Author's Note: We're Back! The wait is over! Big thanks to all my readers. Sorry it took me SO long to update this one. Hope you enjoy!
(Bittersweet memories, that is all I'm taking with me. So goodbye, please don't cry. We both know I'm not what you need. And I will always love you. I will always love you.) (Rhonda's thoughts about Curly)
*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Whitney Houston*
Rhonda arrived at the hospital as quickly as she could; luckily, without being stopped and ticketed for the red light she ran. After hearing about Curly's suicide attempt, she was a complete nervous wreck, trembling from her shoulders to her toes. She had no idea how he did it but that was irrelevant; the fact remains, he tried to take his own life. After entering the hospital and briefly speaking to the receptionist, Rhonda took a seat in the waiting room. A few minutes later, Mr. Gammelthorpe appeared. Curly inherited nearly all of his father's features; the only difference was that Mr. Gammelthorpe was somewhat obese.
"Hello Rhonda," Mr. Gammelthorpe greeted her, glumly.
Rhonda immediately stood up and asked." Is he alright?"
"Yes, they pumped his stomach and everything," Mr. Gammelthorpe told her.
Rhonda gasped, in shock.
"Yeah," Mr. Gammelthorpe sighed." He overdosed on painkillers."
Rhonda's hands flew up to her mouth to muffle the sound of a disturbed sob as she sat back down to ponder this awful piece of news. Acknowledging the pain in the face of his son's pregnant girlfriend, Mr. Gammelthorpe took a seat beside her.
"Don't worry; he's going to be fine," he assured her.
"I just—I just don't know how to not feel so devastated about this," Rhonda stammered, tearfully." And to think it was all my fault."
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Gammelthorpe, please don't be upset with me," Rhonda sobbed." But I think Curly did this because I…..I broke up with him."
"You don't have to blame yourself," Mr. Gammelthorpe insisted." That isn't the reason why he attempted suicide."
"But he wanted me to stay in Hillwood so badly," Rhonda explained, sadly." He says he's deeply in love with me and he doesn't want to be so far away from his baby. But I told him that I just cannot give up the chance to attend the highly prestigious university I was accepted to. That led to a big fight and he said some hurtful things. So, out of anger…..I slapped him—and then I told him he will never see his child. I was just furious and hurt. I really didn't mean it but…..I guess he took me seriously."
Once again, Rhonda broke down and cried, so Mr. Gammelthorpe placed a heavy yet consoling hand on her slender shoulder.
"Calm down, Rhonda," he told her, softly." Don't cry. It's really not your fault. Of course, I love my son very much. But the truth is, he has—well, problems—and you're not the reason he tried to kill himself."
"So, what is it?"
"Thaddeus is bipolar," Mr. Gammelthorpe revealed." I'm not sure if you knew that."
"No, I didn't," Rhonda responded, although it made sense to her.
"Yeah—and sometimes he isn't very consistent with his meds," Mr. Gammelthorpe continued." His mother and I didn't want to stay on his back about them like we used to—he is eighteen years old after all. I'd hate to say it but if he isn't responsible enough to take his meds on time….it makes me question his dependability as a father."
"I never once doubted that Curly—I mean Thaddeus would be a good father," Rhonda insisted.
"Okay," Mr. Gammelthorpe nodded.
Drying her tears, Rhonda exhaled and said." At least—at least, he's going to be okay."
"Yes, he'll be fine," Mr. Gammelthorpe told her." Try not to stress yourself."
"Where's his mother?"
"She's in the room with him."
Rhonda calmed down as she and Curly's father proceeded to converse for a few minutes longer. After that, Mr. Gammelthorpe guided Rhonda to the room that Curly was staying in. Without a doubt, Rhonda was extremely relieved that the father of her unborn child survived his attempt at suicide. On the other hand, she wanted to kill him herself just for giving her such a fright.
