One

Niall paced back and forth on my carpeted studio apartment. He’s been here for about fifteen minutes and I can’t seem to say anything to calm him down. He just keeps rambling on and on about what he’s going to do and how is he going to make ends meet. Niall started his second job a couple months back in order to accommodate his fiancés very expensive wishes. His first job is what keeps him going. He works as a coach and teaches some of the local kids how to play soccer, or football as he calls it, he got paid well enough to get by, until he proposed to Melissa and if you know Melissa she only wants the best.

I’m surprised she accepted the ring he gave her.

Anyway, long story short he got a second job in order to help pay for wedding expenses because Melissa’s parents needed more help.

“Niall!” I shouted getting his attention. He looked at me and I never seen him so out of sorts. His eyes were sad, his hair was a mess from constantly running his fingers through it and he looked so lost.

“Calm down, and take a seat,” I patted the spot next to me on my coach and waited for him to sit down. “You’ll be fine. You’ve made it this far and I’m pretty sure if she is pregnant she might actually help out and maybe even get a job”.

Niall rolled his eyes and stared down at his shoes.

“Look,” I softly placed my hand under his chin, lifting his head to get him to look me in the eyes, “if this is bugging you this bad then you need to talk to Melissa.”

He nodded and pulled out his phone, checking the time. “I got to get going, but thanks, Abby.” He smiled slightly and pulled me in for a hug. “You’re always here for me whenever I need you.”

His voice was soft and I felt shivers go down my spine as he spoke to me. I couldn’t even get myself to say anything. I just smiled back and stood up walking over to the door, letting him out. After he left to go on his date with Melissa, I sent her a quick text.

We need to talk.

Within seconds she sent me another text.

What happened? How was your date? Did he make a move too soon?

I rolled my eyes and took a picture of her pregnancy test that Niall left on my coffee table and sent it to her. I waited maybe 30 minutes and still didn’t get a response. Part of me wanted to call her and part of me wanted to wait it out before saying anything else. So I decided to go with the part of me who wanted to wait. Leaning my back against my couch, I put my feet up on my coffee table, and turned Friends back on. I was going to enjoy the rest of my night.

~*~*~

The next morning I woke up to the sunlight shinning on my face and my phone vibrating on the coffee table next to me. I squinted at my screen to see who was calling and rolled my eyes laying my head on my couch pillow. I don’t know how but I actually forgot about everything that happened last night. My phone went silent and I picked it up looking through my notifications. I had four missed calls and three text messages.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking through my text messages first.

Abby! Answer your phone I gotta tell you what happened!
Niall <3 11:54am

I called you twice already! Why the hell aren’t you picking up? I need to come over, call me back
Melissa 12:30pm

Don’t talk to Niall before you talk to me. Please.
Melissa 12:33pm

I can’t tell if something good or bad happened based on my text messages but I figure what the hell. I dial Melissa’s number and call her first. “Hello?”

“Abby! What did you tell Niall last night?” She sounded worried.

I shrugged, “nothing, I told him that he needed to talk to you, why?” I got up walking over to the kitchen and grabbed a box of Lucky Charms cereal.

“I just,” She sighed, “I didn’t know what to tell him. I freaked out, he showed up last night looking a mess and he was asking question after question about the test.”

“You could have just told him that you were pregnant and that he’s going to be a Daddy.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. “I don’t see why you have to make everything so damn complicated all the time, Melissa.”

“Ugh! You’re not listening Abby, you are supposed to be the smart one!”

I stopped what I was doing and thought about everything. Melissa knows she is pregnant, why wouldn’t she just tell Niall... she knows he’s a good guy and besides that they are getting married in two weeks.

But then it hit me, and I felt my heart break, not for my slut of a friend Melissa but for Niall.

“Melissa,” I sighed, “Is Niall the father?” It took everything for me to keep my voice calm.

“I-I-I don’t know…” Her voice was breaking, “I want him to be.”

That was it, Melissa started crying, saying over and over how sorry she was and how she made a huge mistake.

“What did you tell him last night?”

“I said, ‘congrats, babe. You’re going to be dad.”

I felt so many emotions, mostly anger and disgust. I didn’t know what to say to her. I just knew that I had to get off the phone with her before I said something that I’d probably regret later.

“I gotta go.” I said and hung up before she said anything else.

