It was 8 'o' clock on a warm morning in March as I was sitting up the dining room table doing some last minute revision for my Chemistry exam that morning. I rubbed my hand down my expanded baby bump as I wrote down some notes. I was now 7 months pregnant. I was tired and achy quite a bit. I still can't get over when me and Lola went baby shopping last weekend up Stratford, I couldn't feel my legs when I returned home- I thought I was dying! Oh well, two months to go and then here comes my baby girl…
Jay entered with his wet chest bare and wore nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. "Don't you ever give them books a rest?" Jay wondered, "It's like living with Hermione Granger!" He joked, with a smirk sketched onto his lips.
I looked up at Jay, aiming daggers at him, "Ha, ha," I said sarcastically as I turned back to my revision. Jay walked behind me and kissed my cheek tenderly, "You want a cup of tea?" He offered.
"Erm, yes please," I responded, focusing on my revision as I turned the page of one of the books. Next week, my final exams will be finished. I heard Jay's footsteps drag into the kitchen, "What time's the exam?!" He called out from the kitchen, before I heard the kitchen tap turn on.
"Half nine," I called back to him, as I jotted down a few points. I heard Jay place two mugs down on the worktop.
"And you got up at 6?!" Jay sounded surprised, as the kettle had begun to boil.
"How would you know?" I half laughed looking towards the doorway. "You were out for the count!"
"I heard the shower go," Jay told me like it was obvious as he began to place a teabag in one mug and coffee powder in the other before adding the basic essentials which consisted of milk and sugar.
"What in your sleep?" I grinned, pretending to have a blonde moment.
"If I was dreaming about showers babe, it wouldn't just be you and there," He mumbled as he waited for the kettle to finish boiling.
"Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrow, "Who else would it be then?"
"Me," Jay grinned, walking into the living room over to the side of the dining room table as he leant over me with one hand at the back of my chair and the other on the table, "You know I could easily drop this towel right now!" He muttered in my face, suggestively as he grasped my lips in his.
I pulled away grinning after kissing him for about a second, "Get out and bring me tea!"
Jay laughed as he strolled out of the living room and heading back into the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, Jay came back with two mugs filled with hot drinks. He placed the cup of tea down beside me on the table as he peered over my shoulder.
"Didn't you revise that last night and the day before that?" He inquired.
"I'm pregnant Jay," I told him in annoyance, "Pregnancy changes the body and I'm going over things just in case!"
Jay smirked, "Fair enough," he said as he placed his cup of coffee down on the coffee table.
"Get dressed before you even consider sitting down on the sofa," I ordered, pointing my finger at Jay. Jay smirked at me before he did a mocking salute, "Yes ma'am." He joked as he hurried out of the living room.
Fifteen minutes before the exam, Jay pulled his car up outside the Sixth Form College. I looked up at the building. Jay squeezed my knee, "You'll be fine!" He reassured. I looked at him smiling.
"Do you have enough money for the bus back?" Jay checked, gradually lifting his backside off the driver's seat to go through his jean pocket.
"You sound like my dad, Jay," I smirked.
Jay rolled his eyes, "Do you need money or not?"
"I have 10 pound in my bag," I told him. "What time will you be back tonight?" I asked him. Phil has sent Jay, Dexter and AJ were going on a business trip up Birmingham for the day.
"No later than 7," He reassured. "Buy a takeaway for dinner or something! You know where our money is!"
"Yes, cos that's really healthy for the baby!"
"Well, you can cook if you want," Jay shrugged. "If you get a takeaway, you know my usual on whatever takeaway you're going to decide on."
I nodded as I leaned in to peck his lips, "I'll see you tonight!"
With that, I hopped out of the car, slinging my bag onto my shoulder as I walked towards the college.
"Abi," Bernadette called me over, joyfully as she was standing with our friends Holly and Sophie. I smiled as I walked over to them, "Hiya!"
"The bump's getting bigger now Abs," Sophie gasped.
Bernadette raised her eyebrow at Sophie, "You've only just realised that Soph'?"
I burst out laughing and before Sophie could respond, "I wish the baby would come out now," Holly whined. "I want cuddles!"
"I love babies, me," Bernadette boasted with her hand on her heart, "Call me your free babysitter, Abi!"
I giggled. "Anyway, my exam starts in fifteen minutes! I'll see you later." I hugged my three friends goodbye before I headed over to the exam hall. On my way, a group of people in black hoodies stood in my way as they approached me.
