Chapter 13*
November 2010
"Mama Jinxx, you make the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted," I complimented, rubbing my belly contentedly. It was Thanksgiving and we were all in Iowa with Jinxx's parents. His mom has us call her Mama Jinxx. I actually quite like it. It suits her.
"Why thank you Zandy, sweetie," she thanked, a slight drawl in her voice. She smiled warmly at me. "Did baby like it?"
I rubbed the small bump on my stomach lovingly. "Oh yeah," I told her, a big grin on my face. Andy , who was sitting next to me at the dining room table, rested his hand on my stomach. The other guys were in the living room playing video games. Andy didn't really like video games, so I had stayed to sit with him and Mama Jinxx. I liked video games just fine, but I'd rather stay with my honey. Maybe if we got Guitar Hero on...
Andy kissed the top of my head, then pulled me into his lap. I leaned back against his chest as his long arms wrapped around me, his hands resting on my stomach.
"Have you told either of your parents yet?" Mama Jinxx asked. Andy and I turned to each other to grimace.
We shook our heads resolutely. "No, but we're gonna tell 'em when we visit for a late Thanksgiving tomorrow," I answered.
I was more than a little nervous about telling our parents. Andy's mom and dad might take it alright, maybe even be happy to finally be having a grandchild, but my mom and siblings were another story. I hadn't even told Jordan yet, and his jurisdiction would probably be the worst of all. Taylor might be excited, maybe Dylan, too. But, there was my mom, and she had always been against a lot of things that I've decided to do. Well, I really didn't decide on getting pregnant, it just kind of...happened, obviously.
Mama Jinxx nodded. "I see. Rather tell them in person than over the phone."
Andy and I nodded simultaneously, grinning. "Exactly," we said together.
A silence draped over the kitchen, but it wasn't awkward. Jinxx's mom went to clean the dishes that wouldn't fit into the dishwasher. I stayed on Andy's lap, his hands on my stomach and mine resting on his. We just sat, absorbed in our own thoughts.
I was now excited to be starting a family with Andy. He was my soulmate, my one and only, my forever. We were going to have kids someday anyway, why not start now. Yes, I realize what we did is illegal, Andy being a legal adult and me being underage, but neither of us could come to care. No one else seemed to care either, so what did it matter? Our friends and families weren't going to call the cops on us.
The sound of the surround sound turning up and rattling the house caught my attention. I slid off of Andy's lap and pulled him along into the living room with me. The guys were setting up the stuff to Guitar Hero; CC behind the drums, Jake on guitar, Ash on bass, and the mic stand stood alone. Jinxx was crouched down next to XBOX 360, turning the controller on for the mic.
Andy and I sat on the couch next to Jinxx's dad. The guys went through and picked the first song. I noticed that the tracks on here were not those that were on any of the other Guitar Heros. It must be downloads of some of Jinxx's music. He came and sat on the couch beside the three of us as the other guys picked a song. After some deliberation, they settled on 'Teenagers From Mars' by The Misfits. Andy resisted, but we all finally coaxed him to go up and sing.
We got through a bunch of songs, everybody trading the instruments with each song. All the guys were able to play on expert, no surprise there,but I stuck to hard.
Finally, and completely on purpose, Andy picked 'Fences' by Paramore. It took him and Jake to get me to stand behind the microphone and not run away. Even when I tried to escape, the guys started playing too soon for me to leave before the lyrics started up.
I'm sitting in a room made up of only big white walls
And in the hall, there are people looking through
The window in the door
They know exactly what we're here for
Don't look up, just let them think
There's no place else you'd rather be
You're always on display
For everyone to watch and learn from
Don't you know by now? You can't turn back
Because this road is all you'll ever have
And it's obvious that you're dying, dying
Just living proof that the camera's lying
And oh, oh, open wide, 'cause this is your night
So smile, 'cause you'll go out in style
You'll go out in style
If you let me, I could
I'd show you how to build your fences
Set restrictions, separate from the world
The constant battle that you hate to fight
Just blame the limelight
Don't look up, just let them think
There's no place else you'd rather be
And now you can't turn back
Because this road is all you'll ever have
And it's obvious that you're dying, dying
Just living proof that the camera's lying
And oh, oh, open wide, 'cause this is your night
So smile
Yeah, yeah, you're asking for it
With every breath that you breathe in
Just breathe it in
Yeah, yeah, well, you're just a mess
You do all this big talking
So now let's see you walk it
I said, let's see you walk it
Yeah, yeah, well, you're just a mess
You do all this big talking
So now let's see you walk it
I said, let's see you walk it
And it's obvious that you're dying, dying
Just living proof that the camera's lying
And oh, oh, open wide, yeah, oh, oh, open wide
Yeah, oh, oh, open wide, 'cause you'll go out in style
You'll go out in style
Everybody was clapping and smiling. They still, even though most of them had heard me sing, were surprised that I sounded so good. It was all very...flattering, I guess.
