Goodbye to the End. Hello to the Beginning.

@ heroin bob.

Sarah couldn't help but groan in unison with the rest of the class at the thought of a creative writing prompt. Throughout her writing career, she managed to squeak by with technical pieces of work but never imaginative. What would she even write about? She couldn't possibly think about putting their forbidden relationship onto the page. No, that was beyond embarrassing. What else could she draw inspiration from though? Casting her eyes down in front of her, she kept her eyes glued to the desk. "Sarah, what are you going to write about? I think I'm going to do something about a prince and a servant. " Christine asked, turning around in her seat. Returning with a small shrug, Sarah attempted to be preoccupied with the words on the prompt. "I don't know I'll think of something," She mumbled underneath her breath.

Inside of her pocket, she could feel her phone vibrating multiple times within a short span of time. Who could be texting her during class? Her mind only drifted toward one person, glancing up toward the front of the room. Sarah could see a look of concern plastered onto Alan's pale white face. It was completely unlike her to check her phone in the middle of class but his expression haunted her. She saw you leave my apartment. As her eyes moved over the words, Sarah could feel her jaw going slack and the worry set in. His ex-wife saw her? The woman was relentless, and Sarah couldn't risk having her realize that she was his student. However, his last message was the most startling. Her expression softened as she found his gaze once more. She wished that she could cross the room and wrap her arms around him, pretending as if everything was okay.

Just take deep breaths.
Don't worry about her.
We're going to be fine.
We'll figure something out.

At least Sarah hoped that they would be able to figure something out. They were both overstepping boundaries with this relationship, and she was quite clear on the repercussions. If his ex-wife found out about them, she could easily end his career. To anyone else, he only be known as a predator and she would only be known as a ditsy teenager who could never known better. Even if they were so much more. As much as she hated to admit it, they had to be more careful. It was an awful idea to see each other during school hours no matter how much they wanted to.

---

Lucas wrapped his arm around Kat's shoulder as they stood as a united front against her family. Luckily, it appeared that her father was willing to accept their decision even if he didn't agree with it. Her mother, brother, and father seemed to embrace their daughter with open, loving arms. "Thank you very much, sir. I will take care of the both of them, sir." He clearly took her father's threat to heart. Lucas wondered if his father would ever do something like that for him. When was the next time he would actually show Lucas that he gave a damn about his life? When was the next time they would actually sit across from each other and eat dinner together?

"Already?" He teased with a small grin before turning to head back of to her bedroom. Although, he wasn't completely surprised to hear that. Over the next few months, she would be experiencing morning sickness and back pains, but he would be there for her. He would be there to support her just as he promised. "Yeah, let's head back upstairs. Thanks for letting me stay the night, by the way."

Once the door closed, her expression seemed to shift into one of realization. They were many responsibilities that came with having a child, and they were just at the start. "Woah, woah. Calm down," He halted, running his hands up and down her arms. "C'mon, take a deep breath. We are gonna do some research about doctors and then we can make an appointment. That's definitely step one. Maybe the doctor can help tell us what step two is." It appeared that he would have to be her rock throughout this pregnancy, even though he was freaking out on the inside as well. Lucas had no idea what it was like to be a father, considering his own father was never around. What were his responsibilities? What was he supposed to do? The only clear thought right now was that he had to help Kat through this.

Sarah, I don't know
what I'd do without you.
But we really need to talk, and not
through text. Either call me tonight,
or we can wait until this weekend.

He anxiously sat there, chewing at his thumbnail. The minutes on the clock were ticking by slowly. He stood up and cleared his throat, "I'm going to run and make copies for my next class. But when I come back, I want everyone to have at least one idea written down. I will be walking around to see what everyone has written." He left the classroom and quickly pulled out his phone once more. He pulled up his messages and scrolled to one of the first names with an S.

Sam, I'm gonna need
to see you when I'm off today.
I'm thinkin' an ounce this time.

Alan quickly sent the text message and then went about to the office. While standing in the office, he once more checked his phone and went to his messages. He knew Sam wasn't at work today, so he was wondering what was taking him so long to reply. Alan then rechecked who he sent the message to. 'Sarah. Shit.' He then had to compose one more text message in attempt to get her to ignore the one he had just sent before that, of him asking for a drug sale.

Please ignore what I just said, that
wasn't supposed to be sent to you.
Please, just delete it and pretend
you never got it.

Alan had to keep a few aspects of his life a secret due to his profession. A teacher, who happens to be interested in a student, and smokes pot, and is going through a very messy and rough divorce. Those are some things that a person has to keep private in order to keep their lives going. And he really didn't want Sarah to know that he smoked pot, just because he really does want to keep that part of his life as private as possible. At least until the plant is legalized in his state, and it's okay for him to use with his profession without risk of losing his job.

Printing out the remainder of the papers, he made his way to his classroom and cleared his throat once more as he set the pile down on his desk. "I hope everyone has at least one idea written down for me to see." He raised an eyebrow as he made his way down the rows, checking the papers. Different ideas, some were funny, some were truly cliché. And a couple, very bright. But he was most anticipating his lovely Sarah's. He made his way down her row, and once he was to her desk, he peeked down at the paper and chewed on his lower lip.

_________

Kat couldn't help but feel safe in his arms. There were so many thoughts going through her head that she was happy she was able to even sleep for a little bit. Her body ached and she felt sick, but with her head on Lucas' chest, her anxiety was calmed. Something about him had a way of making her feel safe. Ever since they were first paired together to be partners, she has felt safe and happy around him. And now she was having his child, they were having a child. They were going to be their own little family. 'A family? A real little family. A baby with ten fingers, and ten toes. A mix between the two of us.' Peeking up, she could see the faint outline of his jaw, and wispy hairs. 'Our child will be beautiful, solely from their father.' She blushed a little at her own thought.

