26 June 2012
-CHARLIE- As I sat out on my balcony with Mollie, sipping at lemonades, my phone suddenly rang. "Excuse me" I said, as I saw who it was calling. I went inside, and sat down on my bed, closing the doors behind me. "Nate!" I exclaimed. "What's going on?" "Mate, I've got the best news for you ever. You know T and I were talking about children? Well... Oh my god Charlie, I'm going to be a dad!" Nate said, sounding absolutely over the moon. "Oh my god! Nate! That's amazing!" I said, trying my hardest to match my enthusiasm. "Come over now, don't tell Mollie, but we want to tell you both in person. Oh my god, I'm ecstatic!" "I can tell mate, we'll be over soon" I said, hanging up the phone. What on earth is going on? Everyone knew that the two of them had been in love for years, but they'd only been together for a few months. I couldn't help but feel that this step was one too many for them. "Mollie, we've got to go round to Nate's, they've got some news" I said, stepping back out onto the balcony. "She's pregnant?" Mollie replied, looking up from her laptop's screen. "What? How did you find out?" I replied, coming over to read what was on her screen. The big headline at the top of the page said "Pregnant at 17? How can the Hampton's sweetheart be doing such naughty things?" and just below, in a smaller font was the author's name: Victoria Batkin. "Oh god..." I said, rushing out of the house and pulling Mollie after me "We need to tell them" I said, starting up the engine and speeding all the way to their house.
-NATE- "I love you so much baby" I said as I came back into the bedroom after speaking briefly with Charlie. "I said you'd make me the happiest man alive, and I was right". I stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her hips as I always did, but this time I knew I wasn't just holding her, but our child too. "Yep, you were right" she replied, slightly half heartedly. "Baby, what's wrong?" I said, moving my body round so I could face her "I thought you wanted this?" "Yes, yes of course I do. I just don't know if I want it so soon, that's all" she replied and my heart sank a little. "I haven't even finished school yet, let alone got into Columbia like my dad wants. I just can't help but feel that this is the end of this life; like I'll have to start a new one" "A new one with me, I'll support you, you know I will" "I'm not worried about being supported, I know that even if you deserted me that I'd be fine financially. I just won't get to experience the same things as I would have that's all" "What like?" I said, growing more and more desperate. "Like college. Like getting a job for the first time. Like taking over my father's business empire. Like getting married." "We can still get married?" "No we can't, it'll feel forced. Like we're only getting married for the child's sake. I don't want it to be like that, I want it to be about how much you love me, and the prospect of an uncertain future, where the only predictable feature is us being together" "Marry me now then, before anyone finds out, just pretend this conversation never happened" I said, reversing out of the room. As I walked back in I began to speak: "So, I've just walked back in, I wrap my arms around your waist, I turn around to face you and I do this" I said, as I knelt down on one knee. "Will you marry me? Not because of that gorgeous child inside you, but because I've never been so in love; because I've never been more serious about anyone in my whole entire life; because the thought of a future without you is too depressing to even consider". I looked up at her expectantly, at her blank face. "Baby?" I asked, looking up into her unreadable eyes. "I'm sorry, I need some air" she said, making her way towards the door in a light jog, down the stairs and out of the door. She left me waiting on one knee, by the large window, so the whole street could see. My heart sank down to the floor, and so did I. Five minutes ago, I had a child and a girlfriend who I was hoping to call my wife. Now I wasn't sure what I had, apart from the pregnancy test, which hadn't left my hands all morning, providing the only hope I had.
-CHARLIE- I was on my way up the stairs with Mollie when I heard Tiffany say she needed some air. A few seconds later, she came hurrying past, and she looked the two of us once, before burying her head down and starting to cry. She grabbed Mollie by the hand and lead her out of the front door, leaving me stranded in the middle of the staircase. I continued up, dodging the creaky stair, and turned the corner until I reached Nate's room. I knocked gently on the door and pushed it open. "I hope you don't mind, we let ourselves in" I said, finally plucking up the courage to say something to my best friend. He was now sat on the floor, one leg bent upwards, as though he'd just been down on one knee. He was leaning against the large window, and he had his head fixed on something in his lap. "What's happened?" I said, sitting down next to Nate against the window. "She's pregnant, you know that." he said, just as I realised it was the positive pregnancy test that was in his lap. "But I feel like she's getting cold feet about it. And just now she explained why, and I understand most of them, but she said she wouldn't ever be able to get married because it would feel like we were only doing it because of the child" "I understand that, don't you?" I said, trying to be as supportive as I could. "Yes, of course I do. That's why I just asked her to marry me" "You what?" I asked, now suddenly realising why Tiffany had run off looking so upset. "I got down on one knee, and asked her to marry me. And that's when she left. What have I done Charlie?" "Nate, it's alright. If you'd found out you were pregnant and then to be engaged as well you'd probably be a little overwhelmed too" I said "Just give her time. It probably wasn't the best idea ever, but you've shown her that you love her. Maybe try and plan things a little beforehand? Being spontaneous is great in a relationship, but when it comes to marriage, girls take it really seriously" "I'm taking it seriously too. I just want to be with her so badly, I can't stand just being her boyfriend anymore, I really can't" "I know that now probably isn't the best time to show you this, but you should probably see this" I said, pulling out my phone and bringing up the blog post about the pregnancy. After a few moments of reading, Nate stood up and started looking around the room. "What are you doing?" I said, standing up too. "There has to be a bug in here or something, we haven't told anyone other than you" Then he yanked at something and pulled out a small microphone from behind the bedside cabinet. His face sank, and he punched the wall, crushing the microphone and distracting his heart from worrying about Tiffany by causing himself pain. "Wow wow wow, come on" I said, pulling him away from the wall. "Where is she?" "Who?" I asked "The author of that post. Victoria needs her bug back" he said, holding the crushed microphone by a single thread of cord. "Don't do anything stupid" I said, forcing Nate to sit down, but the red mist had descended over him, and he was now livid. "She's ruined my relationship with Tiffany, ruined her name, and if her mother sees this then she's ruined Tiffany's relationship with her family too. I promised I'd protect her and I'm going to" "Don't go too far though, you've got a baby to think about now" "Victoria's already polluted that too, I've got nothing holding me back anymore"
Love You Too: PART TWENTY SEVEN • Opuss № I