"Welcome back from break everyone. I hope you had a good winter holiday." Mr. Green announced, setting his briefcase on the desk in the front. "I have your winter exams..."
Billie sat stiffly in her seat, twiddling her thumbs nervously and checking the door every few seconds for Brandon to come in the class. She'd been rounding corners carefully all day, watching out for the boy and making sure she couldn't get caught off guard. This was the only class she had with him, but she couldn't skip today because she needed to her her exam back.
But class had already started and the seat next to her still wasn't occupied.
It wasn't like Brandon to be absent though. Maybe he'd caught a late flight. Sometimes he came back from New York late and missed a bit of school and would show up later in the day. But Bio was the last class of the day in the class period rotation schedule that day and he hadn't yet made an appearance.
Mr. Green dropped an exam in front of Billie, and she was jolted out of her reverie.
"Miss O'Connell. Incredible work." He drawled in his standard monotone.
Class went by without any disruptions, and Billie tried to focus on what was happening, but her head just wasn't in it. She had to go to work today (she'd ended up accepting Selena's offer and had started over break), and despite the fact that she had checked off 'get a job' on her Jellybean preparation list, she knew that she wasn't anywhere near done yet. There was still the issue of figuring out what to do when she was born.
Which she had to discuss with Brandon.
Which meant she would have to talk to him face to face.
Which meant he was going to kiss her.
Which she was trying to avoid by hiding from him.
Which was a problem because she had to discuss tiredly. This kind of stress could not be good for her.
She turned around in her seat.
"Any of you seen Brandon today?"
"He wasn't in Calc" Drew said robotically, eyes staring straight ahead.
"He wasn't in PE." Prince said, looking down at his exam, though he shifted nervously in his seat.
"Okay..." Billie's eyes narrowed and she turned back to the front, knowing her friends were both acting undeniably weird. A simple no would have sufficed.
If Brandon really wasn't in school then she supposed that meant that she could let her guard down.
She was kind of disappointed. Sure, she wanted to hide from him, but she also wanted to see him, especially since he'd been gone all break. He'd called her a couple more times and they hadn't really talked about anything in particular, but it had made her wish he was there in person. Especially when his voice took on that low, even tone that always made goosebumps rise on her neck.
She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, feeling a sudden flash of heat run through her body and pool between her legs when she thought of Brandon. It'd been happening more frequently recently, and it annoyed her because she wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of it.
Well, she knew. It just wasn't ever enough.
Billie sighed and spent the rest of class trying not to think about her crazy body and how it wouldn't listen to her anymore. At least the morning sickness had, for the most part, subsided, and she was feeling much more energetic after that taxing first trimester of fatigue, vomit, and terrible bloating. But her needing to run to the bathroom to pee frequently hadn't changed and it was starting to bug her.
The bell rang, and Billie stood up with her friends, a smile on her face because she was happy that the last class of the day was finally over. She slipped her notebook into her bag and made her way out of the classroom, filing out behind other students to bug her.
"Drew, you want to hang out a bit before I have to head to work?" she asked as she walked with Drew and Prince towards the door, "Like get ice cream or something?"
"I wish I could, but I have to run an errand for my dad."
"Prince? You want... to..."
She subsequently froze, her brows rising in surprise.
Because there, leaning on the lockers across from the classroom door was Brandon, arms crossed in front on his chest and a brow raised in amusement.
"I'm surprised you didn't try to run after school." Brandon said, a playful smile tugging on his lips. "I thought you'd make the chase a bit harder, Billie."
Shit. She had completely forgotten how easily he tended to corner her if he so chose. A spark of fear ran down her back-fear and something else that made her tingle in excitement-and she took a giant step back, only to bump into Drew and Prince who were flanking her on both sides, clearly keeping her from escaping. They had planned this.
"What the hell!" she said in surprise, when she realised she was actually trapped, "You traitors."
"Billie, just let it happen" Drew said, "Stop being so scared."
And her cheeks erupted in a blush when Brandon pushed off the lockers and approached her. She felt her pulse race impossibly fast.
"Drew this isn't funny" She stammered, eyes wide as she spun around to face the two of them.