Situating herself a little better, she looked at the time on the clock, 3:21AM. She wasn't going to school in the morning, and neither was Lucas. The two of them were going to spend the day in bed together, and then they were going to start figuring out what to do with their situation. With a heavy sigh, she nuzzled her head into his chest and felt her eyes finally feel heavy with sleep.

--- Time skip: November, 16 weeks pregnant

Katherine groaned as she rolled over in bed. Her parents were seemingly okay with Lucas staying the night so much, not that she could get into much more trouble than she already was. Looking to the sleeping Lucas, she smiled softly to herself and then looked down to her very small bump of a tummy.

Shortly after she had told her parents the news, her mother ended up getting her appointment set up and she went in for her first ultrasound. When the woman pulled up the monitor and she started looking for the little heartbeat flutter, Kat felt tears come to her eyes. Lucas held her hand the entire time, and her mother sat there and teared up as well. The young couple had a few photos of the little bean, and Kat wanted to post them, but decided to keep the pregnancy a secret as best they could.

She poked the sleeping boy, "Hey, your two favorite things in the whole world want waffles." She poked his cheek again and then kissed the same spot until he woke up.

It was close to Thanksgiving, and they had break for a few days. Halloween had been uneventful it was her first time being sober for a holiday since she was fourteen. It was a nice night though, the two of them rented an abundance of old horror movies and pigged out the whole time.

@ Dandy Darling;

@ heroin bob.

Sarah's fingers tightened around her pencil as her eyes scanned over the text message. The amount of anguish in his voice was prevalent through his words and her heart swelled. She wanted to relieve him of this pain. From his story, his ex-wife clearly put him through a whirlwind of emotions. It was a miracle as to how to was even holding himself together. She knew that she had to be there for him. Every single time she needed support, he was there for her.

I know. We definitely need to talk.
I don't know when I'll have the time, but
I'll try to call you tonight.

That was the least she could do for him. Between her parents breathing down her neck and the amount of homework she had, Sarah barely had any time for herself. But when I come back, I want everyone to have at least one idea written down. Returning back to the assignment, she began to jot down ideas in a rushed manner. Class differences. Step siblings. At the last moment, she scribbled down: teacher-student relationship. Sarah wondered how Alan would react to the last thought. That was when her phone vibrated once more. A small frown passed her features at the realization that Alan accidentally texted her asking for drugs.

I can't just pretend like
I didn't get a message like that.
We need to talk about this.
You have to be more careful.

On the other hand, Sarah could understand why he needed the drugs. It was probably the only way to take the edge off but it also stung. She wasn't enough? Despite talking to her, he still needed the drugs? Sarah slid her phone back into her pocket, not wanting to speak to Alan for the remainder of the period. A small sigh left her lips as she leaned into the palm of her hand. Once Alan returned back to the classroom, she didn't dare meet her gaze. No, she was upset. Not even when he passed by to take a look at her paper. Sarah merely gazed off into the distance after handing him her paper. When the bell rang, she left the classroom without saying another word.

---

Once they settled into the bed, he wrapped his arms around her and let his hand lightly against her stomach. The moment was peaceful with them just laying there absorbed in their own thoughts. It was the first serene moment they had in months. However, from here on out, his life was going to change. He was going to become a father to a beautiful baby girl or boy. Although, Lucas secretly hoped that it was a girl. He was going to have a family. A real family. Lucas glanced down to meet Kat's gaze and offered a small smile, relishing in their moment. It was beautiful.

They spent the rest of the night curled up in bed talking about the future and what it held. Before long, Lucas fell into a deep slumber. It was the first time in months that he had a proper sleep filled with beautiful dreams as oppose to heartbreaking nightmares. For once, he dreamed of his future with his family. He would come home with dinner ready on the table after a long day of work. He would ask Kat how her day at work was and their child's day at school. Everything would be perfect. Or so he hoped.

--

After Lucas told his father about his future grandchild, he was kicked out of the house. It appeared that his father finally found the loophole to get rid of his son once and for all. So, Lucas moved into Kat's house. Her parents didn't seem to mind as much as they did before, getting used to his presence. After all, he was about to become permanent family. He truly appreciated everything that her family had given him. One day, he vowed to repay them for everything. Although, all he could offer was his minimum wage job at the local drug store.

Feeling a soft pair of lips against his cheek, he lightly groaned and cracked open an eye. "Waffles?" He mumbled underneath his breath, attempting to situate himself. Lucas slowly recalled that they had fallen asleep last night watching horror movies in honor of Halloween. It was one of the few days he had off from work, and they wanted to take advantage of it. "Mmm, yeah, waffles coming right up," He stated, slowly sitting up from the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, pacing back and forth from the bathroom and the bedroom to get ready. "Nausea? Anything?" Over the past few days, Kat's morning sickness was getting worse. It worried him beyond belief.

@ Dandy Darling;
Alan felt like total shit. The message he had sent her obviously bothered her. She refused to even look at him when he came back into the classroom. With a heavy sigh, his breath caught in his chest when he saw what Sarah had written down. Not only did it send an excited shiver down his spine, it made him curious as to where she was going to end up going with the story.

Watching the class as they filed out, specifically his pissed off beauty, Alan grabbed his phone and quickly scanned a message from his buddy Sam. Who had finally answered him.

