A/n: Wow, this chapter is... Not good! Thanks to those of you who reviewed the story and told me what's up. Very cool. And to those of you who are reading and not reviewing, yea, thanks and all, but reviewing benefits everybody. Just so ya know ;) J/k. But yea. Thanks. Sorry this chapter sucks, it's a little rushed. Setting up for next chapter.

"He did what?" Brianna gasped, jerking her head towards Katie, and causing her lit cigarette to fall out of her mouth.

"He asked me to marry him," Katie repeated, still un-able to believe it herself. She pulled up into the driveway of their house.

"Are you--- oh haha you gotta be shitting me," Brianna clearly didn't believe it either. She was still looking for the cancer stick until she felt something burning the bottom of the thigh. She picked her leg up and sure enough there it was. Katie laughed, shaking her head.

"I shit you not."

"Why would he do that?" Bri was in shock. As I mentioned before, she had a little thing for Freddy. It was bad enough that her sister was having his baby, but now he wanted to get married to her? I can't win, she told herself in sadness.

"He didn't mean to, he was just wasted," Katie explained.

"Oh... How much did he drink, a barrel?" Brianna guessed, following her sister up to the front door.

Katie laughed again. "More like an entire football stadium's worth."

The 15 year old hesitated before she asked her next question. Her mind was filling up with questions, most of which she wouldn't dare asking. She knew her little crush on Freddy wasn't going to be anything, she knew it was by far impossible. But he was just so damn hot she couldn't help it.

"So... What'd you say?" she finally forced herself to ask.

Katie rolled her eyes at the memory of the previous night. You were so stupid, she reminded herself in vain.

: flashback :
Freddy sat on one knee in front of her, staring up at her with a look that said he really didn't know what was going on. Katie contemplated the situation. She knew it was just the alcohol talking, and that he didn't really mean it, but she also knew this was a once in a lifetime thing. Even at such a young age, it seemed like the right thing to do. She'd been in love with the guy for as long as she could remember. It was Freddy Jones for crying out loud! Her head screamed yes, her instincts screamed yes, and her heart screamed oh hell yes. So, she thought, why not let my mouth scream the same. Uh, yea you know what I mean.

"Freddy I... I... I don't... Are you serious?" she finally spoke.

"Katie, I don't think I've ever been this serious," he replied. (though what he really should've said was 'I don't think I've ever been this drunk'.) "So... Will you?" he urged.

Katie's heart stopped. I can't believe I'm doing this, she told herself as a grin spread across her face. "Geez how could I say no," she laughed excitedly, pulling him to his feet and into a hug.

Freddy seemed happy as he held her tightly, smiling just as much as her. Finally, they pried themselves apart and, without any warnings, Freddy pulled her face to his and gave her a big, tongue-filled kiss. It seemed to go on for hours when suddenly, he pushed her away and covered his mouth.

"Oh," he struggled, "oh no. This is not good, Katie," he admitted.

Katie looked down at the ground in shame.
"Oh, sorry," she said.

"No, it's... Oh fuck," Freddy leaned over her bed and started hyperventilating, taking in deep breath after deep breath. He opened his mouth as wide as it would go and in seconds he was throwing up, covering Katie's Bob Marley comforter in a chunky, liquid, shit-colored substance.

The puking continued, and Katie tried to force herself closer. She wanted to be right next to him, patting him on the back, helping him out, but she couldn't bring herself that close to him. Maybe she was scared of suffering the same fate as Bob, but she felt bad for just watching. Minutes went by and he was still puking. She began to feel worried, like maybe he had alcohol poisoning or something, but just as quickly as the thought appeared it went away when the vomit seized. Freddy stood over her bed, one of his hands smack dab in the middle of the puke puddle, and the other resting on the footboard of her bed.

"Sorry," he managed to say between breaths, wiping his mouth on his jacket sleeve. "Oh man," he noticed the damage done to Bob Marley's face, "I'm really sorry. Sorry Bob."