As soon as they entered the room, they saw Curly lying fully awake on the hospital bed with his worried mother standing beside him, rubbing his hand. Rhonda immediately noticed something that Mr. Gammelthorpe forgot to mention. Curly's left arm was broken and he had a thick bandage over his forehead covering a bloody gash. Apparently, while he was under the debilitating influence of the painkillers he overdosed on, he attempted to walk down the stairs only to fall. However, what saddened Rhonda the most was the gloomily sad expression on his face. When Curly noticed that Rhonda entered the room, it was almost painful to both of them when their eyes met, so they had to look away for a moment.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds; however, Mrs. Gammelthorpe was the first to break it.
"What brings you here?" the dark-haired woman demanded, looking coldly at Rhonda." Guilt isn't going to fly."
"Excuse me?" Rhonda responded, with hurt.
"My son nearly took his own life," Mrs. Gammelthorpe stated, with venom in her voice." And I'm willing to bet it was because you played with his emotions. Your type always does."
"My type?" Rhonda was bewildered.
"Spoiled, privileged brats born with a platinum spoon in her mouth and raised to believe that they're God's gift to humanity," Mrs. Gammelthorpe cleared it up." I suppose it was your wealth and glory of being a Lloyd that kept you from appreciating a young man who has been more than willing to accept responsibility for your child—when most eighteen-year old boys choose to run away like cowards. But I guess you feel as though you don't need him, huh? My son adored you and you played games with his heart. You must be the coldest, vainest little wench I've ever met!"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Rhonda said, shakily trying to conceal her anger.
"Do you have so little compassion that you would shamelessly break the heart of a boy diagnosed with bipolar disorder?" Mrs. Gammelthorpe raised her voice.
"I didn't know about that!" Rhonda exclaimed, with tears in her eyes.
"Ssshh!" said the doctor.
Mrs. Gammelthorpe didn't respond; she just continued to stare at Rhonda with that icy cold look her eyes.
"Mom, I appreciate you standing up for me but it isn't necessary," Curly insisted." Do you mind if I talk to Rhonda…..alone?"
His mother didn't reply right away, so his father stepped in to calm the tension in the room.
"Come on, honey, let's take a walk and get some fresh air; coffee perhaps?" Mr. Gammelthorpe suggested." Let them two talk."
"I don't trust this girl," Mrs. Gammelthorpe said, with a sneer.
"Mom, stop it—please," Curly told her, calmly yet firmly.
Heated beyond all belief, Mrs. Gammelthorpe exhaled deeply and then she uttered." Fine."
With that, Curly's parents exited the room, leaving their son and Rhonda alone to face each other. Rhonda had to use every ounce of strength within her to keep her tears inside as she took a seat in the chair beside Curly's bed.
Despite her anger, Rhonda showed genuine concern to Curly when she asked him." Are you okay?"
"I'm not dead," Curly shrugged.
"Was that really your mission—to be dead?" Rhonda questioned.
"My mission was to get you to give a shit about me again," Curly stated." I really didn't care if I died or not."
"How nice—the classic 'cry for my significant other's attention disguised as a suicide attempt' trick," Rhonda muttered, sarcastically." Gee, why am I not surprised?"
"You asked a question and I answered with the truth," Curly said, blatantly.
"So what? I'm still pissed at you," Rhonda argued, harshly.
Curly sighed and shrugged for the second time.
"But you know what? Maybe I shouldn't be," Rhonda insisted." I had no idea that you were bipolar until your dad told me when I came to the hospital. How come you never told me?"
"So you can think I'm a bigger freak than you already thought? No way."
"Curly, am I really that horrible?" Rhonda questioned, with hurt in her eyes." Am I really that insensitive?"
Instead of vocally replying to her question, Curly simply gave her a look that said 'you already know the answer to that'.
"Unbelievable," Rhonda shook her head in disappointment." If that's what you think of me then you are wrong. And so is your mom!"
"Don't bring my mom into this…she's just really upset," Curly explained, in his mother's defense.
"From the way that woman looked at me, one would've thought she was confronting Satan's daughter or something!" Rhonda exclaimed." I can't believe she insulted me and blamed me the way she did. I have never felt so humiliated in my entire life."