I didn’t know what to do. I knew that sooner or later I’d have to see Niall and when I do see him, what do I say? Do I tell him the truth or do I keep my mouth shut? And if I do tell him the truth what’s going to happen? I mean I’d have to know that by telling the truth I would probably break them up. I’d have to know that I wouldn’t be getting some kind of joy out of seeing them hurt…

I can’t help but think that this is my fault. In a way, I set them up. I set them up knowing that I was in love with him but I did it for him. Niall has been in love with Melissa ever since he moved out here in grade 10. Of course she never noticed him, but he sure as hell noticed her. Whenever he and I would hang out he would always talk about how he wanted to ask her out but didn’t have the confidence because he didn’t think he was good enough for her. Until one night, right before graduation, I just told him to go for it. I didn’t think she would actually say yes, but when she did, guess who helped him plan their first date? Me.

Sometimes I blame myself for putting myself in that position. I should have gone for it like I told him to. I literally… well not literally, kick myself everyday for not doing so. Maybe he would have said yes and who knows maybe he could have been engaged to me and we would have been so happy. I shook my head and dialed the one number that I knew I had to call.

“Hey!” He sounds so happy, I could just feel him smile through the phone, “I see you got my message, bet you couldn’t wait to call, huh?”

I forced small smile, “yeah...”

“I asked her about the test and you know what!”

“What?” I tried to sound enthusiastic, but it’s hard when I know the truth.

“She said I’m the Dad! I can’t believe this. Wait till some of the lads back home hear about this.”

I chuckled a bit at the use of the word ‘lads’.

“Yeah Niall, I’m sure the lads won’t believe it”

Niall and I stayed on the phone for about 30 more minutes and we talked about how he couldn’t wait to find out the sex of the baby. If it’s a boy, he’s going to teach him how to play soccer and if it’s a girl? Well, he’s going to teach her how to play soccer. He also went on and on about how much he loved Melissa and he was happy that they were really going to be a family and how things were started to look better.

By the end of the phone call I felt nothing but annoyed. She cheats on him, gets pregnant, and he still loves her. I mean, yeah, okay, he doesn’t know the truth but whatever. I can’t stand how perfect she can still come off.

All I knew is that I wanted to go out tonight, so I picked up my phone and called my blind date from last night. Luckily for me, he was available and down to go to a bar instead of some fancy restaurant. I had 8 hours to get ready before my date, Liam, was coming to pick me up and for once I wanted to look damn good. I deserve that much.

~*~*~

I checked my watch again for the third time tonight.

9:15

He’s late. I’ve been standing outside this bar for fifteen minutes now. Maybe it’s my own fault for being on time, I crossed my arms around my chess tightly or maybe it’s my fault for wearing the slutty dress that Melissa picked out for me instead of some real clothes. I saw a guy walking towards me and he smiled. I smiled back slightly, squinting my eyes in an attempt to get a better look at him. It was my date, and boy was he cute. He was a little taller, short hair, average build, and a very nice smile.

“Hi,” he grinned, “Abby?”

I nodded and smiled warmly, “I was beginning to think that I was being stood up.”

I laughed, but only because it has happened before and I thought that something like that would happen on a day like this to someone like me.

Liam chucked, “Nooo, I actually had to stop by to see a friend of mine.”

He talked a bit different but I didn’t think much of it. He took my hand and led me inside the bar. At first it was nothing but awkward smiles and short conversations but once we both started feel the alcohol things got a little more interesting.

“I’ve actually never been set up before,” He threw his head back as he took another shot. “I’m also not much of a drinker.”

I laughed, “yet, here you are throwing back shot after shot like a pro.” I said before taking another shot of tequila.

I on the other hand was a drinker. I was never one to get too drunk but then again I could always handle my liquor and up until tonight I never actually felt like I needed to let go.

Liam eyed me, his eyes lighting up as I threw back another shot. “You don’t seem like the partying type...”

“I’m not,” I scooted my chair closer to his so I could lay my hand on his thigh and not feel like I was going to fall over. “I just,” I eyed him, wondering if I should tell a complete stranger about my worse nightmare coming true. “I just need this tonight.”

He nodded, “me too”.

I stared at him, mostly because I was starting to see double but also because I was curious about his story, “why?” I slurred.

He sighed, “I just found out my best friend is getting married and having a kid”.

I laughed, maybe a little too hard, “me too!” I yelled as he motioned to the bartender to bring us more shots. I shook my head and leaned on the bar table, “I mean I knew, but I didn’t know, you know?”

He mumbled something about thinking he would be the first out of his friends to settle down and I giggled, letting out a small burp.

He laughed at me, “How drunk are you?”

“Drunk.” I slurred.

And that was all I could remember from that night. I don’t remember taking him back to my place, I don’t remember telling him to sleep in my bed, and I sure as hell don’t remember the last four shots that we supposedly took after we got to my place.

I swear drinking is always fun until you have to deal with the consequences the next morning.