Katie shook her head in disappointment. She felt so stupid, not just because she let herself get all excited, but because she actually said yes. She was well aware that they were too young for that, and that she was just desperate for a solution to everything. But clearly that wasn't it. How could I be so stupid, her inner-voice screamed. What is wrong with me!

She pushed the anger out of her mind as she stepped forward, patting him on the back. "C'mon Freddy," she helped him stand up straight, "I'll drive you home."

"Katie I'm sorry," Freddy pleaded. He knew how much she loved that blanket, he was the one who gave it to her for her 17th birthday.

"It'll wash," was all she could say.

Freddy led the way out of the bedroom, and Katie stood behind him to help him balance. On the way out the door, she leaned down and grabbed a small trashcan.

"We're gonna need this," she predicted, turning the light off behind her.

: End flashback :

"Damn..." Brianna was more at ease after hearing the story, but felt bad for Katie as well.

"Yeah..." Katie sighed, leading the way upstairs. "It's pretty stupid," she admitted.

Bri walked into her bedroom, and Katie continued down the hall to her mom's bedroom. She pushed the barely open door all the way open and found her mom, to no surprise of her own, sitting in front of the computer typing away ferociously.

"Hey mom," she said. Jolene turned away from the computer screen and smiled.

"Oh, hey sweetie. How ya feeling?"

"Um, well yesterday I had this insane craving for... Pickles and ice cream," Katie replied in disgust.

Jolene laughed, "well there's ice cream in the freezer and pickles in the fridge... Help yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," Katie noted with sarcasm. There was a short pause.

"Kathryn, there's something I want to talk to you about," Jolene said hesitantly. Katie walked into the bedroom and took a seat on the bed.

"What's up," she asked.

"Now, I know you haven't decided what to do with the baby yet, and I want you to know that the decision is totally up to you. But there's this woman that I used to work with, and I remembered her telling me that her and her husband aren't able to have children. So I called her up and they're looking to adopt a baby, but nobody's called them yet," she explained. Katie listened as her mom laid out what wonderful people they were, but didn't make any facial expressions. It was like she was frozen. "I know adoption would be a pretty difficult thing to get through, but I think after awhile you'd feel pretty good about your decision."

Katie thought about it, and to be honest she didn't know what to think. Time was running out, she had to make a decision, but she never gave adoption a 2nd thought. With everything that had just happened with Freddy, she actually forgot that she had to give it up for a little while.

"Mom, I um... I don't know," she said. Jolene nodded in aggreance.

"Yeah I think you should take a little while to think it over. Promise me you'll think it over, Kathryn?"

Katie forced a smile and nodded her head yes. Her mom smiled and patted her on the leg in support before Katie got to her feet and walked out of the room, leaving Jolene to her yahoo chatroom and her precious webcam.

: East ridge Mall :
Katie walked into the crowded food court in the center of the mall. The smell of Chinese food and pizza flooded her nostrils as she walked through the chattering groups of people. She noticed someone waving in her direction.

She waved back at Marta, who was sitting at a table with 2 other blond girls who had their backs to Katie. Marta gestured for Katie to join them, and the girls turned around, noticing their friends sudden distraction. Michelle and Eleni. The 3 biggest gossip junkies you'll ever meet sitting together at one table.

Katie walked towards them with a grin. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

"Cut the small talk, bullshitter, are you and Freddy engaged?" Marta's cheery facial expression was immediately replaced by a pissed off looking one. Katie laughed, looking at the other 2 girls. Eleni looked just as angry as Marta, and Michelle was just smiling at her, as if she was about to hear the biggest piece of news of the year.

"Who told you that?" the brunette finally asked.

"So it's true, huh?" Marta urged.

Katie chuckled, shaking her head. "Lay off the crack pipe, Emstein, of course it's not true! I can't believe you thought that. Seriously though, who told you that?"

"Frankie and Shawn," Michelle answered. Marta shot her a look, and her eyes wondered down to the butter covered pretzel in front of her.