They made me sing a few more songs before I was able to sit back and just watch. I was getting tired and I seriously needed a nap. We would be hitting the road to Ohio soon, so I could sleep then. I just had to stay awake another few minutes.
I sung 'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benatar, 'When You're Gone' by Avril Lavigne (which I thought was odd to see on Jinxx's music but then again, Sammi came over a lot), 'Sex on Fire' by Kings of Leon (this songs seems to come up a lot), and 'The Mortician's Daughter'. I was actually really surprised to see that I hadn't noticed it on the playlist before.
As soon as we were done playing, Andy and I left. We hugged everyone and wished them good holidays. We'd see Ash again soon, since we were going to hang out at his house for a while when we got back into California. We hit the road around three in the afternoon and should be most of the way through Illinois by tonight. If we planned it right, we'd be in Ohio sometime tomorrow afternoon, I just had to get up really early tomorrow morning.
Only an hour into the drive I fell asleep, and when I woke up, we were at a nice motel and the sky was pitch black. Glancing at the clock I saw that it was almost midnight.
Andy and I got a room and fell asleep almost instantly. I'm glad I had slept on the way here because Andy would not be able to drive with five hours of sleep.
At five o' clock sharp, the alarm on our phones went off and I rushed to silence them. I let Andy sleep while I took a quick shower. When I got out, he was peeling his shirt off to replace it with a new one. I saw the tattoo on the back of his neck and smiled. Every time I saw it I smiled, I just couldn't help it.
On our way out, Andy protested that he would drive, until I pointed out that I had gotten almost triple the amount of sleep he had. He couldn't really argue then, so I ended up driving, just like I thought I would.
I stopped halfway through Indiana to get gas at nine in the morning. I started doing the math in my head while I was waiting and came to the conclusion that we'd be at his parent's house by around four. It was perfect, since my mom and siblings were all coming over for a late Thanksgiving dinner.
Getting back in the car, I saw that Andy had woken back up. He looked a lot better than he had earlier. When we first left the motel, he had bags under his eyes and they were a bit bloodshot. Now he looked like regular Andy, happy and amazing.
I smirked, latching my seatbelt on. "Morning, princess," I muttered. I started the car up as he leaned over to kiss my cheek.
"I am not a princess, nor have I ever wanted to be," he mumbled, his voice still thick from sleep.
I chuckled. "That's okay, neither have I." Yes, I Zandy Night, have never wanted, nor ever thought about becoming a princess. Even when I was still little and fairytales appeased me, it wasn't something I ever thought about. I knew it was unrealistic and would be a complete waste of my time.
From then on, we drove in a comfortable silence, with the occasional small talk and singing. We stopped at noon to grab a bite to eat. We both agreed on just heading through the drive-thru of a close McDonald's.
When Andy took the first bite of his hamburger, he grimaced. I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm really glad we're going to be having dinner with my parents," he stated, eyeing the burger warily. "I'm tired of fast food. Now I'm glad that my mom is so big with being healthy."
I looked at him from the corner of my eye, not moving my head from the direction of the windshield. "I could use some of your mom's cooking. Not that I've been eating unhealthy, but it's been a long time since I've had it."
We got to Amy and Chris's house just a few minutes before I had predicted. We got out as quickly as we could, stretching and taking in everything around us. It seemed like forever since the last time I'd been in Ohio. The guys refused to tour here anymore because of some *ssholes who crashed a concert a few years back.
Andy just walked right in the house, like he still lived there. Not that his parents would mind at all.
I took in the house that I used to spend everyday after school at. I can't really say it had changed one bit. The carpet, couches, wall colors, and setup was all the same. Even the smell of lavender was still there, but right now it was mixed with turkey and pumpkin pie. I licked my lips, eager to get some of Amy's cooking. It had been years since I had had it.
"Mom, Dad, we're here," Andy called out, taking off his jacket and setting it on the couch. He helped to get mine off of me just as Amy came around the corner, smiling widely.
"Andy. Zandy!" she called, rushing over to hug us both. "I'm happy to see both of you. You're father's getting dressed and your aunts and uncles should be here soon."
"Okay, is it alright if I take a shower?" Andy asked.
Amy rolled her eyes. "Of course dear, you're no stranger here."
It was Andy's turn to roll his eyes. He hugged me close to him quickly and then went out the front door to get his stuff from the car. He returned shortly, heading straight to one of the two bathrooms in this house. I walked into the kitchen with Amy and sat at the table, munching on some carrots that she had put out.
"So, Zandy hon, how have you been?" Amy asked, standing at the counter to cut up some onions.
I smiled. "I'm great, better than ever," I answered, resting my hand on my stomach discreetly. "Happy to finally have finished school."
Amy turned to look at me, knife in hand. "I thought being home schooled had the same time period as regular schooling," she commented.
