Public Affair

"I didn’t fucking tell him!” I turned to Alex and screamed.

“Oh, whoops,” she mumbled. “Sorry.”

“Whatever,” I growled and looked back to Brian. “Yeah, I’m most likely pregnant. Congrats.”

“Uh… Um…” He stuttered. “I’m speechless.”

“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” I asked slowly.

"I— I'm getting dizzy," he sat back against the wall with wide eyes. "This is…really trippy."

"Tell me about it," Alex grumbled as she looked at me. "Good job at making him freak out, what did you do?"

"I slapped him like you did," I defended. "But I'm pretty sure when you said he could be in your baby's life and my baby maybe, whatever caused that dizzy spell."

"Or it—" she almost argued but Brian brought her in a hug, shocking us both. "Uh, Brian now I know your not feeling alright."

"I'm so sorry for everything, everything I really do mean it, I think it would have been better if we would have stayed friends and you and Matt would have gotten together," he sighed and kissed her forehead. "I'd like to be an uncle, but what I said about the baby, its not true, I'm glad we made a baby."

"Aw you sure know how to make a girl go all emotional," Alex laughed as she wiped her eyes.

"I'm serious," he turned to me and hugged me too. "And I'm glad, if you are, that we're having a baby."

"I’m glad,” I nodded slowly and began to cry. “And I’m glad that your glad, if that makes sense.”

“Yeah,” He nodded and kissed me softly. “I missed you.”

“And I missed you, too,” I nodded and kissed him again.

"Well," Alex said awkwardly as she stood up and slapped her hands together. "Now that we've figured out this…whatever. Brian promise to stop being such a fucking moron," she asked exhaustedly.

"I promise," he laughed

"Alright, I need to go talk to the guys, Zacky ne— Oh shit Zacky," she glanced down at me.

Indeed, oh shit Zacky…

-----Alex-----

"Oh no…” Cory held her hand over her mouth and her eyes teared up. “I fucking hurt him…”

“What?” Brian looked around to me and Cory before I went off to find him.

"Zacky!" I lazily screamed walking down the sidewalk to the beach, Matt said he went off to the beach, probably to the pier. "Zacky Vengeance! Zachary Baker I'm getting tired of yelling you're name boy!"

"What?" he asked walking up beside me, I screamed and nearly fell but he caught me thankfully. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry you scared me," I laughed as I patted his chest. "You okay Zacky Wacky?"

"I'm fine Alexy Wlexy," he pouted his lip and laid his head on my shoulder.

"Are you sure your fine?” I asked again.

“Maybe not,” He mumbled. “I guess I just had my hopes up that Cory wasn’t gonna get back with Brian. That I would be the father of her baby. And I know it sounds selfish but I can’t help it…”

"It's not selfish babe, it's actually normal when you love someone. I think one day you'll find someone who will want no one but you and when you find that someone, hold onto them forever okay buddy?" I asked with a grin. "Promise not to be stupid and hurt some girl's heart."

"I would never."

"I know you wouldn't, you're smart," I whispered making us both chuckle. "Come on geek lets go eat some ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

"I walked all the way from Brian's house trying to find you're mopey ass, go buy me some ice cream from Dante's ice cream parlor!" I laughed as I pulled him with me.

"Alright,” He said as I drug him down the sidewalk.

“Cheer up,” I kicked his shin and shoved my ice cream in his face.

“I’m trying,” He looked up at me. “You think there’s a chance?”

“What?”

“You think there’s still a chance for me and Cory?”

"Okay now you're just seriously bumming me out," I pointed to myself with a sigh. "Why do you even want to know Zacky, it'll only upset you."

"Because I love her," he said sadly, which kind of broke my heart in three hundred little pieces.

"Oh honey," I whined as I stood up and sat in his lap, hugging him neck. "Don't you even worry, remember that old saying if you love something let it free, if it comes back to you it was meant to be maybe you should try that on Cory."

“If you say so,” He looked around and took a bite of my ice cream, grinning.

“Now that’s my Zacky,” I smiled and patted his head.

“More,” He opened his mouth as I shoved the entire cone in his face. “Fuck, cold!”

"You know you love it," I giggled as I wiped his face with a napkin that was wrapped around my cone. "Sorry Zacky."