No problem. All medical.
I will be seeing you after class ;)

Having your best friend as your dealer had its funny perks. In times of woe and anger, Sam was always able to help calm Alan down. Sitting down at his desk, as his last class for the day came into the room, he once more went through his spiel and made questionable eye contact with a few of the other female students in the room. Of course, he adored having Sarah in his class, but there were some other girls he watched. But, he found himself more attracted to Sarah at the end of the day.

--

South Park played on the TV as he sat down with his best friend on the couch of his living room. The two of them had just finished smoking, and were talking about everything going on. From his cheating ex, to now having a romantic involvement with his student.

"I'm really interested in her, but she's furious I smoke." He chuckled a bit at the thought. That was part of the reason his ex cheated on him. Getting high has always been his medicine, and people didn't seem to quite understand it.

Sam snorted, and rolled his eyes. "She's in high school. Why the hell are you interested in her in the first place?" He went to pack another bowl. "Shit, have you at least gotten to sleep with her?"

"I'm not rushing her into anything. Besides, if I had I wouldn't tell you. Out of respect for her."

"In other words, no."

"Fuck you." Alan sighed, and grabbed for his phone. He showed his friend a photo, which made him shut his mouth. Alan went to his messages and quickly pulled up her name.

I miss you ..
I'm sorry if you're mad at me ..
Can I bring you something tomorrow?

He sent the message and thought about the present he'd bring her. It wasn't something major, he had found a notebook he thought she'd like. With a flower pressed between the covers, but that would be more a surprise for her. And a poem. Just for her.

__________

"Yes! Waffles!" She sat up and stretched a little. Kat blushed at his nervous questions. "I'm feeling okay, today." She rubbed her small bump and smiled to Lucas. Her mouth took over for a moment, "I'm so lucky to be having this baby with you." She gushed and smiled, then hid her face.

"You honestly make me so happy! And I really hope we have a little girl, so she can be a daddy's girl! With your eyes, and hair. And nose, and everything!" She giggled and crawled towards him. She sat on the edge of the bed and reached for his hands. Taking one, she placed it on her stomach, "I can feel little flutters. Just barely. But I can feel some! Our little alien is growing!" Kat kissed his cheek and got off the bed.

Grabbing a pair of sweatpants, and a hoodie, she got ready to go for waffles. She had been hiding her pregnancy, and nobody at school was really aware yet. Her bestfriend knew, but that was about it. She didn't want anyone at school knowing until she couldn't really hide it anymore. The last thing she needed was everyone at school calling her a whore, again.

She was really thankful that Lucas lived with her now, it was easier to sleep and handle classes with him by her side. Everything was easier, actually. Lucas just made her life better. Even their little surprise.

Judging by Alan's radio silence, her message came across pretty clearly. Sarah was not amused with his smoking habits. It was illegal and completely unacceptable in her eyes.

Hey, girl. We need to catch up! You seemed a little down during Lit today.

It was from Christine. With the whirlwind of the past few weeks, Sarah barely had any time to speak with her so-called best friend. In the end, Christine could always read her like a book and was there for her. Sometimes Sarah didn't think she deserved her.

Yes, please!! Meet at the library after school?

There were so many things on Sarah's mind that she could barely keep from exploding. She practically leaped into Christine's arms once she spotted the brunette with thick framed glasses. "Oh my god. I'm the worst," Sarah blurted out while practically smothering her friend. "I'm sorry I've been so hard to reach the past few weeks. I just.." How could she begin to explain she started having a relationship with their teacher?

"Don't worry about it. I've been so busy these past few weeks with SAT prep anyway... but you're kind of squeezing me to death," Christine reassured, prying Sarah off of her. "Anyway, what's going on? You seemed upset today." Well, that was an understatement.

Sarah gave a slow nod before glancing around the library, feeling as though everyone was staring at her. "Yeah. It's a long story. Let's go into one of the private rooms," She stated, dreading this conversation. Once she sat down across from Christine, the secret began to spill out of her with no signs of stopping. Alan. Lying to her parents. Going to his house. The weed. "And that's what has been going on in my life." For the first time in years, Christine could say nothing and stared at her in complete shock. "Hello?" Sarah tentatively reached out to wave her hand in front of Christine's face.

After a few moments passed, Christine finally showed signs of movement. "Wow. I don't know what to say to that." Sarah could only sheepishly smile in return, twiddling her thumbs. "So, do you really like Mr. Mathews?"

"I do but I'm so confused. He's a teacher and he smokes weed and I don't know what to do. My mind is a mess," She dropped her gaze down. All Sarah could think about was how she was in way over her head.

"I can't tell you what to do.. but he's a teacher. You both can get in a lot of trouble," Christine cast worried eyes. Sarah wished that her best friend could have told her the right thing to do. It would have been so much easier than thinking through it herself.

A couple hours passed from there with the two girls talking about everything and anything that passed through her thoughts. It was the first time that Sarah forgot about her whole Alan problem, carelessly laughing. At some point they were even shushed by the librarian. "Alright, I have to head out but we need to do this again." That was when her phone buzzed. Alan. "Speaking of the devil," She mumbled to herself.

Sarah lightly chewed on her lip while her thumbs hovered over the keyboard. What should she say? She wanted nothing more than to accept his offer but at the same time her worries clouded her resolution.

I need more time to think.

---

As Kat moved off the bed, Lucas' followed her and lingered over her stomach. His uncertainty seemed to increase as her bump grew. The thought of being a father scared him in all honesty, considering he had a pretty crappy example. "Yeah, can't wait," He lied, slowly rising from the bed. Ever since they found out, he dropped out of high school and got a part-time job at the local pharmacy. Lucas would do almost anything to make money, considering their circumstances. It was only a matter of time before they would have to move out of Kat's place, especially with the new born.

