The Tragic Truth
Baby
I woke up on the couch to the sound of knocking, but I was too tired to get up. I just tried to get comfortable, lying next to Drake. Drake...the thought didn’t even faze me. Obviously, I was not over him, I was in love with him still, and well...I had just spent the night sleeping right next to him. I closed my eyes again. Luckily, Zoe answered the door. I still listened to see who it was.
“Hello lovely,” the voice said. It was Derek. I heard his footsteps walk into the apartment, and the door shut behind him. “Aw, aren’t they sweet.” I could feel him standing over the couch...and the sarcasm in his voice. I’d whack him in the arm later. “Ready to go?” he asked Zoe.
“Yea, I just have to go get a coat,” she said, and hurried into her room and back out. “Let’s go,” she said. I heard the door open again, and then close. Quietly, I yawned and fell back asleep.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[DEREK’S POINT OF VIEW]
Zoe and I went to the baby store to start shopping for things. I was locked and loaded with about three credit and debit cards each. I just hoped my parents wouldn’t look at their bill anytime soon. They shouldn’t mind, we have loads of money, but… nonetheless. Before getting out of the car, Zoe and I just sat there for a minute. I took the keys out of the ignition.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. She slowly turned her head my way and nodded it. “I’m just a little scared, though,” she commented. I made a silly face, adjusted my voice pitch about three octaves higher [which is harder than it seems] and said, “Well don’t worry, my sexiness, I will be strong!” I held up my arms to show the ‘Macho Man’ pose and Zoe laughed. She leaned over and kissed me.
“I love you,” we said simultaneously. We both started laughing again.
We walked into the store hand-in-hand. It was almost amusing to see almost every single person there had the same idea. There were about a billion couples, walking so close together you would have thought they would have crashed into each other. First we went over to the crib section. There were possibly billions of them, all different sizes, colors, and shapes.
“Well...” Zoe said, contemplating, “let’s get something that isn’t too girly...or looks like it’s meant for a boy. Just...white!” She headed over to a white little crib that had a mobile hanging from the top, with little bears and elephants attached to it. She looked at the price tag. It said $169.99.
“It’s all up to you from here,” she said, “whatever price you want to pay.” She smiled. I was surprised this wasn’t awkward for us. I looked around at the other price tags, realizing that the one she had picked out was a really good deal.
“Let’s get it.” I said.
We spent basically the rest of the day picking out things that were essential for having a baby. The lady at the front was really understanding, and gave us a bunch of brochures on Lamaze classes, teen pregnancy centers, and parenting classes held at the hospitals. At the end of the day, we loaded all of the stuff into the back of my truck, including the crib, crib sheets and a mattress, a stroller, loads of toys, bottles, diapers, a changing table, rocking chair, random baby care products, and a floor mat. Zoe was really happy, and forever grateful to my parents for having all this money. They just wouldn’t know about it. For now.
When we got back, Drake and Skye were finally up, and they made an early dinner [although I’m pretty sure Drake did most of the cooking]. We all helped each other load the baby stuff into Zoe’s room, and by the time we were finished, it really looked like the baby was already here. The only thing that we were disappointed about was the fact that we couldn’t paint the walls because the apartment was merely a rental.
We had a great dinner, and afterwards we ended up all cramming to fit on the couch as we watched Jurassic Park [it was on TV]. I had noticed that Skye was starting to look happier.
And you could definitely tell when she was around Drake. When around him, she glowed with happiness. I just hoped Drake wouldn’t hurt her the way Kae did. Skye was my friend, too, and it sucked seeing her like that. Zoe was acting a lot happier than she had when she told me she was pregnant. It didn’t seem like she missed her house or her parents much, but I knew her better than that. This was going to be tough on all of us, especially her. Her parents called during the movie, urging her to get an abortion.
“We think it’s in your best interest if you would get an abortion. Having a baby makes a great impact on not only you, but Derek as well. You don’t even know how much until after it happens,” her mother said over the phone. Zoe scoffed at that, and then changed her tone in a way I had never heard her before. You could tell she was hurt, and angry.
“I know what’s best for myself, mother. I have my own mind, which can form my own opinions. I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t think. I’m keeping the baby.” With that, she hung up.
Around 11, I explained to everyone that my curfew was at 11:30, and I should be getting home. I said my goodbyes to everyone, whispering, “I love you, my sexiness,” into Zoe’s ear on the way out.