"She was just upset, Rhonda," Curly insisted, softly.
"Yeah, you said that already," Rhonda reacted, somewhat sharply." But why would she think that about me? She barely knows me."
"Well, after you dumped me earlier today, I vented to her about it," Curly admitted." In my anger, I guess I kind of made you out to be this heartless…..bitch or whatever."
Rhonda sadly shook her head again; though she wasn't surprised at his explanation.
"So, my mom advised me to forget about you and move on," Curly continued." Obviously, that was no simple task and—and that's why I'm lying in this stupid bed right now."
Rhonda inhaled and exhaled to calm down. Her body was shaking with distress as she clasped her clammy hands together. She was beyond upset and the last thing she ever wanted was for things to end this way. Indeed, things would have been worse had Curly succeeded in his suicide attempt. Rhonda truly loved the troubled boy and it took years for her to feel that way. She also knew that their relationship wasn't meant to last forever and breaking up with him wouldn't be easy. However, it never crossed her mind that he would resort to a self-destructive tactic to try and get her to come back.
"Curly…." Rhonda spoke, softly." I honestly don't know what to say to you at this point. But I won't sit here and yell at you all day for what you did. It's a waste of time and I am so done with this."
Curly turned his face slightly to the side, too ashamed to look Rhonda in the eye.
"I seriously hope you get all the help you need," Rhonda continued, holding back tears." But I have bigger and better plans for my future. So, I can't let you control me like this. I cannot put my life on hold for you, especially if this is the type of crap I'm going to have to deal with and worry about all the time."
Still looking away from her, a tear rolled down the side of Curly's face as he listened to the hurtful truth that was being spoken to him by the girl he's been in love with since elementary school.
"Believe it or not, Curly, I do love you—and I always will," Rhonda told him, tearfully." But I have to move on and so do you."
She dried her eyes and stood up from her chair. It bothered her that Curly wasn't looking her in the face but she hoped that he was at least hearing what she was saying to him.
"If or when you get the help that you need and pull yourself together, your baby will be waiting for you," Rhonda stated." He or she will be the only thing that will keep us connected—that's all. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can be happy again."
Curly wiped the tears off of his face and then turned his head towards Rhonda, staring up at her in silence.
"Goodbye, Curly," she said, in a sad, whispery tone of voice.
It was like a scene from a sad chick flick when a couple reaches that point of no return and walking away is the only option. Rhonda left the room and made her way down the hallway. Despite the aching feeling in her heart, she was able to control her tears for the moment. Curly was an extremely unpredictable character; therefore, she didn't know what to expect from him. Will he try to commit suicide again? Will he succeed? Or will he accept the loss of their relationship and simply look forward to the birth of his child?
Rhonda could write a book full of the questions and worries that whirled around in her mind but she knew she'd only be wasting her time and holding herself back. She truly hoped the best for Curly and she planned on achieving the best for herself and the tiny life developing in her womb. She left the hospital, made her way to her car and drove out of the parking lot.
Meanwhile, at Patty's place, Patty, Harold and Nadine were all sitting on the living room sofa watching the classic comedy film, 'Dumb and Dumber'. Harold was the one paying most of the attention to the movie; he was sitting in the middle of Patty and Nadine, laughing hysterically and stuffing his face with buttery popcorn.
Patty was busy crocheting a blanket using a unisex color of yarn since she didn't know the sex of her unborn baby yet. Nadine was holding her cell phone, texting back and forth with Sid while he was at work. Harold reached inside of the large bowl to find that the bowl was empty, except for a few crumbs and kernels.
"Babe, go get me some more popcorn," Harold said.
"Get it yourself," Patty responded, coolly." You know where the kitchen is."
"Okay," Harold groaned, lazily.
Gripping the arm of the sofa, he hoisted his huge frame out of his seat and walked towards the kitchen, carrying the popcorn bowl. Patty and Nadine exchanged grins, chuckled and shook their heads. As the sound of the microwave started from the kitchen, the two pregnant girls commenced to converse with each other.
"That boyfriend of mine is so lazy," Patty commented.
