1.3: His Party's New Life

  "Alyce."
  "No." I ignored Johnny and stared blankly at my computer's screen. I had been ignoring him for three months, ever since the kiss. The kiss. It sent electric waves through my body; made me want him so badly.
  "Look, I'm sorry. I am. It was to soon..." His adorably puppy dog face appeared.
  "Johnny...I'm...I don't know what to do...where does this leave us?"
  "We could start as friends. I'm having a Labor Day party tonight; Friday. You could come."
  "Sounds...I'll considerate it."
  "That's all I wanted." He winked. What did that mean? What could it mean? He turned away, but then glanced over his shoulder. "By the way, bring a swimsuit."
  "Uh-huh." I was back to ignoring him.
  "Hey." Kirby sing-sang. Could people not leave me alone?
  "Hey, Kirb."
  "Guess what!" She shreiked.
  "What?"
  "I'm leaving for six month! To Paris!"
  "Paris? What, why?!" I couldn't lose one of my two friends.
  "I met this girl...she's amazing. She's French and romantic...I freakin' love her."
  "Love?" Love. Love was..insanity.
  "Look, you have you doubts and all, but I like her a lot. Could you be happy?"
  "I am...I am.."
  "Alyce, I'm not leaving you. I swear, I'm not leaving you."
  "Thanks." I stood up and hugged her. "Have fun in Paris. When do you leave?"
  "Tonight!"
  "Wow...sudden..."
  "I know, right!  Isn't it fabulous? Live like you're a teenager...just pick up and go."
  "I am a teenager."
  "I forgot. You're too serious." She giggled.
  "No, I'm focused."
  "Same thing."
  "Is not."
  "Are you going to Johnny's par-TAY."
  "Par-TAY? Really?"
  "Are you?"
  "Yes...no...maybe....yes." I sighed. I wanted to go, so bad, yet somehow this seemed like it would change everything. Define whether Johnny and I were friends, or more.
  "Have fun..." She pranced away.

Later...

  I climbed into the elevator of Johnny's apartment building. He lived a block from me, yet I'd never know. I knocked on his apartment door. A lady in a skimpy, black lace one piece greeted me. Oh no, not his wife!
  "Hey, gurrrlll." She slurred. Clearly alcohol had influenced her.
  "Are you Ms. Jones?"
  "Oh, no." She giggled. "I'm neva gonna replace that prick."
  "Prick?"
  "Johnny's and her marriage is rough. 'Pparently, she works the night shift at the hospital and hates intimazzzy."
  "Int-oooohh."
  "Yeaaaaahhhh. They're like on the verge of divorce."
  "Divorce?"
  "It'll neva happen, though. Johnny-O would rath-a-uh stayyy old-fashioned, or classic, as he caullls it, then get a split-zeee."
  "Oh, nice to know. Nice to know." I pondered what she'd said. I liked him, a lot. A little more than I should. Maybe if they were break-no. I couldn't break up a marriage. Could I?
  "Hey Alyycce!" Johnny cam over, handing me a glass. I took a sip.
  "That's strong! Can I have another?"
  Too many shots later, I was sitting topless in his hot tub, cuddling and kissing Johnny. He'd ogle at me and I'd play around with him. We separated for a minute, then looked at each other.
  "Wait, wait." We both suddenly said, sobering up.
  "We shouldn't...." Johnny whispered. He was right we shouldn't.
  "We could..." I'm fairly certian that I wasn't one hundred percent sober at that moment.
  "What about protection?" We both thought a little, then burst out giggling. "Risk it?"
  "What's the worst that could happen?" We dove underwater and began having  the most awkward intercourse ever. I staggered home later that night, my head throbbing. I fell onto my couch and slept.
    "Oh, man!" I was jerked from my sleep by gut wrenching pain. I ran to the bathroom and threw up my stomach's contents. "Disgusting...." I glared at myself in the mirror. Why did I have to do that last night? Did I....? Yes, I did. Johnny Jones stole my...v-...oh that sounds awful.

