The Fast Times
Thirty Three
Nancy explained her future plans to Rae while they ate. Rae had stopped eating, her eyes widening at Nancy speaking about moving in with Chip. She couldn't believe her.
"You can't move in with him!" Rae exclaimed.
Nancy looked up at her, "He said you could come too."
"No, Cy," Rae shook her head, "he's the one who caused trouble first. Why would you even think about this? You're not moving in with him."
Nancy frowned, almost childlike, "But, I...this would be better, don't you think?"
"What I think is you should go talk to Pete before he moves to New York," Rae stood up from the floor, where they had eaten at the coffee table. "You have to tell him the truth. You can't just cut him out of his son's life."
Nancy looked down, her appetite ruined, "I don't think he would be here if he want to, Rae. His dad would've had me taken out, Pete would struggle, and I don't want that for him. I want him to have good things."
Rae understood, "I get that, but even from a distance, he should be able to be in his child's life."
Nancy swallowed, "He wouldn't listen to me now."
"Because you lied," Rae spat, "Cy, I love you, but you've made some dumb decisions."
Nancy bit down on her lip as Rae left the room. Her mind was turning, unsure of what to do next. The stress was getting to her, making her sick; she stood up and staggered to the bathroom to vomit.
It was the beginning of July; Cy decided not to move in with Chip. She gave him his money back, and kept track of the money she had spent that Peter had given her. She took night classes to hurry and graduate high school so she could find better jobs. A pregnant waitress made good tips, but it wasn't enough she needed to take care of her baby.
It was after her night classes, where she was on the way to her late night shift at a fancy 24-hour diner, that her water broke. She was slow to catch on, she had felt pain all evening, afraid she was in labor, and wasn't sure what to do. When her water broke and the pain grew, she began to do breathing exercises as she drove herself to the hospital.
"Oh no," she muttered to herself; she was getting lost, not knowing Glenview all that well.
She tried to look for signs, but decided that she'd have to drive back to Rogers Park, where she knew where to go. She gripped hard the steering wheel, crying from the sharp pains in her lower back and abdomen. She white knuckled it the entire way, clenching her thighs, praying her baby wouldn't fall out of her.
Her only thoughts were to clench and to breathe, make sure she didn't wreck on the way to the hospital. Tears nearly blurred her vision, but she focused, telling herself that she didn't need to cry. But the loneliness that crept up on her was all too great, and the thoughts made her throat tight and tears burned her eyes.
As soon as she got to the hospital, she parked and took a moment to think of a plan to get out of the car. She was afraid if she took a step, her baby would fall out of her, despite the fact she was wearing sweats. She crossed her fingers and carefully got out of the car; to her amazement, even with the pressure, her baby felt secure inside her womb, so she was able to walk --or rather waddle. Nancy waddled inside of the ER and looked around; it was buzzing with people, and she didn't know what to do. Everything in her brain failed to help her.
She went to the front desk, waiting behind a woman who was withdrawing from some form of drugs and crying. Nancy whined and hissed, the pain blinding and nearly crippling her. Finally, a woman, a nurse, grabbed her arm, "Miss, are you in labor?"
Nancy looked at her and nodded, "Yes, I-I think so."
The nurse took her hand and led her a few feet and then got her into a wheelchair, "I'm going to admit you, is there anyone you need us to call?"
The loneliness took over again, and she shook her head, "No."
Rae rushed to the hospital the moment Sabrina had told her that she saw Nancy there. Apparently Patrick had drank an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce and it wasn't sitting well with his stomach, so she and their friends, minus Andy, had to drive him to the ER. They all spotted her when she walked in looking lost and confused.
Rae had gotten there just after her baby was born. No one was allowed to see her since they weren't next of kin. Rae lied, pulling Andy with her; "I'm her older sister, this is my boyfriend. I need to see her immediately."
The nurse on duty didn't question her, "You'll have to wait. Nancy Durden is in recovery right now."
