Downpour

“Uh, hi guys.” That was all she said. After us waiting up all night for her, all she could say were those three small words. Tayden was pissed. I’d never seen him so pissed in my entire life. He’d barely slept, of course neither had I. I was worried half to death that my best friend had had another seizure and wound up dead on the side of the road.

“Where the fuck have you been Rain?” Tayden stormed up to her, his face hot with rage. “Do you know what we’ve been going through here? You leave, after you’ve shaved your head off. Which is totally not like you Rain. And you’re sick, like…really sick. You should have heard your parents when they called and wanted to talk to you. And I had to be the one to tell them that I hadn’t seen you since yesterday. Your mom almost had a fucking heart attack. I just-“ I stepped between them, covering Tayden’s mouth with my hand.

“Calm. Down.” I spoke through gritted teeth. I knew exactly how he felt. But I also knew that yelling about it wasn’t going to make it better.

“I was at Patrick’s house.” She shrugged, slipping her shoes off and tossing her bag down. Tayden’s breathing got deeper and I kept my hand across his mouth. He pulled it off, keeping my hand in his tight grip as he spoke.

“Next time fucking call, before you give us all heart attacks.” He flung my arm down and walked to his room, slamming the door so loud it was a wonder how it hadn’t fallen off.

I turned back to Rain and she had tears in her eyes. I walked up to her, rubbing her back. She hadn’t yelled at me when I told her about Tayden and I’s baby. So I wasn’t going to yell at her for this. “It’s okay, he’ll calm down. But next time, you really should call Rain. I was so terrified that something had happened to you.”

I knew there were tears in my eyes, and I only turned away when I felt one fall. “You’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you…Not to cancer, or anything else.” I sniffled and headed towards my room, not wanting Rain to see me crying about this more than she already had. As I reached my door, I looked down the hall. I dropped my hand and went to the next door.

I decided I was above knocking privileges. Tayden, was sitting on the side of his bed, his fists clamped around each other as he stared at the wall. I quietly shut his door and sat down next to his, putting my hand over his white knuckles. His grip loosened around his own hand and he laced his fingers through mine.

“She didn’t mean to worry us, you know. You should know that.” He nodded.

“I do. Which is why I was so worried. Because she’s the responsible one Bay, not me. She’s the one that calls to check in, or texts to say she’ll be home later or tomorrow. That’s why I was freaking out. I don’t know what I’ll do without her…” I knew that if I didn’t change the subject, I’d probably see Tayden cry for the first time.

I squeezed his hand, and rested my head on his shoulder. “Tayden, I say forgive and forget. Life’s short. And I’m here for you.” He smiled and shocked me for the second time in two days. He gave me the sweetest kiss I’d ever gotten.

Too bad it wasn’t anything more than that.

<><><>

“Do you see any stretch marks?” I rubbed my poofed out belly. My shirts clung tight to it now, it was time to go buy new clothes. Maternity clothes. It was also time to tell my parents, and Tayden’s.

He looked up from his spot on his bed, his nose had been buried in his phone. He was playing some stupid zombie game and I was getting frustrated. Sure I’d met his parents before, but this was a big deal.

“They’re not going to see your stomach. And no, I don’t.” I balled up the shirt in my hand and threw it at him.

“You didn’t even look!” it smacked him in his face, and he groaned.

“You’re making me lose you know!” I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled my tank top down before walking over and grabbing my shirt from beside him. I slipped it on and grabbed his phone. Turning off the game I shoved it in my back pocket.

“Get. Dressed. Or I’m going without you, and telling your parents lies about how you won’t help me out.” He let out a deep breath and got up, putting on jeans and a nice t-shirt.

“Happy, Mother?” I nodded, handing him back his phone. We walked out the house and got into his truck. I bucked up and rubbed my tummy, looking down at it. “You don’t look bad. You’re going to be one of those cute pregnant girls.” I laughed lightly, smiling at the compliment even though I knew he didn’t mean it.

“You’re only saying that because I’m sleeping with you.” He looked around, smiling to himself.

“Ehh.” I laughed louder as he drove to his parent’s house.

“Do you think they’re going to hate us?” he shook his head no and flipped his blinker on to turn towards their house.

“I doubt it. I am old enough to do whatever the hell I want. I know they might be disappointed, but it’s not like I did it on purpose, you know? I’m owning up to my mistakes and sticking with you through this. That should make them at least somewhat happy. That and the fact that they’ve always wanted grandchildren.” He shot me a bright smile, and I looked down smiling myself.

Maybe this baby wasn’t going to be all bad.

When we arrived things went smoothly, we walked inside, ate supper with them. Throughout the entire thing they kept giving me funny looks. Probably wondering why Tayden wanted to bring me to eat dinner with them. And why Rain wasn’t with us. Sure I’d been here lots of times, but never without her. This was Rain’s family, not mine. But soon enough it’d be my child’s family too. And I wanted them to be okay with that.

After supper was done we sat down in their living room. Their TV on mute. I sat there silently, waiting for Tayden to break the news to them. I wasn’t going to be the one to do it here, just like I wouldn’t expect him to be the one to tell my parents.

“So you wanted to talk to us about something?” His mother said, her brown eyes staring into mine. I smiled shyly at her, hoping she liked me as more than just Rain’s friend.

“You two didn’t like…elope or something?” His dads voice was deep, way deeper than Tayden’s. If I was a little girl, he would have no doubt frightened me.

Tayden laughed. “No. But um, Baylin’s pregnant.”

His mother’s eyes widened, and his father sat up straighter.

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked, glancing at me then to my belly. I had a light flowing dress on, and considering my belly wasn’t that big you really couldn’t tell.

“Baylin’s pregnant. And I’m the father.” His hands clenched together, and he glanced over at me. My face must have looked white, I felt like I was going to throw up. The silence was the worst thing that could have been said. I suddenly felt like crying. They were going to hate me for this.