I nodded. "It does, but with the way Andy and the guys teach, it was a lot quicker and easier to understand. So, I finished right before they left on tour this last time. I'm technically a year ahead. I could start school at a community college while I send in applications to universities. Plus, I had started taking college classes when we first moved to LA, so I'm really ahead. I already have my AA."
She smiled. "Well, I'm glad sweetie. What were you thinking of studying for?"
I shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I'm stuck between medical and literature. I want to become a mortician or coroner, but I love to read and write. I know I can take both, but I'm not real sure what I'll end up choosing."
"Well, that's the point with college. You can study the general things you need to know for any field. Then, when you finally do make a decision, you have a degree for it and something else. It's a win-win situation, hon."
I raised an eyebrow. "You have a point," I agreed.
"Who has a point in what?" came Chris's voice from behind me. I turned in my seat and smiled at him.
"Amy, she has a point about college," I told him, standing up to hug him. He gave me a big bear hug, smiling.
He set be back down before asking, "Are you starting to look for colleges already?"
I nodded. "I took college courses already, so I have my AA, but I want to get my masters in at least two fields. I finished up school almost two months ago."
Chris smiled. "I'm proud of you, Z. Did Andy help with the homeschooling thing?"
I sighed. "Definitely. He and the guys explained things so much better than any teacher could ever have."
"Speaking of Andy, how has he been? Treating you alright?" Amy asked. She had this look in her eye that said if he wasn't, she'd chop his male parts off with the knife that she was cutting the onions with.
I chuckled. "Yeah, he's being good. Nothing has changed about him, besides him being all lovey-dovey. Not that I'm complaining, though."
Amy and Chris laughed, at their son, I'm assuming. The doorbell rang suddenly, and Chris went and answered it. Before he even had time to open it, I excused myself from the kitchen to go change.
I pulled my clothes out of my bag as I walked into Andy's old bedroom. It looked the same as it had when we were younger. Amy and Brock hadn't changed a thing since we had moved. I was a little anxious to see what my mom had done to my room.
I slipped off the clothes I had thrown on after I got out of the shower this morning and put on something a little more appropriate for Thanksgiving. I put on a black, cotton blouse that had white polka dots on it and cinched just blow my chest. The sleeves to the shirt hung off my shoulders, so I had a black tank top underneath it. I yanked black skinny jeans onto my legs, slipping a belt over my hips so I kept my edge. Classic Converse adorned my feet, matching the black and white on my shirt. I ran a comb through my hair, leaving it in it's natural wavy state for today. I put on my usual makeup to complete my outfit.
When I finished, I went back into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table in my designated spot. When I came over to Andy's house after school when we were younger, I'd always stay for dinner. Since there were only three in their family, there was always one extra chair. It had become my spot after I had stayed a few times. Now I just knew it as 'my spot' at their kitchen table.
A whole family of people were in the front room now. I'd never seen or met them before, so I was going to guess it was the aunts and uncles Amy was talking about earlier. Andy apparently had a lot of cousins, too. Except, they were little and adorable. The oldest had to be only seven, unless the tall guy was a cousin too.
Chris greeted them happily, escorting them into the kitchen to meet up with Amy. Andy was suddenly beside me, then he saw his family and went over to visit. I just kicked it in my seat at the kitchen table while the family mingled and got reacquainted. I munched on those yummy carrots again, waiting until all the commotion died down.
You'd think I would've met Andy's extended family by now, but it was quite the opposite. I'd seem pictures and such around the house, but he'd never given me names or old stories about family events or anything. We really were the perfect strangers, except, there was a whole bunch of them. And that little girl was really asking for a cheek pinching. She was so adorable.
Suddenly, without my noticing, the room was quiet, and all eyes were penetrating into the top of my head, since my eyes were down in my lap, where I was chipping the black nail polish off of my nails. It was about time that I repainted them.
I looked up slowly, being cautious and painfully aware of the ten pairs of eyes that were on me. Chris, Amy and Andy had smiles on their faces, but the rest of the people were looking at me with blank expressions. I was being appraised by seven people I had never met before, who happened to be my boyfriend's family. It was a little unnerving, to say the least.
Reaching to grab my fingers, I twisted the promise ring that rested on my middle finger. It had become a nervous habit I had acquired, along with biting on my lip ring. I had taken out the other a few months ago. I could always get it re-pierced if I ever felt the need to have it back in.
Andy walked over to stand beside me, helping me up from my chair. Over the last month or so I had gained a bit of weight, nothing too blatantly obvious; just a little flubber in my midsection that I had never had before and a slight extra meat on my thighs and upper arms. All in all, I had only gained about five pounds, which wasn't at all horrible when you thought about it. My mom said she had gained ninety pounds with Jordan. I was really wishing that wouldn't happen with me. It would be a pain in the *ss to lose all that afterwards. But then, my mother had done it, so it couldn't be too terribly difficult.
He walked me around the table, so I was fully visible to his awaiting family. He wrapped his arm around my waist and hugged me closer to him, doing his best to hide the small circles he was rubbing on my stomach with his thumb.
