"Wait, so he asked you to prom?" Quinn exclaimed as we sat on a bench in one of the school hallways while people walked by us quickly as they scurried to find their friends.
"Yeah, it was so romantic. It was in the stable, and I had no idea, then it just came out." I told her with a huge smile across my face as I held a hand firmly on my growing bump.
"Skank." I heard someone mutter under their breath as they walked right in front of me quickly as Quinn's head shot up from her phone.
"Who said that?" She asked as she stood from the bench quickly ready to pound someone in.
"Quinn, just leave it." I said shaking my head knowing it was going to happen eventually and I was ready to take all of the name calling and judgement.
"No Hadley, you should be able I feel comfortable in your own school." She said ignoring my wishes as she followed the brunette down the hallway quickly as I tried to move through the people to see what she was doing. "What did you say to Hadley?"
"I called her a skank." I heard the girl reply as I pushed passed a few more people to find it was Amy Rogers. Quinn obviously looked beyond pissed as people gathered around the two of them.
"And what gives you the right to say that?" Quinn asked as she moved closer to Amy with every breath she took as Amy backed up towards the wall of blue lockers.
"We all know she's gonna be a mom. Connor can't really keep a secret." She said with a smirk as heads turned towards me as I went red. I felt so sick, yet fine now that all of these people knew.
"Just because he can't keep one doesn't mean you need to go calling her names." She told her as she stood a few centimetres in front of Amy who was now squished up against the lockers.
"Well, as we all know I'm not one for keeping secrets." She said with a wink as Quinn lifted her arm up to hit her as someone grabbed her.
"Quinn, it's Kyle. I know I sneaked up on you, but Amy is a bitch. She's probably the biggest bitch you will ever meet, so please don't sink to her level by hitting her." Kyle said as Quinn stood there with her eyes burning into Amy's extremely red face.
"Kyle, let me go." She said sternly as he began to walk backwards with her arm still in his tight grip as I followed them out of the ring of people.
"Not until you have calmed down." He told her as we made it out of the sea of students hoping there will be a fight at any moment.
"Kyle, I'm serious. Let me pound her face into the ground." She said as she stood there looking calm as Amy stood seeming to be afraid, but seeming quite confident at the same time.
"No, I completely agree on the fact that she deserves it, but not from you because you're going to get out of this town and Karma is going to bite her in the ass. So calm down, back off, and I'll let you go." He said as I stood there watching him as he began to pull her away from Amy.
"You owe me one." She said as she shook out of his grip and quickly escaped the crowd as I tried to squish through it behind her as all eyes were on my stomach as they realized what Amy had been talking about.
"Quinn!" I called to her as she angrily marched down the hallway as the group of students began to disappear as everyone went back to their other conversations as some eyes were still in me.
"Should I have let her hit Amy?" Kyle asked as he walked up from behind me slowly yet comforting as she turned the corner without looking back.
"No, she would've been suspended and it would've been a mess so thank you for stopping her." I told him gratefully with a smile as we began to walk down the hallway together.
"Are you alright?" He asked as I realized their fight was all about me and my being pregnant.
"I'm fine, it's not like it'll be the first person to call me a skank. I mean, she won't be the last either." I said shrugging my shoulders slightly as we turned the corner and there was Connor laughing with Amy over something.
"Well she shouldn't have called you one because you aren't a skank. I mean, she's the one that sleeps with every single guy." He said pointing to the two of them as I strangely became jealous.
"Yeah, you're right." I said as I watched them while we got closer and closer to their conversation with each strode we took.
"Alright, so I guess we should go find Quinn now." He said with a smile as we walked right past them as he didn't even notice me walking by as he laughed with her.
"Yes, I guess we should."
*****
"Wait, so you're mad at me for talking to her?" Connor asked as as we sat on a bench in one of the city parks.
"No, because I understand she's your friend but she called me a skank and told the entire school I'm pregnant and I just wish you would've done something about that." I told him as I sat staring at the green grass while he sighed at me with a hint of anger.
"It's not fair to be mad at me." He said shaking his head as he turned away from me.
"I'm not mad, but you told her I was pregnant and now the whole school knows." I told him trying to stay calm but he was making it quite difficult.
"They were bound to find out anyways Hadley, it's not like your not getting bigger!" He shouted as a few heads turned are way as I just stared at him shocked he'd bring weight into is with hormones and everything.
"Did you just call me fat?" I asked him trying to keep the tears from coming, but there really wasn't anything I could do about them.
"Well no, but-" he began trying to save himself but I think he dug a bigger hole than before.