“Does Rain know?” My head shot up. That was the first question his parents would ask? Tayden squished up his face.

“Well yeah. You think I’d tell you before she knew? You’d let her know before I’d have a chance to.” He laughed lightly and leaned back, obviously less tense than before. I was the complete opposite.

“Are you two keeping it? Are you together?” His mom was like piranha when it came to asking questions.

We glanced at each other. “We haven’t exactly worked out the details, Mom. But we are keeping it. I don’t know much more than that myself.” I smiled at him, and he placed his hand on my knee. I mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him.

“You two are so young…” his father muttered. “How much longer you got?” he asked me.

I was suddenly on high alert. I stuttered, “I-I, um, I’m about three and a half months along…” his mother nodded, placing her hand in her husbands.

“Are you mad?” Tayden asked, his neck turning red from embarrassment.

“I’m sure not happy about this, but I’m not going to say you should get rid of the child. I’ve raised you better than that.” Tayden nodded, looking down again, fiddling his fingers together.

“I’m sorry…” I said. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.” I looked around the house Tayden had grown up in his entire life. His mother stood up, abandoning her husband’s hand to sit next to me. Her arm slid around my back.

“I know you didn’t sweetie. I’ve known you for a long time, and I know you’re not that kind of girl. Mistakes happen.” I nodded as she kept speaking. “You’re going to make a great mother. Do your parents know?” I shook my head, my eyes filling with tears. I doubt they’d take it as good as Tayden’s parents did. God only knows what my brother would think.

“No. Tayden wanted to tell you guys first. And I agreed, my parents would just yell. I didn’t want to psych him out…” I glanced at the boy who had promised he’d come with me. If he backed out, I’d completely understand. My father wasn’t exactly an overly friendly person.

“Well if you ever need anything, you can ask me okay? Tayden can give you my cell. I’d be happy to spend time with you. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other, after all.” She hugged me tightly, her wavy brown hair tickling my ear. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandma.” She squeezed me tightly and kissed my cheek.

After that, the talk mainly remained about Tayden and I, and how we were going to support the baby. Where we were going to live. Were we going to get married. We’d both blushed and muttered ‘No’ very quickly. Were we going to live together, or end up apart. If so, how were we going to take care of this baby. All I knew was one thing, Tayden wasn’t going to leave. His mother would make sure of that.

We got into Tayden’s truck and he smiled, sighing. “I feel like I have a giant weight lifted off of me.” He started it, humming along to the song on the radio. “That didn’t go at all how I thought it would.”

I smiled, glancing at him. Wondering if he’d think the same thing after we met my family. And knowing for sure, he wouldn’t.

<><><>

I crouched down slightly behind the couch, Rain crouching next to me. The lights were all turned off, and I could hear Tayden shuffling outside. All of our friends had walked here, parking at the beach parking lot just down the road. And Rain and I had said we were going out to have some girl time. A total lie.

We were staying in, and throwing Tayden a surprise party. He didn’t suspect us to be home, so when he finally opened the door and flipped on the switch I thought for sure he’d shit himself.

“SURPRISE!” we all yelled jumping out. Rain and I ran towards him quickly. She engulfed him in a hug and shoved a present in his face.

“Did you do all this for me?” he asked her, looking around. She shook her head, watching him unwrap her gift slowly. I just wanted to take the present and rip it open for him, he was taking too long.

“No.” She said, looking at me. “Baylin planned the whole thing.” He looked up at the sound of my name and smiled a genuine smile at me. I reached out to hug him, and I could have sworn he held on to me a little longer than necessary.

I shrugged, looking around at all our friends and family having fun together, “Consider it a gift.”

I swear, if we would have been alone I knew he would have kissed me. His stare was so intense, so pure and raw.

“Thank you so much.” He turned away and stalked off, mingling with all his family and friends. I wrapped my arm through Rains and kissed her cheek.

She turned and smiled at me, before pulling me on to the dance floor to have a good time.

A couple hours later the party had ended, and everyone had left. We’d all vowed to get up and clean up the next day. Although I had a feeling I’d be doing it myself. I couldn’t exactly blame Rain for backing out though. She was going through enough as it was.

As I brushed my teeth I heard Tayden’s door shut. I spit and rinsed then walked to my room, grabbing a small rectangular present. I knocked on his door, and put the present behind my back.

He opened it slowly and smiled, before opening it wider, asking me to come in. When he closed the door behind me I went and sit on his bed. He sat next to me, and looked over.

“So…” He trailed off, fiddling his fingers together.

I placed the present on top of them, and when he had grabbed it I smiled and nodded. He opened it just as slowly as he had opened Rain’s. And I almost wished I hadn’t wrapped It in the first place.

When he saw what was inside he stopped dry. He took a deep breath and glanced at me, his eyes brimming with tears. I smiled, and hoped they were good ones.

“Where’d you find it?” I shrugged, turning to face him.

“When you got mad, and broke that stuff. I found it. And I brought it to be resized, and bought a better frame. The look on your dad’s face is love Tayden. You shouldn’t forget that.”

His smile was faint, but he was smiling. I almost thought for a second he was going to burst into tears in front of me. But I’m happy he didn’t. Instead he leaned over and took me into a bone crushing hug.

“Thank you so much Baylin. I honestly thought I lost that picture.” He said into my hair, holding me tight.

Even if he had said he didn’t want to be like his father and abandon his child. I knew there was more to the story he wasn’t telling me. And I’m pretty sure, after what I’d done. He knew that I knew, and he appreciated that I didn’t pry.

“It was no problem at all Tayden.” And with that he laid me back, his arms wrapped securely around me. And for once in my life, I felt completely safe as his lips met mine.