"Guys, this is my beautiful girlfriend, Alexandria," he introduced, looking down at me lovingly. It was one of the many things I loved about being with Andy this way. "Zandy," he stated, addressing me, "this is my Uncle Mark, Aunt Julie, cousin Joe, Uncle Greg, Aunt Tina, and my little cousins Tasi and DJ." He had listed them all in the order that they were standing, so that helped a lot. I smiled like I wasn't extremely nervous.
"Hi, you guys can call me Zandy, everyone else does," I greeted, giving a small wave of my hand. I leaned into Andy, wrapping my arm around his waist.
His aunts both grinned at me and his uncles nodded to Andy approvingly. I was soon rushed by the two youngest ones, being thrown questions left and right.
"Do you like candy?"
"Is that your real hair color?"
"Do you listen to the same music as Andy?"
"Did you know Andy before he had his band?"
"Do you love Andy?"
"Will you play Barbies with me?"
"Do you live in California too?"
"Does your family live around here?"
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Andy stopped them before the started to turn blue. "Guys, one at a time," he urged. I smiled up at him and went to sit at the table. The adults started meandering through the house. The men headed to the lounge to watch a football game while the women sat in the front room, talking up a storm. Joe stayed in the kitchen, leaning on the counter and listening to what I was going to say to the kids.
I beckoned DJ and Tasi to join us at the table. They sat across from me, occupying the other two chairs at the table.
"Okay, start from the beginning and one at a time," I said to them.
"Do you like candy?" DJ asked me. He had to be only nine or ten with way too much sugar on his mind and in his system. But he was cute nonetheless.
"Yes, I do, I even have a friend named Candy that I work with back at home. And, it rhymes with Andy and Zandy, so it's so much better. Plus, I have a serious sweet tooth," I answered honestly.
"Is that your real hair color?" Tasi asked, tilting her head curiously.
I chuckled. "No, its not, it would be cool though. I put color in it, like Andy. It's really a dark blond color. You'll see what it really looks like when my family gets here."
"Do you listen to the same music as Andy?"
I nodded. "Yep. I love rock and metal and a bunch of music like that."
"Did you know Andy before he had his band?"
"Yeah, I've known him since I was thirteen. He had a band, but it was just in his garage as of then. I've been there through it all."
"Do you love Andy?"
I smiled and looked at Andy and I answered. "Absolutely."
"Will you play Barbies with me?"
I laughed. "Well, I've never played with Barbies, so yes."
"Do you live in California too?"
"Yeah, I've lived with Andy for almost two years now."
"Does your family live around here?"
"Yeah, I grew up just around the corner actually."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"I have a big brother, and a little brother and sister who are twins. My younger siblings will be here today."
"Is Andy mean to you?"
I chuckled. "No, I'd beat his butt if he was." Andy chuckled next to me.
"How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen."
"Are you younger than Andy?"
"Yes, by three years, but it doesn't matter."
"When's your birthday?"
"April 12th."
"How did you meet Andy?"
"I stopped him from getting his butt kicked by the bully in our school."
The kids looked at me like I was their hero. I smiled.
"It was no big deal guys," I promised. "The other guy was a big baby anyways. He got what he deserved."
Andy leaned close to me. "You didn't do anything to him," he whispered.
I shrugged. "They're young and don't know the story. We may as well sell it."
He shook his head and chuckled.
The doorbell rang then and Amy got up to get it this time. My mom and brother and sister were at the door, looking a bit different from the last time I'd seen them.
Dylan had actually gotten some muscle on him and his facial features were more defined. Okay, that was the understatement of the century. He was ripped. He had taken his big jacket off and was left in a regular t-shirt that formed to his body. I could see the muscle on his arms and there was a slight hint of a six pack underneath the cotton material. He was a lot taller than the last time I'd seen him. He'd finally gotten that growth spurt we'd all been waiting for. His hair was shorter too, not all chopped off but it wasn't down to his chin anymore. There was quite a bit still there, but it was unruly, which actually looked good on him.
The biggest change though, was the girl that was attached to his arm. She was pretty, with long brown hair, a tall, slender figure, chocolate brown eyes, and a wide, pretty smile. I could tell just by the way she dressed that she wasn't some chick that was just with my brother for his looks. She was in a delicate, jade green colored, long sleeved blouse that had a deep V to it, but with a creme colored tank top underneath, dark wash skinny jeans, brown Uggs, and a brown winter coat. She was pretty in a modest way, which I instantly liked.
Taylor had changed also. She wasn't as girly and frilly anymore, and gone was the baby fat from her cheeks. She had turned to a more Indie fashion, instead of the highest and most expensive brands that our mom could acquire for her. Her dirty blond hair had coppery red highlights in it and it was cut to her shoulders, whereas it had been to her waist when I'd seen her on my birthday. She had on a yellow flowing top with a small flower print, light wash skinny jeans, some brown boots that came up just below her knees, an army green canvas jacket and one of those floppy yarn hats in a subtle pink color. You'd think all those colors wouldn't work well together, but they looked fine on her. That girl could wear a beer keg and pull it off.