"It's okay," he scrunched his nose up. "But maybe next time don't shove it up my nose? Maybe?"

"Oh," I giggled with a nod. "Promise."

“Ewww,” I wiped his face off, too. “It’s all over my bull ring.”

“Your fault for being grumpy,” I scolded playfully.

“But I’m happy now, so no more ice cream,” He shook his head.

"Aw but I'm not done," I grabbed his cone and handed him mine. "Switch because you stuck you're nose in mine."

"No, correction you stuck my nose in yours," he glared at me then laughed. "So I have to eat my snot?"

"Oh nasty," I grunted and looked out the window. "Oh look theirs Jimmy looking around the beach."

"Let's see how long he looks before he spots us," Zacky grabbed my hand and towed me outside the shop, where we leaned against the building, waiting for him to see us eating ice cream and waiting patiently. I sat on the ground and leaned against the shop as Zacky leaned his left foot up against it and hummed while eating his cone.

“You think he won’t see us at all?”

“Maybe.”

“Alex? Zack?” he called from a distance.

“Well, he saw us,” I pouted as Zacky helped me up, Jimmy running towards us.

“What the hell?” He growled. “You both just up and left.”

“Sorry,” We said at the same time.

"To get ice cream?" he growled again but this time he grabbed Zacky's cone and threw it against the pavement.

"Hey asshole I paid for that!" I yelled, Zacky forgot his wallet at his house, and I had about five dollars in my pocket. "And I was making Zacky happy with that," I crossed my arms. "Meany."

"Oh, I'm sorry Alex but I'm a bit pissed. Brian drove off after Cory told him she needed to think about getting back together with him, thankfully he wasn't mad, but I was at Cory. She's stupid to go back with him you know," Jimmy sighed and rubbed his head, he paused and grinned. "Can I have a bite?"

"If you go buy Zacky another cone," I said sternly as I held the cone closer to me.

"Fine,” Jimmy growled and stomped into the parlor.

“I’m fucking calling her,” I took out my cell phone and dialed Cory’s number.

“Hello?” She picked up the phone, sounding cheery yet distracted.

“Are you seriously gonna get back with Brian after all that he’s done to you?”

“It’s still up in the air, but-“

“No buts!” I screamed. “I can’t believe your even thinking about it!”

"Oh come on Alex, you can't say you wouldn—"

"No, I can't say I wouldn't because I would say leave me the hell alone, let's be friends, have you forgotten everything he has caused? I mean of course I'll always love him, not like I used to but as I used to when we were little but he has messed us both up Cory and you're just running back to him."

"But I love him," she whispered

"You're being fucking stupid," I hung up the phone.

“Little harsh, dontcha think?” Zacky looked at me as I shook my head.

“She needs to learn that he doesn’t deserve her,” I explained.

"Well you called her stupid, she's kind of really, really sensitive without being stressed and now she is so—" Zacky held his hands up and lifted them up and down, then blew out a breath he was holding. "I don't know."

"Zacky, I'm a woman who knows what she's thinking, I'm in the same place as she is for heavens sake so don't test me right now," I waved a finger at him.

"Okay,” He said meekly as Jimmy walked back out with a large cone and handed it to Zacky.

“You fucking pig,” I stared at him as he looked back at me.

“What?” He shrugged as we all began walking down the street. “I’m hungry.”

“It would seem,” I sighed and looked off into the sunset.

"So what happened? Zacky looks shocked or speechless," Jimmy laughed as he used my head as an armrest.

"One, get you're arm off my head, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am not you're armrest or pillow," I poked his rib and giggled as he squirmed. "And two, I called Cory and pretty much told her she was being fucking stupid, which ended in Zacky saying I was being a little harsh and I told him I'm a woman that knows what she's thinking, I'm in the same situation so don't test me."

"That would give a reason for one of those English guards to squirm, you're threats are scarier than a big fat mans."

"Fuck you too, Jimmy,” I glared at him.

“I wasn’t calling you fat!”

“Sure you weren’t,” I mumbled. “What exactly happened at the house after we left?”

"Well, between the guys and I or Cory and Brian?"