"That's Harold," Nadine shrugged, still texting with her cell phone.
"I hope he hurries up and finds a job," Patty added." Speaking of job, isn't Sid at work right now?"
"Mm-hmm," Nadine nodded.
"So, maybe you should stop texting him before you get him fired," Patty suggested.
"Yeah, I know," Nadine agreed, with a smile." But I can't help it. It's like we're on a honeymoon or something—you know—with all the lovey-dovey stuff."
"Harold and I are way past that," Patty said, with a short laugh." We've been together for a long time. We're kind of settled, I guess."
Nadine nodded again and then put her phone away. As much as she couldn't resist sending fluffy text messages back and forth with Sid, she certainly didn't want to get him in trouble at work.
"Okay, I'm done texting," Nadine stated." My man needs his job. Patty, you should've seen the way Sid panicked when he found out how much diapers and formula is going to cost him every month."
Patty chuckled softly." Panicking? Typical Sid."
"I know….." Nadine said, with a dreamy sigh." But I love him…"
Patty shook her head and grinned. Nadine and Sid didn't have a very long, romantic history together like Patty and Harold. Less than three months ago, Sid and Nadine were nothing more than friends; therefore, the fact that they were already expecting a child together seemed to have happened so quickly. Nevertheless, the two of them have become completely inseparable.
A couple of minutes later, Harold headed back to the living room with a full bowl of hot, fresh popcorn. Taking his seat, he resumed the movie and began stuffing his face. Nadine and Patty's cell phones suddenly chimed simultaneously, alerting them to a text message. The girls checked their messages and nodded with relief. Rhonda had texted them both to let them know that Curly was okay and that she was heading back home.
"I'm glad he's okay but he sure scared the shit out of Rhonda," Patty commented.
"For real," Nadine agreed." I mean—I get that he loves her and he wants to take care of the baby but he completely overreacted. Poor Rhonda."
Meanwhile, Rhonda pulled up in front of her residence and stared in confusion when she noticed a yellow taxi waiting outside of her house. Sitting tight in the driver's seat, she suddenly saw her Aunt Bernicia walking towards the taxi carrying some of her bags. The heavyset, middle-aged woman had an angry expression on her face; from the way her lips were moving she appeared to be muttering and swearing under her breath. Mr. Lloyd assisted Bernicia with loading her baggage into the trunk of the cab.
Once they were finished, Bernicia simply climbed into the taxi and Mr. Lloyd turned around to walk back into his house. Rhonda shifted gears and drove slightly in reverse to give the taxi space to pull away from the curb. Bernicia was, without a doubt, Rhonda's least favorite relative; so naturally, one would think that she'd be excited to see her leave. However, Rhonda was a bit confused as to why she suddenly cut her visit short.
As soon as the taxi was out of sight, Rhonda drove into the broad driveway of the Lloyd residence and parked her car. Still trying to shake the image of hospitalized Curly out of her head, she entered her house and made her way down the hallway. Her parents were sitting in the living room as the maid served them fresh cups of tea. Rhonda was still upset with her mother and father for the harsh judgment that they passed on her following the revelation of her pregnancy; therefore, she simply wanted to walk past them without speaking a word to them.
"Rhonda?" Mrs. Lloyd said.
"What?" Rhonda responded, coldly.
Her mother ignored the rudeness in Rhonda's tone of voice and commenced to ask." Can you please have a seat with us, sweetheart?"
"We just want to talk," Mr. Lloyd added.
Rhonda hesitated for a second and then slowly stepped into the living room. With a heavy sigh, she took a seat on the sofa in the available gap that her parents left in between them.
"Tea?" the maid offered.
Rhonda glumly declined by shaking her head. Out of respect, the maid smiled politely, gathered the tea platter and left the family alone to speak in private. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds until Rhonda's father spoke up.
"Well, as you can see—your aunt left earlier than she planned," Mr. Lloyd stated.
"Okay," Rhonda said, with an indifferent shrug.
"Your father and I asked her to leave," Mrs. Lloyd told her.