  A month passed, as I became even more nauseous and started gaining weight. What was happening? My stomach churned and I felt sick again. I lumbered into my bathroom and took something out of the drug store's plastic bag I'd bought while shopping for new clothing, since my old ones were becoming tighter.

   No. I stared at the result. Impossible. I couldn't be..logically I could be, I was a girl after all, but....one time. Once. That was all it took. I'd been right. The party at Johnny's had defined our relationship. It had changed everything. Mister married Johnny Jones was about to become a father. I was one month pregnant. I couldn't tell him. He was married, wasn't he? I grabbed my cell and dialed the office.

  "Hey, I need time off. Recently medical emergancy."
  "I need detail, Alyssa." My boss sighed.
  "Like, what kind?"
  "Depending on the incident, you'll get paid time off or this will count as personal time."
  "Personal..."
  "Unpaid."
  "Well," Should I tell him I'm pregnant? "Does uh, pregnancy count?"
  "Congratulations. We'll be having to add that to your health plan."
  "My kid isn't an it...or a that...." I muttered. We finished our conversation and I hung up. I can't believe it. 
  The next four months passed in a blur. I stayed cramped up in my apartment hiding in sweats. I didn't want anyone to know what a stupid idiot I'd been; getting myself knocked up. Finally, I broke down. I hailed a cab to the shadiest part of town and waddled into the bar.
  "Drinks." I leaned against the counter.
  "Ma'am I can't serve to preg-"

  "I'm not pregnant, I'm fat!" I scoffed. I was in denial. I ordered whatever I saw first, drinking it down. I drank two drinks, a fire cocktail and a rainbow vodka.Two drinks couldn't hurt the baby, could it? "I'm cray-zay!" I hopped on the counter and began shaking my behind. It hit me. I was pregnant. Pregnant. I couldn't do this. I couldn't go out drinking in seedy neighborhoods and pretend a little life wasn't growing in me. I hopped down and ran outside. "TAXI!" I called.
  "Need a ride?" A girl pulled up in the classic taxi.
  "Sure..." I sighed, hopping in. I went to the furniture store ad ordered a custom crib. Step one of parenthood, check. I read pregnancy books like crazy and watched TV shows. I wasn't talking to anyone, especially Johnny yet, but at least I wasn't pretending I was just fat. I should tell my Mother. She deserved to know. I couldn't though. Her worst nightmare, me, a nineteen year old, was officially pregnant. I wasn't exactly a teen mom, but I wasn't the happily married family oriented girl she wanted me to be, either. I  sat up in bed and patted my bulging belly. The finally four months were rough. I realized any moment the baby could come and I needed to mentally prepare.

  I pulled out something I hadn't worn since the day I conceived the little brat: my swimsuit. It still fit over my huge balloon stomach, luckily. I decided to visit the beach.It was quiet, peaceful; perfect for me to be able to think.
  "Baby...baby...Mommy...." I said out loud, as I threw stones into the water. "What should I do?" I turned to a goth chick, becoming a hormonal wreck.
  "Um...dude. Chill. The dark tortures of the soul,-"
  "Ahhh!" I screamed. "What's happening?" I began to panic.
  "Your water broke!" I ran like mad to the subway station. I traveled to the hospital station,  as everyone started to freak out.I staggered into the hospital, where the staff quickly put me into a room.
  "Congratulations." The nurse said, as she showed me the little thing that I'd popped out after a grueling ten hours. "A baby boy. What would you like to name him?"

  "Name...?" I'd forgotten to pick out baby names. "Alex?" I picked the first thing that popped into my mind.
  "Alex." The nurse smiled, as someone scribbled something on a piece of paper. "Would you like to hold him?"
  "What? NO! I could drop him..."
  "Honey, you carried him for nine months. I think you'll do fine." She slipped him into my open arms.
  "Hey, Alex. I'm Alyc-Mommy. I'm Mommy." I smiled at him. He was squishy and soft. I wish Johnny was here...I wish life was different for me-us. Us. Alex and I. I was a mother, now. A mother...I could do it. I had to. For him; for Alex.