Under A Paper Moon.

It was a slow week. I tried to avoid any face-to-face contact with my mom since I told her. I know she didn't tell my dad yet because he hasn't said anything. I know soon she will, probably just processing it or whatever. I haven't gotten 'round to telling Jack yet. Everyone's being "awwh, look at the new cute couple." so we haven't had any time to ourselves. And texting it or whatever isn't an option. Just cruel.

At the moment I was lying on my couch watching Shaun of the Dead and eating. First day to myself and I was enjoying every second of peace I could endure. And that's when someone came barging through my door yelling angrily.

My dad.

"Rayne Tyra Felicity Von Tesse-" I know, it's a mouthful. Blame my parents, "-Please tell me this isn't true!"

I looked up at him, bewildered, as my mom came barging in behind him yelling "John, calm down!"

Brilliant, this is just what I need.

I gave him a blank stare and the atmosphere in the room got thinner and thinner with anger and I was starting to heat up, I'm pretty sure my face was beet red. My breathing began to spur out in short pants. "Wh-what isn't true, daddy?"

He lowered his voice as I stood up slowly from the couch and my mom watched from the doorway, the front door was still wide open.

"Don't play dumb, Ray-"

"I'm not! I-"

"Are you pregnant!" He yelled those deathly words at me as tears were burning my eyes, He more stated it than asked it as a question. Fuuuuck.

I whimpered and looked down, well, this was going to happen in time. I might as well get it over and done with.

"Yeah.." I whispered looking down, and when I looked up my dad looked absolutely disgusted in me.

"You're sixteen years old Rayne! Who's the father?" My head snapped back to look at my mom who was crying in the hallway and she walked in, giving me a hug of sympathy. I snuggled against her body and repeated that I was sorry. My dad seemed to calm down then and he was saying stuff like he should have protected me more and that we shouldn't have moved. It actually broke my heart. I've let them down so much.

My mom excused herself, sniffing, and started making tea. I sat on the couch while my dad was sitting on the other side of the room, his eyes filled with angry tears and he held his slack-jaw in his hand. I didn't know what to say, anything that I just wanted to burst out was stuck in my throat.

"Who's is it, Rayne?" My dad almost whispered, looking distraught.

"Jack's, dad-"

"That Barakat kid? I new he was fucking trouble since the day I seen him." My dad grumbled, standing up and leaving the living room. All of what happened seemed to just fly by in a blur, I was still processing it. I mean, what just happened? I'm so confused.
I laid back on the couch and closed my crusty eyes and savoured the quiet.





I was sitting in my room playing guitar. We had a kind of acoustic gig coming up in the local coffee shop so I needed to practice. I kept distracting myself though, I would check my phone every few minutes to see if Rayne texted back. She didn't seem herself this past week, like, Alex was being his usual prick-ish self and she never told him off. She hasn't been talking to anyone much either. It's like a shell of who she was.

I gave up and practiced a few more songs before I heard my mom screaming my name frantically from downstairs. What the fuck was up her ass? I set down my guitar slowly and stood up, running from my room and down the stairs to see my mom crying, looking at her phone and my dad ran in from the back garden.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I walked over, extremely confused. I don't have a clue on why she was crying, nothing bad really happened recently.

"Joyce, what's wrong?" My dad comforted her and I stood awkwardly at the other side of the kitchen island. I didn't know how to help. My mom just shook her head looking at my sadly, and crying into my dad's chest. I must've really fucked up this time.

"We-we have to go to the Von Tesse's. Now." My mom spat, shaking with silent sobs and I ran to get my jacket. I started to feel nervous. If something happened to Rayne I don't know what I would do. I've fallen for her, yeah, I know. I'm a pansy.

I looked at myself in the mirror, fixed my clothes and ran back downstairs shoving on a cap and following my parents out to our car. I slid into the back seat while they occupied the driver's and passenger seats. My dad drove, I guess my mom wasn't in a good state to.

Rayne's house is about twenty minutes from my own, and the whole way there the car was filled with an unbearable awkward silence. I kept my eyes glued on the window, even though I was completely ignoing the scenery and was lost in my own mind before my dad cleared his throat, "What exactly do we have to go over for, Joyce?" He glanced at her before setting his eyes on the road again.

My mom looked back at me then at my dad, she stayed quiet for another few minutes and then she cleared her own throat repetitively. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke.

"Uhm, Rayne's..." She looked back at me, and gave a disapponting look at me. It actually made me want to cry. I know I'm not the best damn person and I'm not perfect, but I do try at least.

"Go on." I looked at my mom before looking back down at my converse, finding a fair interest in their battered state. I wish she would just tell me. The silence was literally killing me, I felt short of breath. I looked out the window and noticed that we just had to turn the street corner and we'd be at Rayne's.

"Mom, tell me." I almost cried then, my voice actually broke.

She sighed and looked down as my dad parked, the suspense was seconds before slaughtering me, I had such an urge to tell her to get the fuck on with it.

"Jacky, Rayne's... Rayne's pregnant." My head snapped up and I'm pretty sure my eyes were as wide as the moon, I was shocked. No, wait, 'shocked' would be an understatement to what I was feeling.

"There's more, isn't there?" I licked over my lips, my voice was breaking.

"It's your's, son." My mom finished and my heart just shot into my stomach.
What?