Rhonda was surprised but she kept quiet.
"Bernicia is my sister and God knows I'll always love her dearly," Mrs. Lloyd continued." However, if she wants to try and sabotage our family with her envy and disrespect, she simply wouldn't be welcome here anymore."
"That's absolutely right," Mr. Lloyd added." It didn't occur to us right away that she had no decent intentions behind urging you to tell us that you're….that you're….."
"Pregnant," Rhonda sharply finished the sentence for him." I am pregnant. If you're still too ashamed of me to even say the word 'pregnant' then this is never going to go anywhere, Dad."
"Darling, I know," Mr. Lloyd responded, calmly." Your mother and I—we're trying. We really are."
"Rhonda, sweetheart, please give us some credit," Mrs. Lloyd said, with tears in her eyes." We are so sorry for being so insensitive to your feelings. Your father and I admit that we were too preoccupied with condemning you and criticizing you at the table to notice that smug look on my sister's face."
"She was clearly relishing it," Mr. Lloyd commented.
"Whatever Aunt Bernicia thinks of me does not affect me," Rhonda spoke, full of emotion." She's not my parent—you two are. I know I should have been more responsible but the unfortunate fact of the matter is it's too late for that now. I'm going to be a mother, whether I like it or not—whether you like it or not. It's definitely not what I planned but this is what it is. I'm expecting a baby and I can't even count on its father to behave like a sane person—so I'm just hoping at very least my own parents will."
By the time Rhonda finished her sentence, tears were running quickly down her cheeks. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd exchanged sad glances, contemplating what to say or do to make their distressed daughter feel better.
"So, this boyfriend of yours—" Mrs. Lloyd started.
"Ex-boyfriend," Rhonda corrected her, wiping her teary eyes.
"Well, what did he do to upset you, sweetheart?" Mr. Lloyd asked.
Sighing with regret, Rhonda explained the entire painful story to her parents. She informed them of everything; the beginning of her relationship with Curly, prom night, having drunken sex with him, finding out that she was pregnant, Curly's unwillingness to accept that she was going to college far away, the intense argument that they had and visiting him in the hospital after his suicide attempt. Her parents were uninformed of all of this information and it hurt them deeply to know that their daughter has been dealing with so much over the course of one summer.
"Oh sweetheart….." was all Mrs. Lloyd could manage to say as she felt tears coming to her eyes.
"You've clearly been dealing with a lot of pain, Rhonda," Mr. Lloyd stated, with a fatherly compassion in his voice." Your mother and I had no idea."
"I'm hurting now but I—I think I'm going to be okay," Rhonda sobbed, whilst trying to stay strong.
"You will, sweetie, you will," Mr. Lloyd said, placing a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder.
Mrs. Lloyd cried softly as she took Rhonda's hand and gave it a tender squeeze.
"Although your father and I wish you would've spoken to us sooner, we must admit that we probably never made it comfortable for you to do so," she said, with regret." I know we've always had high expectations of you but it was never our objective to be deliberately difficult or to make your life impossible. We were just so confident that we've raised a brilliant young lady and we had so much faith in you, Rhonda—we still do."
"But perhaps your mother and I never appreciated how strong you truly are," Mr. Lloyd admitted." Here you are—pregnant and afraid—yet you're still determined to face all of the inevitable challenges to accomplish your goals and be the star that you were born to be. We know you can do it and we're going to support you one hundred percent, even though you'll be miles away. You are our daughter and you can count on us for anything."
"Thank you, Daddy," Rhonda said, emotionally.
"We love you so much, Rhonda," Mrs. Lloyd added, tearfully." Could you ever forgive us for being so harsh?"
"Of course, Mom," Rhonda nodded, sobbingly." I forgive you."
With that, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd embraced their daughter, sandwiching her in between them. The three of them softly cried together but each tear made them stronger and more optimistic about Rhonda's future. Rhonda's parents have sheltered her since the day she was born and used their wealth to shower her with any gifts or luxuries that any child could ever dream of. Therefore, problems and suffering was something that Rhonda was completely foreign to. Indeed, becoming a young mother was her biggest challenge yet and it would take more than money(which she had a lot of) to raise another human being. Still, she was ready to face that challenge and she was extremely happy to have her parents in her corner.