"Well if that's what you think, maybe you should take Amy to the prom." I said standing up as I began walking away from him.
"Where are you going?" He called as I walked out of the fenced park with him trailing behind me.
"Home." I said as i quickened my pace trying to get away from him do that I had some room to breathe.
"You're walking?" He asked sounding shocked as he made the hole even bigger.
"It's not the first time I'm walking home after going somewhere with you!" I called to him shaking my head as I could no longer hear him walking behind me.
I don't understand why this had to be so complicated. All I wanted was for him to stand up to his friend for me, but for some reason he can't even manage that simple request. To him, its popularity, and it always has been, to him, I'll never be his number one.
*****
"Hadley? Hads, what's wrong?" Quinn asked as she answered her phone to hear me sobbing.
"He called me fat and defended Amy and I told him to go to prom with her and I just don't know what to do." I told her as tears fell quickly down my red cheeks as I sat in my locked bedroom hoping my family members wouldn't hear me crying.
"What do you mean he called you fat?" She asked sounding surprised as to hearing that he would say that to me.
"He told me it didn't matter Amy told anyone because every was bound to find out because really, my stomach isn't that small." I explained to her as I wiped a few tears away from my face as I curled up in a soft blanket.
"You know what, I'll be right over." She said through the phone as I heard the line go dead and I figured she was getting a ride straight over to my house.
As I sat on my bed completely shocked at what just happened, I sat my phone down beside my bed as I heard my brothers' feet scattering across the floor as they chased each other around upstairs. I just sobbed hoping they wouldn't hear me over their uncontrollable laughter.
I knew he wasn't the nicest person, and people have told me ever since he left as at the school, but he was my best friend. He was the person I told everything to besides Quinn, and for some reason I can't ever seem to be enough. I try so hard to be the one he wants, and he will still choose anyone else over me.
I just don't understand him. I don't understand why he has to hurt me so badly.
*****
"I'm going to beat his motherfucking ass!" Quinn shouted as she stormed out of my bedroom once I finished telling her what had happened at the park.
"Quinn!" I called standing up as I chased her out of my room as she rushed quickly down the stairs to go and beat the shit out of Connor.
"Don't try to stop me Hadley, because you know we should've done this four years ago." She called back as she reached the bottom of the stairs while I was near the bottom but not quite there yet.
"You can't just go over and attack him for no reason to." I told her as I hopped off the very last step as she opened the front door widely while stepping out as I stepped out right beside her.
"Oh, I have a reason." She said with a small smirk on her pissed off face as she kept with her long strides across the green grass.
"And what's the reason?" I asked her slowing down a bit as she stepped onto his front yard quickly as I could feel the anger just radiating off of her as she marched.
"He's a douche!" She called back to me with a shoulder shrug as she walked up to his front door.
"And until he apologizes, I'll stop speaking to him if you don't do this!" I called to her as her hand stopped right as she lifted it to knock on his brown door.
"Wait, you'll stop talking to him?" She asked intrigued by the offer I was giving her if she didn't go and kick his ass right now.
"Until he apologizes I won't talk to him." I told her nodding my head as her smile grew a bit.
"No, he needs to apologize for absolutely everything and it needs to be a sincere apology. Not him apologizing tomorrow because he knows it's the right thing to do, and apology because he genuinely means it." She said stating her terms to the agreement as her ha d stayed exactly where it was because if I didn't agree, she would knock.
"Fine. It's a deal." I told her saving his ass for now, although I'm not sure how I'll be able to avoid him until he apologizes, if he apologizes.
"Good. Now, let's go and get some ice cream." She said as she began walking back over towards my house with a smile on her face as I slowly turned and followed her.
"Well that seemed easier than I thought it would be." I said as I walked across the damp grass again as she stepped into my front yard.
"Well, I could've gone in there but I figured you'd do something to stop me." She said with a smile as she stepped up onto my front patio.
"You know me too well," I told her with a sigh as she opened up my front door with a laugh as the two of us walked into my cool house.
*****
"Hey Hads, look I am-" he began as I stood at my locker. In the middle of his sentence I slammed my locker door shut and turned away from him. I meant what I said yesterday when I told Quinn I wouldn't speak to him until he gave me a sincere apology on everything he has done from freshman year to now.
I heard him sigh as I walked confidently away from him as I felt his eyes on the back of me like knives. He can play the innocent card, but I can too.
*****
"So you did it?" Quinn asked as she walked beside me at the walking track.
"I did," I told her with a proud smile on my face as she took a sip of some water out of her water bottle. "I realized after you left yesterday, I don't deserve to be treated the way he treats me. I am a human being, and I think he needs to learn how to respect me more."