Rae sighed, "Okay, thanks."
She and Andy went and sat in the now empty waiting room. It was near 11:30, Rae was worried about Nancy, wondering if she was okay or not. Andy felt nervous, feeling sorry for both Nancy and Rae; Rae, because she was biting her nails and was worried. It was quiet in the waiting room, Rae wondered if Patrick had gotten taken care of and if everyone went home.
"Was Pete with them?" Rae asked Andy suddenly.
Andy shrugged, "Dunno...he's been packing stuff, I haven't seen him in awhile."
"He should be here," Rae murmured to herself, "can you call him?"
Andy gave her a quizzical look, "You heard him, Rae, he doesn't want anything to do with Cy. He's not gonna come here."
Rae sighed, "It's his baby, he should be here."
"He doesn't know that for sure."
"Yes he does, we all do!"
"You can't force him to be here."
Rae growled and got up, checking her pockets for change and headed straight to the pay phone booths just outside the waiting room. She picked up the first receiver, counted her change and then slipped 2 dimes and a nickel into the change slot and called an operator.
"I need the Wentz residence in Rogers Park, please," Rae said quickly upon the operator answering. "I'm trying to reach Peter Wentz."
"Just a moment."
Then a few seconds the phone was ringing, and ringing; after what felt like minutes, Pete picked up, "Hello?"
"Pete? It's Rae."
"What's wrong with Andy?" He asked nonchalantly.
"This isn't about Andy. This is about Nancy; I'm at the hospital, she just had the baby."
Pete was speechless on the other end. He swallowed, anger filling him, "So?"
"So?!" Rae nearly shouted incredulously, "This is your son! He was born tonight, you should come see him!"
"That's not my kid," Pete muttered; familiar pain burned through his chest. "I don't need to go see her or that baby."
"It is your baby! Nancy lied--"
"She's always lying," Pete spat, "tell her to fuck off."
Pete hung up, Rae resisted the urge to rip the phone out of it's bank. She put the receiver down and growled under her breath, returning to the waiting room. Andy looked up at her as she returned, sitting down beside him, "What'd he say?"
Rae just shook her head, "It was useless. We should go back to my house, get Nancy her overnight bag."
Andy stood and took her hand, "Don't beat yourself up, Cy'll come around eventually, things will get better."
Rae just shrugged, following Andy out of the hospital.
"Here's a baby naming book you asked for, Nancy."
Nancy looked up at her day nurse, "Thanks."
"Surprised, huh?"
Nancy nodded, cradling her newborn in her arms, "Yeah, they said it was a boy...I didn't believe it when they said it was a girl."
Nancy had given birth to a healthy baby girl the night before, July 10th. She almost refused to believe it was a baby girl, having been told it was a boy for the past several months.
"Those ultrasound machines aren't always 100%," her day nurse, Mary, smiled, slipping the book on her bedside try, "do you need anything else?"
"I'm just thirsty."
"Alright, I'll bring you some ice chips and a pop from the machine, then you should get some rest; when I come back I'll take baby girl there down to the nursery to sleep."
"Okay," Nancy agreed.
Mary left the room, leaving Nancy and her baby girl alone. She still was reeling over the fact she had a baby now, a little girl to take care of. Her stomach churned continuously as she looked at her; the baby was a splitting image of Hilary, Pete's little sister. Her skin tone was on the dark side, her hair was light and curly, and she pouted like Pete. There was no denying he was the father; it'd be a miracle if he wasn't.
After successfully breast feeding her baby, Nancy held her gingerly and picked up the baby naming book. She hadn't a clue what she'd call her now; she had been so sure of Tyler, but now, she had no idea what to name her baby. She flattened the book down in the T section, looking at the names, not finding one she liked. Looking at her daughter, she didn't know what kind of name would fit her, she wanted one that she and her daughter would grow to embrace, something that was pretty. She bit at her lip and flipped through the pages, one handed, looking through all the different female and unisex names.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at her door.
