Ninth Month

After a long, dreary weekend of endless cartoon marathons and the same sloppy meal everyday, Red was thrilled (for once) to come back to school; and why wouldn't he be? It was the beginning of May. The weather was gradually growing warmer, and Red was slowly shedding the stiff sweaters and long scarves for looser clothes that allowed him to maneuver around people more easily. Though that didn't help solve his walking problems. If he stood in the same spot for too long, or if he had to walk from one class to the other in the same hallway, his feet would be bruised and sore before he even reached the doorway, panting and groaning in pain. If Blue had time, or actually showed up to school, he would assist Red to class by carrying his heavy binders and gripping his frail arm. Red was so internally grateful, but at his tired state, all he could do was smile a thanks and the two would walk in silence.

In art, Red left everyday with smudges of acrylic paint on his hands, and if he was lucky enough, his clothes. Specifically on his stomach.

He was so worn out.

Even the less than artistic athletic boys were putting in more effort in this landscape painting than he was. And Red loved to paint; he would spend any waking minute of his free time to draw and paint.

But the life was sucked out of him. All he cold do was lazily move the bristles across the canvas in careless motions towards the end of the period, after only 8-10 minutes of actually trying. It all goes downhill when the boys who sit near him mockingly strike up an overly cheery conversation about how the baby is doing, what he's going to name it, and how their ex-teammate Blue was doing nowadays. It's not like Red can say or do much. The teachers and counselors always recommend for him to "ignore them", right? Yeah, that's all he can do.

"I see that you're slacking, Red." The art teacher mused over his shoulder and examined his mostly still blank canvas from over the rims of her glasses.

Red slumped in his chair and and fiddled with his palate. "Sorry."

"You don't have much class time to work on this. You'll need to take it home if you can't pick up the pace."

Red never looked at her. "Okay."

Snickers ensued as she walked away and Red mainly sat slumped in his chair, glaring at the canvas until the bell finally rang and students had cleaned up and darted from their tables to the door.

Except for Red.

His paints, canvas and easel still out, he barely moved an inch when the 5 minute warning bell sounded, and when the final bell rang, he had apparently snapped out of it and began to clean up. The art teacher hadn't noticed that he was sitting there stoically until all the students were gone, and there was a figure in the corner of her eye that caught her by surprise. She didn't say anything, and began to rearranged a pile of finished composition sketches for the next class coming in a couple of periods from then.

She heard the door creak open, but didn't bother to turn around for she assumed Red had finally left when the bell signalling for the next period rang. But she heard mumbling behind her. A voice belonging to someone else. Very cooly, she glanced over her shoulder when her hands worked with the papers, and saw another boy in the classroom, standing by Red's side as the latter went to go crouch down to pick up his satchel before the older looking boy immediately stopped him and picked it up for him. Red mumbled a small thanks to the other boy, and held onto his bicep tightly as that older boy very gently assisted Red out of the classroom while they spoke in soft whispers to each other.

The teacher was left in the quiet classroom, intrigued. That was probably the boyfriend...

She was not only impressed, but touched by the sentimentally the two showed for each other in that one minute they were in her classroom. Such small, kind acts for two young children.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Look, guys! Look at my dress!"

"Oooh yeah, I saw that in the group chat last night."

"Oh my god, did you see Maple's dress?"

"Holy shit she cannont pull that off, oh my gosh."

Red was idly doodling in his notebook, tuning in every now and then to the chatter between the group of girls discussing their prom dresses.

Ha, prom. Red dreamed of going to prom ever since freshmen year, especially when he got together with Blue, he had every little thing planned out. Too bad the one thing he didn't plan has crushed everything he truly wanted to happen.

Red cringed at himself for such harsh words. He hated when he brought down the baby. It was just the bad mood he was in, that's all.

A classmate walked by and accidentally pushed Red in his shoulder, startling him and breaking him from his peaceful train of thought. Whoever it was didn't even apologize, and Red was too tired to rotate his head around.

