Take Me to the Races

I was slicing pepperoni. The rest of the ghoulies were getting out in two days. I decide to make homemade pizza for the party. A few ghoulies were helping me prep the ingredients.
“Hey, what are you doing out of bed.” Malachai came into the kitchen, glaring at me.
“I’m feeling better.” I shrug. I’ve been feeling queasy lately and had a dizzy spell early today. He wanted me to stay in bed, but staying in one spot was making me feel anxious I had to do something.
“That what you said before, and then you nearly fell over when you were working the punching bag.” He moves closer to catch me if I stumbled again.
“I told you, it because I wasn’t drinking enough water.” I shook the water bottle I had next to me in his face. I put the pepperoni slices in a container. I wash the cutter board, so I could cut the mushrooms next.
“If it all the same, I would like for you to get check out. Sassy came back from her picnic with Maverick in the woods. She can look you over.” He grabs the knife from me and put it down.
“Later I’m busy.” I pick the knife back up and continue cutting.
“Someone else can take over for you. Where is Greg?” He looks around for the tall blonde.
“Getting firewood with Verne,” I told him.
“Where’s Cricket?” He asks next.
“Right here,” She calls from her spot on the island where she was kneading the dough.
“Fine, I’ll take over. Now go get check out.” He grabs the knife from me once again.
“Once I get clear from Sassy, you get off my back. It’s my body, if something was wrong I would know.” I stuck my hand out.
“Deal,” He grab my hand, instead of shaking it he pulls me in and gave me a peck on the kiss. “But, if she finds something wrong, back to bed you go.” I roll my eyes I like how he seal the deal before adding his side of it.
“Deal,” I nod and move to the side so he could get to the mushrooms. I was confident that there was nothing wrong with me.
“Well, go.” He points to the door, when I didn’t move.
“I want you to start cutting the mushroom first. You suppose to be taking over for me, so I can go.” I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t leave the mushroom uncut to follow me. He let out a groan of frustration as he cut the mushrooms. “Small slices.” I remind him as I walk out. I went to the room that we turn into Sassy’s office.
I walk in to see her already there. “Sorry, Malachai paranoia made you cut your date short.” I said, sitting on the medical cot.
“Its fine, I was going to see you any ways.” She opens a draw and shuffle through it looking for something.
“You were?” I raised an eyebrow. Sassy wasn’t much for preparing for parties, she normally avoid me when that kind of work needs to be done.
“Yeah, I was talking to Maverick and I think I might know what’s wrong.” She grabs something from the drawer, but kept it behind her back.
“I think I’m just home sick and have cabin fever.” I shrug. Sometime physiological things can turn to physical. Being the mood I was in lately, I wasn’t eating regularly. That’s why I got ill.
“The nausea and dizzy you been feeling lately, couple with the mood swings and irritability Maverick told me about. I think you should take a test.” She pulls a box from behind her back.
She hands it to me. “A pregnancy test?” I throw it to the side. “I don’t need that I’m on the pill. It insulting that you think I am just because I’m moody lately. I don’t know if you notice but I’ve been under a lot of stress. Beside that a stereotype they betray in Hollywood to discredit women for the miracle of making life. Like women may make life but they almost loses their minds while doing it.” I ramble on with my conspiracy theory as to not think about the possibility of being pregnant. “I haven’t thrown up.” I add on, when I thought about other symptoms.
“There are a lot of flaws in that speech, but I’ll only point out the last. Hollywood over dramatize morning sickness. It’s not too bad for most women and some don’t even get it.” She explains. “Look, just pee on the stick. If you aren’t, then you can gloat, but if you are it's better to know.” She put the box back in my hand.
“I don’t have to pee.” I said. She hands me a water bottle. I took it, not even questioning where she got it from. I chug it, and anxiety built in me as I wait for the need to relieve myself. Lucky, it didn’t take long since I’ve been drinking water from earlier today when I almost fainted.
