towards my door.

Oh, fuck it!

"Shut the fuck up, Susie!" I yelled in a harsh whisper, dragging her back from the door and placing my hand on her mouth.

"Gtt ffr mmi!"

I giggled, "You're right. No swearing in the house."

"What was that, honey?"

Oh, shit!

I could feel Susie smirk and bite my hand. I yelped letting her go instantly hopping on one foot and trying my hardest not to curse at her.

"Grandmaggie, welcome." Susie smiled at her white teeth as the door swung open and my grandma stood there in all her glory, eying Susie suspiciously.

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word "grandma?"

A wrinkly frail old lady probably using a wheelchair hearing aid or worse, a nursing home.

Unfortunately, that's not what grandma Margaret looks like. She's a beautiful fair woman of average height, silver hair, and not a single wrinkle. She isn't frail nor uses a hearing aid. Quite the opposite she hears loud and clear and is very much strong and healthy. Oh and she's a staunch catholic and believer.

"Why are you smiling like that, Suse? Something wrong with your teeth?"

I failed to mention that my grandma has a firm voice and she teases Susie sometimes... most times, alright all the time.

I smiled quietly as I watched Susie's face turn red.

"Nothing is wrong with my face, grandmaggie pie," she answered through gritted teeth.

"Ah, good." Grandma didn't seem fazed by the awful nickname Susie gave her. Over the years, she was used to it now apparently. Then I noticed she was staring at me.

Oh boy!

"Pray do tell me why you're standing on one foot, Hailey?" Grandma asked in an amusing voice. Her lips were twitching and I knew she was holding back her smile.

"More like hopping," my traitor friend sniggered then imitated grandma's voice, "yes, pray to to to tell."

I glared at her before smiling sweetly at my grandma. "It's exercise. It's good for my Uhm... muscles."

"Oh by all means carry on," my grandma said smiling then turned to Susie, "Do join her."

"W...what!" Susie stuttered.

"It's an exercise good for muscles, join in while I set the timer. Thirty minutes max." Grandma had a mischievous glint in her eyes.

So I proceeded to carry out the strenuous exercise of hopping on one foot. My consolation was that the traitor was among.

Hmmph serves her right, my subconscious snorted.

"Do you have something to say, Suse?" I heard grandma's voice behind me. I knew she was sitting on the recliner chair in my room and from the tone of her voice I knew she was enjoying herself immensely.

I saw Susie gulp nervously. She had the unfortunate fate of being in front of me.

"I was talking about Hailey's wedding dress," Susie replied panting.

I rolled my eyes. Grandma knew well that she couldn't talk and be hopping, it'd leave her exhausted too soon.

"What about it, dear?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw grandma paste on a saccharine smile.

Susie huffed before speaking, "It's an old dress. She needs a new one."

"Oh, that's a lovely observation." Susie beamed in front of me. She has no idea what grandma is doing.

"But did perhaps, Hailey did you mention needing a new wedding dress?"

I almost laughed at Susie's sour expression...almost. Instead, I kept a straight face and gave a humble answer, "No, grandma."

If looks could kill I'd be ten foot under with the glare Susie shot me. "She doesn't need to say it for crying out loud!"

I noticed the exhaustion in her voice and I knew it wouldn't be long till she succumbs.

"I believe the bride gets whatever she wants. Don't you think so, Susie?" Grandma asked.

Just a few seconds more and...jackpot, grandma will win this round without moving a muscle.

"I guess so," Susie grumbled under her breath.

"What do you want as your wedding dress, Hailey?" Grandma asked in a sweet voice but I could hear the edge in her voice. She wasn't asking me what I want, she was telling me what I needed to respond.

"The dress I'm wearing," I replied soberly.

"Well, that's what the bride wants Susie," Grandma said, standing up.

Susie grinned, "I guess she can wear that than the archaic wedding dress." She was panting and sweating now, officially exhausted.

"Oh, good. That's settled. Time's up, girls." And my tactical grandma strutted out of my room.

Susie collapsed instantly on the floor wincing. "Wait... What? What just happened?!"

I gingerly sat down on my bed careful not to stain my wedding dress, "You just accepted that I wear the dress I had on right now to the wedding."

Susie smiled, "Yeah that's better than wearing the... Holy shit!" Susie's eyes widened when she realized that the dress I was wearing was the wedding dress. "You were wearing that the whole time?"

I nodded.

"I didn't think for a moment that you had that on doing the exercise," Susie replied looking confused.

I gave her a pitying look. "I know and she knows it too. That's not the first time she has done something like this."

"Your grandma is weird sometimes." Susie settled to say.

I couldn't blame her really, I mean she was taken by surprise. One of grandma's favorite tactics, yeah she's got a whole lot of tactics. Then suddenly I remembered...

"FYI, that wasn't an exercise, it was a form of punishment from her for disturbing her sleep."

Susie's mouth hung open in surprise, "The fuck! Seriously!"

I groaned. "She has lots of punishment and different methods of getting you to do it so unless you're in for another round of punishment..."

I barely finished what I was saying, I felt my zipper pull-down and my gown slipped off.

"Get dressed, we're going to my house where I can curse all day without the fear of serving a punishment without my knowledge."

I groaned. That's to be expected of Susie. Always bossing me around.