"It's just a kiss Billie" Prince rolled his eyes. "I mean shit. You're acting like you're about to lose a limb."
There was a small crowd gathering around the area now, wondering what the spectacle with the pregnant girl and Brandon was. Not only that, since everyone was done with classes for the day, the students walking by had begun to grow larger.
"Billie" Brandon said behind her.
And Billie closed her eyes, feeling her flush start crawling up her neck. Why was she so scared of a simple kiss? She liked him and he liked her. And it wasn't like it was her first kiss with him (though it was the first she would remember well) But damn, she was scared.
"Can't you just reschedule Kane?" she said somewhat playfully, staring at Drew's necklace to give her something to keep her mind off of the fact that she couldn't run.
"So you could leave the country?" he snorted, gently taking hold of her wrist. Goosebumps erupted up her arm at the feather light touch. "I don't think so."
"It's just a kiss Billie" Drew said, an encouraging smile on her face. "And you've been fantasizing about this for two weeks."
"I have not!"
"Yeah you have." Prince drawled. You can see it in your face. Not to mention all the things you told me about your-"
She snapped her gaze to his, shooting him a ferocious glare that had him shutting his mouth quickly.
Brandon tugged on her wrist, tugging her around so she was facing him and she immediately dropped her gaze to the floor, resolutely staring at a crack in the tiles. Brandon chuckled, stepping closer to her and he took her hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"Does it really bother you that much?" he asked softly, lifting her chin up so her gaze was on him.
Billie's pulse immediately skyrocketed, and she let out a long breath, trying to find it in herself to calm down.
"...No. But-"
And Brandon leaned down, pressing his lips to hers softly before she could say another word. Billie took in a sharp breath, caught off guard by the action. He moved his mouth slowly against hers, gently coaxing her out of her stupor and with a soft sigh, she pushed up to her tip toes, wrapping her other arm around his neck and returning it. He smiled a bit against her lips before dragging her closer and kissing her more firmly.
It was magic, the way his mouth melded with hers. It felt perfect and amidst the catcalling students and whoops and hollers, she grew dizzy from his scent, the taste of his mouth, and his arm around her waist, holding her gingerly against him. And somewhere among the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and electricity dancing through her body, something in her shifted. The kiss stirred something deep within her that had been absent for quite a while and she involuntarily pressed herself closer to him, her knees a little weak and her heart battering wildly in her chest.
When Brandon pulled away, Billie gazed up at him, blinking in surprise at how easily she'd been affected by the simple kiss. She felt prickly and tingly and entirely too warm.
"I knew you would try to run." Brandon said, laughing under his breath, his other arm wrapping around her. "I was right to skip class."
"You skipped class just so you could catch me?"
"I told you I was going to kiss you when I saw you. And I wasn't going to let anything stop me."
"You're such a dick" She said, a light blush springing to her cheeks. "Why?"
"I already told you. Because I like you, Billie."
And then he kissed her chasetley one more time, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers, his eyes soft and caring. She bit her lower lip to keep the giddy laugh building in her chest from escaping.
"Please get a room you two." Drew said with a goofy grin, though she pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture. Prince rose a brow in question. "For the baby album."
"Isn't a baby album supposed to be photos of the baby?"
"Pictures of the baby including from the pregnancy stage."
"Billie, you're shivering" Brandon said softly, cupping her cheek and kissing her again.
"Hormones..." she said. It wasn't exactly a lie. Every time she inhaled more of Brandon's scent, she felt a ripple of heat travel through her body.
Prince shook his head in amusement, "Well, my work here is done. I'm leaving. See you guys tomorrow."
"And I'm going home." Drew said, giving Billie a quick pat on the shoulder, "Call me when you're heading home."
Drew and Prince walked away, waving at their friends goodbye. The crowd had also pretty much dispersed by that point. When Billie brought her gaze back to Brandon, he had his eyes focused solely on her, lips quirked up in a content smile. Billie felt her cheeks redden.
"You know..." she said, pushing against his chest to get out of his tight embrace, a little embarrassed by the attention he was giving her, "I have to work today. You're going to have to let me go eventually."
"I know" But he didn't move.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well if you're not going to let me go, than can we at least walk to my locker so I can get my stuff?"
