Arc Three: When Life Goes On...
A STARLIGHT WEDDING
Part One
Prologue: Sylvina's Voice

Oh boy. Where do I start?
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the last few weeks would be as chaotic and strange as they have been. It's not that Jewel have fallen out or that things between us have even changed, really. It's just...well, I've always prided myself on my judgement of things. Especially things related to love. You know? I'm the femme fatale of this business, and I know a thing or two about guys and happy endings, all that stuff. So well, I guess I'm wondering what could have gone wrong this time. I can't help worrying I'm a bit to blame - you know, for encouraging something which in the end turned out to be the entirely opposite.
But I really did think I'd called it right. Maybe I'm losing my touch - I don't know. All I know is that things have not been quite the same since my birthday party.
It all began when I caught Aaron in a jeweller's shop, looking at rings. Well, you know me by now. I'm a true romantic at heart and it was soo obvious that he was looking to buy an engagement ring for Copper. I even helped him pick it out - we looked at some real beauties, but I know the one we picked was just so so perfect.
Gee, I hope it wasn't the ring's fault. I mean, I thought it was to die for, but I s'pose Copper isn't me...
The plan was that he would ask her on the night of my party. I wanted the night to be doubly special - my twenty first birthday party and Aaron and Copper getting engaged. Only, it didn't quite work out like that. Something kinda happened to put everything in a weird world.
She turned him down.
I know, I couldn't believe it either. In fact, at first I thought Aaron was joking, when he told me. But he was serious all right - and clearly both confused and gutted. Apparently everything had seemed to be going so right - romantic night, she was responding well to his compliments, everything was fine. She looked stunning - heck, I made sure she did myself, what do you take me for? And he looked fab too - well, I'll be honest, Aaron is one of the cutest guys I know. Okay, so I don't think about him in that way, he's more like the big brother I never had, but he sure is good looking, and they make a stunning couple. Or should that be made? Since things have been disjointed ever since the party.
Aaron said that it wasn't the refusal that had stunned him. It was more the way she had done it. He told me she'd stared at him for a moment, then she'd seemed troubled and shaken. She'd shook her head and told him she couldn't...and that's all she'd say. Next thing he knew she'd gone back inside and into the crowds and she didn't speak to him again that night.
Weird thing is, the first thing I knew that something was up was when I heard Copper in her room, and I swear she was crying. She sounded like she was trying to get someone to answer a phonecall, but I don't know who and I admit, I wasn't brave enough to barge in there and ask her. Whoever it was didn't pick up, though, and Aaron had left the party almost as soon as she'd said no. It kinda cast a downer on my birthday, to be truthful about it. I didn't really know what to think. It wasn't till I collared Aaron at work the next day and pulled the whole story out of him when I realised how wrong things had gone.
Copper didn't mention anything at all to us. By the morning she was acting almost normal, if a little haunted and troubled, and though Nancy and Topaz asked her if she was okay, she told them everything was fine.

Of course, that was before the fight. And ooh, what a doozie of a fight it was, too! I swear, if it hadn't been between two of my closest friends, and had been on television or somewhere, I'd be on the front row with the popcorn watching it in total fascination. But it wasn't. It was Copper in floods of tears and Aaron angrier than I'd ever seen him...Copper losing her temper and Aaron dejected...oh, it was horrible. Nancy, Topaz and I pretty much withdrew from the lounge and let them get on with it, but we could hear the raised voices out by the pool. None of us knew what to think. Finally, Topaz asked me point blank if Aaron had popped the question and well, I couldn't lie. I was too upset about it all! Nancy was so stunned that she almost fell into the pool, and we all wanted to know what had gone so badly wrong. But see, that's the problem. None of us know.
None of us can think of a single reason why Copper said no. And even if she wasn't ready for marriage yet, none of us have a clue why she should have been so strange about it. A simple, "I'm not sure I'm ready, Aaron, can we talk about this later?" would have done. But no. And I have never seen Copper so angry or so upset as she's been over the last few days. I think Aaron thinks there's another guy involved. I wonder if that's what got Copper mad. But if she won't even talk to us, how can I reassure him that there isn't? Damn, I thought I knew Copper, like a sister! But do I? Have I got the girl all wrong, after all?

I wish I knew what was happening. In a few weeks from now the Starlight Mansion is gonna host the biggest wedding of the year, when Violet and Taylor tie the knot right here in Los Angeles. This is not the kind of welcome we want to give them, but I can't think how we're even going to begin to fix it. You want my honest opinion? The whole world has gone mad...

Prologue: Sylvina's Voice
Chapter One: Stefana's House
Chapter Two: Tensions
Chapter Three: Backstage At The Dean Stacey Show
Chapter Four: Topaz
Chapter Five: Sylva's Discovery
Chapter Six: Copper Loses Her Temper
Chapter Seven: A Shock For Jewel
Chapter Eight: Sylva Takes The Plunge
Chapter Nine: Fireworks
Chapter Ten: Here Comes The Bride

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE
Copper, Nancy, Sylva, Anna, Blade, Raesha, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series. The future world of Pizzazz, Raya, Jetta, Roxy, Stormer, Clash, Synergy, the fate of Jem and her memorial are all copyrighted to me. The future world of Kimber and Shana is copyrighted jointly to myself and Gemma Dawn.
The concept of 'Jewel' is entirely my own, and any apparent link with any fictional or actual person or persons of this name is entirely coincidental. Equally the characters in this fiction are not based on any real life individual.
The concept behind the future world of Danse, Aja and Craig, the idea behind Jerrica's futureworld and the split of the Holograms is copyrighted to Gemma Dawn, whose Teenangel Outsiders fiction is directly twinned with Just a Dream. The character Sammi and any of the other Teenangel Outsider characters mentioned in this fiction are entirely copyright to Gemma Dawn and appear here only with her permission.
Pay her page a visit!