A/N: This idea just popped into my head and I just had to write it out cause it wouldn't leave my head and I couldn't concentrate on writing my other story. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed thinking of it and writing it out.
I was sitting in my third period class, waiting not so patiently for the bell to ring. My next class was Child Development. I had to say that I was enjoying myself. I made a couple new friends and was pleasantly surprised to see a few guys in it. Who knew the subject of child development was important to some men. I laughed to myself. I wondered what Eli would do in a class like this, and how he would react to the project that we were forced to complete this weekend. In my head I was laughing hysterically. I could not picture Eli doing anything related to kids, with his black clothes, love for screamo music and his beloved hearse Morty. Breaking me out of my thoughts, I heard the sound that freed me to leave this horrendous class called French 101.
I briskly walked to my locker, put in the combination and emptied my books into the locker. Just as I was shutting it closed, I saw someone walk up to me and leaned against the wall of lockers.
"Hey Blue Eyes, how was class?" He smirked at his newfound nickname for me.
"It was fine, but I'm kind of in a hurry. I'll see you later." I made it down the hallway towards my class and entered the room. There were fake babies lining the windows with each of our names attached to one.
"Mrs. Goff, do we take our baby yet or are we waiting?" I asked the quirky teacher that sat at her desk in the corner.
"Not yet Clare, I still have to go over the directions on how to work them and the rubric for the project and then get on with the lecture for today's class. It's going to be a busy day, so why don't you just sit down and wait for everyone else to come." She smiled at me. I nodded and headed towards the rug on the floor. She always had us sit on the floor in a circle to channel our 'inner child'.
Other students filed into the classroom, seeming to ask the same question that I did upon my arrival. As soon as the bell rang, Mrs. Goff went right into explaining how the baby worked. There were different keys that you inserted into the baby's back whenever it cried.
"And then there is this one," she showed us one that was red and marked "PANIC", "this is only to be used when all other techniques have failed. Only use it as a last resort, and I hope to only see one 'Panic' on the chart that I will pass out to you at the end of class. If there are more than two then that is when I will be deducting points." She then went over the rubric for the project and then begun the lecture on Bronfenbrenner's theory. I was starting to get nervous about this project. At first, I was a little excited, just to see what it would be like to be a 'mom' for a weekend. I knew it would be hard, but I was pretty confident that I could handle it.
At the end of class, we all filed into a line to pick up our designated baby. We each got a bag with some clothes in it, the keys and our charts. I ended up getting a girl with black hair. I exited the classroom holding my backpack, the baby's bag and the baby. I wondered how I was going to carry everything home. I opened the doors of the school and started walking down the sidewalk, when I felt someone touch my shoulder. I turned around only to be met with beautiful green eyes. I admit, I liked Eli. To me, he was more than an English partner, he was a friend. But I wanted so badly to be more than that. But what are the odds of him feeling the same way about me. Not good.
"You do know that staring is rude, right?" He smirked. What was with that smirk?
"Oh, uh, sorry." I blushed and looked down at the ground. After a couple seconds I decided to be brave and look up. I noticed that he was staring at the baby in my arms.
"Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls, Edwards?" He laughed. I glared.
"It's for my Child Development class." As soon as I finished my sentence, the baby started crying.
"Oh no, not here." I shoved the bags into Eli's arms and started rocking the baby, when that didn't work, I tried the 'feed me' key and that didn't work. I was starting to get all flustered because so many people were staring at me.
"Here, give her to me." Eli dropped everything on to the ground and held out his arms. I cautiously gave the baby to him, and she immediately stopped crying.
"Huh. Well would you look at that. The fake baby likes me." I scowled at him while he just gave me his signature smirk. But knowing that he got the baby to stop crying made something inside me tingle.
"Can I have my baby back now?"
"Sure, but if she starts crying again then I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have a heart attack." He carefully put the baby in my arms and asked if I wanted a ride home, which I graciously accepted. He opened the door for me and threw all the bags into the back of Morty and then went around to the other side and got in.
"So Blue Eyes, what are your plans for this weekend?"
"Are you seriously asking me that?" He looked over at me quickly.
"What? Many single mothers lead a normal life. I'm sure you could do it too." I had to laugh at that. He always had some sort of sarcastic comeback. No matter how much it annoyed me, I still absolutely loved it.
"That may be the case, but I'm just gonna stay home. Prepare for a movie marathon weekend." I smiled at him as we pulled up to my house.
"Do you want any company?" He asked while helping me out of the hearse.
"No, I'm good. But I'll give you a call if I change my mind." I walked to the front door, unlocked it and started to head inside before Eli's voice sounded behind me.
"I'm gonna hold you to that Edwards." He smirked and drove away. He left me there on my front steps smiling like an idiot. After I snapped out of it, I headed inside only to find the house empty and a note attached to the TV.
Clare,
Dad is staying at a hotel for the weekend and I decided to stay at a friend's house. Don't worry sweetie, things will get back to the way they used to be before you know it.