"You can't move in with him!" Rae exclaimed.
Nancy looked up at her, "He said you could come too."
"No, Cy," Rae shook her head, "he's the one who caused trouble first. Why would you even think about this? You're not moving in with him."
Nancy frowned, almost childlike, "But, I...this would be better, don't you think?"
"What I think is you should go talk to Pete before he moves to New York," Rae stood up from the floor, where they had eaten at the coffee table. "You have to tell him the truth. You can't just cut him out of his son's life."
Nancy looked down, her appetite ruined, "I don't think he would be here if he want to, Rae. His dad would've had me taken out, Pete would struggle, and I don't want that for him. I want him to have good things."
Rae understood, "I get that, but even from a distance, he should be able to be in his child's life."
Nancy swallowed, "He wouldn't listen to me now."
"Because you lied," Rae spat, "Cy, I love you, but you've made some dumb decisions."
Nancy bit down on her lip as Rae left the room. Her mind was turning, unsure of what to do next. The stress was getting to her, making her sick; she stood up and staggered to the bathroom to vomit.
•••
It was the beginning of July; Cy decided not to move in with Chip. She gave him his money back, and kept track of the money she had spent that Peter had given her. She took night classes to hurry and graduate high school so she could find better jobs. A pregnant waitress made good tips, but it wasn't enough she needed to take care of her baby.
It was after her night classes, where she was on the way to her late night shift at a fancy 24-hour diner, that her water broke. She was slow to catch on, she had felt pain all evening, afraid she was in labor, and wasn't sure what to do. When her water broke and the pain grew, she began to do breathing exercises as she drove herself to the hospital.
"Oh no," she muttered to herself; she was getting lost, not knowing Glenview all that well.
She tried to look for signs, but decided that she'd have to drive back to Rogers Park, where she knew where to go. She gripped hard the steering wheel, crying from the sharp pains in her lower back and abdomen. She white knuckled it the entire way, clenching her thighs, praying her baby wouldn't fall out of her.
Her only thoughts were to clench and to breathe, make sure she didn't wreck on the way to the hospital. Tears nearly blurred her vision, but she focused, telling herself that she didn't need to cry. But the loneliness that crept up on her was all too great, and the thoughts made her throat tight and tears burned her eyes.
As soon as she got to the hospital, she parked and took a moment to think of a plan to get out of the car. She was afraid if she took a step, her baby would fall out of her, despite the fact she was wearing sweats. She crossed her fingers and carefully got out of the car; to her amazement, even with the pressure, her baby felt secure inside her womb, so she was able to walk --or rather waddle. Nancy waddled inside of the ER and looked around; it was buzzing with people, and she didn't know what to do. Everything in her brain failed to help her.
She went to the front desk, waiting behind a woman who was withdrawing from some form of drugs and crying. Nancy whined and hissed, the pain blinding and nearly crippling her. Finally, a woman, a nurse, grabbed her arm, "Miss, are you in labor?"
Nancy looked at her and nodded, "Yes, I-I think so."
The nurse took her hand and led her a few feet and then got her into a wheelchair, "I'm going to admit you, is there anyone you need us to call?"
The loneliness took over again, and she shook her head, "No."
•
Rae rushed to the hospital the moment Sabrina had told her that she saw Nancy there. Apparently Patrick had drank an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce and it wasn't sitting well with his stomach, so she and their friends, minus Andy, had to drive him to the ER. They all spotted her when she walked in looking lost and confused.
Rae had gotten there just after her baby was born. No one was allowed to see her since they weren't next of kin. Rae lied, pulling Andy with her; "I'm her older sister, this is my boyfriend. I need to see her immediately."
The nurse on duty didn't question her, "You'll have to wait. Nancy Durden is in recovery right now."
Rae sighed, "Okay, thanks."