Every day Lucas could feel the growing pressure on his shoulders. "Waffles," He repeated before moving downstairs and into the kitchen. It seemed that her parents had already left for work that morning, leaving the lingering smell of coffee behind. Lucas moved with ease around the kitchen. He already knew where all of the pots and pans were and which drawers contained what. Starting up the waffle maker, he reached into the cabinet to take out the mix.

"How many do you want?" Lucas called out, pouring the batter into the waffle maker. Lately, Kat had the appetite of a monster and could eat anything and everything whenever she wanted. Glancing over at the clock, he noted that he would have to leave for work soon. Last time his boss threatened to dock his pay for being late.

@ Dandy Darling;

Alan sighed, he watched as the message dimmed out on his phone screen. Staring at his best friend, he decided to smoke more and call it a night. Or, he thought he would be calling it a night. After the two of them smoked more, his friend pulled out a bottle of Jameson, and demanded that his buddy drink with him. Alan had to be up early, but at the same time, seeing that he had upset Sarah that much, he was too deep in self pity to care. He grabbed the bottle from his friends hand, and began to chug as much as he could. The liquor tasted like rubbing alcohol, and left his chest burning, and his stomach on fire. After it finally hit him, he was able to ignore the burning feeling and continue to down the legal substance that made him feel like complete trash.

After three or so hours of the men drinking, smoking, and going on about their lives, Alan decided it was time for him to head to bed. "Ss-Sa-Saam. I ha-have to be up f-or work s-oo-on."

His friend just chuckled, shook his head and continued to down the second bottle he had. Alan was at a loss, he couldn't just kick his drunk friend out, so he nodded and went to his bedroom. Sam called after him a few times, but Alan ignored him the best he could. He turned his alarm on for work the next day, and slowly drifted off into an inebriated sleep. The last few thoughts on his mind were Sarah, and how mad she would be if she knew what he had been doing. He didn't want to hurt her, or upset her, but this is the type of person he was.

--

Groaning, and throwing his hand over his phone to silence the constant ringing, Alan sat up. 'Fuck, that wasn't the best choice of my life.' He looked to his phone, and saw that he was running behind. Without a second glance, he jumped out of bed, grabbed his clothes, and sprayed himself with cologne. There was no time to shave, no time to fix his hair, and barely enough time to brush his teeth. Grabbing a cup of coffee, he ran out the door and hurried his way to school. Nothing was really going through his head other than he was about to have his ass chewed out for being late, again. It's one thing to be a student and be late, it's another to be a teacher.

Pulling up to the school, and running inside, he admitted that he messed up, and would take whatever punishment they felt like throwing at him. Surprisingly, nothing was given, just another warning. Maybe it was the fact that he still smelled of stale booze, and cigarettes, with bloodshot eyes, that they were just having sympathy on the poor guy. He didn't care, it didn't make much sense, but he was going to take it for what it was.

--

The classes dragged on, and then it was Sarah's period. Alan hadn't really been paying much attention to his classes, they were all supposed to be working on their new writing projects. The bell rang, and students began to file in. He watched for Sarah, his heart pounding right out of his chest. 'She probably doesn't even want to see me. I upset her, and now I look like a drunk mess for work. She'll be embarrassed to even know of me. God, why am I letting what this girl thinks effect me so much? As Sam said, she's in high school... she's a student... she's my student...'

__________

Kat bit her lip, "Three waffles should be enough." She could see how tired Lucas was. It broke her heart knowing how much he did for the two of them, and how little she could help. She had a job, but it was only part-time, and with her being pregnant, her morning sickness makes her shifts difficult. She felt so useless, and she felt horrible because she wasn't even sure if Lucas was excited to have this baby with her. It's not as though she was entirely thrilled when she found out she was pregnant, she was terrified. But she's done everything in her power to make sure their baby is healthy, and happy from the beginning.

Watching him move around the kitchen, and make her breakfast made her heart soar. But she still felt guilty, then she noticed him looking at the clock. Slowly getting up from her seat, she made her way around to Lucas, and stood in front of him. Her little bump touched his stomach, and she looked up to meet his gaze. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she nuzzled her head into his chest for a moment. "I love you, and I appreciate everything you've been doing." Kat had never told Lucas she loved him, in fact she wasn't even entirely sure where it came from. But to her, it felt right.

@ heroin bob.

"Did you hear? Mr. Matthews was drunk during first period today. Everyone could smell the booze from a mile away." Sarah's ears perked up at the sound of Alan's name. "Oh my god. That's disgusting. And they're still letting him teach class?" Her eyes traveled over toward the pair of girls gossiping by the water fountain, wondering if this was actually the truth. Alan wouldn't be that stupid, right? She knew he was going through a rough time and that their situation wasn't making it any better, but that would jeopardize his career. One of the girls briefly made eye contact with Sarah, causing Sarah to quickly look away. She reached into her locker to pull out her books for the next two periods before closing it and hurriedly making her way to second period. She would just have to wait and see for herself.

The bell for next period finally rang. Time for AP English. Sarah couldn't calm the pounding in her chest in anticipation of the rumors, especially since everyone seemed to be talking about it by third period. Entering inside of the classroom, she caught the faint smell of cigarettes and alcohol lingering in the air. It seemed that Alan tried hiding it but it was too strong to be masked. A wave of disappointment rippled through her, making her suppress a sigh. So, the rumors were true. She took her seat toward the back of the class and busied herself with the reading assignment for next week. Alan needed help but Sarah wasn't sure she could provide it. He was clearly headed on a downward slope. Who was going to stop it?