Money is on the kitchen counter, if you need anything just call.
I love you,
Mom
Wonderful, I thought, as I threw the note into the trash and then sat the baby on the couch. I curled myself into a ball next to it and turned on the TV, and tried to find something worth watching when the baby started crying again.
"Ok, ok. It's ok, just hold on." I said as I rummaged in the bag for the keys. I put in the 'feed me' key and on the first try she stopped crying.
"Success." I sang. I was proud of myself. Looks like I don't need Eli after all, I thought to myself as I wrote down that I used the 'feed me' key at 3:21 pm. Maybe this would turn out to be a pretty easy weekend.
At 5:45 pm, I wrote down that the 'change me' key had been used, and then went on to make myself some dinner. I ate in peace and went back into the living room and started watching some movies. I put in A Walk to Remember, one of my favorite movies.
When the movie was finishing it was around 7 and I had tears streaming down my face. It was just such a sad movie. That's when the baby started crying again. 'Feed me' 'change me' 'love me', I went down the list but she still wasn't letting up.
"Oh crap." I looked at the dreaded 'panic' key but quickly went back to try the other keys. Finally the 'love me' key worked, so I logged that onto my chart and all was well for another couple of hours.
It wasn't until 10:30 when all hell broke loose. I finally had to break down and use the 'panic' key. Then it seemed as though every hour, on the hour, she would start crying. I tried to fall asleep but it just wasn't working, she would always wake me up. At least I didn't have to use the 'panic' key again, so my grade wouldn't suffer; only I would.
At four in the morning was when I was starting to lose it. From the lack of sleep the night before because of my parents fighting combined with no sleep tonight was finally catching up to me. I felt my emotions starting to spike. Every little thing was setting me off. I either started crying or started yelling at the fake baby.
Finally at five, I had an idea. I wasn't too happy about it, but I knew it had to be done. I reached for the phone and called the one person I knew would come over at five in the morning.
"Clare, are you ok?" I heard his voice, still groggy from me waking him up.
"It won't stop crying!" I screamed, half cried into the phone.
"She, Clare. She."
"I don't care! I need help. I'm all alone, I haven't gotten any sleep in two days. I am losing it!"
"Alright Edwards, if you wanted me to come over that bad, all you had to do was ask." I practically growled at him in response.
"I'm leaving right now. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Just try and hang in there." He chuckled.
I still couldn't believe that I called him for help over a fake baby. I'm clearly insane and he just might be too for actually coming. I opened up my window to the balcony, letting him know to come on up and then I lay back down on my bed. I remember hearing him come through the window and then the baby starting to cry but I drifted off into a deep sleep.
When I awoke, I felt something warm surrounding me. I looked up and found Eli with his arms wrapped around me. I stiffened at the contact but immediately relaxed when I thought that I have been wanting this for so long, so I enjoyed it for a little bit longer.
"Good morning." I jerked my head up, to find him staring at me. I think he just realized our situation cause he quickly removed his arms from around my waist.
"Sorry about that." He sat up and I followed suit.
"Umm, yeah. It's ok." I said while scratching my head, wondering what on Earth just happened.
"How did you get it to stop crying?"
"Seriously, Clare. She. Not it. She." He smirked.
"Fine. How did you get her to stop crying?" I looked down to find the baby in his lap.
"I don't know. I guess she just likes me better than you." Ouch. I glared at him and started to get up.
"Clare, I'm sorry." I turned around to find him right in front of me.
"No, you're right. It hates me. I am going to be a horrible mother." I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. Why am I getting so worked up over a fake baby?
"Clare, come on. It's just a fake baby. This has nothing to do with whether you're going to be a good mother or not."
"I know, I'm sorry. You probably think I'm an idiot, getting emotional over a stupid fake baby. It's just I've been so overwhelmed lately with Dary not being able to come home and my parents fighting and y…other stuff." I almost started to say that he was part of my problem too. Before I could say anything, he pulled me into a hug.
"Why didn't you tell me things were still rough between your parents? I could've helped." He soothingly rubbed my back.
"I don't know, I hate to burden people with my problems."
"Clare you would never be a burden to me." I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were filled with sincerity. I smiled.
"Are you sure?" He laughed and pulled away.
"Am I sure? Of course I'm sure." I laughed at him and tried to smack him but I guess he foresaw my motive and grabbed my wrist. We stood there looking at each other. Ever so slowly he started to move closer to me until our lips touched. The kiss was filled with passion and uncertainty. He brushed his tongue over my bottom lip, the urgency of the kiss getting stronger. I wrapped my arms around his neck while his hands found my waist. Things were starting to get heated when I heard the baby start to cry. We quickly pulled away.
"You have got to be kidding me." I said through clenched teeth as I looked at the baby.
A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked it. If it weren't for my 10th grade Child Development teacher, Mrs. Goff, then my major wouldn't be Early Childhood Education and this story wouldn't have been created. This little oneshot is dedicated to her.