I absolutely detested doctor's offices.
I hated the plastered on fake smiles of the typically overweight chatty women who worked at the front desk.
I hated the obnoxious, drooling, hyperactive children who inhabited the waiting rooms.
I hated the glares and curious looks my bump received from each person who were all, without one doubt, were filing me into the category of another statistic.
And I despised the nauseatingly peppy nurses.
I suppressed a groan as my name was called in that peppy manner, signifying it was my turn to follow the nurse down a series of endless hallways until we finally ended up in the exam room, temporarily halting the journey to weigh me. I cringed at the number. I'd gained a good five pounds since the beginning of my pregnancy. Damn, I hated the doctor. But Beck's lurking presence as he followed me and the irritating nurse seemed to calm me down a bit. His hands weren't on me, but just knowing he was there was somewhat of a comfort.
This was merely the second appointment with a consecutive doctor, and it wasn't even scheduled. My next true appointment wasn't set for about another three weeks, considering I'd only had one about a week and a half ago. But Beck was insistent upon meeting the doctor who would be taking care of me for the remainder of my pregnancy. So he drug me here, and I complied with a heep of sarcastic comments, threats, and groans, but complied, nonetheless.
We were led back to the bright white exam room and I propped myself up on the sterile paper covered table, before the nurse took my blood pressure, eyeing my colored hair extensions with careful eyes, causing me to roll mine.
I noticed as she frowned down at the results. "You're blood pressures a little high, honey. Under a lot of stress?"
I grimaced. I hated when people refered to me as "honey." I wasn't her honey and the term was so damn demeaning. "Mm, kinda." I replied, becoming disinterested quickly, and averted my gaze down to pick at my chipped black nail polish.
Beck had taken a seat in the chairs arranged parallel to the exam table. He frowned in my direction. "It's not too high, is it?" His tone radiating concern.
She shook her head. "Not alarmingly. But high stress levels can distress your baby. It could affect his or health and development. So just try to take it easy." She ran a hand along my bare arm. My head quickly whipped to her direction. I scowled at her and ripped my arm away from her grasp. "K, I'll try." I nearly growled, and directed my gaze back to the puke green carpet.
And with that, she murmured a "Your doctor will be in shortly" and exited the room.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Beck placing his head in his palms and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Must you insist on being rude to everyone?" He groaned out, keeping his face hidden from me.
Rather than assembling a snappy comeback, I sat in silence and pondered Beck's question. The answer was no. I did not insist on acting rude towards everyone. Only over-excited bitch nurses who refered to me as 'honey', judged my hair, and told me what to do.
Since our temporary two sided surrender following his asshole parents practically disowning him, we'd attempted to continue playing nice. But eventually, one would so something that was irritating to the other and another battle would commence. My raging hormones and the extreme amount of stress we were both under didn't seem to create the accurate environment for one to 'try to take it easy'.
I jolted my head back up as the door opened abruptly. Dr. Roberts entered, flashing an inviting smile. She was a woman of her mid-forties, with brown hair that cascaded past her shoulders, and friendly blue irises."Hello, Jade. Nice to see you again. Didn't expect it to be so soon, but still nice." I made an attempt to smile back, primarily to prove Beck wrong, and murmured a soft "You too." But I didn't truly have to fake it. I actually liked Dr. Roberts. She was laid back, and friendly in a not at all nauseating manner. Plus, she allowed me to have caffeine.
"Is this the father?" She asked , gesturing to Beck. He immediately arose from her sitting position and extended a hand out towards the doctor. "Hi, yes. I'm Beck Oliver." He smiled a dazzling smile, and ran his free hand through his hair. I smirked. For some reason, seeing Beck feel nervous amused me. He was always so confident and sure of himself. It was rather refreshing to see him so rarely unsure.
"So," Dr. Roberts said, inching away from Beck and the pleasantries. She wheeled a somewhat familiar machine towards me, moving a million miles a minute. "Last time, your kid was being a little shy." She noted, a smile playing at her painted pink lips. "If I'm able to detect it, would you like to know the sex of your baby?"
Before I could eagerly nod, Beck spoke up, "Oh, no, no, no." I shot him a deathly glare. "Jade, don't you think it would be so much more special if we were surprised?"
"I think getting knocked up at seventeen years old is enough surprise for one lifetime, thank you very much." I rebutted.
I could detect Dr. Robert's amusement in the situation by her facial expression. "Alright," She said, clapping her hands together, and moving across the room to shut the lights off. "Why don't you lie back, we can get started, and if the sex is evident, and you still want to know, perhaps Beck could leave the room while I tell you." I complied, and laid back, pulling up the hem of my non-hoodie shirt slightly, feeling uncomfortably exposed right away.