After the weekend was over, the week seemed to have gone by quite quickly, mainly because Rhonda spent a lot of time with her closest childhood friends—especially Nadine and Patty. It was an excellent way to keep her mind off of her troubles and enjoy those valuable times with her friends. Going away to university and awaiting the arrival of her unborn baby meant that Rhonda was embarking on a journey to a whole new life, thus, having to say goodbye to almost everything she was familiar with.
Suddenly, that bittersweet day arrived—Rhonda's flight to LA was less than three hours away. It was around 12:00PM and frankly, the hot, sunny afternoon was most certainly not a reflection of what Rhonda was feeling inside. She was very sad, having to leave her cherished life in Hillwood. Still, she had to do it; her education and her future were extremely important to her. Surprisingly, Rhonda didn't even want to have a going-away party. Normally, she relished being the center of attention but after everything that has taken place, she definitely wasn't feeling festive.
The Lloyds were sitting in the back of a limousine riding through the semi-busy Hillwood traffic. All of Rhonda's childhood chums were hanging out at the park, expecting her to arrive so they could bid their goodbyes. Rhonda was dressed in a comfortable, turquoise summer dress with matching Burberry sandals. She wore minimal yet flattering makeup and nail polish to complement her outfit. Sad or not, nothing could ever discourage this notorious, dark-haired queen bee from looking her absolute best. Rhonda Lloyd was forever true to her reputation. When the limo parked at the curb, Rhonda's friends came walking out of the park entrance; waiting on the sidewalk. The driver walked towards the back of the vehicle and held the door open so Rhonda could step out of it.
With a somewhat sad smile on her face, Rhonda stared at the group of kids she has known her entire life. As her best friends, Nadine and Patty stood front and center of course. Pregnant and sensitive as well, both Nadine and Patty had tears glistening in their eyes already. The first to approach Rhonda was Phoebe.
"Well Rhonda, I'm certainly going to miss you," Phoebe told her." I'm sorry that you're not going to make it to the going away party for me, Gerald, Helga and Arnold."
"I'm sorry too," Rhonda sighed." Good luck at NYU. I'm going to miss you."
"Likewise," Phoebe nodded." I wish you a pleasantly safe flight, a consistent demonstration of academic excellence and of course, a healthy, happy baby."
Rhonda smiled and leaned forward to hug the short, petite girl. After that, Stinky approached her with open arms.
"Come to think of it, Miss Rhonda, I don't think you ever gave me a hug—on account of you always called me 'gross' and a 'hick'," Stinky stated, with a grin.
Rhonda chuckled at Stinky's statement, mainly because it was the truth.
"But I reckon you wouldn't mind givin' me a hug now that you're fixin' to fly far away 'cross the country," Stinky insisted.
"Not at all," Rhonda assured him.
With that, Rhonda and Stinky hugged each other, probably for the first time in their lives. For Rhonda, Stinky was living proof that even the annoyances in one's old life would be missed while on the verge of beginning a new life. Next, Rhonda hugged Gloria, Lila, Sheena, Eugene, Sid, Josh and Gerald. The next approach was fellow killer-diva, Helga Pataki.
"Wow, Princess, you sure seem to be leaving in a hurry," Helga smirked." The summer's barely even over."
"Oh please, as if I'm going to stand around, sweat and be bored in Hillwood when I can find shade and amusement in Hollywood," Rhonda responded, jokingly.
"Someone's feeling uppity," Helga commented." What else is new?"
"Relax, Pataki, I'm totally kidding," Rhonda assured her." There's no place like my hometown."
"You got that right; don't ever forget where you come from," Helga nodded, with a playful feistiness." Any-hoo—Arnold, Gerald, Phoebe and I are all heading to New York and you're going to LA. Criminy…it makes me wonder who the hell is going to run shit around here once we're gone."
