Growing Up Might Bring Us Down

The next day I was woken up abruptly by the sound of Gabi shrieking with anger. Her and Kenny rarely fought, so I lay were I was and concentrated on the brawl going down in the living room.

“No. She doesn’t want to see you! What don’t you understand!” Gabi yelled fiercely and rhetorically at someone who obviously isn’t Kennedy, “You hurt her so badly, John, you don’t even know.” I froze in my place, my dull brown eyes widening greatly. John!? What the fuck was he doing here? How did he even know where I wa- Kennedy. “And you didn’t even apologize; you just went on calling her a slut.” Gabi continued her rant.

“Gab,” It sounded like Kennedy was protesting, trying to get a word in now that it was sort of quiet.

“No,” She spat sternly, “He’s just crawling back because she’s pregnant and thinks it’s the better thing to do.” She stated, and then her voice rose again, “He doesn’t even fucking care about her!”

This time John went to protest, “Yes-“

Gab was livid beyond belief now, “Save it for someone who wants to hear your sorry ass excuses.” Her voice then settled down, “She’s my best friend, John, and I know you’re Kenny’s, but I don’t want to see her get hurt again. All because of you. It’s not fair.” She sounded like she was pleading with him now, her voice was low and barely audible, “She doesn’t deserve this, John.”

I couldn’t stand listening to this conversation anymore. I needed answers; I needed to know why he was here. I also needed to get him to leave.

I emerged slightly from my room, the door creaking as I slowing opened it. Gab turned her head back and noticed I was awake and standing there visibly grave a tired, she then started shoving John out of the apartment.

“Gab,” Kennedy scolded from his place behind her, causing her to stop with what she was doing.

She looked at Kennedy’s pleading face and then back over to John’s. She narrowed her eyes to look at him with intimidation, before saying, “If she cries, I’m going to rearrange your fucking face.”

“Alright, Gab,” Kennedy cooed in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her torso, “Let’s calm down now, baby.”

“Not while this fucker is alone with my baby.” She spat.

“She’ll be fine,” Kenny reassured her, “She’s been through worse.”

With that, my eyes locked with John’s for a moment, brown meeting with green once again. Neither of us moved as our eyes were locked, it felt like, for that moment, that everything was alright, time was stopped, and nothing happened. Sadly, I realized that I was getting pulled into him again, attracted by his outstanding features. I turned my head away, ripping my gaze away from him and then retreating back into my room, leaving the door open as a gesture for him to follow.

I was sitting on my bed, a pillow rested in my lap for comfort when John made his way into the room, closing the door behind him for privacy. For that I was grateful, I would hate for Gabi to see everything, though she would probably be sitting outside of the door listening in. He then took a seat on the end of my bed, his body facing me, but my eyes never looking up at him; they were fixed on playing with the tassel of the pillow.

John was the first one to break the silence that was between us, “I’m sorry,” he finally said it, and too bad I didn’t want to hear it now. Now it was just too late. “I’ve never wanted this to happen. Any of this.” He continued his apology. “I can’t believe we’re having this baby.” I could hear by the way he spoke that a small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, but then he went back to being serious, “I thought we were…” he trailed off, hoping I understood where he was getting at.

“Correction,” I looked up at his freckled face which was too close for my liking, “I’m having a baby.” I corrected him before answering his unspoken question, “and I thought so too.”

“What happened?” he spoke softly, now inspecting my comforter instead of facing me eye-to-eye.

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully, “We weren’t careful I guess.” I shrugged, what happened, happened, there’s nothing we can change about it now. “It also apparently takes up to three months for the pill to regulate through the body.” I informed him for his informational benefit. “So there’s a fault on my part.”

“Oh.” He looked up at me again, his eyes reflected confusion and worry, for what, I don’t really know. “So what are we going to do?” he asked lowly.

“We are going to do nothing. I’m going to have this baby.”

If he wasn’t tightly strung right now his jaw would have dropped with my statement. “You have to let me help. It’s half mine. I want to be a part of its life.” He demanded.

I was disgusted by his forwardness, he would never have known about this if I didn’t get conned into telling him. “I don’t want your help, John.” I spat, “I don’t want anything to do with you. Leave me and my baby alone. If I didn’t come down here and tell you about it, you wouldn’t have given a fuck about what happened to me and this kid!” I shouted, getting flustered and livid.

“Natalie,” He tried to calm me down with his suave and seductive voice.

“Get out.” I said through clenched teeth, pointing at the doorway. He didn’t move. “I don’t want to deal with you. Get. Out.” I said again.

This time he listened. He silently and easily got up and exited my room, shutting the door behind him. Frustrated, I threw the pillow that was in my lap at the door frame with all my might, letting out an angry grunt and squeal. I can’t deal with John anymore, I just can’t, and he’s turned some of the best things in my life into the worst now. He’s arrogant, self-centered, full of himself, and just really fucking annoying.