Love By Our Side

Stephen quickly exited the basement, leaving Delaney alone. She'd be fine, she practically lived at his house, and she'd probably wait five minutes before going to find his brother and they'd make up some excuse to have sex and that would be the end of the fight-if you could call it that-that had just taken place.

Deciding against hearing the likely approaching sex noises, Stephen headed out the front door. For the second time that week, he walked towards the old park in his neighborhood. It seemed to serve him in all the stages of his life; for amusement in his younger years, and now (though he wouldn't consider himself old by any means) it was a nice place to sit and think. The weather was reaching towards the upper 80s, so the multiple sprinklers the playground hosted had been turned on. Stephen found an isolated section with a stream of water shooting into a shallow pool, into which he dipped his feet.

After pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until he hit Sophie's name. Not calling her back was not an option. Today was decision day, and he still didn't know where he stood. Sophie had been pretty clear with her views, but she wasn't entirely positive either the last time they spoke. Reluctantly, he hit the “call” button and put the phone to his ear.

”Hey.” Sophie had answered in the middle of the second ring. This could only be expected from her.

“Hey babe. Sorry I didn't answer earlier, I was with Delaney and John and things were...going on,” Stephen hesitated, not wanting to worry her further with a petty fight.

”It's all good. Listen, ah, okay. I know what I gotta do,” Sophie quickly stated.

“Ah, um, okay. What exactly is that?” he asked, unsure of the direction this conversation would take.

”I'm keeping it,” she quickly said. Stephen let out a breath. That was it. His entire life had taken a different course with those three words. A big part of him was glad that this was his girlfriend's decision, he wouldn't be able to fully live with himself if something else was to be done. ”Babe? Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking, ya know,” Stephen quickly answered. He hadn't realized how long of a pause there had been on the line. “I'm glad we're doing this.”

”I'm glad you saidwe're and notyou're in that sentence.”Stephen could tell that Sophie was smiling on her end.

He couldn't help but smile a bit either, given the circumstances. He was glad that he'd be going through this with Sophie, rather than anyone else, especially Leigh, the only other girl he'd had sex with. What a disaster that would have been, he couldn't help but think. “Alright sweetie, I'd love to talk more now but I should get going. Oh, when's your first appointment? I wanna come with you.”

”You would get off the phone after I tell you something like this,” Sophie laughed. Stephen mentally hit himself, knowing better than to say something stupid like that. ”It's okay though, I forgive you. I'm going on Monday, you really don't have to come. I don't want you missing classes.”

”I'd miss anything to go to this, you know that. I'll be there on Sunday,” he stated. “Now, go to sleep or do whatever pregnant people do. I love you.”

”Wow, way to stereotype us. But I think I will go take a nap, it sounds good right about now. Love you, too.”

Stephen sat awhile longer, wondering if he should tell anyone just yet. Sophie had already talked to her parents about it, and he was surprised that Delaney hadn't been informed yet. Stephen and Sophie chose not to tell anyone else, including his parents, about the pregnancy until they were positive (Stephen made this joke to lighten the mood when she first told him. It didn't go over well.) that they were keeping the baby. He figured now was a good of time as any, so he wandered back home and waited until both his parents were there to tell them.

When he first walked into his house, no one was there. Glad that his brother and Delaney had taken their activities elsewhere, Stephen made himself a sandwich and sat in front of the TV, flipping through the channels before settling on the History Channel, one of his favorites. Soon after, his mom returned from the grocery store and requested that he help carry the bags in. He obliged, busying himself before his dad returned. He and his mom were sitting in the living room watching some made for TV movie when his dad walked in the door from work. He seemed pleasant enough, so Stephen called out to him.

“Hey, dad, could you come here for a second?” His dad walked into the room, set his laptop case on the chair, and set next to his wife on the couch, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“What's up? You haven't sounded this serious since that time you thought you knocked John's tooth out with a baseball bat,” his dad laughed.

