Best of Me

Two weeks had passed since Brian and Michelle called it quits for good, and not much had changed. Kat was busy with work and fighting off morning sickness. She was now ten weeks along and the tiniest little bump had formed. It was so small it was practically nonexistent, but Kat knew it was there. It freaked her out a little; here soon she was going to look pregnant.

Over the last couple of weeks, Brian and Kat told the others about her pregnancy. Of course, Matt already knew because of Val, but the rest were in the dark. They were shocked and confused at first, but mostly excited. However, Brian still hadn’t told his parents. Kat had been up his ass about that for a while now, so he set up a dinner with them to fill them in on everything.

“Stop fidgeting.” Val whispered, smacking Kat’s hands away as she tugged at her shirt. The blonde smiled at her and linked her arm with Kat’s as they walked through the mall.

“Seriously babe, you’re fine. There’s nothing to hide yet.” Meaghan chimed in with a grin. Kat knew they were right, but it didn’t help her paranoia. Not only was she worried about someone seeing her practically nonexistent baby bump, but she was worried that somebody would recognize them.

Growing up as Synyster Gates’ best friend meant being subjected to the fanbase. For years, she’d had several pictures taken with him, the rest of the band, and their significant others. There had been several rumor articles and a lot of speculating about her relationship with Brian, but she never paid any attention to it. They were just tabloids. It was never easy though, being bombarded by some people.

“Remind me why I agreed to come with you guys?” Kat asked, a teasing tone in her voice. Lacey came up beside her, tossing her arm over Kat’s shoulders.

“Because you love us.”

“And because you know that you’ll need maternity clothes soon.” Val added, bumping her hip against Kat’s. The brunette furrowed her brows, suddenly wanting the whole shopping trip to end.

“Can’t I just stick with leggings and t-shirts?” She pouted and the girls laughed.

“No, because you can’t go everywhere in leggings, as much as I hate to say that.” Val grimaced.

“Where the hell am I going that prevents me from wearing leggings? I work from home and I hang out with you guys and my dad. I don’t think I need fancy maternity clothes for that.” Kat made a valid point, but it wasn’t holding up against her friends.

“Well, there’s dates for one thing.” Meaghan listed off, using her index finger for emphasis. Kat looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second and third head.

“Wait a second. Are we forgetting that I’m pregnant…with Brian’s baby? I can’t exactly go around dating other people. That’s weird and wrong.”

Val laughed loudly as they walked into a store. “You won’t be saying that when you get into your fourth month. I was doing some research because my best friend is pregnant, obviously, and I found out that your hormones surge during that time. Well, you’ll want to go on a date then.”

“Oh my god, Val, you’re fucking ridiculous.” Kat whispered, trying to avoid attention in the store. “And I can take care of myself.”

Val, Meaghan, and Lacey spent the afternoon picking out clothes for themselves and for Kat, grabbing the occasional maternity article. Most of the clothes for expecting mothers were too frilly or ‘too old’, but the pieces that Val picked out were right up Kat’s alley. There was a pair of skinny jeans that Kat was actually excited to get to wear.

When they decided they were done, Kat tried to pay for her stuff, but Val insisted on covering the cost, saying something about how she should pay for it because it was her idea to go out. Kat knew there was no point in arguing with her.

When they went out to eat, there was a lot of talk about possible baby names, maybe a gender reveal party, and how Meaghan knows a photographer that can handle Kat’s maternity photos. It was no lie that Kat was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Yes, she was finally getting to where she was excited, however, the truth was, she wasn’t out of the spontaneous miscarriage window.

Val sensed her discomfort and immediately changed the subject. While they were talking about the guys, their music, and whatever else, Kat’s phone buzzed in her lap. The screen displayed a text message that made her smile.

Dad and Suzy are excited, so is McKenna. They want to see you soon. I may have told them you would come over for dinner this weekend.

“So, did you hear about Michelle?” Meaghan asked Lacey as they sipped from their wine glasses. Kat’s ears perked at the sound of Brian’s ex-girlfriend’s name.

“No?”

“Michelle decided to take a vacation…with a new man.” Meaghan spilled the beans, and Kat’s stomach twisted. She wasn’t comfortable being privy to this. She didn’t want to know anything about Michelle and whatever man she was vacationing with.

“Supposedly this is a guy she met a while-“ Meaghan was immediately silenced by Val kicking her shin. Kat pressed her lips into a thin line, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t want to know anything that could potentially hurt Brian’s feelings. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where Meaghan was going with that statement. It was a strong possibility that Michelle had been seeing someone else while seeing Brian, or at least during their many breakups.

“Guys, we’re not the Real Housewives of Huntington Beach. We don’t sit around gossiping, I don’t want to start now.” Val stated with a smile. Val had always been and will always be the mother-hen of their group. She had managed Avenged Sevenfold when they first started, she would steal money from her parents for the things they needed, paying them back of course. Val was an extremely caring and loving woman, and abhorred gossip. She was always worried about it tearing them all apart and did what she could to prevent it.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm, I was just feeling like some drama. I really should start watching reality tv again.”

Lunch continued without another word about Michelle, and Kat was grateful for that. As she walked to her car, Val rushed over to her, gently grabbing her arm to prevent her from getting into the vehicle.

“Before I forget, we’re all going to be at the studio tomorrow. You should come hang out with us. You need to get out more, and you know the guys would love to see you again. Ever since you told them you’re pregnant, they can’t shut up about it.” Val laughed, adjusting her sunglasses on her nose.

Kat nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll be there for sure.”