Sweep Me Off My Feet Again (Jack Barakat)

—Jack’s POV—

“Have you guys seen Megan today?” I asked Rian and Alex as I came into school Monday morning. The last time I had seen her was the previous Monday, and I was starting to get worried.

“No...” Alex said, trailing off. “Didn’t you see her over the week break?"

“I called her about twenty times a day, but she never answered."

“That's unusual for you two." Rian pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Jack, whatever it is, I’m sure Megan is fine," Alex said, cocking his head to the side as someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around, my smile growing when I saw Megan staring up at me.
“Baby, I thought you were sick!” I exclaimed, wrapping my girlfriend in a tight hug. She let go of me, so I placed my arm over her shoulders.

“Whoa, Megan, are you okay?” Rian asked.

“You look like you’re about to cry,” Alex added.

“Can we...can we talk?” She asked me quietly. It was like if she spoke any louder the tears would spill down her face. I nodded and I took her hand, leading her down the hall toward the gym. A few people gave us curious looks, but I shrugged them off, continuing down the hall until we came to our spot by the doors.

“Meg, what’s wrong?” I murmured, hooking a piece of hair back in place behind her thin silver headband. She sighed and leaned back against the brick wall as I placed my hands on her hips and rested our foreheads together.
“I...I have to tell you something, Jack.” Megan mumbled, her voice coated with tears as her bottom lip began to tremble.

“Baby, you can tell me anything.”

“Jack, I’m...I’m pregnant." She whispered. 
I shut my eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath and stepping back.

“Wh-what?” I stuttered, leaning against the wall behind me. I could feel my body trembling and my heart beating a thousand times faster.

“Are you mad?” she asked desperately.

"No...no, I'm not mad, Meg." I sighed. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re all the way over there," she pointed out. I broke down, burying my face in my hands as I realized all that was happening. I got her pregnant.

“Baby.." I said softly, wrapping her in a tight embrace and holding her close to my chest as she cried. I kissed the top of her head repeatedly, rubbing small circles on her back as I tried to calm her-and of course myself. “We’re going to get through this, okay?”

“I’m scared, Jack,” she admitted quietly, her gray eyes staring into my brown ones.

“I am, too, Megan. But everything’s going to be all right. We’ll get through this, me and you.”

“I don’t now if I can do this, Jackie. What if I mess up the baby’s life?”

“Megan Anne Atay, you are far too perfect and amazing to mess up anybody’s life—”

“Really? Because it seems like I did a fine job of messing up both of ours—”

"No. Don’t for one second think this is all your fault, okay? It takes two to tango.” she smiled slightly at my little joke, and I chuckled. “There’s that smile I love. Have you told your parents?”

She shook her head and sniffled. I used my thumbs to wipe away each of her tears as they fell. “I’m afraid to tell them."

“I’m afraid to tell your dad, too. I think he might kill me. What about your mom, does she know?”

Once again, she shook her head. “I don’t want to tell them by myself.”

“I understand.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Well, I think my family will be easier to tell, so we should save the easiest for last and tell yours first."  She nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we'll tell them tonight." she whispered. 
"I love you, Jack."

“And I love you too much to run away from you...even if you’re having my...." I swallowed hard. "My baby."

“It’s hard to say, huh?”

“Very,” I agreed, connecting our lips.  She pulled back, resting her forehead against mine. Without thinking, my hands ran down her sides and stopped at her stomach. My thumb drew circles around her belly button, and I managed to flash a little smile.
“Our baby is growing in there,” I mused.