Life's Choices
Chapter 29
Just Jealous
AN: I own nothing thanks for the reviews hope you enjoy. Angst ahead. I remember high school not long ago so doing this from what it was like at my school, with little extra added since this was back in 1989. Thanks Kathy for the help.
"Hey you two," Nick said with smile on his face but when he saw Derek give him a look he was trying to figure out what was wrong, "Did you two have a fight because Derek, you might be my friend, but she is too, so what ever you did to her you better apologize now," Nick said.
"He didn't do anything Nick," Pen said, "I just don't feel like talking, or crying any more, that's all I do," she said, "I fucking broke down when he kissed me," she said, "And now, damn it," she complained wiping her eyes.
"Since you got that computer class with her, make sure she's okay and if she starts crying try cheering her up," Derek said.
"I want to hug him so fucking much, and if I hug him I'll get detention again," Penelope said, "I can't catch a fucking break," she said, "I should have like leeway or something, I'm pregnant, emotional, hormonal, and pissed off," she said.
"Well no worries, I'll keep you company, when Derek's in class," Nick said before giving her a hug.
"Just don't you steal her from me," Derek teased with smile, "I gotta go to class," Derek said, "I love you baby girl," he said before letting Nick take her books, "Don't let her carry them either," he said.
"Yes, little brother," Nick said.
"Three months that is it, Nick Wells, and you call me little again I will hit you with something," Derek said.
"Don't you start arguing," Pen said, "Or you both will be getting hit," she said, "The way I feel right now," she replied.
"Come on sis, I'll walk you to class," Nick said, "Derek's gotta go change for that not gym class," he said with smile.
"I'll meet you two at the truck, I gotta talk to the coach after class," Derek said before tossing Nick the keys, "Penelope gets to choice the music," he said.
"Fine by me," Nick said before they parted ways Derek going into the locker room.
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Nick was too busy watching Penelope to care about the girl that was trying to get his attention, Pen looked like she was about to start crying again.
"Five minutes left of class then we can go and have forty-five minutes of lunch and you can hug Derek all you want," Nick said.
"I'm trying here, but I just really want to hug him right now," Pen said, she'd just started showing, but so far nobody really noticed since she'd been wearing her hoodie which covered most of it, she wasn't ashamed she just didn't want the girls in their class or around the school to start up, she knew they would, another girl who already had a kid in their math class told her that they would be bitches, they'd done the same to her.
"Think about something good, like next week is Thanksgiving and your brothers are coming to visit, all four them," Nick said, "We also get to meet Melody, Jeff and Ruth's daughter," he replied.
Pen only nodded, all morning since that woman in the diner told her she was making a mistake and that Derek wouldn't stay with her in the end she'd been hurt. She knew it wasn't true, but she kept thinking about it. Nick, Derek and her had spent the weekend fixing up the nursery and her bedroom. They'd had so much fun, and she'd started needing Derek to hold her, she didn't feel safe less she could feel his arms around her.
"Pen are you sure you're okay?" Nick asked again.
"I'm fine," she replied finishing the last part of their assignment printing out one copy before she changed the name and put Nick's on it since he'd spent the whole class talking her out of crying, "There, we're done," Pen said.
"You didn't have to do that," Nick said.
"Well you've helped me from not crying all through class the least I could do was put your name on that and hit print for you to," Pen said, but she wasn't her normal cheery self.
Few minutes later they were leaving class when the bell rang and she saw the four girls that were standing beside Nick's locker before class, one of them had been hitting on him, but he'd completely ignored her earlier and now too.
"You know I bet he's only with her because she's pregnant, I mean come on, Derek Morgan has everything, why does he need that tramp," one the girls said, "Bet soon as he gets that full ride he's gone," she added before looking right at Penelope.
That was the last straw; Penelope took off letting the tears she'd been holding back all of class, flooded out her eyes. Nick took off running after her, and he'd never seen Pen run, but apparently she could. She was going straight for the double doors and he barely caught up to her before a guy came through the door pushing it open right in front of her.
Nick grabbed her after he dropped her book bag, he didn't care about the school rules on hugging, Penelope was sobbing and he just pulled her into his arms. He wasn't going to let her believe a damn thing that people were saying.
"How can you believe what those stupid girls had to say? Derek is crazy about you and you know that. He would be with you baby or not, that one girl is just jealous. Hell I am jealous of what you too have," he said.
"It's not fair, everybody keeps saying we don't belong or he's going to leave me," Penelope said, "I don't understand, why are they mean to me?" she asked.
"She's just a bitch, and don't listen to them, I told you that. Later down the road she will wish that she had what you have now," Nick said.
