Around & About

[jeffrey]

I nod in answer to her question. Nice shower? Nothing extraordinary about it, but it wasn't like I had fallen and busted my head open, or discovered some off growth on my body. "Syrups usually good for me." I say, taking three pancakes off the stack and pouring syrup over them. I got up to grab a fork and then sat back down, cutting into my pancakes. I roll my light green eyes as she said to scarf my food down- I was usually a fast eater anyway.
In about five minutes I was putting my plate in the sink. "Oh, you know, my parents said you could stay here, if you want. Didn't know if you'd want to pick up more clothes or something." I say, walking into the living room to grab my back pack. It might be awkward to have her here all the time, but it'd be better. I didn't know how to explain it.. maybe just to know she was okay all the time. "Now, come on, you said to be quick." I bark, poking her shoulder five times in rapid succession. A playful smirk tugs at my lips and I lean against the door jam of the kitchen, arms crossed over my chest.

[xcrisis]

I finished my food about a minute after Jeffrey. I placed my dishes in the sink, and wash up everything in the sink. I was halfway done with them when Jeffrey poked my shoulder five times. "Hold your horses. We have another ten minutes. I don't want to leave your mom with dishes in the sink." I had been thinking about his earlier comment. About his mom letting me stay here if I needed to. And I liked the idea. Sure it would be weird at first. But Jeffrey would be there if I needed him, and he would get to experience my pregnancy everyday, instead of during school. "I think I would like to stay here. My foster parents are probably going to kick me out anyway." I smiled and finished the dishes and walked over to where I had left my backpack. I grabbed it off the back of my chair and slipped my flip flops on. "Okay. I'm ready." I smiled and followed Jeffrey out the door. Poking him five times in the back, in revenge for earlier. I chuckled and hopped in his truck. I was dreading going home, but I had to face it sometime.

[jeffrey]

"I don't have horses." I argue, shaking my head and managing to keep a straight face. "Bye, mom!" I call as I open the door after slinging my back pack over my shoulder. She calls back from somewhere inside the house and I slap my arm backward playfully as Kali pokes my back. "What was that for?" I ask as if she were the one at fault. I open the door to my truck and climb in, putting my bag in the back seats before starting the truck. "Directions will be helpful." I say in advance before I pull away from the curb. I start down to the end of the street, stopping at the stop sign before fiddling with the radio, soon settling on a station that had a Led Zepplin song playing.

[xcrisis]

I grinned at Jeffrey and got comfortable on the seat. I sat my backpack at my feet and pulled my legs up to my chest. Resting my head on my knees. "Take a right at this stop sign, and then go straight for six blocks. Then take a left, and then a right when you hit a stop sign. My house is number twenty-seven." I smiled as a Led Zepplin song comes on the radio. "I love this song!" I start humming along with the lyrics as I let out a yawn. It's not a tired yawn, just a normal school day yawn.

When we finally get to my house, I get out of the car and walk inside. My foster dad is gone already, and my foster mom is asleep. Daisy is in daycare. I walk into my room and pack a suitcase full of clothes. I stick my laptop and my phone charger on top of my clothes, and then zipped up the bag. I grabbed a notepad and a pen, and wrote a not to my foster parents.

I'm moving out. I know i'm suppose to wait until i'm 16, but my birthday is in two weeks. I think I can leave a little early. I'll be back for the rest of my stuff and to explain everything sometimes next week.

Kal

I stuck the note on the bathroom mirror with a piece of tape(while I was in there I also grabbed my makeup, brush, and toothbrush), and carried my bag downstairs. "Okay, I have enough clothes for a week, so we'll have to come back when I run out. Now, lets go see how fast rumors can spread." I grin spread across my face, and I walked out the door.

[jeffrey]

I nod as Kali tells me the directions before exclaiming about how good the song was. "I love it." I agree, turning down the street. I count the blocks, tapping my fingers on the wheel in time with the beat of the song. I stop in front of Kali's house and decide to stay in- it's not like she'd need my help or anything. After she leaves I pull my phone out and go to my images. Should I delete them? It wouldn't be a bad idea, and I could always text around to get them back- though perhaps different ones.
Six in total. Not that many, right? I was pretty sure my friend Zack had eight, or something like that. But now I had zero. A clean slate, so to speak. I've since put my phone back in my bag and smile as Kali comes back. "Got everything?" I ask, taking the bag from her to put in in the back seats without waiting for an answer. I twist around to look out the back window as I pull out from the driveway before turning towards the school. I knew that Kathy had probably told, and we were both going to have Hell.

