As the knocks at the door registered, Wesley rushed past me to open it before I had the chance. Assuming it was Nova—because why else would he move so fast—I continued blowing up the air mattress, using my shins to push it snug into the corner of our sectional couch.
"Hi, Serenity." Nova waved at me; Wesley snuggled up close behind her. I smiled back, wiping sweat off my brow. "Tell your shadow to give me the wire basket, comforter, and lots of blankets from the basement." Nova giggled, turning around to look at him. "You heard her, get to it." Wesley groaned, scurrying off, middle fingers in the air towards the basement door.
She walked around toward where I was standing, admiring my sleepover-ready setup. I set twinkling Christmas lights up around the flatscreen, a stack of movies, snacks, and board games up on the coffee table moved from its original position. I had already set four pillows, two comforters, a duvet, and two blankets up, waiting for Wesley to get the others. There was an awkward silence. I could tell there was something on her mind, but she didn't know how to say it out loud.
"You good?" I startled her from her inner thoughts, her hair bouncing from the sudden head turn. "Uh." She stopped talking and looked toward the couch, moving to sit down and pulling me down with her. For the time I had known her, she was never one to hesitate on speaking her mind. She scanned the room, making sure Wesley had not come back yet.
"I was having sex with your brother—"
"Oh, God..."
"And the condom b-broke—"
"Oh, God!"
She put a hand over my mouth to shush my automatic yelling. "Ren! Listen. The condom broke and my period is late like four days and now I'm fucking freaking out! I can't be a teen mom! Do you really wanna be an aunt?! I think not! What do I do?!" It was my turn to shush her yelling.
I took in a deep breath, connecting our gaze, and placed a soft hand over hers, urging her to relax. "Are you on birth control, yes, or no?" She gnawed at her lips. "Yes...but I might've messed up taking the pills at the same time every day. I don't know." I could hear her voice getting ready to crack, her golden eyes starting to blur with tears. "I assume you haven't taken a pregnancy test. You will be alright Nova. I'll figure out some way to get a pregnancy test and you can take it tonight."
"But I'll be with Wesley all night. I'm sure if you come and steal me away it's gonna look obvious. We don't hang out by ourselves all that much." She was right about that. I wanted to hit her with a joke saying how much more we'd be hanging out if I became an aunt, but this wasn't the time for jokes. "I'll just come in complaining about period things asking for your help." She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around me into a hug. Once we both relaxed, her arms got tighter. I could hear her breathing steady in my ears, a soft-spoken thank you leaving her mouth.
"I have to tell Blair though. She's the one I'm gonna get it from. Is that okay?" She smiled. "That's fine. The more the merrier in the bathroom I guess."
"Why is Blair gonna be in the bathroom with you?" Wesley came walking in, throwing the blankets at my face. Fabric entered my mouth, my body instantly flying back against the corner of the sectional.
"Period things," Nova spoke up, sending a smirk my way. The doorbell rang out and Wesley hurried toward the door, leaving the conversation. As the front black door swung open, I saw him walk in. Bags dropping to the floor as he groaned from the pain of the straps. His grown-out brown buzzcut turned into dark green almost black loose strands that he made sure to flaunt to us in photographs. Tall build. Studious glasses he always wore whenever he was in lazy day wear. My parents must have known because right on cue they entered downstairs, rushing to embrace him. Tyrone and Macy along with them. Leaving me to stare in small disbelief.
I threw everything down, stepping onto the couch cushions to jump over and land on the carpet, rushing toward him with open arms as he met me in the middle. Without hesitation he picked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist. "Joey! You're home!" Tears pricked at my inner corners, surprising me. I was not one to cry a lot. Mainly because I unhealthily suppressed my emotions, but also because not many things triggered a crying response.
Joey was my best friend before anyone else. Joey was the first adopted, and then me, and then Ty, Wesley, and finally Macy and for whatever reason, Joey and I did not get along.
We avoided each other until his adoption day. I was still a foster, and although I was happy for him and his party, I could not help but cry, feeling sad and overwhelmed. That night we talked for hours into the dawn, and after that, we were inseparable for years until he started college. He didn't even come home during the summer due to a great internship opportunity, so it has been about a year since any of us has seen him in person.
I could feel his shoulders shake, it always happened when he tried not to cry, but failed anyway. "Hey, Kiddo." A strong sigh left his mouth. His muscles became loose and whatever other tension he was holding in left. He was safe. He was home.
I let go of the embrace, snatching his glasses from his face, putting them on me. My vision became blurry. His lenses felt like I was wearing a pair of health class drunk goggles. "Wow, you're gonna need bifocals by the time you're 25." He waved to Nova, and unintentionally cued a memory in me. I need to text Blair. I pulled out my cellphone, clicking on Blair's contact.
"Hey, do you still have the extra pregnancy test your older sister didn't use?"