My mom on the other hand, hadn't changed much. For a fashion designer, she didn't dress extravagantly. Her light brown hair was pulled up in a clip leaving her bangs to frame her face. She had on a simple wine purple satin blouse, dark wash straight legged jeans, black flats, a white coat and a brown purse on her shoulder. She was as pretty as ever and she looked happy today.
They were all introduced to Andy's family and vice versa. Lastly, they were herded into the kitchen, where they saw me and rushed me almost immediately. Mom was first to get me into a breath depriving hug.
"Oh, Zandy sweetie, how are you?" she asked in her motherly tone, still crushing me. "I've missed you so much, baby. Your birthday seemed forever ago. I'm so glad to see you, Zandy."
I hugged her with all that I had. "I missed you too, Mom, it's been forever since I've seen or talked to you." We pulled out of the hug and smiled.
Next, Taylor came over to hug me, being her dainty, light footed self as usual, barely making a sound.
"Oh, I've missed you, Sissy," she said, burying her face in my neck. I ran my hands over her back while moving her closer to me,
"I've missed you too, Tay. I barely got to talk to you when you visited last April," I said. She pulled away from me and smiled.
"That's alright, you'll be staying for a little bit right?"
I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, but I've got important things to do when I get back home, so I can't take too long."
"What type if things?" she inquired.
"I'll tell you later." She nodded, knowing I'd stay true to my promise.
Dylan's arms were suddenly around me, crushing me to him. My thoughts went to my baby, and then the fact that I couldn't breath.
"Crushing...lungs. Can't...breath," I choked out.
"Sorry, Z," Dylan muttered, his voice deeper since the last time I saw him, setting me down and loosening his grip on me. I took a deep breath and hugged him back.
"Dude, what the hell did you do to my brother? Last time I saw him he was skinny and had a cracky voice," I said, pulling back but still leaving my arms around him.
Dylan chuckled. "Not a thing, he just got over his awkward stage."
"I'll say," I mumbled to myself.
My family greeted Andy like he was part of the family, which he sort of is. Dylan went back to stand next to the girl he had brought in.
"So," I said, taking the focus off of him, "are you going to introduce us to your girlfriend or am I gonna have to do it myself?"
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Guys, this is my girlfriend, Rebecca," he said, bringing her closer to us. "Rebecca, this is my crazy emo sister, Zandy, and her crazy emo/Batman nerd/lead singer in a band boyfriend, Andy."
"Hey!" I protested. "One, we're not emo. And two, why does Andy get the better title?" I whined.
Dylan sighed. "Fine, my crazy emo/sugar loving/music freak of a sister."
I smirked. "That's what I thought," I muttered to him.
Rebecca hadn't said a word since she had walked through that door. I studied her closely.
"Rebecca, don't be so shy, we don't bite," I told her, smiling slightly. "I like you, so you gotta talk more."
She grinned at me, probably happy that I had approved of her. I wonder what Dylan has been telling her about me? Probably slanderous lies.... Ugh! Freaking Andy and his stupid words!
"Zandy, Andy!" Amy beckoned to us. "The family wants to hear how you and Andy met."
I groaned. "You can't just tell them?" I asked begrudgingly.
"Alexandria Corrine Night," Amy warned, using her parental voice.
My mom sighed happily. "Ah, I've taught her well."
I rolled my eyes as I walked away, Andy's hand in my own as I went to sit in the front room with Amy. Over the period of the last ten minutes, all the guys, including Chris, had congregated into the room also. Either the football game was over or he had paused it.
Andy and I sat on the coffee table that was always in the middle of the room.
"So what did you wanna know?" I asked them, playing with Andy's fingers.
"Everything," his Aunt Julie stated boisterously.
I sighed. "Okay," I was going into story mode with my talking, "well, I met Andy when I was thirteen. I was different from everybody else and happened to be going to the same school as him. One day, while I was sitting by my lockers when everyone else was at lunch, just drawing in my notebook. I think I still have it," I added, reminiscing.
"Anyway, I was just sitting there and then I heard some noise, like someone had slammed into the lockers. So, I got up and looked around and saw a guy pinned up against the lockers with another guy holding him there. So I walked over, saw that the guy dressed like me and wore makeup like I did. I heard the other guy say something about 'that emo chick in eighth grade' and knew he was talking about me. Then he said some not very nice things to Andy. That's when I intervened, said some things, and then he walked away.
"We started talking and we realized we had a lot in common. So we hung out often and we'd usually come to this house after school. I'd stay for dinner everyday and basically became a permanent part of this household. I was there when his band had it's very first line up, it's first big gigs, and through all of it's changes. Andy even took me to my first and last homecoming, even the football game. I knew he wanted to watch it, since he's big on football, but he talked with me instead. It was nice, and surprisingly, I didn't mind the dance either. That was the last time I will ever wear a dress that formal.