"Abi Branning," a feminine voice spoke. I didn't recognise them so I had no idea how they knew me. I've seen them around the college a few times. I may have known them but they've just turned emo perhaps.
"Who are you?" I stuttered taking a step back, "I have to attend the Chemistry exam!"
The girl snarled, "Abi Branning, always so brainy and full of it! Who would have known you could turn into such a slut?"
"You have no right to say that," I spoke. "At least I can still make something of my life, just like I'm doing now!"
"There's no way you can go to university now that you're lumbered with that," a male scoffed, gesturing my bump. I wrapped my arms around it, protectively.
"You can't protect that baby forever," another feminine smirked. "You just watch your back around here because we'll be watching! We will make sure you don't have this baby! Look at ya, you're not fit enough! Your family keeps breaking up. Who would want to bring a baby into a life like that? You must really want to make it suffer! Poor little thing…"
With that, the gang walked off, bashing into me in the process. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I stormed into the exam hall trying to control myself. I felt like I was being stalked.
I was stressing out throughout the entire exam, however, I think I got most of the questions answered correctly. I was relieved that I didn't see that gang again after I finished the exam and as I stepped on the bus, heading back to Albert Square.
I entered the café to meet Lola like we had arranged the day before. I started to feel funny. I just thought to myself that once I've had someone to eat and drink, then I will be as right as rain. I walked over to the counter to find Lucy standing there which surprised me considering that she works at Butcher's Joints and didn't really want to get involved in any of her father's businesses.
"Lucy, what are you doing here?" I questioned.
Lucy rolled her eyes, "Don't ask, I don't want to be here, Peter made me. So, what can I get you?"
I looked behind me to find Lola smiling at me from a table she had reserved for the two of us. I turned back to Lucy just as I had begun to feel worse. "Erm, I'll just have a coffee with a jam doughnut please!" I stuttered, looking down, resting my hand on the counter for support.
Lucy observed me, "Abi, are you alright? Do you want me to call Lauren, Jay or your mum over or something?"
"No, its fine, I'm alright," I lied. I forgot to pay Lucy as I turned a 90 degree angle towards Lola before I almost collapsed.
"Abi!" Lola cried as her and Lucy rushed to my side. I felt myself slipping against the counter but I kind of got saved as Lola and Lucy grabbed each of my arms. I started puking out vomit which was this orangey colour. It was a deep orange. What worried me is that blood could be combined within the vomit. Something isn't right.
"Call an ambulance," Lola demanded to Lucy as they both sat me down on the comfy seat.
"I'll get her some water too," Lucy said in panic as she grabbed her mobile from her pocket whilst running into the kitchen area.
"It's going to be alright Abs," Lola reassured me as she rubbed my arm, smiling at me.
"What's wrong with me?" I started to panic. I felt bile rise up my throat as I smacked my hand over my mouth, "I think I'm gonna be sick!"
Lola's eyes widened as she began to improvise looking around the café fast but warily. She grabbed a charity man's green bucket, tipping the money onto the floor, "Sorry mate," she apologised as she held the bucket towards me as I puked inside it.
I took deep breathes as I finished throwing up into the poor charity man's jacket. Lucy came over to us and placed a glass of chilled water on the table, "I've phoned the ambulance! Listen, do you want me to go and get your mum, Lauren or Jay even?"
"Jay's on a business trip with the boys at the Arches," I panted.
"Well, your mum or Lauren then," Lucy suggested.
"No," I snapped. "I don't want my mum or Lauren fussing over me! Don't get any of my family members. I want Jay!"
"Awe Abs," Lola said sympathetically, rubbing my back. "Do you want me to go with you to the hospital?"
"I don't think it's a good idea Lola, its better if it's a family member or Jay," Lucy gave her opinion.
"No, I want Lola to come with me," I told Lucy sternly. "Until Jay gets here! Lola won't fuss over me, she'll cheer me up and make me think positive more easily instead of being like 'Ohh everything's going to be alright darlin', you'll see!'"
Lola smirked, "I'll come with you Abs. In the meantime, I'll ring Jay!" With that, Lola got her mobile phone out of her pocket.
Within fifteen minutes, I was wheeled into the ambulance by two paramedics with a red blanket over my body. I started to relax but I was still on edge. Lola hopped into the ambulance, with her phone to her ear. One of the paramedics closed the ambulance door leaving me and Lola in the ambulance with the other paramedic.