---

"You got it," He responded while closing the lid to the waffle maker. They probably only had enough batter for four waffles maximum and if three were going to her... He would just have to live with the hunger. Maybe he would be able to steal a candy bar when the boss wasn't looking. After working there for a few weeks, Lucas knew all about the camera's blindspots. Soon enough, he began to stack the waffles on top of each other on a plate. "It's done," He announced, glancing at the time once more. Luckily, he had just enough time to make it to work if he ate on the way.

As he turned, he felt Kat's arms wrap around his torso as her baby bump pressed against his stomach. For the first time, Lucas found it hard to breathe. It felt as though her bump was suffocating him, taking every last bit of air from his lungs. The pressure on his chest was unimaginable. "I-I'm gonna be late," He excused, needing some space between them. "I'll see you later tonight." In the middle of his personal crisis, he had managed to completely miss those three precious words and left the apartment. Lucas knew she appreciated everything that he did but he just wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up.

@ Dandy Darling;
Alan looked to Sarah, his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. As the bell rang to signal the beginning of class, he stood up and cleared his throat. "So today, we're gong to continue writing. I want at least half of your rough draft done by tomorrow. Remember, the minimum amount of pages is 10. I want a decent paper." He sat back down, and looked to his phone.

Sam:
Ur ex messaged me today. Pls tell me that she knew u were seeing someone else.

His heart stopped, his eyes immediately shot up to Sarah. Then back down to his phone.

Alan:
I really can't remember if she found out or not. I haven't really told her much of anything. But she hasn't talked to me in a while since her engagement. And pregnancy announcement. Shit. Did you tell her about Sarah?!

Anxiety. He kept looking up to Sarah, who was obviously avoiding all eye contact with him. He would admit it was destroying him. He wasn't relying her on her anything, he doesn't want her to fix him, he just wants to hold her and be with her.

Sam:
I said u were seeing some girl. Don't worry. I didn't say names, or tell her it's ur student.

Exhaling, he pulled up Sarah's name,

I miss you.. I don't want you to think I'm trying to push anything. I truly just want to be around you, and learn more about you.

__________

Kat felt a sting in her chest as Lucas ran out the door. She sniffled, grabbed a waffle, and quickly ate it with nothing but a glass of milk. She sighed, went to her room and changed into another baggy outfit, and quickly made her way to the bus.

Popping in her earbuds, she stared out the window. Placing a had on her bump, she felt the small butterflies of the little bud that was growing. She smiled to herself, then frowned again as she remembered Lucas not saying anything back to her. She wanted to text him, but knew that he wouldn't be able to respond until his lunch break. 'Shit, he didn't pack a lunch.. or eat breakfast.'

Looking in her bag, she found a few dollars and hurried off the bus at the wrong stop. She started down the street to Lucas' job. The last thing she wanted was for him to not get to eat. The bell chimed as she walked through the entrance. She peeped around the corner and saw Lucas. Kat hurried up behind him, and poked his side. "I forgot I had a few dollars for you, so you could get lunch today!" She smiled with a little pride.

Well, at least he was sober enough to speak without slurring his words. Sarah flipped open her notebook to find her work-in-progress about six pages in. On a daring streak, she wrote a story that mirrored their romance. She knew he would pick up on it from the moment he read it. Sarah read through the lines, feeling a pain in her chest. They were supposed to be exchanging longing looks from across the classroom but instead she could barely look at him. Maybe it was better to scrap the whole thing and start all over... Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her phone light up. A text from Alan. She briefly glanced up toward him, noticing him watching her every move.

I miss you.. I don't want you to think I'm trying to push anything. I truly just want to be around you, and learn more about you.

Sarah sighed, unsure of how to respond to that. Of course, she wanted to be with him and there was so much they didn't know about each other, but that's also what scared her. From what she recently learned, she wasn't too keen about his habits and his ex-wife didn't sound so ready to give up on their relationship. It gave her a headache.

I'm still really confused by this and I still don't know if this is the best idea... but I'll meet you at the coffee shop at the edge of town.

The small hole in the wall was probably one of the only places in town where they could meet without getting caught. Sarah just hoped that she wouldn't regret giving him a chance to explain himself.

---

Despite sprinting to work, Lucas barely made it with a minute to spare. He drew in a deep breath to straighten himself out before walking inside of the mini-mart. "Morning," He mumbled to his boss, stepping behind the front counter and slipping on the vest. It was going to be another long day.

His stomach grumbled around noon, signifying lunch time. Glancing around the store, the aisles were entire and the boss was tucked away in the far back corner of the building in his office. Perfect time to steal that candy bar that he wanted. Lucas stepped out from behind the counter and wandered down the snack aisle. Milky Way. Snickers. Almond Joy. There were so many options, but Lucas wanted a regular Hershey's chocolate bar. He reached out to grab the bar when someone poked his side, making him jump. "Fuck!" He exclaimed as he whirled around to face his assailant. As his eyes landed on Kat, he exhaled with relief. "Jesus Christ, don't sneak up on me like that. What the hell were you thinking?" He realized how harsh that had come out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just you came out of no where." With all of the stress lately, he was pretty high strung.

With the few dollar she brought, Lucas could actually upgrade to a hot dog. "Oh, uh, thanks. You didn't have to come all the way down here though," He trailed off, unable to help his eyes from traveling down to her protruding belly.

@ Dandy Darling;
When his phone lit up, his heart raced. Alan smiled to himself, the thought of getting to see her later brought his low mood to a decent level. Though not a whole lot could cure his pounding head, and the inevitable ass chewing he would receive at a later date from his superiors. He fixed the papers on his desk, and waited to reply back.

