"Derek! Derek!" I heard Melly say when I gain back into consciousness.
I opened my eyes to Melly's beautiful face. She was gently stroking my cheek with a smile on her face. I smiled back as I put my hand over the one that is placed on my cheek and sat up a little. Last thing I remember was Melly singing about her pregnancy.
My Melly, who is only sixteen years old, is carrying OUR little baby inside of her right now? Wow, I did not see that coming.
"Yes, you did. You just didn't want to admit it to yourself." The voice in my head told me.
"Shut up!" I mentally told it.
Yet I ask, "What happened?"
"I-I said I'm.." Melly began, but I cut her off.
"I knew what you said; I just wanted to make sure that I heard you right." I told her, "How long have you known about this?"
"For about two weeks now." She said, biting her lips.
"Quit biting your lips, doll. You're going to make it bleed. You're too beautiful for that." I said, "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was scared that you'd get mad at me and dump me. I also didn't want to make you think that you're obligated to stay. I didn't know how to say it until I came up with that song. I wanted to tell you about my pregnancy at the right place, right time, in the best way as possible to make it an okay news for you." She said, shaking her leg in nervousness. I put my hands on her knee to make it stop.
"Don't be nervous. It's all going to be okay." I told her. I hugged her and leaned back. I kissed her head and said, "I promise I would never leave you. You know me better than that, Mel."
"I know, I know. It's just with all these teenage pregnancy stories, I was really apprehensive into telling anyone." She said, sniffing. I felt tears wetting my t-shirt, but I don't mind that. I understand her fears perfectly. She's sixteen and she just found out that she was having a baby. She didn't graduate high school yet and she doesn't have a job to provide for herself, let alone an infant. I can't say I'm confident about this either. What do I know about raising a kid?
"I know, you're scared, and I am too, but I can assure you that I'm sort of happy about this." I said.
"You are?" She asked, confused.
"Yeah." I said, "Did we make a poor decision in having sex at a young age? No. We made a poor decision in having sex without protection. But I don't regret it. If you're pregnant, you're pregnant for a reason. You don't think this is an accident, do you?"
"No." She said, sniffing.
"Exactly. There's got to be a reason why God has chosen you to carry a child right now. It's not the way we've planned it, but it happened. The only thing that we can do is plan what we can do from here on out." I said, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"I guess you're right." Melly said.
"I know I'm right. Tell you what; why don't we go now and talk about it at Somewhere Only We Know? I will buy us ice cream on the way?" I suggested.
"You don't have to do that." She said in a weak voice.
"I want to. For you." I said.
"Okay." Melly said.
There was a knock on the door, snapping the both of us out of our conversations. We turned our attentions to the intruder, which happens to be Mike.
"Uh, are you guys going to get pizza?" The bass player asked.
After that news, "We're not exactly hungry right now." Melly and I said in unison. I looked back at her for a second before I turned back to Mike.
"Alright." Mike said, "Well, are you guys coming upstairs or something?"
"Listen Mike, thank you for your generosity in inviting us to your home, so we can practice these songs together. We had a great time, but we must go because Melly doesn't feel very well." I said, helping my girlfriend get up. I mentally raised an eyebrow at myself from my use of language.
I could tell that Melly was doing the same to me, without even looking at her. I'm not very good in English class, but at least I'm trying. I mean it seems like I paid attention to something in that class.
"Um, okay. See you on Monday, I guess. Feel better, Melly." Mike said, waving at us.
"Thank you." She said as we left the garage.
I helped her climb into my black 2000 Nissan Maxima and raced to the other side to start the car.
Once we pulled out of the driveway and only a couple of blocks away from the Cooks' house, I pulled over and parked the car. Melly and I looked at each other with the same goofy expression on our faces and started laughing. It felt so good to laugh after all we've been through this past month. Especially after receiving that news today.
"That was the funniest thing, I've ever heard." She said.
"Yeah, I actually sounded intelligent for a second there, didn't I?" I said, laughing.
"If you want to call it that, yeah. I mean the biggest word that you've used was generosity, but whatever floats your boat." She said, wiping her eyes.
It wasn't even that funny to a normal person. But we're obviously not normal people. We're Derek and Melina after all.
"Shall we?" I said, putting my hand on the break.
Melly nodded, "We shall."
I put the car in "drive" and drove us to Rita's ice cream shop.
"Alright ice cream. Here we come!" I exclaimed like a little kid even though I'm the one in the driver's seat.
Melly just smiled and exited out of the car. I took the keys out of the ignition and did the same thing. The little bell on top of the door rang as we entered the small frozen treat shop.
This Rita's shop has a 1950s style to it. There's a jukebox on the left side of the store where the booths are. There's a lot of discs of old artists such as The Beatles, Elvis, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonders, Michael Jackson, and all those other good artists.