“Ah yeah, I kinda wish that was the case,” Stephen mumbled before speaking up. “Uh, I guess, uh...Sophie found out that she's pregnant. We're keeping the baby and I'm driving up on Sunday to go to her first doctor's appointment with her on Monday.” There was silence in the Gomez household for a few long minutes, the TV movie still playing in the background; the sounds of an argument between a mother and her teenage daughter filled the room.

“Well...you're an adult now. She's an adult now. This is your decision and we support it,” Mrs. Gomez finally spoke up.

“I agree with your mother.,” Mr. Gomez contributed. “We love Sophie, think she's a great girl, and we're happy to welcome her into our family. That's what you two are now, your own family. There may not be a marriage being talked about, but a baby needs a family so that's what you'll become.” His father's usual eloquence was slightly faltering at the moment, but Stephen respected what he said.

“I'm proud of you two for making the correct decision in this situation, you'll both make great parents,” his mother stated, standing up and giving him a hug and kissing him on the head before leaving the room.

“Your life is going to be completely different from now on, I hope you're prepared for it. Your mother and I will always be here for you, don't forget that.” His father clapped his shoulder twice before following his mother. His parents couldn't have taken the news any better, but now there was the subject of his brother, friends, and extended family. He had a few pretty conservative relatives, and he was unsure how well this would go over with them.

Stephen spent the rest of his afternoon on the living room couch, watching whatever seemed appealing to him at the time. A little after nine, his phone rang, the screen flashing Josh's number. Stephen quickly answered, previously forgetting their plans for the night.

“Hey bro, what's up?” he asked.

Not much, not much, except I did scope out a sick party that starts in an hour, if you're still down? Supposedly a bunch of hotties are showing up, which is always good,” Josh, ever-happy, answered his friend. ”Well, for single guys like me anyways. I'm sure you'll be able to keep to yourself tonight, you're always good at that.”

“Aha yeah, of course I'll be able to.” Not that Stephen had ever considered cheating on Sophie before, but now more than ever he couldn't slip up. “So, who's driving?”

The boys made plans to leave around eleven (never good to show up right at the start of a party) flanked by the Juwig twins, Adam was deemed designated driver for the night. At 11:07, a red sedan appeared in Stephen's driveway, and he hopped in the backseat, to find Josh and Taylor pregaming.

“I”m really stoked on this party, I need to find me a new honey,” Josh stated, offering Stephen a bottle of Captain, which he gladly accepted. If he was going to be a responsible father, he figured that it'd be best to get out all of his partying now.

“Damn, I'm probably going to be the only not single person there,” Stephen mumbled as he took a swig of the alcohol.

“Which means you better slow down, because none of us will be able to babysit you,” Josh pointed out, taking the bottle back. “Unless Adam wants that job?”

“Oh no, even though I can't drink doesn't mean I'm signing up to babysit,” he laughed from the driver's seat. A few minutes later, they pulled up to a somewhat familiar house, some kid from the town over who hosted parties while they were in high school.

Once inside, the group quickly split up. Taylor ran for his usual spot at a table set up for beer pong, Adam searched for any other sober people (and had no luck in finding any) but did find Slade a few of his other friends, and Josh and Stephen headed straight for the kitchen, in hopes of snagging a bottle of something good before only shitty booze was left. When Stephen spotted his beloved black label, he quickly switched out the half-emptied bottle of Captain for the yet unopened Jack Daniel's. Josh gave him a thumbs up and poured two half-glasses of Coke before following his friend to the backyard.

The two boys poured generous amounts of alcohol into their red cups before settling into a social circle. Stephen recognized half of the people there, some of whom he hadn't seen since graduation. The group of kids introduced all who weren't known and caught up on what had happened in the past year before someone broke out a deck of cards. Numerous games were thrown around until Circle of Death was decided on.

“Alright, I gotta get a refill if we're gonna start this,” Josh announced, laughing. “Anyone wanna join me on a quick trip to the kitchen?” When the only other person who nodded yes was a petite blonde girl, Stephen laughed and shook his head no, handing his cup to his friend. Josh shot him a quick look and a wink before retreating inside.