A few of the students came up, and asked him for an opinion on wording, or other aspects. His brain wasn't functioning how he needed it to, which is why he really didn't enjoy drinking that much. Soon his thoughts trailed to how he could be at home smoking, and grading papers. Relaxed, and able to think clearly. Alan soon snapped back, and cleared his throat. "So tomorrow we will be doing peer editing, so be ready to share the first half your papers with your partner. And we will be picking partners tomorrow." He smiled to everyone.

His eyes connected with Sarah's, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Sitting back down, he grabbed for his phone:

I'm more than excited to get to see you.

The bell rang, and his students began to file out. Some of them still whispering about how hot of a mess he was, and others conversing about their plans for their night.

___

Alan wandered to his car, turning on the radio, he lit up a cigarette and began his drive to the edge of town. He was hoping he would be able to explain himself to Sarah. He wasn't a man that had problems, he just had a lot going on in his life, and isn't entirely sure how to handle everything. He doesn't want to be with his ex wife, although she's convinced they're supposed to be together. And he's ready to work on himself, if Sarah is willing to open up to him more. She might be a student, but there's something about her that makes his head whirl.

Going into the coffee shop, he ordered and found a back corner table where nobody would pay attention to them. He grabbed his phone, and began scrolling through his various social medias.

Hey, I'm at the shop. I'm in the back corner.

His phone vibrated immediately after. Looking down, he sighed.

Ex:
I saw your car outside that one coffee shop. Who are you meeting???

Alan sighed, and ignored the text. There was no point in trying to explain himself to someone that wouldn't listen. Instead he sent a message to his friend Sam, asking him if he would go and handle the situation for him. Sam happily agreed. Alan was more than done dealing with his ex, she didn't offer anything for him. She was quick to jump to conclusions, and drove him to be the person he didn't want to be.

__________

Kat sighed, she looked down to her hands and kicked the ground a bit. "Y'know, I get you're stressed, and pissed off that this is your life. So if you don't want it to be, then let me know. I don't want someone who doesn't want this kid, to be around." Her hormones were through the roof. She turned on her heel, and went out the door.

Overly dramatic? Yes. But Lucas had been so high strung lately, and she was able to sense it. She didn't want to keep causing him stress if that isn't what he wants. It isn't as if she was ready to be a mother, she wasn't even sure if she was going to graduate. Lucas was at least smart enough to be able to get his GED at some point. Kat? Not so much. She was easily stressed about school, causing failing grades. She couldn't even understand why Lucas decided to drop out, when she should've been.

'I'm almost positive he won't be coming home tonight. Or talking to me. I just overreacted in the wrong way... but he hurt my feelings. It shocked me.. I was trying to do something nice for him.' Soon finding herself at the entrance of the high school, she made her way to her first period class and found her best friend. Sighing, she kept her phone on vibrate in hopes Lucas would message her.

She made a scene at his job, and that alone made her feel sick to her stomach. She knew how hard he had worked to get the job there. And she knew how much he had given up, just to make sure their little family would be able to be on their own. 'He still didn't bother to tell you he loved you.'

Kat sniffled, and continued to doodle on the paper in front of her.

The remainder of the day went by as a swirl of emotions. A mixture of highs and lows for the young lady. One minute she was positive that they would make it through this and the next she wondered if it would be better to end it all now. Her mind couldn't settle on one feeling.

Taking her car, she drove to the edge of town and around the block a few times just to be safe. Sarah pulled off to the side of the street about a block away from the coffee place. As she put her car into park, her phone buzzed and displayed the text from Alan.

Hey, I'm at the shop. I'm in the back corner.

Good, he had chosen a spot where most people didn't even realize existed. Sarah grabbed her wallet from her backpack and walked to the coffee shop, continuously looking over her shoulder. She felt a pair of eyes watching her every move but no one was around, or at least from what she could see. Entering inside of the coffee shop, she ordered an espresso and slipped into the back. "Hey," She greeted, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and Sarah swore her ears were turning red. Sitting down, she dropped her eyes down into her espresso and saw her reflection looking back at her. What was there to say?

---

Lucas rubbed his temple with a sigh as Kat stalked out of the mini-mart. "I don't want someone who doesn't want this kid, to be around." Her words echoed in his head as he stood in the middle of the aisle. Did he want this kid? Lucas couldn't answer that question no matter how long he stood there. He had dropped out of school, gotten a crappy job, and was already well on his way down the shitty father road. Lucas began to think it was more of the question: was it better for the child to not have a father than to have one?

"Lucas, get back to work and stop bringing your personal life into the shop. One more stunt like that and you're done. I don't have time to deal with your shit," His boss called out from the back, poking his head out. Lucas groaned before promptly returning back to his post. Nothing ever seemed to work in his favor. After that little stunt, he didn't even dare to take out his phone for the remainder of the day.

Later that night, he returned with his paycheck to find that his boss had deducted some of his overtime. It was from all of the times he was late. Apparently, they added up to a whole five dollar loss. Ridiculous. "I'm back," He called out to Kat, shrugging off his coat and throwing it on the couch.

"Fucking, Jeff. He docked me a whole five dollars," He outwardly complained. It wasn't fair. They were barely getting by and every single penny they made meant everything.