"I think that's manageable" He said a shit-eating grin on his face that annoyed Billie, but also made her feel some kind of bliss.
He unlatched his arms from around her, but quickly wrapped his free arm around her shoulders.
"You're so overprotective!" she said in annoyance, "If this is what you're like now, I definitely don't want to know what you'll be like when I'm in my last few weeks."
"You're never leaving my sight" Brandon replied seriously, squeezing her a little tighter to his body. "I'll be in your face twenty-four seven."
Billie groaned, knowing he wasn't lying about that. He really wouldn't leave her alone, and she vaguely wondered if she should find somewhere to hide out during her last trimester.
They arrived at her locker, and she reached up to twist her combination, Brandon leaning on the lockers beside her.
"What time do you get off work?"
"I'm not telling you." Billie said, eyeing him in annoyance as she swung open her locker, "I know you're going to show up."
She gave him a look. Damn, Brandon could be scary sometimes. She was starting to realise that maybe it was impossible to avoid him or escape his clutches.
"But the reason I asked you is because I told my mom about the pregnancy this morning."
Billie stiffened, swallowing and licking her lips nervously. She glanced at Brandon, but his gaze was a little shielded. He was purposely keeping his expression guarded so she couldn't pick up anything from it.
"...Well what did she say?" Billie dug through her locker, pulling out random notes and stuffing them into her bag to try to appear indifferent. The reality was that her pulse had skipped in speed, and she was suddenly feeling very apprehensive.
Brandon stared down at the top of her head, "She wants you to come for dinner tonight at seven to talk."
Billie rose a brow, glancing at him in confusion as she slammed her locker shut, "What? Tonight?"
Brandon nodded. "She told me to make sure you come over no matter what or she would track you down herself."
She grew nervous, "Why does it have to be tonight?"
"My mom understands why I kept silent for so long, but she's mad that you're eighteen weeks in and she just now found out. So she wants to meet you as soon as possible."
Billie stayed silent, looking at the ground in worry. It was too soon. She hadn't had enough time to prepare. It was one thing to tell people who she knew and who she was well-acquainted with, but it was a whole other to tell someone who could easily forbid Brandon from being involved with her. What would Billie do if Mrs. Adams decided she didn't want her son involved in the pregnancy? She tried to swallow the fear down, but Brandon caught the look and pulled her in front of him, lightly setting his hands on her waist.
"Billie, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll be right there too."
"I know..." She rested her hands on his chest. "I'm just a little nervous."
She hoped he was right. Because she had a sinking feeling that quite possibly, Brandon being active in Jellybeans life might be continued on his mother approving of her in the first place. She'd seen movies where the wife was at odds with the mother in-law and the husband, more often that not, sided with his mother. She didn't want to be in a situation like that.
"And later, we can talk about all the stuff that we need to plan for Jellybean's arrival."
"Okay."
Brandon leaned down, giving her a soft peck. It was gentle and sweet and their lips barely brushed together, but it still managed to excite her. Brandon pulled back, smiling a little deviously when her eyes fluttered slowly open.
"I'll see you tonight?"
She nodded, a little dazed and light headed. He let go of her and walked away and she stared after him a little anxiously. Brandon had been trying to reassure her that meeting his mother would be fine. But Billie wasn't so sure.
Simply put: Brandon impregnated her.
Billie was pretty sure any mother would see the girl as some diabolic seductress or vixen who lured their precious son into fornication.
And she was scared that Mrs. Adams would be no exception.
_______________________________
"You're glowing. Like actually. This pregnancy's been good to you." Selena said, smiling as she glanced at Billie. "Something good happen at school?"
Billie rose a brow, casting Selena a look. She didn't believe a word of that hokey bullshit. She felt particularly disgusting. And she was pretty sure she looked hideous. Her skin felt oily, her hair was stringy and weighing down on her head, and she hadn't really had the time or money to get it re-dyed so her roots were coming through the silver, not to mention the little spell of sickness she'd had right after arriving at work a few hours ago.
"Not particularly" She finally responded.
"Lies." Selena said simply, kicking her feet back and forth as she reclined on the employee break room table. She popped some Takis into her mouth. "I heard about Brandon wooing you in the middle of the hall today. What was it like?"