"Well, I have to say I am very proud of you for doing so. Now you just have to keep it up until you hear him apologize to you." She said with a smile as we walked our fifth lap in the summer heat.
"Yeah, I will definitely try. I mean, now I guess I need a new date to prom."I told her shrugging my shoulders as I realized that he would no longer be my date. How could I go with him now? Prom is in a week and a half, so I'm hoping there will be someone else who is dateless right now that still wants to go.
"Well, I'm sure someone will ask you out." She said with a small and cheeky wink as I just shook my head at her with a laugh.
"I'm sure they will." I said with a major amount of sarcasm in my girly voice as I could feel the sweat dripping down my back from the warmth of the sun.
"Well why wouldn't someone ask you out?" She asked looking at me seeming to be highly confused.
"Well, maybe because I'm pregnant." I told her shrugging my shoulders as I pretended to think about reasons why when I already had the perfect one.
"You know, some people aren't as shallow as that. They'll ask you out for you, not what's on the inside literally." She said with a smile as she indicated to the little baby inside of my growing and glowing belly.
"Well some people are far more shallow than that, they'll ask me out to get on the inside." I told her with a smirk and laugh as she realized what I meant.
"Well, that's true even. I guess it happens for most people on Prom night." She said nodding her head agreeing with me as she thought about it for a few seconds after I spoke.
"Oh good! Thank you for informing me. I really wanted to know that." I told her with a fake and sarcastic smile as we almost reached the end of the last lap we were doing for the day.
"You are very welcome." She said with a loud huff of air as we crossed the pole line marking the seventh lap on the field. That was our exercise for the day, because according to my doctor I should start going for more walks to keep myself and the baby healthy for the delivery date.
*****
"Hadley, Donnie and Maria will be here in about fifteen minutes!" I heard my Mom call to me from upstairs as I sat in my bedroom studying for my science exam in a few weeks. It was quite nerve racking, the science exam and seeing Donnie for the first time after finding out who he really is to me.
"Alright!" I called back up to her as I saved some of my work and closed my laptop quickly as I tucked it in between my bed and bedside table carefully.
"Just be sure your room is clean, along with the boys' rooms!" She called as I sighed loudly before heading upstairs to check on their rooms because it had to be the hardest thing to do at their age. They cannot keep their room clean for more than a week, and I have bet them money on if it before and they still lost.
"Okay!" I called back up as I headed up the stairs to the floor filled with their mountains of toys. As I hit the middle of the staircase I could smell their bedrooms from where I was standing and it did not smell all that great.
"Boys, can you please tidy your rooms up?" I called to them as I continued to walk up the stairs. "And maybe fix that smell."
"Hadley, we're boys. I don't think we can do that!" Jacob called to me as he poked his head out of his bedroom door as I heard his stereo blasting music while Cody was doing something in his room that was also loud.
"Well, you have to." I told them shrugging my shoulders as I kicked one of there soccer balls into Jacob's very messy bedroom. "Yes, you definitely need to fix this."
"What are you talking about, my room is perfectly clean." He said defensively as I stood in his bedroom doorway with my arms crossed amused by him.
"So not being able to see the floor is clean to you?" I asked him as I raised my eyebrows as he looked at the floor.
"Well, I guess I can put a few things away but it is basically already clean." He said with a small and awkward laugh as I just chuckled and walked across the hallway to Cody's bedroom.
"Cody, your room better not be as messy as his!" I called as I opened the door to find a completely spotless room. Everything was neatly organized and he was sitting on his bed playing a video game. "Holy shit, this looks amazing."
The last time I saw his room this clean was when we first moved in and he my Mom was pregnant with them. It has taken him twelve years, to thoroughly clean his bedroom to make it look like a place people actually want to sleep.
"Oh, well I knew Donnie was coming over so I figured I'd clean my room. Now I don't have to be in a big rush." He said with a smile as he noticed me standing at his doorway looking very impressed with him.
"Well, good job. So because this is looking so great, go and help your brother.' I said as I turned to leave his room so I could go and tidy downstairs up a bit.
"Wait, what?" He asked sounding shocked by my request.
"Well, if you're done to and help Jacob. He needs as much help with that dump as he can get." I said with a laugh as I began to head downstairs.
"But don't I get a break?" He asked chasing after me as I realized that he doesn't want to clean anything today.
"Do I ever get a break from cleaning up after you?" I asked him as I turned to face him as I stood in the middle of the stairs.
"Well, I guess not." He said Thinking about it slowly as I stood there waiting for him to go and help Jacob out.