@ Dandy Darling;

Alan looked up to Sarah, his eyes gave away that he hadn't been sleeping. He knew he looked like hell, he smelled heavily of cologne, and his body ached. "I don't know what to say. So I'm just going to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry you saw me the way I was today, and I'm sorry that I smoke pot. I'm sorry I'm a drunk, and I'm sorry that I'm your teacher." He fiddled with the cup of coffee that was warming his hands. He wiped the sweat off on his pants. "All I've wanted since I laid eyes on you, was to know more about you. To spend time with you, and create beautiful poems, or other writings. I want to see you follow your dreams." Without thinking, he carefully placed his hand over hers. "Sarah, all I'm asking is for one more shot. One more shot to show you the kind of man I can be. I wish I wasn't your teacher. I wish we met under other circumstances. But please."

Alan didn't know what it was about this girl. He really didn't. The same thoughts always flooded his head, though. He needed to know more about her. He needed to be apart of her life. He needed her. For whomever she was going to become. He wanted to see who she was going to become, and he wanted to help her get there. "You don't have to believe me. And you can even tell me you're done with me. I just needed to get that out there."

He placed his hands back around the coffee cup, and took a small sip.

__________

Kat finished the rest of her school day in a blur. More rumors were circulating about her maybe being pregnant, and that's why Lucas had dropped out. Her ex had started back up on calling her a whore, and the other girls decided to torment her as much as possible. There wasn't much hiding her small bump, besides underneath the layers of baggy clothing she wore. But when it came to gym class, she would panic daily.

The school knew of her pregnancy. They had to for safety reasons. But they wouldn't allow her to miss out oon anything that she didn't have a doctors note for. Gym class being one of them. With a reluctant sigh, she changed into her baggiest pair of sweatpants, and a school issued jacket. Her best friend wasn't in class with her, so she had to embrace walking alone. People whispered as they jogged past her, some of the girls snickered. There wasn't anything she could do.

Kat ran inside as soon as she could, changed her outfit, and checked herself out for the rest of the day. Making her way to the store, she picked up a few things so she could make breakfast for dinner.

Wasnt feeling good. Left school early. See you tonight.

She couldn't bare telling him how she was being bullied. He was going through too much as is.

___

Cracking another egg, she kept frying and sizzling away. She heard the front door open, and Lucas yell about how his boss had taken some of his pay. She looked down to her bump, feeling a sort of hatred for whatever was growing inside of her. She finished the eggs, bacon, and toast, and set the table. She looked up to Lucas as he came into the kitchen. She walked over to him, and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry for showing up today, I really am."

Never would she let him know about the hatred she had growing. She wanted to be excited about having a baby, but it was impossible when Lucas seemed so uninterested. She sat down at the table. "But I managed to make dinner!" She proudly waved her arm over the small array of food. It wasn't much, but she was proud of herself for being able to make them something. Her parents had given her a small allowance every week, to help out. "I know it isn't a lot..."

Sarah met his blood shot eyes and felt her chest ache. He looked tired, defeated. Through all of this apologizes, the last one hurt the most because it was the one thing neither of them could control. She felt the warmth of his hand against her own and wanted interlace their fingers together, but this was already pushing their luck in public. "I need you to tell me what's going on then. It's not that I don't believe you, but I feel like.. like there's a wall between us and it's more than you being my teacher," She whispered toward the end. "You've been stressed lately. You've never showed up to school like this. And I know that I haven't been helping with that, but I want to understand you. I want to know what's bothering you. I'm scared to share my life with someone I know nothing about." It would have been easier for the both of them to just end it all while they were still unattached and safe.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she couldn't help but shake the feeling of eyes on her. It made her feel even more careful and alert of every move she made. Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see the empty cafe with a couple walking by the shop. She shook her head, thinking the paranoia was going to her head. "Sorry, I just feel like someone's been following me or at least watching me. I don't know. It's crazy. Not getting enough sleep, I guess, and I'm being too paranoid." She sighed, taking her hand from her child. Sarah reached out to barely graze his hand before resting it down onto the table. "I do want this to work, I promise."

---

"Don't apologize. I-I know you didn't mean it that way. My boss is just a pain in the ass, and I'm surprised he didn't dock my pay even more for your visit. It's just easier if you don't show up to my work," Lucas groaned, shaking his head. "What a penny-pinching asshole." He would have to work overtime to make this month's rent. Even with Kat's parents helping, it was still rough. Most of that income was going toward preparing for the baby. They recently used the money to buy the crib currently nestled in the corner of their bedroom. "So what happened during school today? You weren't feeling well?" He questioned, taking a seat at the dining room table. Breathing in the food, he heard his stomach grumble. It was taking a toll on him, considering he only had lunch today. The food on the table was minimal but it worked. "Smells delicious." And he wasn't lying.

As he started to wolf down the meal, he took a moment to pause and say the words on his mind. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. The stress of everything makes me cranky and I'm so worried." He ate another bite of his meal before continuing. "What if I mess up this baby? Like, my father was not the best role model and I feel so much like him already. A failure. I mean, look where we are. We can barely afford a one-bedroom apartment and I work at a convenience store. Hell, I couldn't even graduate high school just like him. I just.. I just want to give this baby everything and I don't even think I can." Placing down his fork, his hand went to rest on his forehead with a heavy sigh. "Are you really sure you want me to be a father to this child, Kat?"

@ Dandy Darling;
Alan shook his head, and looked down. "What's going on." He restated he question, then took in a long sigh. He wasn't even entirely sure what was going on. His ex had announced she was engaged, and pregnant. Then she messages him out of the blue to say she saw his car. And to top it off, she knows he's possibly seeing someone. He looked into her eyes, "My ex wife announced she's pregnant, and engaged. She's been relentlessly stalking my life, attempting to make every aspect of it hell. She has people convinced I'm the bad guy, when she's the one who cheated on me in the first place." Scoffing, Alan stopped himself for a moment. He looked around the cafe, then back to Sarah's warm eyes. "She also knows I'm seeing someone, thanks to my buddy being a loudmouth."