"I don't want to talk about this." Billie said, pulling her school bag out of their shared employee locker and fighting her blush as she remembered the way he had kissed her.
"Because you loved it, right?" she sassed, picking up her phone to respond to a text she had received.
"Okay so maybe I really enjoyed it. We're still not talking about this right now."
Selena started laughing at the slightly flustered expression on Billie's face, and Billie rolled her eyes, tugging out her jacket from the locker too. She had about thirty minutes to get to the Adam's residence on time. Thankfully, Brandon lived only a seven or so minute walk from Royals so she wouldn't get too exhausted heading there.
"You know. I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but you need to go up a bra size." Selena pointed out.
Billie looked down at her chest in confusion, taken aback by Selena's sudden comment. Her bust looked the exact same to her.
"I do not. They are big enough as is."
"Yeah you do. You're spilling out of your bra. I can tell through the outline of your shirt. They're way too big now for that bra." Selena waggled her eyebrows, "Though I'm sure Brandon probably appreciates it."
Billie couldn't have stopped the blush that painted her cheeks even if she tried. "Selena stop."
"Are you guys together now? You're so cute. Yearbook club wants to put you two in a couple's superlative, like "Mr. and Mrs. Franklin High' or 'Most Likely To Have Thirty Kids Before Thirty' or something like that."
"We're not together." Billie said.
Quite honestly, she didn't actually know what they were. They liked each other and they'd kiss, but they hadn't actually said anything about the status of their relationship. And Billie was a little scared to ask. Something told her Brandon would want to make her his girlfriend, and to be honest, she had reservations. The word wife briefly popped into her head, and she quickly shut the thought down.
"So when are you going to make it official?" Selena asked curiously, picking up her phone again.
"Aren't you suppose to be working right now?" Billie redirected the question with a raised brow.
"I'm on break." She shrugged.
Billie rolled her eyes as she tugged on her jacket. Working at Royals with Selena made Billie realise that she had one of the worst work ethics Billie had ever seen. It was honestly very surprising to see Selena this way. At school, she was very straight-laced, very stiff, and seemed absolutely put together. Even after being co-workers for two weeks, it still surprised Billie how lazy and laid-back Selena could be.
"Alright. I'm going."
"Why are you leaving so early today anyway?" Selena asked, popping another Taki in her mouth as she grinned at a text she received.
"I'm having dinner with Brandon's mom tonight."
Selena paused, her hand halfway to her mouth, and turned to stare at Billie in surprise. She set her phone slowly down on the table.
"Oh my god. He told her about the baby?"
Billie nodded. "She set a dinner for tonight."
"And you're going looking like that?" Selena frowned, slightly in disgust.
Billie shot her a glare. "What wrong with what I'm wearing? It's normal."
And it was. Sure black sweatpants and a giant grey sweatshirt weren't anything special, but it wasn't particularly sloppy either. It was relaxed.
"That's exactly it. Aren't you trying to make his mom think you're good enough for her son? Something normal is so not going to cut it."
Billie rolled her eyes. She disagreed, but she knew Selena wouldn't let it go until she addressed her.
"Then what do you suggest?" she sighed, "And hurry up. I have to leave soon."
"Wear a nice dress. Sweatpants are cute and all, but you need to make a good first impression otherwise she'll already see you in a bad way. After you're acquainted, then you can be as sloppy as you want" Selena hopped off the table, opening the locker and rummaging through her purse. "Brandon and his mom are close, right? You know she probably dotes on her son. If she thinks you're a hooligan out to snatch her baby boy, you'll be kissing any relationship between the two of you goodbye. And that won't bode well for Selena Jr."
Billie groaned, leaning against the wall and running her hand through her hair in frustration. She was having to wear dresses so damn often at this point, she was getting quite good at it.
"Those are exactly the thoughts I had earlier today too... But I don't have anything else to wear" Billie said, "And Jellybean's name is not going to be Selena Jr."
Selena closed her locker after pulling out her debit card and waving it around.
"You don't have a monthly employee discount yet, so I'm going to do you a favour and use mine for you." Selena shrugged when Billie gave her a questioning look. "They have some nice vintagy dresses here. Let me go buy you something. Wait here."