She and Andy went and sat in the now empty waiting room. It was near 11:30, Rae was worried about Nancy, wondering if she was okay or not. Andy felt nervous, feeling sorry for both Nancy and Rae; Rae, because she was biting her nails and was worried. It was quiet in the waiting room, Rae wondered if Patrick had gotten taken care of and if everyone went home.
"Was Pete with them?" Rae asked Andy suddenly.
Andy shrugged, "Dunno...he's been packing stuff, I haven't seen him in awhile."
"He should be here," Rae murmured to herself, "can you call him?"
Andy gave her a quizzical look, "You heard him, Rae, he doesn't want anything to do with Cy. He's not gonna come here."
Rae sighed, "It's his baby, he should be here."
"He doesn't know that for sure."
"Yes he does, we all do!"
"You can't force him to be here."
Rae growled and got up, checking her pockets for change and headed straight to the pay phone booths just outside the waiting room. She picked up the first receiver, counted her change and then slipped 2 dimes and a nickel into the change slot and called an operator.
"I need the Wentz residence in Rogers Park, please," Rae said quickly upon the operator answering. "I'm trying to reach Peter Wentz."
"Just a moment."
Then a few seconds the phone was ringing, and ringing; after what felt like minutes, Pete picked up, "Hello?"
"Pete? It's Rae."
"What's wrong with Andy?" He asked nonchalantly.
"This isn't about Andy. This is about Nancy; I'm at the hospital, she just had the baby."
Pete was speechless on the other end. He swallowed, anger filling him, "So?"
"So?!" Rae nearly shouted incredulously, "This is your son! He was born tonight, you should come see him!"
"That's not my kid," Pete muttered; familiar pain burned through his chest. "I don't need to go see her or that baby."
"It is your baby! Nancy lied--"
"She's always lying," Pete spat, "tell her to fuck off."
Pete hung up, Rae resisted the urge to rip the phone out of it's bank. She put the receiver down and growled under her breath, returning to the waiting room. Andy looked up at her as she returned, sitting down beside him, "What'd he say?"
Rae just shook her head, "It was useless. We should go back to my house, get Nancy her overnight bag."
Andy stood and took her hand, "Don't beat yourself up, Cy'll come around eventually, things will get better."
Rae just shrugged, following Andy out of the hospital.
•
"Here's a baby naming book you asked for, Nancy."
Nancy looked up at her day nurse, "Thanks."
"Surprised, huh?"
Nancy nodded, cradling her newborn in her arms, "Yeah, they said it was a boy...I didn't believe it when they said it was a girl."
Nancy had given birth to a healthy baby girl the night before, July 10th. She almost refused to believe it was a baby girl, having been told it was a boy for the past several months.
"Those ultrasound machines aren't always 100%," her day nurse, Mary, smiled, slipping the book on her bedside try, "do you need anything else?"
"I'm just thirsty."
"Alright, I'll bring you some ice chips and a pop from the machine, then you should get some rest; when I come back I'll take baby girl there down to the nursery to sleep."
"Okay," Nancy agreed.
Mary left the room, leaving Nancy and her baby girl alone. She still was reeling over the fact she had a baby now, a little girl to take care of. Her stomach churned continuously as she looked at her; the baby was a splitting image of Hilary, Pete's little sister. Her skin tone was on the dark side, her hair was light and curly, and she pouted like Pete. There was no denying he was the father; it'd be a miracle if he wasn't.
After successfully breast feeding her baby, Nancy held her gingerly and picked up the baby naming book. She hadn't a clue what she'd call her now; she had been so sure of Tyler, but now, she had no idea what to name her baby. She flattened the book down in the T section, looking at the names, not finding one she liked. Looking at her daughter, she didn't know what kind of name would fit her, she wanted one that she and her daughter would grow to embrace, something that was pretty. She bit at her lip and flipped through the pages, one handed, looking through all the different female and unisex names.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at her door.
♠ ♠ ♠
Surprise, surprise!