Chapter Eight
? Holly ?
The beginning of the end.
Spring semester, senior year.
I could get through this. I glanced at Maria, who sat hunched in the passenger seat of Sally.
We could get through this. Her baby bump was almost invisible under her baggy shirt.
I’d told her approximately a million times that hiding her growing belly was just silly.
I think it’s adorable. She loves her baby.
And fuck what everyone else thinks. Little bit in there is a girl.
Found that out just last week. At least, the doctor said she’s mostly sure it’s a girl.
I’m running with it. I’ve already started buying baby clothes, much to Maria’s chagrin.
She doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to be besties.
“We’re gonna get through this, you know?”
She glanced at me. “Uh-huh.”
“Ah, how bad can it be? The emotionally scarred California girl and the pregnant loner?”
This time, she groaned and slid lower in her seat. “I’m not sure I can do this. People already talk.”
“Let ’em. Who gives a shit what they think? If it helps, let everything they say bounce off of me. I’m tougher than I look. I can handle it.”
“You shouldn’t have to handle it.”
“I shouldn’t have to handle half the shit I’ve been through yet here I am. Now, come on, I’ve got to stop by the office before class starts.”
I cut the engine on Sally, sliding out of my seat and into the weak sunlight peppering the parking lot.
Maria came around the side of the car, surprising me when she looped her arm through mine.
I let her cling to me, knowing she probably needed the support.
Sure enough, as we climbed the steps into the brick and linoleum halls, whispers followed us.
Maria held her head high, but the hand she had on my bicep trembled.
One girl in some God-awful ripped jeans wouldn’t stop staring, so I stared back, glaring a hole into her soul until she looked away.
I swung by the office to “follow up” on the schedule and locker change my dad had requested, funny how quickly things move when a surgeon makes a call, and then we headed for our lockers.
As Maria put her things away, keeping only what she needed for first period, I watched a gaggle of theater kids plaster prom posters all over the walls.
“Already?” I muttered, half to myself. “And what kind of theme is Fae Festivities? We are not wearing wings.” I directed that last bit to Maria who turned as they hung up the last of the posters.
“I’m not going to prom.”
I scoffed. “Yes, you are.”
She shook her head vehemently. “Um, no?”
“Maria—”
“Holly, how many pregnant fairies do you know?”
“Well, seeing as how I know exactly zero fairies, I would say none.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Come May, I won’t even be able to fit in a dress.”
“Oh, I’ll find you a dress. I don’t know if you noticed this, but I’m kind of rich. I can afford a tailor.”
“Gonna need one.”
My head whipped towards the girl who said that shit so fast, I felt my neck pop. Jasmine. One of Miranda’s friends. “Holly, ignore it.” I barely heard Maria as I marched over to that bubble bitch. I know she had meant for us to hear.
“Hey, Jazzie right?”
“So?”
“That girl over there? She could wear a fucking burlap sack and would still outshine you. Your hair? That is the cheapest perm I have ever seen in my life. And I hope you know a good oral surgeon. You’re gonna need more than braces to fix that overbite. But please. Go on. Keep talking.”
Jasmine stared at me, jaw slightly ajar, face red.
Her eyes shone with tears and her friends shrank back from me like I might bite.
Fucking try me. I just might. Miranda wasn’t around, but I was sure my words would get back to her.
Good. Maria had been through enough. I turned on my heel when the bell rang, making my way back to my friend.
Looping my arm through hers once again, I all but marched her to first period.
“Girl, you have lost your marbles.”
“Yeah. A long time ago.”
A couple weeks later, things had mostly died down.
Maria was disappearing to a bathroom twice a day to hurl, minimum.
Morning sickness was more like an all-day sickness, and random smells just sent her spiraling.
The cafeteria was always rocky territory.
One Friday, I watched her carefully as we approached the double doors, propped open for the flood of students.
It was 50/50. Either she would eat everything in sight, or we would be spending lunch period in the handicap stall.
But she visibly brightened when the smell of chicken hit us.
I had packed a bagged lunch, safe foods for her.
But evidently the baby was feeling chicken, and she bee-lined for it like a hound on a scent.
I followed dutifully, smiling a little. I eyed the chicken sandwich, warm under the foil, as it was handed to me.