She rolled it up several more inches, and I frowned at my belly. "This may be cold," she warned, as she began to rub the gel across my bare stomach. I shivered and suddenly Beck was at my side, pulling a chair over and taking my hand in his.
A fuzzy picture appeared on the screen and the three of us gazed at it. It wasn't the first time I'd seen my baby, but it was Beck's, apart from the sonogram picture I had showed him. "Look," he whispered, and although I was focused on the screen, I could have sworn I heard a smile in his voice. "That's our baby."
And I couldn't fight my joy any longer. I smiled and my breathing shallowed, as I admired the image. I felt my heartbeat increase. "Yeah," I replied softly, remaining in awe.
I peered at Dr. Roberts, who was studying the large black and white screen. "Can you tell?" I asked, and a smile spread across her face at the question.
"Yes," and she nodded. "Do you want to know?"
Biting down on my lip, I then turned my attention to Beck. He continued to stare at the image displayed on the screen, grinning from ear to ear. He brought my hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on my palm. I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "No. I want it to be a surprise."
The drive home was adequately silent. I held the latest sonogram picture Dr. Roberts had printed out for me, and gazed back and forth from out the window to the photograph, leaning forward every few minutes to switch the station when a shit song came on the radio, which, in this day and age, was often. Beck drove quietly, traveling at a speed too slow for my liking, but I refrained from protesting his legal speed. We were both obviously in decent moods, and I didn't want to ruin it with my constant griping. Even though no one in rush hour Los Angeles should ever drive this slow.
As I was watching the road lines blur away at our speed, I suddenly felt an odd sensation within my stomach. It began as a subtle fluttering, and continued what felt like a muscle I didn't know I obtained twitching, without my permission. I jumped, taken aback, by the my internal movement. "Beck! Beck!" I shouted, and he jolted towards me, alarmed, nearly swerving into the other lane and upcoming traffic. He gained control of the roll just in time, and successfully avoided crashing, much to my jolting heart rate's appeasement.
"What is it?! What's wrong?" He asked, jolting his gaze from me to the road, concern filling his voice.
"Nothing, Beck. Nothing's wrong." I assured him, before yanking a hand from the steering wheel and placing it on my stomach. "He's kicking! The baby's kicking." I smiled, positioning myself so that I was facing him.
I watched a smile spread across his face, but he kept his eyes on the road, cautiously watching so that we didn't get into another almost-wreck. "Oh my God. I can feel it," he whispered, and then his smile suddenly faded. "Did you..." His voice faltered, and he looked at me for a moment. "Did you say he?" He asked, his tone suspicious, as he directed his gaze to the road once more.
Taken aback by his question, I thought for a moment, and realized that I had. Where the hell did that come from? I didn't even realize I thought of my baby as a "he." But as I pondered the thought for a moment more, I realized that this baby felt like a little boy. A little boy with Beck's fluffy hair, and friendly eyes. I couldn't help but allow my smile to spread wider. "Yeah, I... I guess I did." I admitted.
I watched a crease appear between his eyebrows. "You know. How do you know?! You said you wanted it to be a surprise!" He exclaimed, outraged.
I rolled my eyes at his accusation. "Beck." I countered, my tone stern. "I don't know. I just think the baby's going to be a boy."
Beck continued to frown, and didn't speak for a moment. He didn't believe me. "Beck." I said again, louder this time. "I want it to be a surprise, just like you." Lowering my hand onto where his hovered over my belly, I interlaced our fingers, hoping to reassure him. And sure enough, I earned myself another smile from Beck.
"I think it's going to be a girl."
"What?"
We were lounging in the R.V., me sprawled out wildly across his bed, and Beck setting indian style, his legs crossed on the ground, as we watched television. We were watching Full House, big surprise. When Beck first made his attempt at introducing me to the sitcom, I was hesitant. But, although I would never admit it to a soul, I'd come to enjoy it quite a bit. Cheesy as hell, and far too "problem of the week" to be considered my taste, but still, a quality show. And who the hell doesn't love the Olsen twins? Well, excerpting the present, in which they consist of skin and bones and sport an attire of hobo chiq. We were half way through an episode when I felt my eyelids grow heavy. Not able to support their weight any longer, I allowed them to shut. I had been drifting off to sleep, when I heard Beck's sudden confession.
"I think we're going to have a girl," he repeated for me, and I heard a smile in his voice.
I rolled over and peered down at him, with a lazy shake of my head. "Okay, Beck. This opinion means so much, considering the baby is obviously inside of YOU." I taunted, sarcastically, flashing a smirk in his direction.