"FIne..." Billie grumbled. "You're annoying.
"You love me" Selena teased as she walked out of the break room to go get the outfit.
Billie waited patiently in the break room, quickly sending Brandon a text letting him know she would be on her way soon. She knew she was feeling the trepidation as soon as her phone showed 'message sent' on the screen. It was nerve wracking. She hadn't realised just how much though because now it was finally starting to hit her that she was about to meet Brandon's mother.
What if she really didn't like her?
What if she didn't approve of Billie's relationship-whatever it was-with Brandon?
Selena reappeared after a few minutes with a nice, simple light pink dress.
"Put it on"
As Billie obliged, slipping out of her own clothes and pulling it on, Selena rummaged through her bag in the locker once again. Billie looked down at herself. It was a near perfect fit. It had strappy sleeves with a gentle scoop neck that didn't particularly accentuate cleavage. It was flowy enough so that her belly could breath and it was a satin material. The dress cut off just under her knees. Selena observed her selection with a nod of the head.
"You look great. It really brings out your eyes." Selena smiled. "I should dress you up more often."
Billie rose a sarcastic brow but stooped to put her shoes back on. When she stood up, Selena was holding a panty liner.
"And wear this. You don't want accidental piss trailing down your leg while at dinner because of your crazy bladder, do you?"
Billie snatched it out of her hand with a frown, "I swear, you and Prince are the creepiest people ever. Why do you know so much about my pregnancy?"
"I did research" She shrugged. "Clearly, you don't take care of yourself right. So I'm doing my part."
"Did Que put you up to this?"
It sounded right up his alley.
"While he has been asking me about how you're holding up at work, I made this decision on my own, because let's face it Billie. You're a mess. And you really need help."
"Gee thanks."
"Oh no problem" She snarked back, ripping up a scrap of paper and scribbling on it before digging in Billie's school bag and pulling out her wallet. "I'm putting an IOU in your wallet so you remember to pay me back for the dress."
Billie was in the process of stuffing her clothes into her school bag when Selena awww'ed. Billie frowned and turned to face her and saw she was looking at a photo in her wallet. The photobooth picture she had kept of Brandon smiling at her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. It was funny that now that she knew he liked her, she understood what that look on his face had been. Come to think of it, now she understood why his face had taken on that look after prom and pretty much every time he walked her home. Had she really been that dense that she couldn't notice it?
"This is adorable. You guys need to get married already, you're already like a husband and wife."
Billie sighed and took the wallet and picture out of Selena's hands, putting it in its proper place before sliding it into her school bag.
"Alright, it's about time I headed out." Billie said, tugging on her sweatshirt over the dress. "There's only so much of you I can take per day."
Selena laughed, "Call me if you need some advice. Like on how to get your husband in the mood. I'm sure if you just flashed him though, it would work."
"I'm pretty sure I'm never going to call you for advice, but thanks anyway."
"Good luck with Mama Adams."
"Thanks" Billie gathered up her bag and left the break room, "See you tomorrow."
She made a quick stop in the employee bathroom to empty her bladder and put on the panty liner, but once she was done with that, she bid farewell to some other workers and made her way out of the store.
She walked down the sidewalk, heading to the Adam's complex. It was a bit of a walk, but nothing too strenuous so by the time she got there, she wasn't feeling drained. Though she was feeling the pressure. This was it. She was about to officially meet the other grandmother of Jellybean. Her approval was definitely a necessity.
There was an old man leaving the complex when Billie approached, and she thanked him as he held the door open for her to pass through. She made her way up the stairs to Brandon's floor, her palms growing more and more sweaty and clammy the closer she got.
And then she was there.
Billie approached the door, taking a deep breath for a second and mentally wishing that Mrs. Adams deemed her good enough for her son.
She lifted her hand and knocked on the door, holding her breath and hoping this would go well.
______________________________
From now on things are going to start speeding up in the story.
And also for reference. Billie does have a bump, but it's not huge. Like it's big enough that you can tell that she is pregnant, but not big enough that it is straining her everyday activities. So if she wore a larger hoodie it would cover up easily.