"Good point, Helga; after all you and I are…." Rhonda stated.
"The baddest bitches in Hillwood!" Helga and Rhonda cheered in unison.
Everyone laughed around them. This love-hate friendship between Rhonda and Helga has been an ongoing thing since their childhood. After all, they were two girls that very few people dared to mess with and as a result, found themselves in conflict with each other. Nevertheless, Rhonda and Helga have always loved each other in spite of their differences. With tears in their eyes, the two girls laughed as they hugged each other tightly.
After Rhonda finished hugging Helga, Arnold approached her with his usual kind grin and friendly look in his green eyes.
"Oh Arnold, you will definitely be unforgettable," Rhonda told him." Thanks for always being such a great friend."
"And I always be," Arnold promised." Distance changes nothing."
At that moment, Rhonda's emotions were beginning to kick in as a tear rolled the side of her cheek.
"You and the baby are going to be fine—I know it," Arnold continued, optimistically." Just keep being your strong, confident self. I'm going to miss you, Rhonda, and we'll always keep in touch."
"Of course, Arnold."
Rhonda hugged Arnold firmly as an expression of all the gratitude she owed to him over the years. Next along was Harold. Dressed in an enormous white T-shirt and denim shorts, the hefty young man approached her somewhat shyly. Rhonda could feel herself slightly blushing as well for some odd reason. Although Harold was Patty's boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, there was still some undeniable chemistry between him and Rhonda that has been lingering since elementary school. However, nothing ever happened between the two of them.
"Wow…" Harold could only manage to say.
"Wow what?" Rhonda asked.
"Wow, what what?" Harold responded in confusion.
"Huh?" Rhonda reacted, equally perplexed.
"Oh, you're confusing me," Harold groaned.
Everyone erupted with laughter at Harold's typical dizty-ness.
"Never mind," Rhonda shook her head." Just give me a hug. I am going to miss you just like I'm going to miss everyone else."
So, Harold engulfed Rhonda in his large arms; surprisingly being careful not to squish her. Harold hugged Rhonda with all the gentleness in the world—perhaps a little too gentle. Rhonda felt slightly awkward but she couldn't help but to appreciate the cushy comfort of such a super-sized individual and the warmth of his embrace, even on that hot summer day. Although Rhonda wasn't feeling violated, there was something about Harold's hug that felt a little too intimate.
"I'm going to miss you too, Rhonda," Harold whispered into her ear.
Nerves as sensitive as ever, Rhonda quivered a bit as she and Harold shyly loosened up their embraced and exchanged coy smiles. Patty was a little uncomfortable about the scene but she didn't make a big deal of it; it simply wasn't her style to jump to conclusions.
Finally, Rhonda approached her two best friends. Without a doubt, she will certainly miss Nadine and Patty most of all. The three girls, all in their first trimester of pregnancy, were very emotional. Holding their tears inside was practically impossible. So, Rhonda, Nadine and Patty formed a tight group hug and held each other with love.
"Girls, I'm going to miss you so much," Rhonda sobbed.
"We're going to miss you too, Rhonda," Nadine choked up, tearfully.
Patty wiped a tear from her eye as she held her friends closer.
"It's all for the best, of course," Patty said, sadly." Everyone is starting a new life and we don't have to look at it as a bad thing. But we will miss each other."
"You both are going to be great moms," Rhonda told them." Wish me the same luck."
"You're going to be great too, Rhonda," Nadine assured her." You're so sure of yourself about everything else, so you've gotta maintain that same confidence when your baby gets here."
"I know," Rhonda nodded, sobbingly." I swear I adore you girls so much. Your friendship means more to than any of my expensive, glamorous possessions. I wouldn't trade you two for any of that shit. Oh, Nadine…Patty—I love you so much."
"We love you too, Rhonda," Nadine and Patty cried softly in response.
The three of them hugged and cried for a little while longer. They all knew that there would be telephone conversations and even visits to look forward to in the future. However, they couldn't help but to feel sad about not being able to see each other on a daily basis. They finally pulled themselves apart—as difficult as it was to do so.