"I'm serious. I know I don't have 'maternal instinct'" he rose up both hands and practiced air quotes. "or whatever, but as HER father, I'm telling you. We're gonna have a little girl."
"Alright." I countered. "If you're so sure we're gonna have a girl, tell me, Beckett," I stressed his name out as if it were venomous, for infesis, my tone condescending. "What's 'daddy's little girl's name going to be?" I used air quotes this time, mimicking him.
He sat in faux thought for a minute, and then dorkily acended his finger into the air. "How about Ashley?" he flaunted a smug grin.
I dramatically gagged. "Uh, how 'bout no?"
"Mary-Kate?"
"We are not naming our child after an Olsen!" I bellowed, in response, exasperated.
He gazed up, and stuck his tongue out at me, childishly. I tugged on it, causing him to frown.
When I released him, he propped himself up and joined me on the bed. I didn't bother re-situating my position to make room for him. He lifted my leg to move it, and I thrusted it forward, kicking him in the ribs. But he regained his grip on my leg, with a chuckle, and threw it on the bed, claiming a seat in its place. "Jade," he laughed, as I regrouped and jabbed him once more, my bare feet serving as weapons. "Calm down." He breathed, attempting to wrastle me, clearly amused. And soon, he had me pinned down, and we became drunk on our own laugher. I had no recollection of time for a moment, getting lost in the slits that were his brown eyes post fit of laughter.
But as we both sobered and sat up, our hands dropped to our sides, and a stiff burst of humorlessness invaded the air. I leaned against the bed frame, and acquired several deep breaths, recovering from the uproar of uncharacteristic (on my part) giddiness that had just permeated the room. Beck kept a fixed stare on me, surveying my expression. He beamed, and threw his head back. "I haven't seen you laugh like that in so long," He mumbled.
I laughed with irony, and a hint of sadness in my short cackle, because I couldn't remember the last time I had.
The following day, Cat and I went to the mall. I was grateful we'd arranged this. I hadn't gotten to see Cat on an extravagance of occurences lately. Of course, one needed to take her in doses. Although, she was my best friend, she's also Cat. Which means utterly eccentric, loud, and mind-numbingly clueless, at times, with a blissful, irritating, child-like personality. But I'd be lying if I said I would wish her to be any other way.
It was also nearing the Christmas season. Safe to say, considering prior events, I wouldn't be spending the time with my or Beck's family. I didn't annually spend the holidays with my parents, though. Typically, Beck's family would invite me to celebrate with them, most likely after Beck convincing them, attempting to make me feel wanted by SOME family, since certainly my presence wouldn't be desired by my own. But this year, I'm assuming we're gonna be proclaiming the supposedly joyous holiday solo. But the fact that I wouldn't be fully on my lonesome gave me hope.
Since I was accustomed to accompanying Beck to holiday festivities, and my mother had been on a prolonged business trip, I'd spent Thanksgiving alone this year. It was a dreadful day, but of course it couldn't out-suck the time my father called the police on me on Thanksgiving. Cat requested I joined her family, but I was unsure if I could stomach her brother's holiday meat, so I (somewhat) politely declined. Later in the night, the petite redhead appeared at my empty house, with a dish of warm mashed potatoes, my favored cuisine of cliché fall and winter foods.
"I want to get Beck something special, but not weirdly special." I whined, shifting through a rack of flannel shirts at Zumiez. Although one may argue all variants of plaid or basically identical, they would be wrong. This shit was some disatisfying material, scene kid garb, all of it. Pitiful.
Cat peeked into a pile of t-shirts, examining each one. She gazed over and smiled a knowing smile at me. "Why don't you guys just get back together already?!" She nearly shouted through the store, and I glowered at her, my cheeks flaming.
"Be-fucking-cause." I answered just as loud, earning several stares from the inhabitants of the store. I glared back at them, daring them to question a pregnant woman. I was starting to become slightly more comfortable sporting my protruding belly in stomach, but I still felt strangers' judging eyes on me wherever I went.
Cat let out a squeak and hid from me behind a rack of shirts, momentarily.
"Come on," I sighed, and pivoted the opposite direction to flee the store, my synthetic redhead best friend hot on my heels.
We began browsing through the various array of stores lining the shopping mall. Cat struggled to keep my pace, as I darted from store to store in search of the perfect, yet casual gift for my baby daddy ex boyfriend. Why did this have to be so complicated?
"What should I get Robbie?" Cat suddenly asked.
I shrugged, giving her a bland shrug, as if that was all I could afford to put forth into this conversation, which it was.