"Then, Andy told me he was moving to California, I got angry, and then he said he was taking me with him, which made me happy again," his family laughed. "We moved out west and I started school in LA, which didn't last too long because of the touring thing. Andy didn't wanna leave me alone for that long, even though Scout only lived a few miles away, so I went with him on the tours. During the first one we went on with the new Black Veil Brides we decided it would be easier for me just to be home schooled. So, from then on, I was taught by all the guys when we were on tour and not.
"When I was fourteen or fifteen, I got Andy's name tattooed onto my side." I lifted my shirt up a little to show them the scroll of paper with my family's names on it. "And then, last Christmas, he got my name tattooed on his neck.
"In April, we went to the premiere of Halloween II, and Andy broke up with Scout. In the end, I found out it was just a grand scheme to get me to go out with him that everyone I knew seemed to be in on." The whole room chuckled, telling me they all had known about it. I scowled. "So then, that night, we went to the park and played like we were five again. For the first time since we moved to California, it rained, and hard. It reminded me of home, except, it wasn't that cold. And then, he told me a bunch of things while we were trying to keep from getting soaked. Then, he kissed me and it was as good as done.
"The next day was my birthday, and I was surprised with all of my family, which means Chris and Amy too, and the guys from the band. Andy made us breakfast and then Scout, Jake, Ash, Andy and I went to Disney Land, since I had never been before. We went on virtually everything and I saw everything the park had. It was fun. I think we have videos from there." I looked to Andy, who nodded.
"Then, we watched the fireworks from the train station on Main St. Andy asked me to be his girlfriend and gave me this pretty promise ring," I said, rolling the ring around on my finger. "We kissed again and I'm pretty sure everyone with a camera or phone took a picture. I'm sure it'd be cute, just as long as it wasn't me. I hate pictures of myself."
I thought about telling them all that I was pregnant now; I was in the middle of story time, may as well tell them while I was on a roll. I looked to Andy for confirmation, asking him if we should with my eyes. He seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding slightly. Andy pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his hands on my stomach.
"And then, in October," I started hesitantly, "I found out that I was pregnant." I didn't stop there though, I kept going on quickly so they didn't have time to spontaneously combust. "I asked my friend Candy what I should do. She made me an appointment with the gynecologist who told me I was twelve weeks along. When I went to visit Andy in Texas when he was playing Monster Mosh, I told him. He took it a whole lot better than I anticipated, he even said he was excited. And now I have another check up in a few days and that is why we can't stay long." I had said everything in one breath, which I never thought possible for me.
Everyone was stone still, shocked by what I had just announced. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my big brother in the back of the room.
"Sh*t," I whispered to Andy. He gave me a questioning look as I nodded in Jordan's direction. I felt Andy stiffen under me as his gaze connected with my brother's.
Jordan did not look like a happy camper. His gaze was murderous, like he was capable of ripping Andy's head off. I really didn't put it past him at this point. He looked like he was about ready to tear us both to shreds.
"What?" Chris, Amy, and my mom all shouted at the same time. Chris's was in confusion, Amy's and my mom's were in joy, which was a bit odd. I thought all of them would be angry, not happy and confused. This whole pregnancy thing was going well for me so far. That is, except for my raging brother.
"Ha! I knew Andy would get you pregnant!" Dylan shouted. I threw him a death glare which shut him up quickly.
Then, the whole room erupted into chatter, about us, no doubt. Andy and I were pulled into the frigid air of the backyard by our parents and Jordan. Chris closed the sliding door, turning to look at us.
My hands immediately went to rubbing my arms, trying to create a warm friction. Andy came over and wrapped his arms around me. He was actually smart and had put a long sleeved shirt on.
"What the f*ck?" Jordan instantly demanded. "So, you get with this guy, not use any protection, and then decide to actually keep the baby!" My mouth dropped.
"You know what, Jordan?" I yelled, trying to match his volume. "I am almost eighteen! I can do whatever the f*ck I want. You're not my dad, you're my overprotective brother who doesn't know when to back off. And how dare you say I keep the baby like it's a bad thing! Do you honestly think I would've killed it? Even the thought of adoption scared me, how the hell do you think I could actually even begin to consider terminating my pregnancy? I really don't think I'm screwing up my life this way! I've graduated high school, I have my AA degree, I'm going to continue college, I'm going to get a job, and I'm going to be a mother. Get the f*ck over yourself!"
"You're not even eighteen yet! That is illegal," he shouted. "I could very well call the cops and have them arrest your boyfriend for this."
"Why do you have to ruin everything for me?" I questioned loudly. "Any decision I make in my life, you have to question it farther than anybody else. You have never let me be me! I thought Mom was bad! I never realized you were worse, and you never got over it! I thought we had settled all this when I had talked to you last year? Did my forgiving you for scarring me and judging me like that mean nothing to you?"
