One Wild Night

The front door clicked shut. Pinkly didn't bark, so Marissa knew it was Brian. She lowered the volume of the television as Brian appeared in the doorway with Pinkly in his arms.

"Hi," Marissa said softly.

"Hey." Brian set the wriggling ball of white fluff on the floor. "Where are Cece and Sabby?"

"Everybody went to Chain Reaction to see some band that the Berry twins were raving about."

Brian sank into the nearest chair. For a while, they watched television in silence (Juno, ironically enough).

"Are you hungry?" Brian asked finally.

"I'm always hungry these days," Marissa muttered.

"Craving anything specific?"

Marissa lifted a shoulder. "I could go for something spicy."

Brian chuckled. "You're going to give birth to the second coming of José Jalapeño."

Marissa smiled. Brian got to his feet. "I'll be back in half an hour. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Okay." He left.

With him gone, Pinkly hopped up on the sofa with Marissa and curled up against her stomach. Marissa absentmindedly scratched behind the dog's ears, thinking.

Things were still awkward between them, which was expected, given the situation. However, Brian seemed to be trying. He was a lot nicer, and they'd even had a few conversations meant to help them get to know one another better. He was actually a pretty cool guy--smart and funny and laid back. It made Marissa wish she'd had a real chance with him instead of this mess that would force them to stay in touch whether they wanted to or not.

Pop Evil's "Last Man Standing," her new ring tone, interrupted her musings. She stretched over to grab her phone from the glass-topped coffee table. Cecelia's name and number were on the screen.

"Hey, Cece," Marissa said.

"Hey, honey. We just wanted to make sure you're doing alright."

"I'm fine. Brian's home, so don't worry. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Call if you need us. I love you."

"I love you, too." Marissa tossed her phone back on the coffee table.

Pinkly nuzzled her belly and barked. A second later, she felt the baby move. She rubbed her belly. "Whoa, little one. Easy." The baby shifted again and she suddenly had the urge to pee. She stood with a sigh and trudged to the downstairs bathroom.

After relieving herself, she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk. She heard Brian's car pull into the driveway. "Marissa?" he called, stepping into the front hallway.

"In here!" she called back.

He came into the room with a paper bag and the scent of Mexican food. Pinkly trotted in and hovered at his feet, staring up at the bag hopefully.

"That smells heavenly," Marissa commented, taking two plates out of the cupboard.

"I got you the nachos with that special sauce," Brian told her, lifting a container out of the bag. "Extra jalapeños and no guacamole."

"You know how I like it."

Brian paused. He seemed to want to say something, and Marissa instinctively knew that if it had been anyone besides her, he would have. She sighed softly while getting a fork for herself. She wondered if they would ever have a normal conversation, if they would ever be able to be themselves with each other.

Marissa carried her plate and her glass of milk to the living room. Pinkly hung around Brian's ankles, knowing Brian was more likely to feed her some of whatever he had. Marissa situated herself on the sofa, her plate on her lap, and began to eat. It was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. Of course, almost everything she'd been eating recently was the "most delicious thing she'd ever tasted" at the time she was eating it.

Brian planted himself in the chair again. They ate in silence, both focused on the television. Pinkly was beside Brian's chair, staring at him with wide, pleading puppy eyes. Marissa was thankful that pleading puppy stare wasn't aimed at her; she would have definitely handed something over.

Marissa finished first. She was about to get up to take her dirty dishes to the kitchen when Brian stopped her.

"Leave it," he said. "I'll get it in a few."

Marissa nodded and set her plate and glass on the coffee table. Relaxing against the back of the sofa, she touched her belly.

"Marissa?" Brian was watching her, brow furrowed with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just--" she broke off as she felt what was unmistakably a kick. She smiled. Before, the movements had been so slight that she'd explained most of it away as gas or some other normal body process. In the last twenty-four hours, however, she knew what she was feeling was definitely her baby.

"What?" Brian demanded, and Marissa almost jumped. She'd forgotten he was even there.

"The baby is kicking."

Brian licked his lips, suddenly looking nervous. "Can I feel?"

Marissa nodded. Brian put his plate on the coffee table and joined her on the sofa. His reach for her stomach was slightly hesitant, so Marissa grabbed his hand and placed it just below her bellybutton.

They waited for a few breathless moments, then it happened again. Brian's eyes met Marissa's and a huge smile spread across his lips. The baby kicked twice in rapid succession, making Marissa inhale sharply.

"Are you okay?" Brian queried again.

"Yeah. But it doesn't exactly feel good to have something inside you kicking to get out."

Brian leaned down, putting his face right next to her belly. "Shh," he whispered, caressing her bump soothingly. "Calm down, little baby Gates. You're making Mama uncomfortable."