I went in the bathroom that was attached to the room and took the stick out of the box. I tried to pee in the one point, but end up covering half of it. “EW,” I squeal as I use a tissue to wipe the sides and put it on the counter. After wiping myself, I pull my shorts back up and wash my hands.
I walk back into the makeshift doctor’s office. “It’s done.” I announce, lying down on the cot. “For someone who doesn’t think it’s possible for her to be pregnant, you sure are nervous.” Sassy noted.
“What if I am? No matter how kind of birth control you use, there is always a chance. Nothing is 100 percent. What if I am? I’ve been drinking and I can’t even make sure their okay because I’m considered a runaway. I would be a bad mom before I even get a chance to hold the baby.” Tears ran down my cheeks as I thought about the dangerous situation the baby would be born in.
“If you’re pregnant, then we can go to a clinic in a different city I know where you don’t have to give your name. I can get you prenatal vitamins right away. Just make me godmother.” She smiles.
“Don’t get too excited.” I got up and made my way to the bathroom with Sassy following behind me.
The two lines on the stick made all the nausea I’ve been feeling hit me at once, and I bent over to empty my stomach in the toilet. “It’s okay. You and the baby will be fine.” She rubs my back.
I pull away from her and toilet. I sat with my back against the wall as I felt the room getting smaller and smaller. “It’s not going to be okay. A battle between two gangs for territory is about to happen. A war between authorities and a mob for a city is about to take place. It’s not time to be having a baby. This wasn’t a part of the plan. I can’t do this.” I rock myself from side to side as I try to catch my breath but it felt like a losing battle.
She grabs my shoulder to keep me from rocking. “Breathe with me, in and out, in and out.” She breath with me until I was breathing normally again. “What were your plans before you meet Malachai?” She sat down in front of me.
“What does that have to do with anything?” I scoff, not wanting to think back to those times right now.
“Just answer the question.” She rolls her eyes at my attitude.
“I was planning to get into a good college with a business program and took over the family business.” I told her.
“What about short term goals?” She asks.
“To get good grades and I told myself that I was going to give Reggie a chance when school started.” I laugh at the promise I made to myself the day summer started. I wanted to experience romance on some level.
“Let’s be happy that Malachai walk into the diner than.” She laughs. “The point I’m trying to make is that life changes our plans all the time. But, that doesn’t mean that those changes are going to be horrible. In fact, a lot of the times they make our lives better than we could imagine.” She grabs my hand to give it a squeeze.
“My god, how many pregnant teenagers have you had to talk too.” I laugh, wiping the tears from my eyes. Her speech was too good and too rehearsed.
“You are my third.” She got off the floor and helps me up.
“To think that’s going to be impossible soon.” I groan, just imaging what getting up with a big belly would be like. We walk back to the room the same time Malachai came bursting in. “You’re supposed to be in the kitchen.” I scold him.
“I finish cutting your mushrooms. What’s the verdict doc?” He asks Sassy.
I held my breath no knowing if she was going to tell him or not. I didn’t even know if I want to tell him or not. “She’s not sick. But, she has to start eating and drink even though she’s not in the mood too.” She informed him.
I sigh in relief and stuck my tongue out at him. In response, he grabs my tongue. I squeal making him laugh and let me go. “I got to go. Lodge is here, he wants to have a meeting with me to go over the final plans.” He gave me a peck on the lips before walking back out.
“Do you think I should tell him before or after taking over the Southside?” I stare at the door he walks out of.
“Before,” She answers.
“Really? I was thinking after, that way he’s not distracted.” I turn to her.
“Malachai is the most impulsive calculative person I know. He gets an impulsive then comes up with a plan on how to get it. In the middle of those thought out plans, he’ll get another impulse and do something drastic. The baby could stop that.” She suggests.
“Or it could make him second guess himself and that would get him hurt.” I laid out another outcome.
“If you were him, when would you want to know?” She turns it around on me.
