Shot in the Dark

“Pickles and cream cheese, babe. Now.”

I laughed lightly at Mindy’s request and got up from my couch to go into the kitchen to retrieve her precious pickles and cream cheese. She warned me about these weird cravings.

Mindy was four months along now and she was showing a little more. She couldn’t wait to find out if the baby was a boy or girl next week and I was taking her since Jasper was swamped with work. He always got busy toward the end of the year. We just got to November yesterday and it was already colder at night than it was in the summer. Obviously.

“Did you know that they already have eyelashes and nails?” Mindy asked, rubbing her exposed stomach while searching up interesting facts about her baby.

My face formed into an intrigued look and I opened the jar of pickles, holding the cream cheese out to her so she could dip the pickle. Strange combination. She chewed, crunching on it while scrolling down the webpage and reading more.

“What?” She droned. “This little sucker can make faces.” She was really interested about the whole pregnancy thing now. I laughed, playing around on the controller and looking down at my phone beside me when it lit up.

“Hello, Mr. Jasper.” I glanced at Mindy while greeting him and she motioned with her hands for me to give her my phone. I rolled my eyes playfully and handed it over, listening to her coo at him and tell him about the facts she learned today. He would be picking her up in just an hour to take her home, just like he did almost every night for the past week.

She nodded when I asked her if she was done with eating and I brought everything back into the kitchen, washing the dirty dishes and throwing away the garbage. “Hold on,” Mindy said on the couch. “Andrea is getting a text.” I turned around at my name and saw her lift my phone into the air. “John said he’s coming over with Eric and the guys.”

“Okay,” I told her before she went back to talking to Jasper.

John and I had a bit of a falling out after he got back from tour this summer, but now we were back to the way we used to be. I guess you could say best friends like he described us. I wasn’t really sure what to call us– friends? Sure, we hugged, talked a lot and hung out all the time now, but there were just moments where I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Peculiarly, I thought I was going to piss my pants or throw up but neither of those happened so I didn’t know what my body was trying to tell me.

Life for almost seven months had been great so far. I mean, the complication with Craig and all was troubling, but we were okay now. Close, actually. Leah and I were close, just about as close as Mindy and I are. She slept over every once in a while so we could catch up and we always had movie nights whenever she was over. We went shopping a couple times and she even took me to Florida with her last month. Let’s just say that the anxiety attack was far easier to deal with than the last one. Also, this time I actually got on the plane.

My head popped up when the doorbell rang and I promised myself to get it fixed so it wouldn’t startle me as much.

“You look fine!” Mindy shouted at me, probably knowing I was ruffling my scarf and hair.

They all piled into the house and my eyebrows creased when I didn’t see John behind them. A hand stopped me from closing the door and I looked behind it to see John standing there in his leather jacket.

“Trap me outside in the cold,” he muttered with a smile. I laughed and hugged him around the waist, keeping my arm around him as we walked into the kitchen and living area. The boys already said hi to Mindy and asked how she was and were now standing in the kitchen, looking for food like they always did. John slipped his arm away from me and joined them while I folded the blanket on the couch and watched Mindy get up. Jasper must’ve been here.

She walked down the hallway toward my room to get her stuff and I glanced at my phone on the couch before walking into the dining room and seeing John punch Eric’s arm. “Shut the fuck up,” he muttered to him.

I frowned, wondering why he’d say that to his best friend. “Why are you being mean to John?” They were already setting up the first game of beer pong and I sat on John’s leg, feeling his hand touch my hip.

“I’m not.” Eric smirked at him. “I was just saying that he should–“

“Shut up.” John interrupted, threatening Eric with his eyes. I looked between them and giggled while they stared at each other. Eric was testing him.

Mindy came into the dining room with her jacket over her arm and just then Jasper knocked on the door and came inside when she opened it for him. We all greeted him and I got up from John’s lap to give him a hug. He helped Mindy put her coat on and she looked behind me with a frown. “You assholes are so lucky that you get to drink.”