"Don't turn this on me, Alex," he yelled. "You know this isn't about me. This is about you getting pregnant and not seeming to give a d*mn!"
"I do give a d*mn, Jordan!" I countered. "I'm being responsible and facing this head on! I'm doing what I need to do to make sure my baby is healthy and brought up right. And I am going going to college, and I'm determined to get a doctorate in all my courses. You can't tell me I don't give a d*mn."
"Enough!" my mom yelled like she used to when Jordan and I fought when we were younger. "Just...enough. It is Thanksgiving, I don't want my children fighting. Yes, I agree what Zandy did was unexpected and unplanned for, but she's doing the right thing. She's more responsible than you will ever be, Jordan. After I learned that you had dropped out of college to just live in California, I lost all trust in you that you were responsible. On the other hand, I know Zandy is going to stay true to her word, she always does. I'm not taking sides here, I'm telling you the truth," she added as Jordan started saying that she was taking my side.
"You need some growing up to do Jordan. You're twenty-two, almost twenty-three years old and you still haven't learned responsibility. But can we please drop this argument. You have your opinion that has been expressed, it doesn't need justifying. Zandy is her own person and very independent, she's proven that a thousand times over. She probably doesn't give a d*mn about your opinion anyway."
Jordan huffed, slumping his shoulders forward in resignation. He knew our mom was right. I didn't care what he had said, I was just up for an argument.
"Now, I think it's time to really talk," Amy stated softly once my brother had cooled down. She turned to Andy and me. "There's a lot of things that go into raising a child."
I nodded. "I realize that, and so does Andy. Money really isn't a problem," I added. I had saved everything I had earned from working at Hot Topic, except for grocery shopping and bills. Everything else I was saving for something like this. My mom already had a savings going for my college funds.
"And there's safety precautions that have to be taken while you're pregnant," Chris said.
Andy nodded now. "I've quit smoking for the most part. I haven't had one in five days."
"Lots of coffee?" Chris asked, smiling.
Andy nodded. "Oh yeah."
We all chuckled, except Jordan who was still seething in his little corner. I'd deal with him later.
"How far along are you now?" my mom asked.
I counted quickly in my head. "Almost fifteen weeks," I answered.
"You're not showing too much," Amy said, sounding concerned.
I pressed the flowing material closer to my body. It was never easy to to see what I looked like underneath all my baggy t-shirts. I really had a nice figure, you just couldn't ever see it unless I was in my bathing suit.
The bump on my stomach had grown a bit larger. More noticeable now than it had been a few weeks ago.
The parents all smiled.
"Alright, let's head back inside now. It's getting cold out here," Amy said, opening the sliding glass door.
After our little discussion, we had dinner. We talked a lot about Andy and I since nobody in Andy's family knew me too well. After dinner, I went and took nap in Andy's old room. I woke up to the Doom Song from Invader Zim. It was the default tone for when someone who's number I didn't have called. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but I answered anyway. As long as it wasn't a blocked or private number, I answered it.
"Hello?" I said into the phone, trying to sound like I hadn't just been woken up.
"Hi, is this Zandy?"
The voice sounded familiar, I just couldn't exactly place it.
"Um, this is she? May I ask who this is?"
The guy chuckled. "You really don't remember my voice?"
"Um, sorry no. I don't recognize this number either."
"I'll give a hint: Home Depot." Weird hint. I've only ever gone to Home Depot to get paint back when we had first moved in to our house.
"Uh, sorry, that doesn't really mean-" I stopped remembering something. The guy who wrote his number on my arm with a magically appearing black Expo marker. I had never asked why he had carried that around with him.
"Karsten?" I asked, a little surprised. I hadn't talked to him or even seen him since he told me he was gay. "Hey, I haven't talked to you in forever. How's it going?"
"I'm good, Zandy. How are you?"
"I'm good, really good," I said, smiling. I reached down and rubbed my stomach.
"That's good. I called because I need to talk to you about a few things."
"Okay, go ahead." I was a little apprehensive at this point. What the heck did he need to talk to me for?
"Alright, well, I'm not gay," h said suddenly.
I nearly dropped my phone. "What?" I asked a little loudly once I had my phone securely back in my hand.
"I'm not gay. Well, I was, but it was just a phase," he said nonchalantly.
"Okay, good for you, I guess. But what does this have to do with me? Did you want to apologize or something, because you did that when you told me you were gay."
"Well, yes and no."
"Continue," I ordered when he didn't offer another explanation.
"Yes, I wanted to apologize about springing that on you like that. But I also called to see if you'd go out with me again."
I almost busted up laughing, but I composed myself and kept a straight face...voice. Whatever.
"I'm sorry Karsten, but I'm gonna have to say no," I told him politely.
"What, why not?" He sounded taken aback, like I was out of my mind to say no.
"Because, I'm dating somebody else now, and, well, you could say we're in a committed relationship."
"May I know who he is?"
"His name is Andy, my best friend, the guy I live with, the lead singer of Black Veil Brides."
