Run Away

Her stomach lurched and she started to panic a little.
"Why do you ask?" she asked, her voice quivering a little.
"I saw a test in your purse when you passed out." He blurted out, deciding the truth was best at this point.
"I think so." She sighed, realizing that lying to Garrett, or making excuse was pointless at this point.
"What are you going to do?" he asked, thinking back to John and Lauren's last fight. They had enough shit going on. Now this?
"Have a baby, I guess?" she replied. She looked over at Garrett who looked almost as terrified as she was. She didn't know what to do at this point. And instantly, she started to panic. She realized she didn't want a baby. She didn't want this for them. She wanted to live with her boyfriend in their beautiful house in beautiful Chandler and she didn't want them to have that responsibility yet. Her eyes started to well up, and she just cried. Garrett didn't even have to ask why. He reached over and put his arm around his best friend.

Later that night she laid in the bunk she shared with John, curled up in his arms while he sang a song to her.
"Baby?" she interrupted him.
"Yes?" he asked softy, picking up her hand and kissing her pointer finger tip.
"I don't want this to happen. I don't want a baby. We have always been careful. Why us? Why now? John, please don't be angry with me. I'm just scared right now. I can't pretend that I'm okay with this. I can't keep thinking it will be okay." she whispered.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she confessed to the love of her life just how scared she was in that moment. She hoped he wouldn't be angry with her. She kind of hoped he shared those feelings; that she wasn't the only one. He was quiet for a few minutes, then suddenly broke his silence.
"I'm in the same boat, actually. Ive thought about this a lot. I've thought about how different our lives are going to be. How fucked up everything is going to be. It's not that the idea of having children sucks, but at this point in our lives, nothing could get worse. Honestly, you and I both know you haven't fully forgiven me yet. And in the end, I fucked up. And now this? It's all a crazy dream to me right now." he sighed, flashing forward to the future.
Exchanging his microphone for a baby bottle. Singing stupid childrens songs instead of standing on a stage singing the ones he loved.
"Maybe we should just forget this right now. Maybe we should just push it to the back of our minds." she suggested, hoping he'd like that idea.
"I love you. That's all that matters." he said, kissing her forehead.
"I love you too, O'Cally." she smiled, closing her eyes and drifting off into a deep sleep.

Lauren shot awake to a pain throbbing deep in her abdomen. She looked at her phone. 2:13 am. She laid there for a second, thinking quick about what to do. This feeling was worse than anything she had ever felt before. A burning, fiery pain. One that kept coming in waves, and seemed more painful each time. She looked over at John, who laid there dead asleep with one arm wrapped around her arm, the other stiff at his side. She tried to focus on something other than the pain, but every single time she tried, and got close to blocking it out by thinking of something else, it would get worse. She finally caved and decided to wake John up, something she had wanted to avoid.
"John." She whispered, trying to shake him awake.
"Hmm?" He rubbed his eyes with his free hand.
"I... I can hardly breathe." she started, but the pain was getting worse with each breath.
His eyes shot open as he registered the tone in her voice and the shortness of her breaths.
"What's going on?" he asked, reaching for his phone for a light.
"I don't know..." she panted.
She grabbed his hand and started squeezing. He just stared at her, terrified and confused. She just laid there wincing in pain and squeezing his hand and he had no idea what to do. A few minutes later, her grip loosened and she let out a long exhale.
"It stopped." she sighed, looking up at John, who was coming down from panic mode.
"What on earth was that?" John asked her, concerned.
"No idea. Cramp? Really bad cramp?" she suggested.
"Tomorrow we should sneak off to the doctors or something." he whispered in her ear.
"Maybe. I don't know yet. I need sleep. That pain exhausted me all over again. I love you John." she snuggled against his chest and fell asleep in his arms a few minutes later.
"I love you too baby." he whispered to her.
Even though she was asleep, he loved telling her that.
John laid there and let his mind wander.
~~~~~~
"John, maybe this isn't the best idea..." she rubbed her neck as John stood in front of her holding a firecracker/firework ball. He had wrapped together a large amount of explosives to prank Max with.
"It's an amazing idea." he grinned, staring at his 'masterpiece' and letting out a snicker.
"Dying at 17 right before we are about to go into Senior year doesn't sound very 'amazing' to me." she half laughed.
"Babe, calm down. I won't kill us. I promise. I'm going to scare the shit out of Max though." he smiled at her, his eyes twinkling in the setting sunlight.
"Okay. I'm with you, whether you like it or not." she smiled as excitement and adrenaline filled her body suddenly.
"Let's get these fuckers!" he laughed, whipping out his lighter.
She opened the porch door for him as he lit the contraption and threw it inside. She slammed the door behind them and they ran hand in hand down the street, giggling at the explosion sounds from behind them.
~~~~~~~~
He smiled at the memory from so many years ago, kissed her forehead, and drifted away again into sleep.