[xcrisis]

I had grabbed my Led Zepplin cd out of my room to surprise Jeffrey. I popped it in the cd player, and turned up the music. When the first song started, I started to sing along. I had an okay voice, my friends loved when I sing. So my voice just faded in with the music. The music helped keep me calm as we neared the school. I had a feeling the rumors would be bad.

And bad they were. Not as bad as I expected, but pretty bad. When we got to school, people would look at Jeffrey and I and whisper. But they said nothing to us. Which surprised me. I expected people to call me a whore, and to bag on Jeffrey about getting me pregnant. It was cool to whore around, but as soon as you get pregnant, or get someone pregnant, you were a whore on a whole different level.

I walked closer to Jeffrey, and followed him to his locker. I didn't want to be alone yet. Especially since I knew Kathy was somewhere nearby. I didn't feel like dealing with her. Especially since my face was bruising and swollen.

[jeffrey]

I shake my head in false exasperation as Kali puts a CD into the player to turn on a Led Zepplin song before beginning to sing along. She had a nice voice -not American Idol worthy- but it wasn't like my ears were about to start bleeding.
I pull into my usual parking place at school. I knew it wouldn't look good to be seen arriving together -start rumors about another fun night last night- but whatever. I get out after grabbing my bag and Kali attaches herself to my shoulder. I square my shoulders as I open the door for her: no reason to appear afraid. People turned to look and whispers began, but nothing was called out to either of us. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so maybe there was some hope.
Kali follows me to my locker and I quickly put in my bag after taking out my needed books and pencils. "Now your's." I say, nodding slightly. I knew Kathy was circling like a shark, waiting for me to leave Kali's side, and I was going to delay that meeting for as long as possible. We'd have to split for class soon enough, but I could still attempt to help out with the whole VS thing.

[xcrisis]

When Jeffrey finished at his locker, we made our way to mine. Which wasn't that far away. Just around the corner. So we were there within seconds. And what do you know. An innocent looking Kathy is standing at my locker. Just standing there, like the little stalker she is. "Well hi Kathy! Nice seeing you here. Not like you punched me in the face or anything." I said sarcastically as I twirled my lock. When my locker popped open, I grabbed my chemistry book and stuck it in my bag. That was the only book I needed until after lunch, so I had no reason to go to my locker.

I had chemistry first period, gym second, and journalism third. My fourth period was lunch. So the only class I had to worry about was gym. The booklet said exercise was okay in moderation, I just had to be careful. I couldn't overwork myself, and I couldn't fall or have something hit my stomach. Hopefully we were going to have an easy day.

I looked up at Jeffrey and then back at Kathy. "Why do you hate me so much? I didn't try to steal Jeffrey away from you. We spent thirty minutes together a month ago, and I just told him I was pregnant yesterday. He didn't know anything until lunch yesterday. And why in the hell did you punch me?"

[jeffrey]

I followed her to her locker, which wasn't too far away- just around the corner. I let a sigh escape me as I see Kathy leaning casually against the row of lockers, picking at her finger nails. I stand at Kali's shoulder as she goes into her locker, keeping a light green eyes on the brunette in case she thought it would be a good idea to punch Kali again- not going to happen on my watch.
Soon a crowd as formed, whispering to each other as they glanced from Kali to Kathy, to me, and back again. I mentally groan as Kali starts to ask questions. Did we have to go through this in public? Apparently.
"Why? You were sleeping with him, this morning." Kathy sneered, and a new chorus of whispers break out. Of course; she knew just how to get the right rumors to spread. "Anyway, couldn't you see he was with me? And thirty minutes? Jeffrey has much more endurance than that." she continues and I bite the inside of my lip. She was putting out that we'd slept together, but that was pretty much common knowledge by now- and she would quickly kill any hopeful rumors about her.
"I think you're jealous. See you're position endangered." I pipe up, my tone bland and thoughtful. She probably was- saw her piece of tail being taken away and Kathy wasn't going to have it.