Alan smiled at her graze, being around her made him feel at peace, but her touch was so much more. "If you need someone to talk to, especially to help you sleep, please message me. Or call me. Hell tell your parents you're staying somewhere, and we'll get away for a night." When she said she wanted things between them to work, he felt his smile broaden. He grabbed for the notebook he had for her, along with the note that was scribbled inside.

'To fall for you,
was my one wish come true.

With everything,
Alan'

"I'm being serious, please consider us taking a night away from here. We could get a hotel somewhere, or go camping. Whatever you want. I just want to be able to be somewhere with you, and no worries." He didn't want to rush things, but he didn't want to lose her. He wanted to open up to her, and the best way was for the two of them to get to be alone.

__________

Kat looked down to the table, she felt bad for getting him in trouble. She let the subject of work drop, though. The last thing she wanted to hear was how hard he was working, and how little she had done. Not that he had ever made a statement like that, it was what she thought. His question stung her ears. "Yeah, just a lot of nausea. I'm not really sure. This baby is taking a toll." She laughed lightly, attempting to keep the subject of her torment at bay. He had too much going on to worry about her petty issues.

Setting her fork down, she listened to his every word. He had stated all of her fears. What if she was a terrible mother? What if the baby deserved better, and they were messing things up? Katherine looked around their small apartment, then back to Lucas as he dropped his head. It was his last question that made her heart sink. "I love you." Standing up, she moved to him, and wrapped her arms around his head. She pulled him close to her standing tummy, and ran a hand through his hair. "I've never seen a man do so much, in such a short amount of time. And yes, I said man because you've been exactly that. I'm so proud of you, and if you're too unsure on if you want to be around, let me know now. I need to know. It'll hurt, but I won't force you. Just please know I love you, and I appreciate everything you've done." She stopped, and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "I've had the same worries, of myself. But I believe in us..."

Sarah was caught off guard how truly terrible everything was going in Alan's life. His ex-wife cheated on him? Not to mention that she was pregnant and engaged to another man. "She's stalking you? And she knows you're seeing someone," She trailed off, wondering if the woman she had seen was more than a coincidence. Sarah didn't want to jump the gun though. After hearing all of his troubles, she felt terrible for ignoring and giving him such a hard time. "Why didn't you just tell me that?" She sighed, feeling the barrier between them beginning to dissipate. "Your ex-wife... she won't do anything drastic, right?" The last thing they both needed was for her to find out about them and report Alan, especially if she was determined to ruin his life.

"I think I should be saying that to you. You've have quite the rough time lately," She countered with a small grin. But the thought of getting away for the weekend was completely out of the question. Her parents were always breathing down her neck about school, SATs, and her job. The only reason why she was able to meet with him is because she told her parents she was meeting her friend at the library. "As much as I would love to.. my parents would never let me out of their sight for a weekend." They barely let her get away with a couple hours to herself. Taking the notebook, she read the small note and it warmed her heart. No one had written poetry for her before. "I don't know..." She trailed off, feeling a bit troubled. Sarah would give anything for one weekend where she could spend time with him. How would she do it though? "What weekend? I-I'll try to figure something out."

---

Lucas sighed in relaxation as she wrapped her arms around his head, bringing him closer to her extended tummy. She was giving him an out. He could leave now and she wouldn't blame him or expect anything from him. The perfect out. "But what would you do? It's so late in your pregnancy. You only have a month left before you're due," He trailed off. Kat was still in high school, and she would have no income other than what her parents gave her. If he left her now, he was even worse than his father. "I-I couldn't," He lowered his eyes. As soon as they made this baby together, they were stuck together. Lucas had to take responsibility not matter how difficult it was. "It's not right for me to run from this. No matter how hard it is," He sighed, deciding on this. He was in it for the long haul. "I'm sorry if I'm ever an asshole to you. I'm just trying to do my best to make a better life for all of us." On minimum wage. That money wasn't going to get them far.

@ Dandy Darling;

There wasn't much he could say, but relief did wash over him when she seemed to understand everything happening. He sighed, and nodded about his ex wife. He was positive she wouldn't try to do anything drastic, so it was easy to keep her in the back of his mind. "I just didn't want to scare you off. My life is so hectic, and you already have so much going on." Alan shook his head, and looked down to the table. "I highly doubt she'd do anything. She only knows I'm seeing someone, she has no other information." He knew if the two of them were ever found out, it would be the end of his career entirely.

His heart dropped a little when she commented about not being able to get away for a weekend. As she read his short poem, he saw a look in her eyes. "I was thinking next weekend, since it's a three day weekend." He smiled a bit, touching her hand. "My parents left me a cabin by the lake when they moved state." He had all the intentions to make it an extremely romantic weekend. Treating Sarah how she deserved to be treated.



Katherine wasn't sure what to say, he had a lot of good points. Their relationship had been thrown together out of the blue. It wasn't as though they had ever sat down, and talked about what they were. They were just with one another. Lucas had no real reason to stay, she never told him he had to. As he declared that he would stick around, Kat felt a little better. "I really don't want you to ever feel like you have to stick around though, okay?"

She stepped back when a sharp pain erupted through her lower back. Hunching over, she watched as her sweatpants began to grow wet. "Lu-Lucas?" She held her stomach, and groaned. Her doctor had warned her about being stressed. It was sure to induce labor if she wasn't careful.