AN: I'm sorry for the slow update guys. I've been working on another story and I don't really have an excuse…Everything with school has just been kind of stressful.
Charlotte hurriedly got to the showers and turned the water on. She dropped her clothes and got in, closing the curtain behind her. It was heaven! She hadn't been happy in weeks! Although her happiness was short lived at the sound of giggling, giggling that she would recognize anywhere…She'd only been hearing it for past fourteen years!
"I don't know if we should be in here," the voice giggled again. There was a pause before whoever she was with spoke.
"Don't worry baby, I've got it all under control." There was another pause before Grace's giggles resumed.
"Josh…" she said with a happy sigh. "I'm glad you came into our group."
"Mm, me too," Charlotte bit her lip, realizing what the pauses were for…They were kissing. She was blinded by rage and annoyance. She grabbed her towel from where she'd hung it on the shower curtain pole and ripped the curtain bad.
"What the hell? You're like twice her age!" she shouted at "Josh". "What the hell's wrong with you? That's my daughter!"
"Mom!" Grace exclaimed.
"Stay out of this!"
"With all due respect, I'm seventeen," Josh piped up.
"Oh! That makes it so much better!" Charlotte threw her hands in the air, nearly dropping her towel in the process. "You, with me," she grabbed onto his ear and dragged him down the hall behind her. They were going to Shane's room. She didn't bother to knock. "Shane!" She called.
"Goddamn it," she heard him mumble before he sat up. "Dammit, Charlotte! Do you know what Goddamn time it is?" He asked, eyeing her sleepily. He didn't notice Josh-not until Charlotte sighed. "What's he doin' here?"
"Apparently making out with our daughter!" Charlotte didn't think about how much of an ass she was making of herself until Grace stormed off and slammed a door behind her. Not the best way to go about this…She realized. Not only had she embarrassed her only daughter, but she'd taken her apparent boyfriend to Shane…Grace's father. "Oh my God…" Charlotte said out loud. She released Josh's ear and ran off after Grace. She found the room her daughter was in and knocked softly. "Grace…Can I come in?"
"Go away!" Grace yelled from the other side of the door.
Lucky for Charlotte, Grace wasn't too good at this teenage storm off thing yet. The door was unlocked and Charlotte walked in anyway.
"Grace sweet-"
"Didn't you hear me? I said go away!"
"Sweetheart, I'm-"
"Go the hell away, mom!"
"Grace Walsh! Mind your mouth!" Charlotte said. "I'm trying to apologize to you! I know I made an ass out of myself. I know that I should've acted differently! Okay, I regret it. I'm sorry!"
"Mr. Walsh, I only have the best intentions with your daughter," Josh swore. "I'm only seventeen; I'm not an adult or anything…She's a great girl and she's been so welcoming…"
"Really dude, you're gonna try that on me?" Shane shook his head. "Look, what were you thinkin'? Ah-Don't answer that…" Shane knew what it was like to be seventeen. He just didn't want to think about what Josh was thinking about…
"Mr. Walsh, it's not like that. I can protect her…I know you want to do that yourself. But, you seem to have a lot of people to protect…I can help."
"You don't even understand what you're askin'. It ain't that simple. You're not a dad. You don't know what it's like to worry 'bout your kids all a the time. And I don't want you to know anytime soon. I think that's why Charlotte's worried. I don't have a problem with you-yet. But I don't want my daughter having to go through the shit me and her mom had to." Shane ran his hands through his dark hair. He couldn't believe that he had to worry about any of this. Grace was too young for this! It seemed like just yesterday she'd said her first word (dad) or took her first steps…
Grace couldn't believe she'd actually forgiven her mom already. Charlotte had spent the last few minutes telling Grace about when Charlotte had found out she was pregnant for the first time.
Charlotte sobbed, hanging her head as she looked at the white stick. She was too young to have a baby! She didn't even have anybody to be there for her! Shane had just broken up with her a month ago and she was still dealing with that!
She knew there was another option but she wouldn't kill her baby…Never. This was her own fault and she'd live with the consequences. A little voice popped into her head and reminded her she'd have to tell Shane…The man that had shattered her heart into more pieces than she could dream of counting.
Baseball practice had ended and Shane was headed to his car with his bad slung over his shoulder. Did breaking up with Charlotte hurt? Yes, but they would be going their separate ways soon anyway. It was better to end it now before he got too attached and did something stupid like said the "L" word.
"Shane," speak of the devil…He turned slowly, setting the bat atop his car.
"Darlin', what do you want?" he tried to be as cool as he could towards her.
She didn't say another word. She only reached into her pocket and pulled something out. She held it out to him and it looked down at her hand, unable to see what it was.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Just take it," was all she said. He took the odd looking thing from her hand. As he raised it to eye level she looked at her feet.
"What's this?" He asked.
"It's a Goddamn pregnancy test!" She shouted, sick of his stupidity. "Okay, you're going to be a dad, happy now?"
"You sure it's mine?" That one gave him a solid smack to the face.
"What the hell are you implying, Walsh? I'm not a whore! I've only ever been with you, Shane!"
"Please, I've seen the way you and Rick look at each other!"
"Fuck you Shane. If you don't want to raise your kid then fine! Just know that he or she is growing up without their dad because of you!"
Now that one hurt a little. Shane knew better than anyone that that baby was his. She wouldn't sleep with Rick because that was Shane's best friend and Charlotte was a loyal person like that…He didn't know why he'd lashed out like that at her. "Charlotte I'm sor-"
"Really, Shane, you're sorry? I don't know why I even decided to tell you!"
"Charlotte," his tone was really soft. He was feeling all of the guilt. He was too focused on his baseball career to really care…He did care about her. She didn't turn around. She simply walked away. She didn't own a car so he assumed that she was going to walk him. Rather than following her on foot, he got in the car and began driving the path that she'd be taking. But as he drove…he quickly realized that someone had probably driven her. He drove to her house either way and parked on the curb. He jumped out of his car and went and knocked on the door.
He could hear her voice, it was muffled, but he could hear it. "If that's Shane, tell him to fuck off." He wasn't sure, until he opened the door who she was speaking to. Rick's cousin, Alyssa.
"Fuck off," the red-headed girl said. "Courtesy of the woman that you knocked up."
"Alyssa, just let me talk to her," Shane said. "It's important."
"No," she started to shut the door on him but he pushed it open and ran into the living room.
"Charlotte, I need you to listen to me. I love you, okay? I do…I just didn't want to have to end things before I went off to college…"
Of course when she told Grace the same story, she left out part of everything. Grace only got the censored version. "I just don't want to see you hurt like I was," Charlotte told her daughter.
"Mom, this is different…"
"You think that until you realize other wise, sweetheart. You're still young. I just want you to be careful…"
AN: Again, I'm sorry. This chapter wasn't the best either. I've had a lot on my mind. I hope that you liked it anyway. Please review.