"Oh my god, no, but did you see MIDO'S promposal! It was literally perfect!"

Red's heart sank only a little bit. He didn't even know why he was feeling upset.

Maybe it was the fact that he could've been a part of all this. He still could've been liked by the people in school rather than being the butt of their jokes. Maybe he was so close to having a normal senior year of high school, but one faulty decision turned his path to the future straight to hell.

He's doing it again...

It's just his mood...nothing more.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Red and Blue were invited by Vio to hang out before prom and to take picture with them as they got ready, but Blue declined before Red could even consider.

"Well I'm sorry, but for your information, Red and I have our very own prom to go to."

Red blinked and pulled Blue's sleeve. "U-um, we do?"

Blue did a double take and shrugged his shoulders, looking uneasy. "Well, yeah...weren't we going to watch movies and eat pizza at your place?"

Red stood there for a few seconds before a bright smile broke out onto his face. "I would like nothing more."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The days of May were dragging on. Very slowly. Red felt like he was going insane. All he was doing in school was reviewing for end of the year exams, and he was only taking three. Just by the three's given luck, he was able to pass all semesters by the skin of his teeth. Even when he failed two of his three final exams, he still passed for the year. Maybe they felt sorry for him. 'That's probably why.' Red sighed to himself.

For the past three weeks, Red, Blue and every other senior stayed after school and came during the weekends for graduation practice; the last thing Red wanted to think about. He had passed his due date, May 31st. Red was mentally panicking and Blue was growing more and more quiet and alert than usual. Words couldn't even describe the frenzy their minds were suffering, and standing in the hot almost summer sun didn't calm their nerves anymore.

"Then, after Mrs. Krinksy gives her speech...we will call yo up one by one..and you shall receive your diploma. Just shake her hand...and walk down the right side of the stage."

Blue was in the front of the line, for alphabetical order, and Red was lingering on in the back. His feet were bruised, his legs felt weak, and he was so light headed he wouldn't be surprised if he had collapsed in the middle of the football field right then. It it meant getting him inside, he wouldn't mind the extra attention.

He leaned from one foot to the other, then to the other, then to the other...he couldn't put extra weight on either foot without it screaming in pain before Red winced and switched to the other one. Another uncomfortable pain shot up his back, and all he wanted to do was cry.

'Get over yourself.' He half sighed and half cursed to himself. The line he was standing on was moving at a grueling pace because the first two boys on line were screwing around with the teacher who was trying to show them the proper way to walk on stage.

With a last string of hope, Red leaned to one side and tilted his head to peek a glance at the front of the line. Fortunately, Blue was dazing off, looking exhausted, until he caught Red's head poking out from the crowd, and smirked.

That familiar spark of joy warmed his heart, and Red smiled back at his boyfriend, along with a tiny wave. Red would hardly be able to talk to Blue after practice that weekend because his mom would be the first parent there to pick him up...and the only parent there, because all the other seniors can drive. Another reason why snickering and giggling arose from the nearby crowd as Red's mom held the door open for them.

"Don't listen to them." His mother checked both sides before backing out. "You're pregnant. You wouldn't be able to drive anyway."

Red glared at her and remained silent until halfway down the highway.

"Mom, it's June 1st..."

"Yes?"

Red shifted and ran a hand nervously over his shirt. "It's..passed my due date."

"Honey, that's just a rough estimate." His mother rolled her eyes as she turned off the exit, and Red cringed at the word 'honey' and the eye roll.

"Yeah...okay, but..what if it takes longer?"

"Then they'll induce it, no big deal." His mother frowned. "I still want you to go to your graduation ceremony, baby or not. If it's not out by next weekend, we'll go to the hospital after the ceremony."

