From Teen To Mom

Chapter 17

As we drove to Alex's house, my anger toward Jessica consumed me. I couldn't understand how she could be mad at me. "She's been with nearly every guy in school, and I've only been with two! It's just not fair!" I vented, my voice filled with frustration.

Alex tried to calm me down, assuring me that Jessica would eventually come around. "You guys have been friends for too long to throw it all away," he said, pulling into his driveway.

We entered his room and settled onto the bed, seeking comfort in each other's presence. In a hushed tone, I shared my thoughts about Jessica's behavior. "I think she still has feelings for Greyson," I admitted.

He let out a sigh. "I wouldn't call it feelings as much as her ego being bruised by him ghosting her. She's not used to that kind of rejection."

Deciding to set aside the topic for now, we turned on American Horror Story and indulged in the Oreos we had planned to enjoy. Soon, exhaustion overtook us, and we fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up early to a series of texts from Greyson.

"Are you still coming over?"

"Hey, what happened? I thought we were going to make the Facebook post about the pregnancy last night?"

I cursed under my breath. Jessica's outburst caused me to entirely forget about our plans. Quickly, I got dressed and ready, asking Alex to drive me to Greyson's house so we could talk before school started. I sent Greyson a hasty text as we left Alex's place.

"I'm so sorry, I completely forgot. I'll be there soon."

During the car ride, Alex and I laughed and sang along to alternative rock songs, momentarily lightening the heavy mood. When we arrived at Greyson's house, he was already waiting outside, his expression changing upon seeing Alex.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Alex observed, noticing the change in Greyson's expression too.

"He likes you just fine," I lied, but I could tell he didn't believe me.

He reached over to the center console and hugged me tightly, whispering in my ear, "Remember, you deserve to make this work. Don't let Jessica get to you."

"Thanks, Alex," I murmured, pulling away and walking up to Greyson as Alex drove off.

"Did you stay the night over there?" Greyson asked, hurt and anger obvious in his eyes.

"I told you I would still be staying the night with my best friend," I emphasized the friend part.

"And I don't like you staying the night with other guys while carrying my child. Jesus, Mercedes, do you sleep in his bed too?" Greyson's voice was filled with jealousy, anger, and frustration.

"Actually, I do, and I have since I was five years old. Get over yourself, Greyson," I snapped back. "Things didn't go well when I told Jessica the news, and I needed my best friend. That's how it's going to be sometimes. Sometimes I'll need him and not you, and you're going to have to accept that because I'm in love with you, not him." The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Greyson stared at me in disbelief, and I continued my furious rant, my entire body shaking. "And while you're over here judging my best friend and our relationship, you should know that after Jessica threw me out of her house and told me I shouldn't give you a chance because it would never work, it was Alex who told me you deserve a chance. It was he who told me that I should be with you and give our family a real shot. He stood up for you. But right now, I'm second-guessing that," I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry..." Greyson's tone softened, and his eyes looked down in shame. "I didn't know that. I've never just been friends with a girl, and maybe I judged your relationship with him too harshly."

"You did," I replied, still breathing hard from raising my voice.

"I won't bring it up again, okay? If you need your best friend, I understand, and I'll try to get along with him and not act jealous, I mean it this time."

"That's all I'm asking," I said honestly. "And in answer to your earlier question, my answer is yes. I want to give us a real shot."

Greyson smiled with surprise and pulled me into his arms, giving me a long kiss. "I promise you won't regret it. We are going to make this work."

We scrambled to get ready for school, hastily crafting a Facebook post announcing our relationship and the pregnancy before we darted off to school. The news rippled through the school, making us the topic of hushed whispers and excited chatter. Strangers and acquaintances alike approached us, offering congratulations, asking about the baby, and complimenting us on how cute we were together. It was refreshing, not to have to hide anything anymore.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. At 28 weeks pregnant, I resembled less of a human and more of a cow. Rolling out of bed was an immense task that took a good ten minutes if I didn't have assistance. The frequent bathroom breaks in the middle of the night were exhausting, and I seemed to have an unquenchable appetite. Even the most ordinary animal commercials had me sobbing. And my feet? They were a distant memory. This was the reality of pregnancy.

Greyson and I were at a standoff over the baby's name. He favored Kosten, but I was partial to Mason. This led to an ongoing tug-of-war. We did, however, agree on the middle name, Daniel, and the last name, May. Another unanimous decision was my moving in with Greyson, a decision surprisingly supported by my mother. And that day had finally come.

My bedroom was still home to my full-sized bed, pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. My mirror and bulletin board were decorated with photos of me and my friends, documenting our journey from childhood to adolescence. But my dresser and closet were bare, their contents packed into suitcases. This was my first time moving and the uncertainty was terrifying. Greyson and I were serious about each other, but the fear of the unknown lingered.

We hadn't had sex since that night at Jared's party. My lack of experience associated with his vast one was intimidating. The idea of being intimate while pregnant and with our son constantly kicking was off-putting. The move was nerve-wracking, but at least the nursery was ready.

After saying goodbye to my childhood home. I loaded my car with my belongings and headed to Greyson's. My mom was in Texas for business for the next two weeks and things with Brandon were rocky, to say the least. He was still against the father of my child. But Alex and Greyson had finally come around and started getting along and the three of us hung out on more than one occasion.

Jessica had finally come around as well, apologizing for her earlier behavior. We had even gone shopping together, and she bought our baby a onesie that read "I DrInK unTiL I PaSs oUt" with a baby bottle on it. She admitted that she was jealous but not because she had feelings for him but because the rejection bruised her ego.

As I pulled into Greyson's driveway, he instantly opened the front door, handing me a key.

"I had a key made for you," he said, pulling me in for a kiss and placing his hand on my stomach, feeling the baby move.

We decided against unpacking that night. I was bone-tired. Greyson cleared out his walk-in closet for me and was making an effort to quit smoking cigarettes so I would have to smell them. I could feel myself falling for him, but I was wary of the risks of loving a player, even if he was the father of my baby.