The baby gave one last defiant kick before settling down. Tears stung Marissa's eyes as she witnessed Brian's transformation into a dad. He's going to be good at this, she realized.

Brian looked up at her, still smiling happily. "Better?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. But Brian didn't miss the tears in her eyes. He sat upright and held out his arm. "Come here."

Marissa scooted closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. He rested his free hand on her belly.

It's going to be okay, Marissa thought. We are going to be okay.

****

By the time she hit seven months, Marissa was huge. She hated it. She didn't feel like doing anything and she tried her hardest not to be bitchy, but she failed more often than not. Most of her time was spent with her girls, Matt, or Brian.

Everyone had hooked up with someone at this point. Being around each other so often, it was inevitable. Matt and Cecelia were an item; Jimmy and Carmen; Jess and Johnny; Sabrina and Jason. Zacky had met a girl named Marie. Marissa hadn't been introduced to her yet, but according to Cecelia, things were getting serious, fast.

The girls were adjusting to life in Huntington Beach quite well. Marissa fully intended to return to Alabama once the baby was born; however, she wasn't sure her girls would be accompanying her. Carmen, Sabrina, and Jess were actually working part time at a local bar and had been checking out apartments in the area. Cecelia had mentioned finding a job, but Brian had forbidden it.

"If you leave Marissa and me alone together for too long, she'll kill me," he'd pointed out. "You girls and Matt are the only ones she doesn't hate right now."

The guys had had to cancel the remaining shows of the current U.S. tour promoting their self-titled album due to Matt having issues with his vocal chords. This worked out perfectly as far as Brian was concerned. It meant he'd be around on Marissa's due date--February eleventh (though Jimmy was hoping the baby would come early and be born on his birthday).

Christmas arrived. Marissa and Brian were bestowed with tons of baby stuff. The few articles of clothing they were given were neutral colors--the couple had decided not to find out the sex of the baby until it was born. Brian was hoping for a girl; Marissa didn't have a preference.

Brian took Marissa to his parents' house for Christmas dinner. She'd already been introduced to Brian Haner Sr., his wife Suzy, and Brian's sister McKenna. That night, she met Brian's brother Brent.

It wasn't ideal. Honestly, it was embarrassing. Marissa knew what they were thinking, what they considered her. She was just the girl that Brian knocked up, no more, no less. Still, they were really nice. Marissa again found herself wishing things hadn't gone this way. What would it be like to be Brian's girlfriend, or fiancée, enjoying Christmas dinner with the family she was going to be part of?

Marissa was thoroughly depressed by the time they left. Brian asked her what was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Claiming she was tired, which wasn't a total lie, she escaped to her room as soon as they got to his house. The other girls were out with their significant others for the night. Marissa wanted to talk to one of them, or Matt. However, she wasn't going to spoil their fun just because she was so down.

The next week passed with Marissa dreading New Year's Eve. The girls were planning a night in since Marissa didn't feel like going out, and Marissa felt guilty. They were young and hot and hanging out in Huntington Beach, California, with Avenged Sevenfold. They should be out on the town with their guys, not stuck in the house, holding Marissa's hand because she had screwed up. They shouldn't be paying for my mistakes.

Marissa tried to convince them to go out with the guys and instead ended up accidentally persuading the guys to stay in. They watched movies and played video games, and the only drinking occurred at midnight. Much to Marissa's surprise and amusement, when the clock struck twelve, it was Jimmy who seized her and planted a kiss right on her mouth. He was positively delighted that the baby kicked during this moment.

With the holidays over, life settled back to normal.

The guys were tossing around ideas for the new album. They weren't fully focused on writing yet, but Brian informed Marissa that this was the way the creative process always went for them. They would be touring for the self-titled album all summer, fall, and winter, and probably into the next year as well.

Sabrina, Carmen, and Jess moved into their own apartment. Jason, Jimmy, and Johnny weren't thrilled--they enjoyed having their women with them 24/7--but they seemed to understand why the girls had to do it. None of the girls were gold-diggers, and they refused to act as such. They didn't want to rely on the guys too much. After all, who knew if these relationships were even going to last? This situation had thrown everyone together, and the group could just as easily be torn apart.

Cecelia helped Brian and Matt keep Marissa comfortable and happy. She'd been sick a lot recently and it was starting to look like she wouldn't make it to her due date. Marissa was ready. She wasn't scared or nervous or anything. She just wanted it to be over.

And then, it happened.

At six p.m. on February eighth, Marissa's water broke. Brian rushed her to the hospital, placing calls along the way. His first call was to her parents.