"YES??!! WHO ARE YOU SECRETLY SMASHING??"
"They're not for me. They're for Nova... long story. We'll talk about it later."
"WTF! Aww, aunty Serenity :) but yeah, I got you."
I tugged at the fleece blanket moving it closer toward my chest covering the both of us. We had all been enjoying Christmas movies, and a couple of horror movies for the past six hours. Occasionally scurrying off to fill a plate with snacks from the coffee table, or spontaneous wrestling pillow fights after each movie ended. Coen, whilst starting a whispering conversation about the movie, contently placed his head on my shoulder.
That was an hour ago. And as time progresses, the moister my shoulder gets. He was drooling. His little snores escaped his throat and the light from the screen would gloss over his face. He was knocked out asleep. I giggled to myself, checking to make sure he was still deep in slumber. And when the light gleamed bright enough to see again, I studied him.
His eyelashes curled without help. The small lines at the corners of his eyes, pulling as his eyes would squeeze tighter on occasion whenever a noise was too loud. His lips, parted just enough to let air in and out with ease. Tinted a light blush, and slightly plumped more than you would expect. The hole from his nose piercing in his left nostril. The only time I ever saw him with it in was when I aimlessly scrolled through social media scanning the photos of my classmates. His pigmented forehead and hair caught the light the easiest. The almost white strands appeared to glow against my fingers.
He was not just handsome. Or dapper. Or good-looking. Those words would be an insult to describe him. He was beautiful. And not because of the streaked color of his hair, or the dual-toned colors of his eyes, or his athletic build, or even his contagious smile. It was because through every inch of his skin 'human' was etched with detailed precision. And there was no mistaking how beautiful it was to not be perfect.
The movie finally had finished. Kenji whispered, calling everyone over to where I was still sitting. "On the count of three, we'll scream."
"Wait on three or after three?" Asked Alex. "After three. It's always after three." Blair spoke furrowing her brows in confused annoyance.
"Wait so 1, 2, ahh. Or-"
"No dumbass, 1, 2,3, ahh," I whisper yelled also getting annoyed. Dominic started having a loud giggle fit as Kenji put his hand over his mouth to quiet him. "Okay, come on." I held up my finger.
1. 2. 3
"Ahh!" Coen shot up joining our screams in terror. His eyes were wide open, hair disheveled, sweatpants and hoodie misshapen. "What the hell is wrong with you all!" He ran towards the granite kitchen island. All of us joined in the laughter. The floors creaked, Joey, walking in from my dad's office.
"I'm trying to take a nap." He was shirtless and in a pair of sweat shorts, heading to the kitchen to grab a bowl of ice cream. He walked over to the coffee table, pouring chocolate over his vanilla ice cream. His newly finished sleeve tattoos looked nice under the dim light. I could tell Blair was gawking at him. She always thought he was attractive but after his so-called 'Bad Boy Glow-Up' she thought he was hotter than ever.
He examined everyone, a smile on his lips. "Dominic wow! You've grown a lot since the last time I've seen you."
"And so have you." Dominic's eyes trailed down his bare chest. "Okay! Nope!" I stepped in front of his view. "Go get in your bed like any normal person?"
"But dad's recliner is so nice—Coen?! I didn't realize you guys were hanging out again!" Once again like Wesley, my brother bum-rushed past me. Joey hugged Coen, smiling genuinely. My family always liked whenever Coen was around. He even once came on a weekend beach house trip with us. Joey and Wes basically kidnapped him on that trip and Coen, and I had become friends so fast.
Maybe that was why it also drifted to an end so fast...
Blair pulled me aside. "I texted Nova to come to the downstairs bathroom. Let's boss up and make sure she's not preggers." We scurried off to the bathroom without anyone seeing us. Blair put the test box on the counter, and after some needed motivation, Nova took the test and peed on it.
"I'm too afraid to look. Someone flip it over." She reached for the test before both Blair, and I simultaneously smacked her hand away. "It's not time yet. Stop reaching every 15 seconds." Her legs bounced, the test sitting faced upside down on the edge of the sink.
Blair made sure to bring one that had clear results. No decoding of line combinations. She also made sure we knew how expensive this test was as if she is the one who bought it. Time felt eternal. All of us were consumed with nervous butterflies gracing the air of the cramped bathroom.
The silence became even louder once the phone timer began to ring. We all stared at each other wide-eyed. Who was going to volunteer as tribute? I scoffed, picking up the test and hurriedly flipping it over for all of us to see.
Not Pregnant
The bathroom erupted into screams of joy and applause, dance moves, and many, many tears. Nova jumped from her place on the toilet seat, wrapping her hands around Blair and I's necks. She sniffled, mumbled appreciation leaving her mouth. Blair and I rubbed her back consoling her, smiles on our faces. Once the bathroom door was opened and we walked out, all the boys sat in the living room ever so confused.
"Period things."