"Ugh," Lola groaned as she pressed the red button on her phone. "That's the twelfth time I've called both Jay and Dexter and there's no answer! Boys are useless at times!"
"I want Jay," I cried.
Lola squeezed my hand as she sat beside me, "I'll get him here Abs, I promise."
"What if I lose the baby?" I started to panic with tears rolling down my cheeks. "Jay's going to hate me, he'll never forgive me!"
Lola wiped my tears away with her thumb, "That's enough of that! You will not lose this baby, even if you did, Jay could never hate you, there isn't a single bone in him that would hate you and never forgive you!"
Just at that moment, Lola's phone started ringing. I peered down to find that Dexter was trying to get through to her. Lola immediately pressed the answer button as she held it to her ear, "Finally! Listen, you and AJ have to manage this business trip on your own cos Jay's needed here right now!" Lola told him as she began to explain to Dexter what happened as the ambulance headed down the motorway.
Lola and I had been in the hospital an hour and doctors and nurses were in an out of my room taking blood tests along with a variety of other tests. The staff have already told me that I will be allowed home after they get the results back as they believe that it's nothing major. I was just waiting for the results to come back as Jay scurried into the room, skidding in the process, which made Lola slam her hand over her mouth, hiding her laugh.
"I came as soon as I could," Jay panted, as he rushed over to my bedside, holding my hand tightly. "What happened? Is everything okay?" He asked concerned as he gestured my baby bump with his eyes.
"The doctors think that it's nothing major," I reassured him, yet I was still stressed. "I just started to come down all funny in the café. I almost collapsed and I was vomiting."
Jay sighed as he kissed my forehead, "I'm here now, don't worry! I've been worried sick for the past hour!" He then turned to Lola, "Thanks for being there Lol!"
"Its fine," Lola smiled. "Abi's my best friend, it's my job to be there for her! Anyway, I best be getting back."
"No, stay Lola," I insisted. "We can all share a cab!"
Lola nodded just as the nurse entered the room.
"Well?" Jay demanded, "I'm Abi's boyfriend and the father of the child."
"Well, everything's under control, the baby's fine," the nurse told us sternly. "However, what happened today Abi was caused by a lot of stress! Is there anything that you've been stressing about today?"
"Well I had an exam today," I stuttered. I really didn't want to tell them about that gang in college.
"But you're not normally like this over an exam," Jay raised his eyebrow sounding unsure. Jay could see right through me!
"It was just the exam," I lied.
"Well, you're free to go, discharge yourself at reception," the nurse told us. "Take it easy Abi, not long to go now!" With that, the nurse turned on her heel as she left the room.
"I'm gonna go to the toilet before we head off, I'll meet you two down at reception," Lola announced as she left the room. Jay turned to me, raising his eyebrow, "Talk to me Abi!" He said as he sat down on the bed.
"It was just my exam," I lied. "It was a tough one and I was worried that I'd fail!"
Jay rolled his eyes, "Babe, I can read you like a book." He touched my hand, "Tell me what's wrong sweetcheeks."
I sighed as tears began to roll down my cheeks, "There was this group at college on my way to the exam. They called me a slut and told me how I weren't fit enough to bring a baby into the life that I have. They said that they'll make sure that I don't have this baby. I didn't recognise who they were, they knew how my family has been in the past, it's like I've been stalked Jay!"
Jay pulled me into a hug, "I'm gonna sort this. Don't ask me how, I just will. First thing, tomorrow as I'm not leaving you on your own for the rest of the day."
The cab pulled up outside mine and Jay's bungalow as me, Jay and Lola hopped out of the cab. I looked around the Square when my eyes locked onto the Square gardens. The gang was looking over at me. I nudged Jay, nervously. "Jay, it's them, it's the gang," I whispered.
Jay glared over at the Square Gardens as he stormed over to them with me with me calling after him.
"What do you think you're playing at eh?! Threatening my girlfriend and the mother of my child! Seriously, you don't know who you're messing with! If I find out you've been within an inch of Abi then you lot are seriously dead! I'm not even joking, I've had a lot of crap in my life and this is my job to protect my family!"
The gang sniggered at Jay before a one of the males came forward to face my brave boyfriend, "Well it seems like you don't know who you're messing with either!" With that, the male revealed the hand that was behind his back which contained a baseball bat. He swung the bat and hit Jay over the head, making him tumble to the floor.
"Jay!" I cried loudly as Lola and I rushed over to him. He was out cold.