Predictable High School: The Beginning of the End

Two days had gone by.

Two of the most excruciating days of my relatively short life.

We told my mom, she cried for two solid hours. My step dad was disappointed. My father wouldn't speak to me. My step mother took his side. But no one suffered as much as Candace, because she was the outsider.

So we left, if only temporarily. We hopped in my car and just drove aimlessly. Candace couldn't bring herself to speak and I couldn't really muster up the balls to try and make her. It would only start an argument anyways. I'd just take the path of least resistance. That would be agreeing with anything she said, when she decided to say it.

It often works out that way. When nobody has a clue and you feel shit out of luck any option seems better than nothing. You're in shit's creek and you need a fucking paddle, you see a rotted piece of wood. You doubt it'll even stand up to the force of the water. It'll do.

So when Candace said it was time to see her parents, I said what I'd rehearsed in my head during the previous 14 hours. "Of course baby."

I pulled into a random driveway and pulled a U turn, heading back to Oneida. We were almost there when she grabbed my shoulder and told me to pull over. I did.

Candace opened the door and vomited on the sidewalk. I got out and walked around the car. She was wiping her face off with some of the tissues I had in my car. She looked at me and shook her head. "I'm not ready for this Mike."

I crouched down to her level at the side of the car and hugged her. I felt her sob into me. "Neither am I baby, but we have to." I said. "We have to do it for the baby. You love that baby, I know you do."

I felt tears soak my t-shirt. "I... I know I love this baby. But I don't think I'm strong enough. We're just kids."

I ran my fingers through her hair. "Together, we're strong enough. Together, we can grow up fast."

I didn't know if what I said was true, but I worked my hardest to make it that way.

She nodded. "Alright. I'll do it. Just please don't leave me."

Those words always fucking hurt. "I promise. Come on, your parents need to kill me now."

She frowned. "You don't have to do this."

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

I walked around to the driver's seat and pulled out of park. I looked at her one last time, nodded again, and started driving.

I can't imagine what was going through her mind. Probably something along the lines of what she was going to say. Alright, so maybe I can imagine. Back the fuck off.

I drove in silence once again, throwing subtle glances her way, trying to reassure her.

What seemed like seconds later we pulled into the driveway of her house. "Now or never. Or some other time. Fuck it, go with the first one." I said to her.

She smiled and said, "Yeah, the first one." The smile was a nervous gesture.

I got out of the car and walked to her side to open the door for her. She got out and I kissed her forehead. "I won't let anything bad happen to you Candace." I said.

And for once she said, "I know Mike, I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

We walked to the house hand in hand. I rung the doorbell and then we waited.

The door was answered by a tall man with gray-brown hair and blue eyes. The blue eyes that were staring at our hands furiously. "What is this?" He asked in an angry manner.

"Daddy..." Candace said nervously .

He cut her off. "Shut up! I was talking to your 'boyfriend' here."

I was pretty pissed, but I wasn't looking to fight a man in his 30's that had a good 20 pounds on me. "I'm Michael Reed sir. It's nice to meet you. Candace and I would like to talk to you and your wife if that's at all possible."

Talking to parents was something I'd always been good at, but sometimes, it's never good enough.

"What? Is this a joke Candace? I told you to get out and you come back with... whatever he is? Wait... you're the one aren't you. You ruined my Candace!"

This guy was just seriously fucked up. Candace was cringing as the words hit her. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "No one ruined her. No one can ruin her. She's an amazing girl. But we're here for something el..."

I was cut off by Candace."Dad, I'm pregnant!"

And then another awkward moment of silence...

...followed by a fist that took me on my left cheek.

*"Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist." – Michael Levine*