[xcrisis]

I shook my head. Kathy was just digging her own grave. How would she explain being in Jeffrey's room at six thirty in the morning? That's the doing of a stalker. And at this point, that's what she is. "Look. I stayed over at his house and fell asleep on his bed. We didn't do anything. We had no reason to. Now please explain how you got in his room at 6:30 am this morning. I know his mom didn't let you in." I finished putting my things in my locker, and shut my locker. I slung my backpack on my back, and turned to face Kathy full on. I was ignoring Jeffrey. This was between me and Kathy now. He just happened to be the thing in between us. Sure, we weren't together, but he was the father of my baby. I wanted us to stay close. And if Kathy got what she wanted, we wouldn't even be talking.

[jeffrey]

I lean casually against the lockers, crossing my arms over my chest. Apparently Kali didn't want my input, so I'd just watch. It was getting pretty good, too. I raise my eyebrows as she asks what Kathy had been doing inside my house. That was a good question, I'd assumed my parents had let her in so that we could sort things out- only obviously it didn't exactly work out that way.
His mom did let me in. Kathy sputters, outrage on her face. I didn't know whether or not to believe it. I didn't think she would so as far as to, like, break into my house or anything- but hadn't people killed over love? Or a lover? So why not just sneak into my house? I make a face, squinting my light green eyes at Kathy, but hold my tongue. This was not my fight- but their's. I knew Kali probably wasn't fighting for me, in the sense that Kathy was, but instead mainly for my presence- so that our child would have a father figure.

[xcrisis]

She was starting to crack. Kathy hadn't anticipated me asking that in front of everyone. She didn't think I was that bold. "Actually, she didn't. When I went downstairs to make breakfast, she had just woken up. She had been walking out of her bedroom. And it seemed like you had been standing next to Jeffrey for quite some time. So again Kathy. How did you get into Jeffrey's room? Did you break in?" I sneered at her. I was having fun. Maybe I should have played with her sooner. She wasn't all that hard to crack. She was just one of those stupid little bitches that could give out, but couldn't take anything back.

[jeffrey]

I raise my eyebrows as Kali cuts into Kathy. I didn't know what to think. How would she get in? The doors were always locked- a window? Surely my mom had to have let her in, not knowing the drama that would result. I cast an uneasy glance at my feet, feeling people's gazes switch to me. Envy filled glances of the boys- two certain girls I'd gotten, how many more? And appraising ones of the girls- surely, if I had two known lovers, I couldn't be terrible in bed. I clear my throat, hoping to get Kali's attention. Kathy was currently staring down Kali, though she made no move to reply. Maybe silence would be for the best. "We need to get to class eventually, I'll walk you." I say in a low voice, looking up at her from under my fringe of sandy brown hair.

[xcrisis]

Obviously Kathy knew I had won, and didn't feel like dealing with the embarrassment of admitting it. I wouldn't push anymore. I knew the answer. Somehow she had gotten into Jeffrey's room. And I may be wrong. Jeffrey's mom might have let her in, but that didn't seem likely. And anyway, Jeffrey was wanting to leave. He seemed uncomfortable. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. Don't wanna be late. Have a nice day Kathy!" I chimed happily as I started walking down the hall. I could get use to being a bitch at times. "I needed that." I smiled and sighed. Jeffrey got his stress out this morning when he yelled at Kathy, and I needed that too. I guess Kathy just turned into our stress reliever. Ha.

[jeffrey]

I almost sigh in relief when Kali agrees that we should get to class- my awkwardness was probably palpable. I shoot Kathy a glance before I turn to follow, her gaze hard and unreadable. I knew I was going to have hell to pay for not coming to her defense- but what could I say to make being in my room any better? Nothing; I had no proof for either side.
I nod in agreement as Kali tells me that she'd needed that. Sometimes it was good just to get all your anger and annoyance out- probably especially when she was pregnant and with all the extra hormones already in her system. "Bye." I say as we reach her class, looking at my feet. "I'll, uh, see you in gym.. and lunch." I add.