Creating Something out of Nothing

MANDY'S POV

I was driving around the city, grabbing all the assorted things that I'd need to get ready for Brian's birthday bash. We were gonna do it up big, like we always do, and everything had to be perfect. It's funny how he's one of the most mature of us all but he's one of the youngest. He would always pout when he'd ask me about something and I'd reply with, "I'll tell you when you're older." That killed him.

By now, the time was three o'clock in the afternoon, so I decided I'd take a break and go see Tammy. I hadn't talked to her since the night before when I had stayed with her. She was now two months, more or less. She'd gone to the doctor, gotten it confirmed, and everything. But she still hadn't told her family and she still hadn't told Zacky. She made me promise that I wouldn't tell him or anyone else [not even Brian], otherwise, I would've told Zacky as soon as I had found out. He deserved to know, that child growing inside of her was half him, his flesh and blood as well as hers. I was hoping that she wouldn't completely strip him of his rights, even if he was acting like he wanted nothing to do with her. I pulled up to Tammy's house and got out of the car, walking up the sidewalk and through the door, knowing it'd be unlocked. I yelled for her.

"I'm in the kitchen!" she replied.

I walked in to see her making a sandwich with mayonnaise and eggs. It was so odd because the entire time I've known Tammy, she's always hated mayo and eggs. Her eating them together was even weirder.

"I know what you're thinking. But I'm craving it, and right now, I don't care about what I've been thinking all my life."

"So, does that mean you think it tastes good?"

"Hell no, it tastes horrible. It looks horrible. In fact, I wanna puke. But this kid wants it and so I'm gonna eat it to make it happy."

"Spoiling your child already, Tams?"

"Well, hey. Might as well start now. It'll be a spoiled baby when its born."

"When do you find out the sex?"

"Eleven weeks."

"Gosh, that's like two and a half weeks from now."

"Yeah, I know. It's weird, 'cause I'm not like big or anything, so it's still not real to me. Except when the baby makes me eat shit I don't usually eat."

"Has it made you eat cheddar yet?"

"No, I think it's gonna stay away from that. Which makes me happy. I'm already upset enough about the mayo and eggs."

"Well. You're coming to Brian's birthday bash that I'm throwing, right?"

"I don't know, Mandy. I mean, you guys are all gonna be drinking and I'll be sitting there, sober as a judge, watching you all be stupid with each other."

"So you have more incentive. You can blackmail us later!"

"Is Zacky gonna be there?"

"You know he will."

"Alright. I was just asking or whatever."

"You're still gonna come right?"

"Of course I am. Zacky's not gonna keep me from my friends. Fuck him."

"Hun, that's how you got pregnant."

"Oh shut up."

END MANDY'S POV

*******************************************************************************

So the party started without a hitch. Brian didn't even know he was having a party, he thought Mandy forgot about it. So the plan was that they go to dinner and she act like they were just out together, nothing special. And when they got in the car, she would confess or be forced to confess that she forgot his birthday, drive back to his house [she had arranged for his parents and brother Brent to be gone] and surprise him with the decorations, food, gifts, and the gang. And damn, was he surprised. It was worth feeling awkward around Zacky to see the look on his face and how happy he was when he opened gifts. I got him a guitar stand for the guitar that Mandy had bought him. He squeezed me and Mandy freaked out, saying that something was wrong with my lungs and to not squeeze me. He apologized and moved on to the rest of the presents.

About an hour or more later, everyone but myself was drunk, or at least tipsy. I was sober. I sat, looking around at everyone. Matt and Stephanie were playing bartenders again, only they were actually playing, pretending, not serving drinks to actual people. Jimmy and Beth weren't anywhere in sight, which was really odd. Johnny and Celena were cuddled up on a chair in the living room. Brian and Mandy were making out on the couch. I knew they were about due for a session upstairs. I laughed rememebering that Zacky and I had once had sex in Brian's bed, pissing Brian off like someone had beat his mother. Zacky, I don't remember where Zacky headed off to, but he was hanging out with this chick that mandy had invited. For once, the shindig wasn't gang-exclusive, but not many other people had been invited because Brian didn't care about many people. Just then, Zacky walked into the room and sat next to me, which weirded me out a little, but I recovered quickly and appeared fine.

"So," he began, "what's up, Tams? T.J., Tammy Tam. God, I haven't said your name in forever."

"Wow, that's interesting, Zacky."

"Hey, why haven't you been drinking?" He looked suspicious, but most drunk people are when they don't know something.

"I didn't feel like drinking tonight. Plus I have an appointment tomorrow." That was a lie, but he'd believe it and hopefully get off my back.

"What kinda appointment?"

"None that concerns you."

"Ohh. You're going to see the pussy doctor, huh?"

"Yeah, that's why it doesn't concern you. You no longer have anything to do with that part of me." I hate saying that word. And he knows it.

"Yeah, that's right. And don't act like it was your choice, because I was definitely the one to kick your ass to the fuckin' curb."

"Shut up, Zacky. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because your presence bothers me."

"Well, I'm so sorry I bother you just by living. But you'll have to get over it."

"Whatever," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You were never anything but a slut, anyway."

If I'd been home, or close to a bathroom, I would've cried. But I had to settle for the fact that Zacky left and I was frozen. I was so upset that I couldn't move. But he saved me the trouble of looking at him by walking away. And he had the nerve to smirk at me before he turned around.

That fucking asshole.