That didn't sit well with Red, but knowing he couldn't pick an argument with her, sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Graduation day. The sun was warm, comfortable and bright in the cloudless sky, and every little sound and smell reminded Red that summer was rapidly approaching. The lawnmowers were droning, the kids down the block were screaming as they wrote their bikes, the sprinklers were going, and Red was sitting half naked on his bed, on the verge of tears.

He had nothing to wear. He had nothing that would fit and that wouldn't make him look ridiculous. He wished he could pull himself together on the last night of seeing these people, of dealing with their bullshit.

He sucked in a quick breath, his lips quivering as he rubbed his eyes. No cursing...

"RED!" His mother hollered up the stairs and startled him off his bed, wobbling over to his closet.

"I-I'm almost done, mom, I swear." Red hated how weak he sounded when his voice quivered, and the sound of her voice getting closer to his door nearly terrified him to the brink of a meltdown.

"We're leaving in 5 minutes, ready or not...we can't be late! So hurry up!"

Red tripped his pant legs and clumsily caught himself on the edge of his bed. "Oh my god," he half groaned and half choked; and that's when he lost it, and screamed into the mattress.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

And then, there was a stir in his stomach. Not like any other stir; this hurt. He felt tight cramps gripping him from the inside, so tightly that Red's teary eyes shot open and desperately gripped the bed sheets until the pain slowly dissolved away.

'Oh no.'

Red steadily lifted himself to his feet, shaky, and glancing around the room. Walking over to his phone, he managed to flip it open and hastily type out a message before the pains shot back into place. Red gasped, hit the send button, and collapsed on his bed.

"MOM, COME HERE!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Graduation. Blue was lounging around under a pitched tent to keep the heat off the soon to be graduates, under the sweltering heat of the thick cap and gown he's been wearing for the past hour. He would spend his time glancing around, glaring at certain people, but occasionally grow uneasy when he would look for a special someone. He kept checking his phone, but no notifications. The band started warming up their instruments and everyone under the tent got riled up. Girls cried hysterically and the boys groaned.

Checking his phone again, Green and Shadow approached Blue before they spotted the device slipping in his back pocket.

"Hey, can you believe it?" Green chuckled and looked at his friends. "We're gonna be graduating...in ten minutes!"

Shadow shook his head, smirking. "Crazy, man."

Blue, however, was less than interested in saying his goodbyes during their last moments together as a class. "Yeah...I know." He checked his phone and slipped it back in his pocket.

Noticing the crowd of students up ahead beginning to get organized, Green got Blue's attention by a shake of his shoulder. "Yo, I think it's time to go out!"

"Oh man," Shadow pretended to wipe away a fake tear, "I'll miss you guys."

Green snickered, but Blue glanced back into the back parking lot of the outside stadium.

"Students, get into your proper alphabetical order, please." An instructor stood on a chair to get their attention and began examining the clipboard as the seniors shuffled into place.

"C'mon, Blue." Green shook Blue's shoulder and the latter responded and began walking alongside with his friend to the front of the line.

Then Blue's phone buzzed, and he quickly took it out to check.

"Oh shit." He whispered.

Green heard, and turned to him, alarmed. "What? What is it?"

Now riled up, Blue brought a hand through his hair and began to look around, frantically. "Shit! I can't believe this!"

Now riled himself, Green tried to calm Blue down by gripping his down by his biceps. "Dude, what the hell? Why-hey!"

Before he could finish, Blue managed to break free and broke out into a sprint, out the back flap of the tent, his cap flying off his head.

The advisers and teachers began shouting after him, and Green followed halfway until he called out to Blue. "Blue, where are you going?! We're just about to gradate here!"

Now in the parking lot, away from his friends and student body and staff, Blue turned around, jogging backwards with the biggest grin on his face and shouted back that echoed for everyone to hear:

"Fuck that, I'm having a baby!"

omg *sheds tear* it's almsot over :')) after a little over a year, it's almost done LOL i'll do one more chapter and then maybe an epilouge to wrap things up...and i've had this epilouge in mind ever since i started writing this story so i cant wait3