Even pulling up to my driveway, I had totally forgotten that it was the last day of February, and my parents would be checking theirs bills as I got out of my car. I was screwed before I even knew what hit me. Literally.
“Hello lovely,” the voice said. It was Derek. I heard his footsteps walk into the apartment, and the door shut behind him. “Aw, aren’t they sweet.” I could feel him standing over the couch...and the sarcasm in his voice. I’d whack him in the arm later. “Ready to go?” he asked Zoe.
“Yea, I just have to go get a coat,” she said, and hurried into her room and back out. “Let’s go,” she said. I heard the door open again, and then close. Quietly, I yawned and fell back asleep.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[DEREK’S POINT OF VIEW]
Zoe and I went to the baby store to start shopping for things. I was locked and loaded with about three credit and debit cards each. I just hoped my parents wouldn’t look at their bill anytime soon. They shouldn’t mind, we have loads of money, but… nonetheless. Before getting out of the car, Zoe and I just sat there for a minute. I took the keys out of the ignition.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. She slowly turned her head my way and nodded it. “I’m just a little scared, though,” she commented. I made a silly face, adjusted my voice pitch about three octaves higher [which is harder than it seems] and said, “Well don’t worry, my sexiness, I will be strong!” I held up my arms to show the ‘Macho Man’ pose and Zoe laughed. She leaned over and kissed me.
“I love you,” we said simultaneously. We both started laughing again.
We walked into the store hand-in-hand. It was almost amusing to see almost every single person there had the same idea. There were about a billion couples, walking so close together you would have thought they would have crashed into each other. First we went over to the crib section. There were possibly billions of them, all different sizes, colors, and shapes.
“Well...” Zoe said, contemplating, “let’s get something that isn’t too girly...or looks like it’s meant for a boy. Just...white!” She headed over to a white little crib that had a mobile hanging from the top, with little bears and elephants attached to it. She looked at the price tag. It said $169.99.
“It’s all up to you from here,” she said, “whatever price you want to pay.” She smiled. I was surprised this wasn’t awkward for us. I looked around at the other price tags, realizing that the one she had picked out was a really good deal.
“Let’s get it.” I said.
We spent basically the rest of the day picking out things that were essential for having a baby. The lady at the front was really understanding, and gave us a bunch of brochures on Lamaze classes, teen pregnancy centers, and parenting classes held at the hospitals. At the end of the day, we loaded all of the stuff into the back of my truck, including the crib, crib sheets and a mattress, a stroller, loads of toys, bottles, diapers, a changing table, rocking chair, random baby care products, and a floor mat. Zoe was really happy, and forever grateful to my parents for having all this money. They just wouldn’t know about it. For now.
When we got back, Drake and Skye were finally up, and they made an early dinner [although I’m pretty sure Drake did most of the cooking]. We all helped each other load the baby stuff into Zoe’s room, and by the time we were finished, it really looked like the baby was already here. The only thing that we were disappointed about was the fact that we couldn’t paint the walls because the apartment was merely a rental.
We had a great dinner, and afterwards we ended up all cramming to fit on the couch as we watched Jurassic Park [it was on TV]. I had noticed that Skye was starting to look happier.
And you could definitely tell when she was around Drake. When around him, she glowed with happiness. I just hoped Drake wouldn’t hurt her the way Kae did. Skye was my friend, too, and it sucked seeing her like that. Zoe was acting a lot happier than she had when she told me she was pregnant. It didn’t seem like she missed her house or her parents much, but I knew her better than that. This was going to be tough on all of us, especially her. Her parents called during the movie, urging her to get an abortion.
“We think it’s in your best interest if you would get an abortion. Having a baby makes a great impact on not only you, but Derek as well. You don’t even know how much until after it happens,” her mother said over the phone. Zoe scoffed at that, and then changed her tone in a way I had never heard her before. You could tell she was hurt, and angry.
“I know what’s best for myself, mother. I have my own mind, which can form my own opinions. I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t think. I’m keeping the baby.” With that, she hung up.
Around 11, I explained to everyone that my curfew was at 11:30, and I should be getting home. I said my goodbyes to everyone, whispering, “I love you, my sexiness,” into Zoe’s ear on the way out.
Even pulling up to my driveway, I had totally forgotten that it was the last day of February, and my parents would be checking theirs bills as I got out of my car. I was screwed before I even knew what hit me. Literally.