The Creator: UNKNOWN

XLVIII

Four months later

Chanse

April 8th, 2062. The day that Eli turns eighteen. She's lucky this year, her birthday is on a Saturday. She'll have the whole day to herself and then spring break. Lucky thing. We have a very intense time table after spring break with all these tests and exams. So we have a lot of studying.

I was able to catch up really easily on school work with Eli after I moved in. She makes everything make sense and I actually enjoyed learning from her. She'd be a good teacher if she were to ever become one. She just makes everything so easy, including physics. Mrs Rogerstone-Smith, or Auntie Marley, was impressed to see that my B went up to an A*, and that's all because of Eli. Even all of my As were improved. I've gotten and nice long row of A*s on my most recent tests, my teachers were very pleased.

And my baby bump. It's kinda showing. I hide it with a baggy sweater or t-shirt sometimes. It's going to be hard when it's the summer months. I handed in my cheerleading uniform. The coach wasn't happy but then I said it was for health reasons, she backed down. Thank fuck. Eli loves the little bump so much. She kisses it everytime she sees it. Apart from in school, of course. The Principal knows of my pregnancy and my Mom has requested that I leave earlier to get to my classes so I don't risk hurting the baby. So Eli and Kath are my personal escorts through the halls. It's cute.

And I have the weirdest cravings. Like, in my lunchbox, I have a peanut butter and pickle sandwich. Eli just has a classic PB&J sandwiches. She loves peanut butter. She wiggles happily as she takes bites out of her sandwich.

"You good, Gwenynen?" I ask her.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. I just really like my sandwich. How are you?" she grins at me.

"I'm great. I like to watch you wriggle while you eat."

"What?" she turned red and stopped moving. Her and her dirty mind.

"You know what I meant." I say, kissing her cheek.

"Do I?" she looked at me, her cheeks still furiously red.

"Yes. The way you wiggle when you eat food. It's cute. Is it a stim?"

"I think so." she said, she started wriggling again and it made me smile.

"Y'all are so cute together." Gemma grinned.

"Thank you." Eli beamed back.

"Chanse, you are so lucky." Gemma then said. It's a good job Pheonix wasn't around.

"Is there something going on with you and Pheonix?" I ask.

"I think they're losing interest in me." she pouted.

"Hahaha. No, no, no." Eli chuckled, "Not the case."

"What's going on then?"

"Not sure if I should say." Eli said thoughtfully.

"Please, Eli. I'm so close to breaking it off because I'd rather do it that them doing it." Gemma begged.

"They want to have sex with you but are experiencing... Some insecurities." Eli blurted.

"Oh." Gemma hunched over.

"Are you sure you're not autistic?" Kath appeared from nowhere next to Eli.

"Maybe it was a misdiagnosis." Eli shrugged.

"I think so." Kath nodded, "Anyways, Mama just rang. She said the gender of the baby just arrived in a letter and the baby shower will be on Monday."

"Okay." Eli nodded.

Yeah, we didn't want to find out until the baby shower. So we had the results posted to Christina and she, Kate and Kath planned the baby shower. So far, a lot of people are coming. Including Kat, but Eliza can't come, she's too sick. That bothers Eli a little bit, but she understands.

"I'm excited. Are you free Monday?" I ask Gemma.

"I'm always free for my niece slash nephew." she grinned. Lots of grinning going on lately. And Pheonix still doesn't know about the pregnancy.

Speak of them and they shall appear. Pheonix sat down next Gemma and gave her a long kiss. It was cute.

"Hey, you." Gemma smiled sweetly.

"Hi. What's going on? What's Kath doing here?"

"She said that my Mama was gonna get me a new doctor because I might actually be autistic." Eli lied.

"Oh, I hope you get the right diagnosis."

"Me too." Eli nodded and took another bite of her sandwich.

"So it's your birthday tomorrow, right?" Pheonix asked Eli.

"Yup."

"Got anything planned?"

Eli looked to Kath and she shrugged, "We don't know. It's always something different each year. Mama always surprises me."

"Ah, I see." Pheonix nodded, "Hey, I was wondering if we were going to perform at the graduation ceremony."

"Oh yeah! Mrs Peters did say..."

And I tune them out. Music talk goes straight over my head. So I just eat the rest of my lunch while they talk music needy stuffs.

Eventually Eli's pre-bell alarm goes off. She has this so she remembers to escorts me through the hallways. She helps me back away and get up, and we go to leave before my name calls.

"Woah, Chanse. You're getting a bit... You know?" one of my old cheer friends says. She motions with her hand from her belly outwards, calling me fat.

"Yeah, no." I shake my head. I hated her anyway. Yolanda, I think her name is.

My escorts take me away and we make it to the final class of the semester safely. Eli stays close to me as we have this class together. She's so protective, it's cute.

"Don't let that girl get to you, okay? You're not fat, you're just carrying a very beautiful thing that was a product of our love. Our little Macsen. Yeah?" she leaned down and held my face in her hands.

"I know, Eli. And I'm so happy." I smile and kiss her.

And I am. I am happy.