Thankfully there was no line today as we approached a blonde lady who seems to be in her mid-twenties behind the counter.
"Hey guys! Welcome to Rita's ice cream. What can I get you two kids today?" The lady said in a sweet, honey-like voice.
"Hi. Uh, we would like a small mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a cup with whipped cream and sprinkles on top, please?" I ordered.
"Okay. That will be five dollars and twenty-five cents." She said.
I gave her a ten dollar bill that she put in the cash register. She gave me back four dollars and seventy-five cents.
"Thank you." I said.
"No problem. I'll get you your treat." She said, turning to get us our order.
As we stood there patiently, I took a look at Melly. I still cannot believe I got her pregnant. Although I already love the baby, I can't help but think that I possibly destroyed her dreams into becoming an artist. Granted, this is a blessing, but I can only imagine how she's feeling right now. She's so young. She shouldn't be carrying a child right now, but she is. It's something that we can't change. I took a look at her stomach, imagining how big it's going to get by the time it's nine months. Its really hard to imagine considering how small she is, but now I guess it's possible. I formed a small smile as put my arm around her waist and I kissed her forehead.
Melly looked at me with a smile, before kissing me. She broke apart with nothing but love in her big, brown eyes.
"I love you too, my little nutter butter." I said. Another nickname I gave her in freshman year. It's supposed to mean that she's crazy, but in a loving way.
She rested her head on the crook of my neck, wrapping both of her slim arms around my neck.
"Here's your treat." The blonde woman said, making Melly jump. I had to stifled a laugh. It was funny, but I don't want Melly to give me a death glare or anything.
"Thank you." I said, grabbing the frozen treat.
I held Melly's hand as we went outside and entered my warm car. I turned the vehicle on and cranked up the A/C. I turned on the radio, before I backed out of the parking space to leave. I put the car into drive and drove to the Rita's parking exit. I turned on the turn signal to the right to go to Our Hill.
"Thanks, Derek." Melly said.
"No problem. You know I would do anything for you." I said, driving.
I cautiously looked at the corner of my eye to see a smile on Melly's face. Good. That means I'm doing my job in being her boyfriend right.
The entire car ride was silent as we drove to the secluded area of the park. I parked the car and stepped out. I raced to the other to help Melly out of the vehicle.
"Thank you, Prince Charming." She said in a goofy, medieval, British accent.
"You're very welcome, my good lady." I said. I held her hand as we walked across the empty land. We sat by the river and it made me feel whole. As if we were meant to be here.
Melly kicked off her white, Old Navy flip flops and put her feet into the cool water. I kicked off my sandals and did the same thing.
"How are we going to tell our parents?" She asked, taking a small bite of our ice cream.
"I don't know. I haven't really thought of that yet." I answered, taking my spoon and dipping it to the vanilla part of the ice cream.
"I'm really scared." She said.
"I know you are, doll, but you cannot let fear control you. You're going to have to tell them sooner or later—" I said, but Melly cut me off.
"Not just that. This whole pregnancy thing. I'm scared that I won't be a good mother. That I will screw his or her life. I don't want that to happen." She said.
"Yeah, I've had the same fear as well." I said. I mean I've been denying this pregnancy all along. That just tells me what it would be like if I were a father right now.
"Great, now who is going to take care of our baby?" Melly said, rolling her eyes.
I took a deep breath, getting ready for a huge speech. Someone has to be the strong one between us and at the moment it looks like it's gotta be me.
"Listen, I know you're scared. Okay? I am too. I don't know anything about taking care of a kid. But being afraid is a natural thing to feel whether we're sixteen or thirty-six. It's just the way it is because it takes a lot of hard work and responsibility to raise a brand new life that you brought into this world. It's never going to be easy. The best thing we can do is know that neither of us are alone in this. We must get a job so we can buy everything we need to take care of this kid. We can read books and take parenting class, if we have to. But the most important thing of all, we must be there for each other. I promise I will not let you go through this alone just as long as you promise not to kick me out of your life and not let me see our child. This is only the beginning as we have almost eight months to go. I know we'll be ready by then." I said.
"But everything happened so quickly." Melly said.
"Yeah, well, what can you do except wait for this child to be born?" I said with a shrug. Then I thought for a second, "Wait, you're not going to get an abortion are you?"
I know that it's her body and everything and that she's the one that has to push to baby out, but aborting the innocent creature is not the way to go about this. I would break up with her, seeing that would not be the Melly that I fell in love with seventeen years ago.
"No, no, no, no. Why would you think that? You know me better than that." She said.
I know.
"I'm just asking." I said, putting my hands up in defense so I won't get yelled at or anything.