Jasper and I laughed, shaking our heads. “Let’s go home, Min,” he asserted with a peck to her forehead. I hugged them goodnight and closed the door behind them. My eyes caught John’s as he leaned against the archway on the dining room. The guys cheered as Tim scored, dunking the small white ball in the cup and watching as Max drank the contents from the plastic cup. They were using the same cups as last week; I washed them every time so they didn’t waste the plastic.

My tongue stuck out at John and he smiled small at me before I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of apple juice. I picked up my laptop and phone, walking down the hall and into my room to put both of them on their chargers. I took off my rings, setting them on my dresser and put my scarf back in my closet, slightly jumping when I saw John in my doorway.

“Jesus,” I breathed, covering my chest.

He chuckled. “Sorry.” I smiled forgivingly and walked into my bathroom, pulling the beanie off my head.

“When is Halvo leaving?” I wondered while wiping my face free of makeup. John walked over and sat on my normal side of the bed, crossing his ankles.

“I think Thursday. Tim and Becca were planning on a party, but they decided on just the bar since Alyssa was begging them to do something.” I laughed a little at Eric’s girlfriend’s requests, knowing that she was worried he would come back to California in a bad mood and she just wanted to keep him happy. They’d been together since last August or so, meeting because of a mutual friendship.

A yawn came out as I passed him to throw my hat somewhere in my closet and as I went back toward the bathroom, John’s rough hands grabbed my waist and he pulled me back on my bed. I laughed, looking over at him from the ceiling. His eyes were closed and he looked ready for bed.

That same feeling I’d been having around him came back as I looked around his face and admired his features. He’d recently gotten a haircut– finally, I know. It was shorter and now he didn’t have to wear hats all the time like he used to when we met six months ago. It was strange to think that it had almost been six months since that night on the roof of 8123. I’d been calling it that after he brought me there to hang out with his friends and I heard the name.

“I could fall asleep right now,” he mumbled while I played around with his hair, lying on my side.

“We could have a sleepover!” I joked, watching his eyes open at the sound of my voice. “Just kidding. I don’t want your smelly butt in my bed.”

He scoffed, closing his eyes again. “I think we both know that’s a lie.”

Well, shit, John. My stomach flipped and I brushed his hair for a few more minutes before getting up at the holler of the boys in the dining room. I pushed my glasses up my nose as my feet pressed against the wooden floors, heading back down the hall with nerves bubbling.

I got out chips and salsa, bringing them over to the couch and turning on a movie. The boys didn’t bother me, I’m glad they were enjoying themselves. Eric eventually came over and sat down next to me, digging his hand into the plastic bag and watching the movie with me. I’d miss his goofy face.

My fingers ran through my hair about twenty minutes later and when their drinking games were done, they joined Eric and I. Before the movie could end, my head fell against Eric’s shoulder and I curled up beside him as sleep began to take over.

Sleeping pills were completely out of my life and I didn’t need them up until the guy sitting in the armchair came home in the summer. Except our fallout because I needed them then and I still had some saved up, so it was easy to get to the tablets. Only a few weeks later, I threw them out when John and I started talking again and I haven’t used them since. Dr. Carr didn’t contact me as much anymore because I was doing a lot better now. I was proud of my progress.

Eric nudged me awake and I groaned, just wanting to sleep already. All of my friends were leaving now and I stretched as I walked them toward the door. They all hugged me goodnight and said see you later. The tall, lanky boy stood in front of me with a sweet smile pointed down at me. I hugged him around his waist and felt him kiss my forehead before walking down the pathway with the rest of them. The door locked and I sighed contentedly at the stacked cups in the kitchen, seeing that they were washed already.

I dragged my feet as I made my way toward my room and changed into my pajamas.

Every night, I read at least a chapter of the current book on my bedside table and tonight it was Unwind by Neal Shusterman and I’d begun to love it so far. Unfortunately, my eyes were sleepy again, so I set the book down mid-chapter and switched the light off beside me.

Mindy’s awful photos in my phone made me laugh and I sent a few to her.

Even pregnant and I’m still sexy.

Did you figure that out yourself or did Jasper hint it? I lay on my back and waited for her to respond.

He still can’t keep his hands off me ;)

I laughed loudly in bed, giggling while typing back to the blue message. Goodnight, Min.

Love you!