After almost ten minutes (way longer than it should have taken), Josh and the girl, Becca, returned to the bodies, now situated on the floor in a circle, and the game began. Seven rounds in and two “mates” later, Stephen needed another Coke refill. He excused himself from a round and slightly stumbled back into the kitchen. He had forgotten the nearly four shots worth of alcohol he'd consumed on the way to the party, but that didn't stop him from filling less than half of his glass with Coke, then pouring much more than necessary JD in the glass. When the game was finished and a new one was being debated, Stephen had had way more than he planned on in that hour's time.

“G-guys, I uh, think I'm gonna sit this one out. Maybe go play some beer pong or...something,” he slurred, rather loudly, before retreating into the house, abandoning his precious bottle on top of a stool. He wandered to the basement where he'd seen Taylor disappear into earlier.

“Steeeeeve!” Taylor yelled, greeting his friend. “Hey, my partner passed out twenty minutes ago, you wanna play?” Stephen nodded a yes, unsure of what exactly he's agreed to. He sat in a chair, by himself, for a few minutes until Taylor pulled him up and stood him at the end of a table, an array of red and blue cups arranged pyramid-style in front of him. Taylor took the first shot and missed, as did the guy on the other team, so Stephen was up to shoot. He overshot, blaming his lack of playing, but the other team made it.

When the game got to 6 and 2 cups remaining, other team winning, Stephen tried to call the final shots off but everyone else shushed him. The opposing team quickly sank their final two cups, high-fived, and looked for another pair to beat.

“That game was WEAK! C'mon, you guys could've taken them out!” Josh shouted towards his two friends, his arm slung around the blonde girl from before.

“Dude, I haven't been this drunk in a looooong time,” Stephen stated, drawing out his vowels.

“Well, we still have a bit of time before we should leave, so come sit down with us,” Josh offered, gesturing at the half empty couch he was occupying.

“Actually babe, I better get going. Jessica is probably looking for me and we have to be back to her house by 1...” the girl, Becca, stated, giving Josh a long kiss before getting up and leaving.

“Yeah, she wants me,” Josh boasted, stretching his arms over the back of the couch.

“She has a curfew? How old is she exactly?” Stephen asked, suspicious.

“Aah well, technically she's still in high school, but she's graduating soon and she's already 18! So it's all good.” Stephen rolled his eyes at his friend. Soon enough, the couch and surrounding chairs filled up with people and a slew of conversations started up. After what seemed like an hour, Adam came downstairs to gather up his drunken buddies. Josh was the only one to protest, but once he saw the other three got in the car and Adam started it up, he rushed outside and clambered into the backseat.

“I don't feel like driving anywhere but my house, so you two are stuck with us for the night,” Adam announced to his friends who were already on the verge of sleep. “And no falling asleep in the car, you have to walk your own asses into the house.” With that, he turned the radio up to full blast.

“We're awake, turn it off!” Josh groaned. Stephen mumbled incoherently, most likely in agreement, and
Taylor was too out of it to notice. Josh and Stephen started up their own conversation that Adam could barely understand.

“That Becca girl is cy-ute!” Josh exclaimed. “I'm hanging out with her this weekend.”

“Because she has school during the week, right?” Stephen laughed, as if it were the funniest thing in the world. Josh gave him a death glare, but he was laughing too hard to notice.

“Who cares dude, she's hot and she's legal, the only two words I care about,” Josh protested.

“Yeah, even though she's legal you gotta be careful. [i[Alllllllllways use protection. That was mine and Sophie's mistake.” Josh gave him a strange look but didn't say anything else. “I don't think I was supposed to say that...”

“Uh, say what? I didn't hear anything. Adam? Taylor?” Josh quickly spoke.

“What? I'm not paying attention, and Taylor is out,” Adam answered, clearly lying.

“Shit, Soph is gonna kill me.”