The Birds And The Bees (The Baby Project #1) (REWRITING)

C.2~ Keep Moving

"Fine." I walked as slow as possible toward the door, wishing that my brother or dad would hurry down the stairs and answer it for me. But I knew that wouldn't happen. My dad was working graveyard shift again and Brice slept like a log, even during thunderstorms, and considering he'd been up all night with me, I was sure he was catching up on his sleep while he could.

"Who is it?" Xavier asked, still standing in front of the love seat. I opened the door slowly, blinking in surprise when I found no one out on the porch.

"No one is out here." I whispered. I could feel my heart racing as my mind started to wander. I probably should have grabbed my dad's shovel or Brice's baseball bat before opening the door, but it was too late for that now. If someone was out here, ready to attack, I was leaving myself completely vulnerable to it.

"Seriously?" Xavier was behind me now, peaking over my shoulder and scanning the porch.

"Who the hell would play ding dong ditch this late?" The question was rhetorical, but I still tried to say something, only to be cut off by him sliding past me and walking out on to the porch.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I followed him, feeling the early September air nipping at my cheeks. It wasn't until I heard Xavier curse under his breath that I looked up from the wooden flooring beneath me.

"What?"

God, could I be anymore of a child? I'll be the first person that gets killed. The poor innocent teenage girl that was stupid enough to walk out of the house in the middle of the night.

"Xavier?" I whispered as I took another step out on to the porch. Xavier had knelt down and was touching something on the last stone step of my porch.

"What is it?" I tried again.

I hope it isn't a hurt animal. I don't know if I could stomach that.

"Xavier?" I repeated. Finally, he glanced at me over his shoulder, his eyes looking more green than brown under the dim light of the moon.

"Are you seriously crying right now?" He started laughing, "Come over here, Beatrice." I shook my head, feeling even worse now that he knew I was crying.

"Beatrice, there isn't a murderer out here. Stop mumbling to yourself." I finally let out a shaky breath and moved slowly toward him so he wouldn't ridicule me more. He was still laughing once I reached him, his hands still touching whatever it was that was below him. I knelt down slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat as I prepared myself to find a hurt or dead animal.

"It's okay." Xavier assured me, shifting slightly so I got full view of the mysterious thing. My heart kick started when I saw what it was. It wasn't a dog or a cat, or a bird. Nor was it dead.

It was an infant wrapped in a pink blanket, her tiny body in nothing but a dirty and ratty shoe box.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

I reached down to touch her cheek, to make sure she was real and not one of those ridiculously realistic dolls Reborn dolls I'd seen online.

"Is she breathing?" I asked aloud. Xavier nodded, picking the small infant up. I could feel my body start shaking, and I was pretty sure it wasn't from the cold.

Who in their right mind would leave an infant on my doorstep in the middle of the night?

"She's okay. Look, her hand is moving." Xavier said softly. He had pushed the blanket over a little so I could see the baby's hand clenching and unclenching, grasping at the air. I brought my hand to my mouth when I saw the baby still had its hospital bracelet on.