Wonderwall

Darcy woke up the next morning in the guest bedroom. She smiled as she sat up. Then she started giggling. It was like the fact that she was actually in Arizona had finally sunk in. She was free, for the time being.

She skipped down the hallway, through the living room, and into the kitchen. It took a few minutes before she found the bowls and the cereal boxes. John stumbled out a little bit later and grabbed his own bowl.

They sat at the table, across from each other. It was quiet. She was ecstatically enjoying her freedom while he was still trying to wake up. Darcy finished first and went to place her bowl in the dishwasher.

“So, what are our plans for today?” She excitedly turned around and leaned against the counter. John shrugged. “Rockstars don’t have strict schedules to stick to anymore?”

He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. “That’s why it’s called off-time.”

“Right. I forgot you just toured and put an album together and then toured some more.” She smiled and crossed her arms, trying not to giggle.

“Second album.” He corrected her and then smirked. “You know, I think I may have an idea for some plans now.”

“Do they involve shamelessly trying to set me up with your friend again?” She raised her eyebrows and he laughed as he leaned over his bowl again. “It’s not that funny.” She scowled and he shook his head.

“The funny part is I think it’s working.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not!”

“Then, can I ask why you both came in last night soaking wet?” John smirked as he stared at her. She fidgeted with her lips pressed firmly together. “Because you both wanted to go swimming? Fully dressed?” His tone made it very clear just how humorous he found this.

“I wanted to be spontaneous.” Darcy shrugged and then pouted as he snorted.

“Darc, I’ve known you my whole life and you have never been spontaneous in all twenty-three and a half years. You’re more mature and responsible than anyone I’ve ever met.” John’s small speech weighted down Darcy’s good mood. She frowned and dropped her eyes to the floor.

She did not need to hear that she was dependable or trustworthy or motherly. She cringed. John noticed the painful expression that took over her features and his eyebrows immediately furrowed with concern.

“You alright, Darc?” He went to stand up and walk over to her, but she held her hand up. He sat back down and frowned as he watched her compose the emotions on her face skillfully.

“I’m fine, but I did just remember something I have to do.” She went over and picked up his empty bowl, taking it to the dishwasher just like her own.

John was not satisfied with her simple answer. He knew her better than that. “There’s something you have to do on your vacation?”

She sighed and then turned toward him with a big smile. “Yes, there is. Now, I’m going to grab my phone and purse. I’ll be back around noon-ish.” She bent down and kissed his cheek as she ruffled his hair on her way out.

John sat bewildered. He couldn’t really keep up. One minute, she was hiding something from him, and the next she was the regular Darcy he knew through and through. He chewed on his bottom lip as he contemplated sitting her down and honestly asking her for the truth.

He’d never had to do that. She’d always told him straight up. He shook his head and dismissed the idea. Darcy would tell him when she was ready. He just had to be patient.

Darcy was dealing with the growing guilt in her stomach as she exited the house and walked down the front sidewalk. She scrolled through her contacts as she reached John’s car and then leaned against it as the phone rang against her ear.

Three rings and then a click. “Yellow?”

She didn’t bother with pleasantries or small talk. She dived right into the problem. “I need a really huge favor from you, Eric.”

“Darcy?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, it’s Santa.” Her sarcasm bordered irritation.

Eric was taken aback dramatically. “Wow, is everything alright?”

Darcy was not one to snap or let her temper get the best of her. She was calm and level headed, but she was slowly becoming unglued. She sighed heavily into the phone and glanced up at the sky. “Can you come pick me up?”

He hesitated. “Darcy, what’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you on the way.”

“The way to where?”

“CVS?”

* * * * * * *

Eric picked her up without any more questions. There were a few raised eyebrow glances but lips were sealed. He fidgeted uncomfortably while she stared out the window, completely lost in her thoughts.

It wasn’t until the car was parked and the two were walking into the small store about three minutes away from John’s house. Eric stuffed his hands in his pockets and bravely broke the silence.

“So, why couldn’t John bring you here?” It was a simple enough question, but he noticed the frown deepen on her face afterward.

“It’s a long story.” Darcy mumbled. Her hands shook as she signed and looked down the aisles carefully. Her heart was racing and her head was pounding.