I had never been a big fan of cafeteria food.
Fuck it; if I didn’t like it, Maria would probably eat it.
Snagging some fresh fruit and a cookie, I found an empty table and sat down.
Maria joined me a few minutes later with a bag of apple slices and a piece of cheese.
I wasn’t entirely sure where she had gotten the cheese, but I watched as she put the cheese, apples, and an unhealthy amount of honey mustard on her chicken sandwich.
What in the actual fuck? Maria caught me watching her and grinned around a mouthful of chicken.
Great, now I was going to hurl. Just as I was about to comment on her weird pregnancy taste buds, she looked over my shoulder and her eyes widened.
Turning, I saw Miranda and her boyfriend making their way over to us.
Oh, come the fuck on. I thought we were past this.
I eyed her as she got closer, and Maria quietly continued devouring her sandwich.
Sure enough, Queen Bimbo stopped at our otherwise empty table and sneered at us.
The cafeteria slowly grew quiet. Evidently there was a show about to go down.
I had neither the tickets nor the script, yet here we were.
Rustling sounds made me glance over my shoulder, and I caught Maria unabashedly snatching my sandwich.
I watched her for a second, both of us completely ignoring Miranda until her annoyingly twinkle-shine voice shattered my peace of mind.
“Excuse me.”
I turned back to her, “You’re excused.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hilarious. So, Maria, tell me. We’ve all been dying to know—how does it feel being the only knocked-up chick in school?” Her boyfriend snickered, ever the dutiful fan boy.
Maria set her sandwich down, staring at her plate. “Miranda, shut the fuck up,” I snarled.
“No, I mean seriously. Does a guy beating the shit out of you just turn you on that much? I mean, I hate to kink shame, but, honestly. Hey, whose last name is the baby getting?”
I stood and would’ve found myself nose to nose with the bitch, but some guy got between us.
No. Not some guy.
Diego.
“Get your fucking girl, Austin, or I am going to lay you out on this floor.” I hadn’t quite noticed how tall Diego was, but he seemed even bigger when pissed. The dude towered over Miranda’s boyfriend, who seemed a bit stupefied at first, but evidently he wasn’t the brightest bulb.
“Who the fuck you talking to, Gonzalez?”
Diego stepped forward, the two boys chest to chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Maria slowly pick her sandwich back up. Just when I thought they were about to start a fist fight in the middle of the cafeteria, another voice entered the fray.
“You really need to sit down, dude.” I glanced to my left and found Dalton there, his words were a-not-so carefully-veiled threat.
His usually bright blue eyes were dark, like a sky that had been clear only moments before.
Rodney, another guy on the football team, was there too, and right behind them?
Jackson. It was Jackson who stepped forward, wedging himself between Diego and Austin.
“Take your girl and fuck off. Or I swear to God, I will get you kicked you off the damn team.”
“Austin!” Miranda pulled on her boyfriend, who jerked his arm from her grip.
“Shut up, Miranda. Let’s go.”
I made a shoo gesture, and Miranda’s lip curled in a snarl.
But she followed Austin out of the cafeteria and the tension seemed to leave the room with them.
I turned back to Maria, who was finishing her sandwich.
Diego glared at the door, and, after a minute, he took a seat next to her.
She blinked at him and then looked up at me.
I shrugged. And then watched, mystified, as Jackson and the rest of them sat down too. Um, ok?
“So, what? You’re Pregnancy Secret Service now?” Jackson ignored me, stealing the orange from my tray. I frowned at him and looked around the table. “Hello? Anyone? I had that handled.”
Diego was whispering to Maria who was still watching him carefully, and Jackson tossed the peel to the side before looking up at me.
“Sure you did, Malibu.”
“Malibu?!”
“Yeah, it’s better than princess, don’t ya think?”
I glared at him and Dalton snickered, so I glared at him too.
Maria giggled. Great. Just great. Was this my life now?
I glanced again at Diego and the look on his face as he watched my bestie?
Yeah. That right there told me he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I glanced over at Jackson and found him watching me.
I raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head before dragging a hand through his hair.
When he looked back at me and then away again, I swear I felt my eye start to twitch.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Maria glancing back and forth between the two of us. Yeah, this wasn’t weird at all.