"No, I would never do that." She said.
I put my arm around her neck and she nuzzled her face into my neck. "I'm so sorry." She said, quietly.
She doesn't have anything to be sorry about. This isn't her fault. Well, it is, but I know she didn't mean any harm by this. She probably feels like it was her fault for getting us into this mess. And now that she knows we have a baby coming, she probably feels guilty for bringing everyone who will be affected by this into this.
"Babe, I know you are so young and you have a dream ahead of you. A huge dream, to say. I am sorry if I took that away from you, but I promise you that I do not regret a single thing that we ever did. Especially from that night. It could have been prevented, but I wouldn't want to have this any other way. I actually loved it, I love you, and I love this baby. So quit feeling sorry because you have nothing be sorry for." I told her.
Melly looked up at me seeing that I'm smiling brightly at her. She moves closer to me and smiles back. I try to make her feel better about any situation. It hurts me to see her depressed or have any negative feelings in general. I would do anything to see the happiness spark in her eyes again. I hope she's even more comfortable to talk about her pregnancy with me. Well, I mean I guess she has to. I am the father after all.
"I love you." She said, kissing my lips. I immediately felt the sparks going off in my head as I came into contact with her big, dark red lips. I feel all of my current worries being washing away.
Like, I've said, it's natural for the both of us to be scared. We're not exactly children anymore, but we're not adults yet. But I know we'll be alright. After all, we're Melly and Derek. We can do anything once we put our minds to it. I know she will trust her ability into being a good mother really soon. It will just take some time.
I feel her arms wrap around my neck as I wrap both of my arms around her waist. We've been in this position for about fifteen minutes as we had to pulled back due to the lack oxygen. Our foreheads and our noses touch each other as we look into each other's eyes with a huge smile of happiness on our faces. We didn't say anything however, we didn't have to speak because no words can describe how amazing the kiss was like, just like no words can describe on how amazing we are to each other. I placed a finger on my lips and kissed it. I gently put my fingers on her flat stomach. She put her hands over mine and smiles softly.
"I still can't believe we're about to be parents." I said. I probably said that a lot today, but it's the truth. I cannot believe it.
"I know. Me neither." Melly said.
Later that evening, we laid on the cool grass looking up at the big black sky that's filled with a billions of stars. We were talking about different ways we can prepare for when the baby comes and what we can do to prepare for it.
"It'd be really cute, if you wore a Santa outfit during the holiday seasons." Melly said.
"Maybe. Depends if he or she is here or not." I said, picking at the grass.
"We'll see eventually." She said.
"You haven't been to the pregnancy doctor yet?" I asked, knowing how stupid I sound by saying pregnancy doctor.
"You mean a gynecologist? No, I haven't. I should though." She said.
"Yeah, so we can know the baby's health and when it's due." I said.
"Yeah." She said. "How do you think we're going to break the news to our parents?"
This topic again?
I just shrugged and said, "I don't know but I am sure however we tell them, their reaction won't be as bad as we think it is."
I am telling this more to myself than her. Once the message is out, my life is over. My parents will definitely kill me for getting Melly pregnant. They will be all like, "How can you be so irresponsible, Derek?!" Yeah, that won't be a pretty image.
"They're going to be super pissed at us." Melly said.
"They will be pissed, but it will only be temporary." I said, "But you're not alone. I am here for you as I always have. And since John knows, I am sure he will help us out. And as soon as our parents' anger washes away, I know that they will help us out as well."
"I guess you're right." She said with a sigh.
"All we can do is hope for the best, be prepared for the worst, and be not surprised by anything in between." I said.
"You quoted from 'I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings.'" Melly commented as she laughs a little.
"But it's true!" I exclaimed in happiness of her happiness.
"Touché." She said with a shrug.
"You know I hope we have daughter." I said to her.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because I know she will be as sweet and beautiful as you." I said as I rubbed her hands.
"Well, I hope that we have a son." Melly said.
"Why?" I asked, imitating her.
"Because I know he will be as handsome and charming as you." She said as she kissed my lips. Oh how much I love those sweet lips of hers.
We looked up at the sky, admiring nature as it is.
"They're so pretty." She said in awed. I agree. The stars that are twinkling above us are like diamonds that are so far to reach. I really want to reach one out and give it to Melly because that's how much she means to me. Plus, in my eyes she is already a star that shines out from the rest so, to me it makes sense for a star to be with a star.
"Not as pretty as you." I said, making her blush. I find it very cute on how she still blushes over every compliment I give her, after all these years. But they're true. She is very pretty.
"Thanks." She said, quietly. I kissed her forehead as my way of saying, "you're welcome". We stayed in this position until we decided to go home and get some rest. I know we are going to be just fine.