"Seriously!" She shrieked, a large crease appearing between her eyebrows. She gazed up at me with her wide dark brown eyes, that twinkled in the dim florescent lighting of the mall. She tugged at my sleeve. "Jadey! Help me!"
"Off, Cat." I grumbled, and she recoiled her hands quickly. "Just get him something weird. He'll love it."
I had somehow wandered into the food court, my stomach expressing demands of hunger for all to hear. We filed into the line of soft pretzels, and I groaned at the large line up of people who were ahead of me.
Cat continued to rant and whine. I had begun to tune her out, and I believe she noticed my ignoring her, because her high-pitched voice arose an octave. "Jadey! Please!" She panted, inching closer to me, but kept her hands off of me this time. I internally applauded her small amount of wit. I detested touching. She knew that. "It has to be something special."
A loud groan escaped my mouth, and as the line began to shorten, I moved forward on cue, Cat in tow. "Why does it have to be so damn special, huh?" I questioned, my irritation growing. My patience was typically abbreviated, but as my hormones grew increasingly worse, as did my temper.
Biting down on her lip, Cat averted my gaze. I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she hiding. "What's going on?" I asked, abruptly. She just shook her head, and refused to meet my glance. "Cat." I warned, my tone resembling one of a mother's when she was on the verge of counting to three.
She looked back up at me with those damn pleading eyes and I narrowed mine at her. "Okay!" she squealed, as we neared the front of the line. "Robbie and I kissed."
I practically choked on my tongue. "What?!" I demanded, as the pubescent boy with a skin problem working the Auntie Anne's countertop attempted to take my order. I raised my index finger at him, signifying him to wait. God damn, I was quite motherly today.
Cat rocked back and forth with clear anxiousness. "Yeah, last week." she said, her usual abbrasiveness faltering. I rolled my eyes at her, and requested that she hold on, as I ordered two cinnamon pretzels.
Once we'd attained our snack and journeyed to a nearby table accustomed for a pair, I demanded answers from her. "What happened?"
She finished chewing and flicked cinnamon sugar from her fingers, before gazing back at me, with an innocent expression and a shrug. "What. Happened." I repeated, attempting to withhold my composure, for surrounding mallrats sake. That peppy nurses voice suddenly sounded in my head, reminding me to take it easy, to keep my stress levels down. I drew in a deep breath.
She shrugged again. "I don't know, Jade! He just kissed me."
"But you wanted him to kiss you, right?" I confirmed, wondering absent mindedly if I needed to beat the shit out of a certain nerd.
Cat blushed a shade equivalent to her hair color. "Yeah, I mean... I guess." And then she giggled. She fucking giggled. The girl had it bad. I sighed.
"So, what? Are you two gonna get together?" I attempted to smile at her, but it probably resembled something more like a grimace. Sometimes I desired to be girlier- like those cliche gal-pals in the movie that ranted and raved over boys, who squealed when something exciting happened to their friend, who were overly supportive, and hosted events like girls nights, and kept no secrets. But I just wasn't up for that shit.
"No," she admitted, and gazed down at her pretzel that she'd suddenly forgotten about. I shoved a chunk in my mouth.
"Do you want to be together?" I tried, knowing that with Cat, it sometimes required to ask the clever questions to withdraw answers from her.
But I supposed this wasn't the case. Because she simply shrugged again, with a quiet grin, and I thought better of reprimanding her. Instead, I looked her square in the eye, and wondered out loud, "Why didn't you tell me?"
She swallowed, and frowned at me. "I don't know." She answered, her frown increasing. "You were just busy with the baby stuff. I didn't want to bother you." Her face fell, and she resembled so much of a child. Her expression broke my heart.
"Cat," I sighed, my tone growing soft. "You know you can always tell me anything." I leaned forward and placed a hand on her small one. "No matter what's going on with me, nothing that's important to you will ever bother me." And she smiled a bright smile. "I'll always be there for you," I assured her.
She practically leapt across the table, pulling me into a tight tackle hug. I practically had to pry her off my body, but I allowed it for several moments, stifling a smile. We finished our pretzels and discarded the wrapping before continuing our shopping trip.
Cat arose her right hand into the air dramatically. "Now!" She announced, her voice deepening for effect, "To find the perfect gift for our men!" I rolled my eyes, but followed her regardless.
Extra long chapter for you guys today.
Also, in your reviews, you can start guessing if you think Beck or Jade is right about the gender and also start suggesting names.
Please leave me a review telling me your opinion on the story AND who you think is right/a name.
Thanks. You guys are the best.