"No, okay... He did ask me, but he didn't mean it. He was drunk, and confused, and---"

"Drunk?" Eleni finished the sentence.

"Exactly."

"So you aren't getting married?" Marta asked once again. Katie rolled her eyes. She could tell she was going to get sick of this, and fast.

"No, Kelso, me and Freddy aren't getting married."

"Whew," Marta and Eleni sighed in relief. Michelle just didn't seem to care one way or another.

"So now that that's cleared up... What are you doing here?" Marta continued the conversation.

"Actually I got some stuff I gotta do so... I'll c'ya guys around k?"

The 4 girls bid their farewells and Katie disappeared into the crowd. Minutes later, she found herself standing outside the CD store that Freddy worked at. She peered in through the window, and saw Freddy handing a customer his change. His hair wasn't gelled, and he wasn't talking with the customer as he usually did. He was clearly hung-over. Hah, she thought, forcing herself through the door, aint that a surprise.

"Thanks for shopping at Weiser Music, you definitely made the wiser choice," he called after the departing customer. Noticing Katie, he got a really freaked out look on his face.

"Ktizzle! Uh, they make me say that I swear. What're you doing here?" he asked, taking a seat on a stool and leaning his head back against the wall. Katie walked up to the counter.

"Just thought I'd stop in and see how you're feeling," she explained. It didn't look too good, to be honest.

"Well let's see, did an elephant sit on my head by any chance?"

Katie thought about it, "I don't think so," she replied.

"Did Frankie?"

"Haha, no."

"Hmm... Well then this freight-train-in-the-brain feeling must be a hangover."

"I figured," Katie laughed at him. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

Freddy thought back, "Just little bits and pieces. I remember playing Biz-Buzz, and I remember Hennessy out the ass... And then I remember Shawn dropping me off at your house... and... Stuff."

Long, awkward silence.

"You were pretty fucked up," Katie informed him, as if he didn't already know. Freddy laughed, nodding his head up and down.

"I kinda remember something, but I don't know if it really happened or not..." he finally admitted, looking at her in concern. "At your house, did I, uh, do anything... Insane?"

"Hah, well if you consider barfing all over Bob Marley's head insane then yep."

He shot her a look of seriousness.

"Katie, did I---"

Katie nodded her head yes, looking down at the counter to avoid eye contact. Freddy got to his feet, running his hands through his hair, and leaned against the counter, resting his head on his hands in pouting-position. Katie waited to see what he had to say on the matter, but after a minute or so of silence, she knew she was right. He didn't mean it.

"Freddy, it's okay. I know we aren't getting married," she assured him. He slowly looked up.

"You didn't---" he began to ask, but once again, Katie knew what the question was.

"No, I didn't accept," she finished. So it was a lie? If Freddy couldn't even remember it, then why even bring the question up again?

"Oh," he looked down at the counter, his face crossed between confused and disappointed. He looked as if he was thinking something over, so Katie just stood back and let him do his thing. Finally, he snapped out of it and stood up right. "Well listen, my parents are gonna be gone this weekend... Haha, big surprise, I know. So instead of throwing another party, I was thinking you could come over. Y'know, so we can talk about what we're gonna do."

Katie laughed, "I told you, I understand. We're not getting married," she reminded him.

"I'm talking about the baby," Freddy said, looking at her as if to say 'duh you idiot'.

"Oh, right, yeah, I know this. Uh, that'd be really cool, Freddy," she couldn't help but notice she was smiling from ear-to-ear.

"Alright. So I'll call you later," he offered, and Katie nodded in acceptance. "Cool. C'ya."

"Bye..." Katie hesitated. What? She was leaving? She didn't wanna leave. Freddy turned away from her, turning his attention to the cash register, and Katie took the hint. She turned and walked away.

"Oh Ktizzle," he called after her. She turned back. "I can buy you a new blanket, if ya want."

She shook her head in refusal. "It's in the dryer, it'll be fine."

"Well... If it's not... Lemme know."

At that, she walked out of Weiser Music.