"Exactly." I said as he sighed loudly and turned to go into the mess of a room.
*****
"Hadley, Cody and Jacob! Donnie and Maria are here!" I heard my Mom called from upstairs as I finished cleaning up our basement bathroom as I threw all of the paper towel out and hid the cleaning supplies under the sink. As soon as it was all away I rushed up the stairs to find my Mom walking towards the front door.
I knew I was excited because he's my Dad, but now I was wondering if every time he comes into town, if my mom gets excited as well. I mean, they obviously had a very good relationship seeing that I am here and he still comes to visit quite often. Then I think about Maria, and how she feels about all of those. She has to know I am Donnie's because that isn't a secret you can keep from your spouse.
"Donnie, Maria!" She exclaimed as I heard the front door open and the twins came sprinting down the stairs excitedly as they continued to push each other out of the way.
"Hello Julie!" I heard him say as I could picture them hugging. Following the boys, I walked towards the foyer with a small yet hidden smile as I saw them slipping there shoes off.
"And how are my favourite twins doing?" Donnie asked them as they both high-fived him happily and in unison exclamied, "great!"
"Where are the other two?" Maria asked with a smile as Donnie took her thin jacket from her and hung it up on one of our hooks.
"Well Natalie couldn't make it back from school quite yet, and Hadley is hiding around here somewhere." She told them as she turned to looked for me but I was standing behind the wall not sure if I was ready for them to see me pregnant.
"And how about Roger?" She asked oblivious to what had happen a few weeks ago.
"I take it that you are both unaware that Roger is now living somewhere else." She said awkwardly as I could tell she didn't want to make it weird or insult him right in front of the boys.
"What do you mean?" Maria asked as she looked up from her phone at my Mom seeming to be quite surprised along with Donnie.
"Well, we are in the middle of a divorce." She told them as the boys stared blankly at the ground.
"I was just talking to him last week and he didn't mention anything." Donnie said sounding shocked by the abrupt news.
"Well, I'm sure he'll inform you eventually but for now I guess he is keeping it under the radar." She said with a sigh as she ran a few fingers through her dark hair.
"Well I am sorry to hear the news." Stood her as he definitely seemed to be quite apologetic.
"It's definitely a bummer but it's for the best." She said as she she placed a hand on Cody's head as he snuggled into her side.
"Yeah, now speaking of the best where is Hadley?" He asked clapping his hands together as he tried to peek upstairs.
"Actually, she has some news that she needs to share so how about you go and get comfortable in the living room and I'll make us all some tea and find her." She offered looking between the two of them as I stood out of sight so I was still able to hear everything happening.
"Alright, it sounds good." Donnie said nodding as he motioned for Maria to go ahead of him to the living room gracefully.
"Okay, the boys will keep you company and I will be back with Hads and tea very soon." She said as she turned away from them and began to walk in the direction of the kitchen.
*****
"Well, you can't just sit in hear listening all day long. I know you don't when him to freak out when he sees you, but I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think." My Mom told me as I sat at the kitchen counter while she took the teabags out of the steaming cups.
"No, it'll be worse. I mean, they're expecting to see small Hadley, but instead they're going to see big Hadley who's carrying a fricken baby at seventeen." I exclaimed quietly hoping they wouldn't hear me in the quietness.
"Well they are family, so they won't judge you." She said as she placed the mugs of tea on a tray to carry into the living room.
"They why haven't we told Grandma and Grandpa?" I asked her knowing she was putting it off.
"I'm not hiding it from them, and they won't judge you, but they don't always support the kind of things and they might become a bit offended because they do believe in marriage before kids." She told me explaining as she picked up the tray from the counter slowly and carefully follow.
"Well you had Natalie and I before you married Roger." I said as I crossed my arms across my chest while giving her a look.
"And when they found out they didn't talk to me for quite a few month so." She said stating her point with them as I just sighed. "Besides, Donnie is your Dad, not my parents."
"But what if he sees it the same way?" I asked her still continuing to worry despite what she's telling me.
"Well he had you before he was married didn't he?" She asked making another very good point to this whole situation.
"You're right." I said nodding my head agreeing with her as I slowly stood from the barstool.
"Aren't I always?" she asked with a joint smile as she began to lead me out of the kitchen slowly.
"I guess," I sighed as we walked through the hallway.
As we reached the living room Donnie had his back towards us while he spoke to Maria who brightened up when she saw us.
I
She looked at me, and her eyes drifted to my stomach as he face fell, "Oh my."
"What?" Donnie asked her confused as he turned to find what she was looking at as his expression slipped from his face.