"What do you mean by 'committed'?"
I sighed, ready for this call to end. "I mean that I'm pregnant and he's the father. And, we're hoping to get married as soon as I turn eighteen." Okay, that last part was a lie, but he didn't need to know that.
It was silent on his end of the phone for a few seconds. "Can I at least see you, Zandy?"
I groaned. "Sure, why not?"
"Cool, do you still work at Hot Topic?"
"Yes," I answered shortly, ready to hang up.
"Okay, I'll stop by sometime."
"You do that," I mumbled.
"Bye Zandy."
"Bye Stalker," I murmured before ending the call.
{***********************************BVB*****************************************}
The rest of the weekend was spent between Amy and Chris's place and my mom's house. On Sunday evening we went to the airport to catch our flight. Jordan had left promptly after the party Friday evening. I'd have to talk to him when we got back into California.
I had told Andy about Karsten calling and saying he'd stop by my work sometime. Andy didn't really like that, obviously. I knew he had never really liked Karsten, especially after he had to pick me up at a restaurant when Karsten just upped and left.
The next morning we went to my check up. Like she said, Dr. Mather's daughter was there, sitting in the corner of the room, on her iPod touch, and adorning a BVB t-shirt.
I gasped slightly and turned Andy around so his back was to the girl, then I realized he had his leather jacket on, the one with the picture of all the guys on the back. I did a mental face/palm.
"She's gonna tell everyone that we're dating and that I'm pregnant. She's bound to have friends that she'll tell," I whispered to Andy.
He shrugged. "Let her tell them, the public and media are going to find out sometime. You can't really hide that fact that I have a new girlfriend and she's pregnant forever. It's just the way it works."
I growled. "Fine."
When I turned Andy back around and sat on the examining table, the girl looked up. She gasped as she saw Andy and then started looking between him and I. Her eyes widened as she saw what I was here for.
We went through the whole 'OMG you're Andy Six' thing. And then she moved on to the fact that we were dating and I was pregnant. Before we could get much further than that obvious fact, Sarah entered the room, smiling.
"Hello, Zandy, how have you been?" she greeted kindly.
"I've been great. Telling people was a bit of a hassle, but it's all good now," I told her. "Sarah, this is my boyfriend, Andy," I introduced.
"Hi, I'm Sarah, the sonogram tech," she greeted, shaking Andy's hand, who smiled in return.
"Okay, Zandy, this'll be a short one today. Just gotta check to make sure everything's developing properly," she informed me, turning out the lights and turning the machine on. "This is Elli, by the way, Dr. Mathers's daughter."
"We've been talking," I said with a smile.
We went through the routine of lifting my shirt up, putting the gel on and spreading the gel with the wand. Finally, Sarah pressed the wand down harder onto my stomach, making the image appear clearer. Andy wheeled his chair close to my laying position on the table. He wrapped his left hand in mine, his right hand brushing through my hair. He leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead. I noticed that the whole time Ellie was watching us, a bit of envy in her eyes. This girl had serious problems if she thought she even had a chance of getting with Andy. She was only fourteen.
"That's the baby's hands," Sarah said, pointing out little hand shaped blobs on the monitor. "And that," she said, moving to another part of my stomach, "is the baby's-" she cut herself off, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my," she whispered.
Both Andy and I were on high alert. "What?" I asked her, a bit panicked.
"I don't know how I hadn't seen this before," she said, mostly to herself.
"What, what's wrong?" I asked again.
She turned to me, smiling. "Nothing, except for my vision maybe, and skills at what I do," she said, her voice happy again.
"Then what is it?" Andy asked, his grip on my hand tightening a bit.
"You're gonna have twins," Ellie stated nonchalantly, glancing at the screen and then back down at her phone.
Sarah shook her head in disappointment. "A fourteen year old girl is better at my job than I am," she mumbled.
"Wait, so Ellie's telling the truth?" I asked.
Ellie's head snapped up. "Would I lie to you guys? BVB's my favorite band, I idolize Andy, and any girlfriend of his is a friend of mine. Plus, I wouldn't joke about this kind of stuff," she said. The kid had a good point.
"Ellie is telling the truth," Sarah nodded. "You guys are having twins. I was just amazed that I had missed that last time. I need to get my eyesight checked."
Andy and I looked at each other, smiling. The prospect of having two little babies around didn't scare me. I had to deal with my brother and sister before, and I had to put up with Skin and Bone now. This twin thing was not new to me. I was just happy I had healthy babies inside of me. I think, so was Andy.
"You ready for all this?" I asked Andy.
"Hell yeah," he whispered, kissing me softly.
We heard the sound of a camera on a phone going off. We pulled apart and looked at Ellie, who was smiling widely.
"Don't you dare put that on the Internet," we both warned her. She smiled up at us.
"No worries, a special picture like this is for my eyes only. I'm keeping this thing," she reassured. Somehow, it wasn't too reassuring.