“You said you’d explain on the way here,” he trailed off as she turned down one of the aisles and strode to the end. He sighed and followed her. He was really starting to worry, and then she stopped. She faced a mass amount of boxes and bit her bottom lip. He realized she wasn’t going to say anything more so he turned his attention to what she was staring at. It took a few seconds to register, but then his eyes widened. “Oh … my … god.”

Darcy snorted bitterly and reached randomly for a few boxes. “Imagine John’s reaction and I think that’ll answer your question.”

“Holy shit, Darcy!” Eric couldn’t contain himself as he stared at the items cradled to her chest.

“Shhh!” She smacked his arm the best she could before hurrying off to the front register. He stood frozen in his spot for a good couple minutes and then he darted after her. She was already paying when he caught up.

“You’re fucking pregnant Darcy?!” His voice was still raised to a level that caused everyone’s eyes to turn toward them.

Darcy blushed as she grabbed the bag with her purchases in them. She tightly gripped Eric’s hand and dragged him out of the store. “It’s called a test, Eric.” She hissed as they got into the parking lot.

“So you don’t know if you’re pregnant?”

She frowned and dropped her eyes to the ground. “No.” She mumbled and the tears started to build up in her eyes.

“Darc,” Eric whispered and pulled her into a hug. “What the hell’s happened these past five years?” He asked because he couldn’t not ask. Darcy was like family to him, just as John was. He was more than just concerned; he was mystified. Darcy was the last person he expected to have a maybe accidental pregnancy.

“Nothing.” She muttered into his shirt and then frowned as he held her arms length away, bending down to stare directly into her eyes.

“Darcy O’Callaghan, tell me the truth.” His voice was stern, but his eyes were pleading.

She sighed. “I am. It’s not the past five years that’s the problem. It’s the past two months.”

“The past two months.” He repeated as his eyes darted to the bag in her hand. Two months was plenty of time for a fetus to start to grow.

“Don’t look at it like that!” She hid the bag behind her back. “Can we please go back to your place so I can … you know.” Her nose scrunched up as she frowned and he sighed.

“Yeah.” Eric slid his arm around her shoulders for some comfort, but he was still freaking out. It was impossible that Darcy could let something like this happen to her without a plan. She was always sensible and rational. He couldn’t even imagine her accidently having a one-night stand. It didn’t make sense.

* * * * * * *

Darcy inhaled and then exhaled. She focused on breathing and the white paint chipping on the ceiling of Eric’s bathroom. She had never been so anxious in all her life. Her hands were still shaking, making it that much harder to pee on a tiny stick.

Eric was waiting patiently out in the living room. He sat on the couch, staring at the TV. He wasn’t watching anything, but he also wasn’t thinking. None of it made sense to him and therefore, he couldn’t come up with a single idea as to why his best friends’ cousin was taking pregnancy tests in his bathroom.

Darcy nearly fell off the toilet as she jumped from the timer dinging. It signaled that the official five minutes had passed and the tests were ready to read. She bit her bottom lip and stared at the four sticks, all lying face down, on the sink. It took all she had to flip over the first one.

Negative. Negative. Negative. Negative.

She exhaled with relief as each one was turned over. She was not pregnant and that was a very good thing. She cleaned up, threw away the tests, and exited the bathroom with a weight lifted off her shoulders.

When she sat down on the couch beside Eric, he tensed. His arm was stretched out on the back of the couch and it barely brushed her shoulders as she leaned back.

“So…” He cleared his throat and she smiled.

“I’m not pregnant.” The air whooshed out of his lungs with an even louder sigh of relief. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, catching the end of him mouthing ‘thank god’ with his eyes closed. It was quiet for a minute. “Can we forget this happened?”

“Darcy,” he started. He wasn’t comfortable with sweeping this under the rug just yet. He noticed that she had not really answered any of his questions. This was a big deal and she was being as vague as she could be about it. Something was clearly wrong.

“Please, don’t tell John.” She begged. He hesitated. That was exactly what he should do, and had planned on doing. John would be able to talk to her and get real answers. But if she was terrified to even talk to him, then technically telling him wouldn’t do any good. Eric fought with himself before finally caving to her wishes.

“Because he’d murder me the second ‘prego’ came out of my mouth.” Eric laughed uneasily. He didn’t like it, but it was a decision and he decided Darcy knew what she was doing.

“He’d so castrate you if he thought you got me pregnant.” She tried joking too, but their laughter was weak. She laid her head down on his shoulder and the two tried tuning into the television program in front of them.