Disclaimer: I don't own Drake and Josh.

Chapter Ten

Josh got home right around four and ran up the stairs two at a time, not even bothering to see if there was anything to eat. He jumped to the couch and picked the little black book back up. As sad as this was, reading this was what he had been doing lately. He felt a connection however small and he knew he should finish this to know more of what went on so he could understand. When he came to the ending though, he didn't know how he would feel. He just hoped that Drake didn't suffer much even though he was sure he had.

I got grounded for the little stunt of coming home when I should have been in classes. Apparently the principal suddenly felt that he had to remind everyone that the students and faculty in this school were very important to him and finally started to crack down. I didn't really care at the time.

So I got this job and I don't think mom was very thrilled thinking it took the time away from actually studying this year but she let me do it. There was this place that Greg Sherman worked at. It was a little place near the new floral shop that opened up weeks ago and basically it was a small diner and a lot of people came there especially in the evening since it was a quiet small place that never had any disturbances. There I would see Chris Thomas again but he didn't really bother me so I did the same. It wasn't like I was worried about him planting one on me because he didn't look up the entire time nor did he ever really care what was going on. So I didn't care.

Then my girlfriend came over one night to visit.

"This is actually pretty nice," she commented friendly.

I smiled as Greg came around curiously.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?" he asked.

Greg had cropped brown hair and hardened golden brown eyes. He seemed rough and would like you to believe it but he was really very nice and everyone was just weary because he had several tattoos. I could tell he was flirting and probably didn't realize that she was obviously not interested so I cut in quickly.

"This is my girlfriend Hannah."

He looked dumbfounded for a second and then he laughed out loud before turning away. I didn't think he was happy with the turn out because everyone could see that Hannah was a very beautiful girl. Why she was with me everyone could guess but it would probably all be wrong. I didn't even know what she saw in me but at the time I was led to believe that she loved me as much as I loved her.

"So what brings you here?" I asked.

She smiled and gave me a peck on the lips, quickly placing a bag on the counter and motioning for me to open it. I looked at her and since she was waiting, I did just that. It was a little shirt that as soon as I saw the tag I knew what it was but it was cute. It was light pink in color and had a purple heart on the top right corner. It read the words daddy's girl in bright purple as well. It made me half wish for a little girl now but of course I really only wanted the baby to be healthy.

"This is really cute. Did you get this knowing it would be a girl?"

She looked happy then and I figured she still didn't know though because I'm sure she would have called me up. Admittedly I wasn't able to make the first appointment due to the fact that I hadn't been able to get out of being grounded that day but giving me the cd of the baby was still great. I loved it and I loved the baby that I hadn't even met yet.

Yeah and you never will meet this baby now, will you Drake, Josh thought. He still didn't know but he was sure that the baby hadn't been born yet. He wished he knew and then he could go over and talk to her. She was a big part of Drake's life at the time and she would know how he was like better than he would.

I placed the shirt over her stomach and she smiled even though it wasn't even showing much as of yet. The only place the baby was visible was a tiny bump and to see it the shirt had to be pulled up.

"Yup I bet it's a little girl," I told her.

"You bet it. Okay so when it's a little boy I get to name him." She told me with a wicked glint in her eyes. She loved to play around and that's probably why she loved us hanging out. She didn't have to worry about parents or about being a pregnant teenager in her last year of school. All she had to do was be herself when she was with me.

Chris was hanging off to the side and he seemed rather irritated at me so I smiled apologetically and went to go back to work when he said it.

"I'm sure that an ugly slut like her could use a guy like you right?"

I pause and glance to see her shocked. I quickly shook my head and turned back to see that he had turned and was no longer paying attention to us.

"Ignore him. It's a big lie and people are going to have their own opinion even if it is rude."

She nodded but I could tell she had been greatly upset that she was called that. She had been called that when some of the kids had found out in her own school as well. Her mother was talking about withdrawing her and having her homeschooled until the baby was born and now I thought maybe it was better that way although I didn't want her to be hurt.

"It's fine and I know that," she quickly said giving me another kiss. "I love you."

I think I was in cloud nine again Josh. I didn't say those three words before because I was afraid that she either wouldn't say them back or she would've thought I said it too early. Now that she said it though I knew that I could say those words back.

"I love you too."

Josh paused and waited until he was sure no one was coming to his room. He knew it was probably Megan going up the stairs and felt bad for her. She was going to school now and she didn't want to go. He knew she didn't and yet their parents were telling her it was going to get easier the more she let herself go there. It wasn't though. It was because she didn't have to worry about Drake being in her classes. She was still in middle school though. Turning to the next entry he knew it would be bad because Chris pops up again.

Chris didn't seem to like my girlfriend.

She came by a number of times giving me brownies her mom had made for me and all kinds of stuff that she was learning to bake herself. The more the pregnancy progressed I think it became more obvious we were going to keep the baby and try to let this work. The days I worked at the diner were great. It was filled with soft laughing people and any one of those interested in finding out the finer parts to do out here. By then it was nearing Halloween and the conversation all around turned from their daily rituals to what they were gonna do for the holiday coming up.

"What are you doing Drake?" Chris had asked on the given day making me look at him in surprise. He was always so quiet that he was usually in the background. It seemed like something he did and I didn't know whether he wanted to fit in or if it was something else.

"Probably hanging out with my girlfriend," I answer truthfully.

"Yeah because that's gonna be fun!" someone retorted.

I wondered if it was only funny to them because my girlfriend also happened to be pregnant. I didn't care because it was some guy that was working there for years and he never seemed to have a girlfriend but he was okay on talking bad about somebody else who did.

"I'm actually taking her home to meet my parents," I kept going.

I should have stopped. But just like in the cafeteria at school where I couldn't keep myself from doing something I did it again here. I should have learned but I obviously didn't. The older guy scoffed like what I was saying was a piece of garbage and then turned away. I didn't know what I did to offend the guy but I was already avoiding certain spots at the school so that the same thing didn't happen but now it seemed there were certain people I couldn't escape.

"Why don't I show you what you're missing out on sugar plum," he told me.

I didn't realize what he was doing until the older guy did it. He pushed his mouth against mine amidst cheering and tried to push my mouth open with his tongue. I refused and he broke the kiss to shrug. He acted like it was a big deal even though it meant a lot in reality and I didn't want him acting like he could make unwelcoming advances towards me like that.

"Well don't act like a baby just because you didn't like it. I thought you did because Chris was telling me how you let another boy kiss you. Thought you would like it but I'm wrong. Tell me when you are ready to join the big boys' league and ditch the pretty little girl."

I just tried to wipe it from my mouth with my hands, shuddering at the idea that he thought I was into that. I turned to Chris who wouldn't even look my way the rest of the night and I could only wonder why he told that guy. I didn't know him and I don't think it was the first time he told him that. I'm sure he was okay with it because it wasn't him he that was getting all of the insults. He wasn't getting assaulted. I didn't know how much of that I could take though.

You should have quit or told the manager. Didn't they do something that sparked an assault complaint and Chris could have gotten into a lot of trouble Drake, Josh thought bitterly. But you were too much of a mister nice guy and you let it go. Come on Drake, do something, he continued in his thoughts. But he was sure he was being extremely foolish now because he was only telling that to a book. Drake was way past that and yet he was holding on and refusing to let the darkness take him.

But how long was it going to last?