"The pope and Oprah, what do you think dipshit?" I slapped his arm, he laughed and rubbed where I hit before he placed his arm back around my shoulders.

"Well," he started with a pause, "We listened as close as we could, but pretty much all we heard were I love you and I just can'ts but besides that, we just stood there listening until Brian walked out and said he was taking a ride, and Cory came out sniffing."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know actually, she took my car."

"You don’t know where she went?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“You’re an idiot,” I shook my head. “Where do you think she’d be?”

“At the beach,” Zacky said. “The cove, probably.”

“Then we’ll go look there,” I nodded as we all walked down onto the sand.

"Is that her?" Jimmy pointed at the water, where a girl stood in to her hips. "She better not be planning to kill herself again."

"You notice lately a lot of people are doing that? Has it become a trend?" I questioned.

"It will be one trend I stay away from, you better."

"I am, I like being able to breathe," I shook my head. "And I actually like when my heart works, when you're days are numbered you take the time to appreciate."

"You're days aren't numbered," he grumbled

"Whatever,” I shook my head. “Someone go talk to her.”

“I will,” Zacky said softly as he handed Jimmy his cone and slipped off his shirt, wading into the water.

-----Cory-----

Great, you finally get the man you love and your best friend hates you…

“Boo,” Someone wrapped their arms around my waist and kissed my ear.

"Holy sh—" I stopped and placed a hand over my heart. "Zacky what are you doing here?"

"I was walking with Alex and Jimmy and we seen you, I decided to see why you're staring at the ocean like you're lost," He smiled that gorgeous childlike innocent smile and kissed my cheek. "You okay Cory Bory?"

"No Zacky, I'm not okay."

"What’s wrong?”

“I’m confused as fuck,” I mumbled. “I love Brian, but I’m not sure if I’m in love with him. Not anymore.”

“Then don’t be with him.”

“But I don’t want the baby to grow up fatherless,” I sighed.

“Well,” Zacky began. “It doesn’t have to be fatherless.”

“How so?”

“Well, I was— I kinda thought—It just that—" hefumbled with his sentences then took a deep breath. “I’d be the baby’s father, if that was okay with you.”

"I'd love that Zacky," I whispered as I turned in his arms and placed both hands on his cheeks, pulling his head down to meet my lips with his in a tender, passionate kiss. "I love you Zachary."

"I love you Corrine."

-----Alex-----Six Months Later-----

I glared at the man in front of me, six feet away and laughing about my humungous size. I glanced at my feet and took off one of my heavy sandals, reared back and threw it as hard as I could. Knocking him in the head.

Bullseye.

"Ow," Brian whined as he held his head. "Alex that was mean."

"Stop being mean to me about my weight asshole, Matt make him stop," I whined that last part worse than when Brian whined about his head hurting.

"Brian,” Matt sighed. “Leave Alex alone.”

“Fine,” He mumbled and looked over to Cory, who was lounging on the couch with Zack rubbing her stomach. Just the sight of that made him flinch.

“Brian?” I asked. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” He nodded. “I’m fine.”

"Come here asshole," I grumbled waving him over, he smiled slightly and walked over, he kneeled in front of me and placed his head on my stomach. "Hear its heartbeat yet?"

"I hear yours, is it kicking my head?"

"Knows already to kick his ass! Matt you are awesome at teaching Elliot this shit!" I yelled laughing as Brian gave me a playful look.

"Elliot? A boy?"

"Nope," I grinned as I patted my belly. "A little girl named Elliot Marie Sanders-Haner, how's that?"

"You serious?" his eyes brightened.

"I'm serious."

"Does Matt know?" he glanced around the room for Matt, and seen him playing a video game with Johnny, biting the side of his lip in concentration.

"He's the one that suggested it," I whispered.

"Oh,” He nodded. “I’ll have to thank him later.”

“You will,” I agreed and looked over to Cory. “What about you two?”

“Well, we went to the doctor’s yesterday,” Zacky began. “And it’s… A boy. But we haven’t named him yet.”

"When you name the baby, make sure its something funky," I nodded frantically. "Like Elliot is for a guy, but we liked it."

"I like it," Brian nodded.

"I was thinking Emerson but I don't know if it fits," Zacky shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at Cory. "Have you thought of any names Cory?"