With mascara-dyed tears streaking down her cheeks, Rhonda managed to smile as she looked at all of her friends. Nadine, Patty, Sid, Stinky, Harold, Eugene, Sheena, Josh, Gloria, Lila, Gerald, Phoebe, Helga and Arnold all stared back at her with sad smiles on their faces.
"Goodbye everybody," Rhonda said, softly but clearly.
"Bye Rhonda," they all responded in unison.
The tall, gray-haired driver opened the backseat of the limousine. Rhonda sighed, wiped her face with tissue and then dug into her purse for her Gucci sunglasses. After that, she put the shades on her face and then climbed into the limo next to her parents. Once the driver got back into the vehicle, the crowd waved as the limousine drove out of sight.
Harold and Sid approached their respective girlfriends to offer some comfort to their obvious sadness. Harold put his arm around Patty and kissed her on the cheek. In return, Patty leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. Sid took Nadine's hand and squeezed it delicately. The black eye he received during the fight with Junito was slowly fading away.
"You okay?" Sid asked, with tears in his own eyes.
"Yeah," Nadine said, with a sigh." Are you okay?"
"Well, I'm gonna miss Rhonda too—and I hate to see you cry," Sid explained, compassionately.
"Oh baby…..come here," Nadine responded, emotionally." Don't break down on me."
She and Sid kissed each other affectionately on the lips and then hugged. After that, Nadine and Patty glanced at each other with a slight sense of optimism. Their best friend was going away but it was still comforting to know that Sid and Harold, the respective loves of their lives, were there to stay—for them and the babies they were carrying in their wombs.
Meanwhile, the Lloyd limousine was cruising across the highway bridge, heading for the international airport. Rhonda's parents were accompanying her for the ride, dreading the thought of parting ways with their only child.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Mr. Lloyd asked.
"Yes, I'm alright, Dad," Rhonda responded, softly.
"Your friends will always be here for you, darling, and so will your father and I," Mrs. Lloyd told her.
Rhonda smiled as her mother gave her a soft kiss on her temple. Most of the ride was quiet and calm, it gave Rhonda the peace she needed to dwell in her thoughts. Even though their relationship has gone to hell, Rhonda continued to think about Curly. He was released from one hospital to be admitted to another—a psychiatric hospital. It was for the best and frankly, Curly needed all the help he could get for himself and for the seed that he has impregnated Rhonda with. There was no love lost between Rhonda and Curly. He'll always have a special place in her heart even though they weren't meant to be. Being the aggressive diva that she is, Rhonda most likely wasn't aware of how big her own heart truly was. Therefore, she was unaware of its grand capacity to love.
Suddenly, her cell phone chimed, alerting her to a text message. It was from Lorenzo; he was already settled in Puerto-Rico in preparation of pursuing his post-secondary education.
Lorenzo: I know this is the date that u r leaving. Have a safe flight Rhonda and enjoy LA. Thinking of u always.
Rhonda didn't respond to the text right away but she felt her heart beat and a smile spread across her face. As odd as it seemed, Rhonda actually brought her cell phone to her face and kissed it as if Lorenzo could feel her lips through the screen. Her smile widened; the text message has certainly brightened her day. Suddenly, Rhonda didn't feel so far away from her family and friends. She would feel their presence even when she arrives in California.
A boy's charm always seemed to have the potential to be granted access into the heart of Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd. She and Curly would be eternally connected by virtue of their child's birth. She and Harold clearly had some undiscovered romantic feelings for each other due to a romance that the two of them never pursued. Lastly, she and Lorenzo would probably be in love with each other forever—together or not.
I wonder what the LA boys are like? Rhonda thought. Fuck it. I have more important things to worry about. Besides, I AM Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd and I don't crave boys—they crave ME.
With that, it was nice to know that Rhonda's confidence was intact.
(I hope life treats you kind and I hope you have all you dream of. And I wish you joy and happiness but above all things I wish you love. And I will always love you.) (Rhonda's thoughts for everyone she's leaving behind)