“It’s better to know.” I repeat what she said to me earlier. Withholding something is like keeping a secret and I wouldn’t want him to keep a secret from me. I didn’t like it when he did it.

The welcome home party for the ghoulies was in full swing. I was thinking about pretend to be sick, so Malachai would demand I stay in the room that way I wouldn’t have to make up an excuse for not drinking. Because, I still didn’t tell Malachai about the baby.
I end up not needing an excuse though, because despite Sassy saying I wasn’t ill, Malachai still wasn't convinced. He asks me not to drink tonight, I eagerly agreed. I’m glad I came though, because I was finding out what was happening outside. About how Fang was having an affair with Midge and he was arrested for killing her. A black circle lead by Reggie was replacing the red circle. Tensions were never higher between the South and North.
It was the perfect storm for Lodge’s plan. It was almost too perfect, like the universe was working with him, which seems ridiculous, since we weren’t the good guys. But, you never know this wasn’t a fairy tale.
“Come on eating, I got a present for you upstairs.” Malachai nudge me, bring me back to reality.
“What gift?” I look up at him.
“I don’t know, it won’t appear until everything on the plate and bottle disappears.” He points to the plate with two slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza on it and a bottle of sprite. I roll my eyes, while he wasn’t convince I wasn’t ill, he was also taking Sassy words to heart. He was making sure I eat all three meals and had snakes and a drink on me at all times.
I was curious about the gift, so I devour what was on the table in front of me. He went back to talk to the ghoulies that were around us. We were on the couch in the living room.
I grab the napkin to wipe the grease off my fingers and mouth, before nudging Malachai to take me to my gift. “Good girl.” He kisses my temple. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.” He waves to his friends. They cheer and whistle as we walk away.
I figure it would be some sexy lingerie or costume like it usually was. My jaw drops when he opens the door and I saw a furry bundle sleeping on the bed. “Oh my god, it’s so cute!” I scream, making the puppy wake up and give me a grumpy look. I jump on the bed and pick her up.
“She’s a girl.” I look under and tried to think of names.
“Greg is such a dumbass. I set up the cage and he put it on the bed.” He looks over the bed, checking for any accidents she could have had. I look in the cover of the room to see there was a large kiddie pool with a cage wrapped around it and a portable dog kennel attach to it. There was a doggy bed in the kennel.
“What breed is she?” I ask, cuddle her in my arms. She licks my face making me giggle.
“She’s a mix between an English and Old English bulldog.” He sat down on the bed when he found nothing.
“What should we name her?” I ask.
“The lady I got her from was calling her Pebbles.” When he said her name, she pops her head up to look at him.
“If she already knows it, she can keep it.” I kiss her on the head.
“I got her, so you have something to do while you’re stuck here. She can keep you company and when she gets bigger she can protect you. I know how much you loved raising and taking care of Vegas, figure you can do it again with her.” He reaches out to pet her.
I felt tears build in my eyes at the words raising and taking care, my mind went to the baby and not the dog. “Shit babe, don’t cry. She’s not replacing Vegas or anything. Don’t cry, fuck. I can take her back.” He scrambles, not knowing how to deal with me suddenly crying.
“No.” I held her close to my chest.
“Then why are you crying?” He wipes away my tears.
“I have a surprise for you too.” I shallows the lump in my throat.
“What is it?” He pushes the hair that was getting in my face away.
“There’s going to be something else to raise and take care of soon.” I put the puppy down and rub my belly.
“No ways.” He laughs, shaking his head.
“I’m serious.” I glare at him.
“Fuck.” He throws himself back to lie down on the bed.
“Is that all you’re going to say?” I snap.
“Let me fucking process. You got to process, didn’t you? I know you didn’t find out right now.” He got up, storming out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.
I throw myself back on the bed as I cried. I don’t know what to do, if he didn’t want the baby. Pebbles came up and lick the tears from my face, before cuddling into my side.