"Thank you," Pen said pulling away but she still had tears running down her eyes, "I just really want to get out of here," she replied.
"Come on," Nick said picking her book bag up, that he'd put his books in as well.
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Penelope was sitting on the back of Derek's truck with Nick beside her. Soon as she'd gotten to the truck she'd started crying again, and she'd told him what the woman had said in the diner.
"Hey," Derek said coming up, he got on the back of the truck taking Nick's spot pulling her into his arms, "What's wrong, baby girl?" he asked.
"One those girls that hangs out beside my locker trying to get me to go out with them, like that would work after what the hell she said, told Pen you were with her just because the baby," he said.
"What?" Derek asked, "Why would you ever believe that?" he asked.
"The diner this morning, I lied when I said the woman told me congrads, she said that we were kids and that you'd leave the first chance you got, we don't have a chance in hell," Penelope said.
"Soon as I find this person, they are getting a piece of my mind," Nick said, "What kind of fucking person would do that?" he asked.
"Nobody except the ones we know believe we will make it," Derek said, "Well and her baby doctor woman, apparently she thinks we'll make it," Derek said, "But I know we will," he said, "We gotta leave at one for that appointment anyways, you want to cut out her now?" He asked.
"No, we got one more class, and I get to be there with you," Pen said, "That I can enjoy," she said, "You know Nick's jealous of us?" she said trying to make herself smile.
"What, you two found each other, and trust me love like what you got, it's hard to find," Nick said, "But my dad believes you two will make it too, I told him last week, he was shocked at first, but after five minute lecture on me getting a girl pregnant and he will lock me in the jail for life, he said that he watched Derek's parent's for years, and they made it, Jeff and Ruth have made it, you two will make it too," Nick said, "So those stupid girls at the school, or that woman in the diner tells you other wise, you just remember I will give them a talking to," he said.
"Thanks, but you should find a girlfriend of your own," Pen said, "I could set you up, if I knew anybody," she said with faint smile first real one that day.
"Thanks, but I think I will stick to being single for a while, and I sure as hell don't want somebody like whatever her name was," Nick said.
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The rest the time went by without Penelope crying, with Derek beside her when they walked into the school she felt like she was going to be okay again. Nick had gone to his locker to get his books before meeting them in class. Pen walked by the classroom door spotting that same girl and she wanted to prove something to her. She walked away from Derek going right up to her.
"Think that Derek's with me just because I'm pregnant, then why are we living in the same apartment together?" She asked, "He wakes me up every morning with breakfast in bed, and you might wanna start putting that on the top your wish list, because other wise you're going to end up never knowing what it is like to have a real man," Pen said with smile before going back over to Derek and she pulled him into a kiss not caring who saw them.
Derek wasn't sure exactly what to do, but he kissed her right back not caring either. He put his hand in her hair deepening the kiss before pulling away, "Now if I wanted to be with her just because the baby, you think I'd do that?" he asked before they turned around going to their class.
"She's still a whore," the girl said, "I mean you two have sex everywhere," she added.
"Don't even think about it," Derek said gripping Penelope's hand so she wouldn't go back and punch the girl, "You can work off the steam later," he said.
"You're going to let her call your pregnant girlfriend a whore?" Penelope asked a little too loud and everybody that was already in the classroom heard her including the teacher.
"I suggest you two sit down and I better not hear that word again," the teacher said.
"Sorry," Penelope said about to sit down beside Derek.
"You can sit over there," the teacher said.
"What?" Penelope asked.
"I said you can sit over there in that desk, so take your seat," she repeated, but Pen didn't listen she sat down where she'd planned on sitting, "Did you not hear me."
"Pen," Derek said knowing she was heading for trouble.
"Rules say that I cannot, hug, kiss or touch him in any sexual way that shows affection, I have not done that once, besides hold hands and I don't do that in here," Penelope said, "I see no reason I have to move," she replied.
"Go sit over there or you can find your way to the principals office, and explain yourself to him," the teacher said.
"And I'll explain how you just told me to move because you found out I was pregnant, and already knew that we were dating, so you're either sexist, hate kids, or your racist one, and either way should not be teaching," Penelope said.
Derek groaned this wasn't going to go well, "Pen just…"
"No, apparently she has a problem with us, I mean she's been giving us looks since first day class and now she tells me to move," Pen said.
"I'm not sexist or a racist, but you two don't need to be having a baby at seventeen, you should have given it up," the woman said.
Penelope got up getting her stuff, "Yeah, I think I'm going to go pay the principal a visit, tell him what you just said, I'm pretty sure that falls under some rule in the manual," she replied.
"Sit down,"
"NO, I won't be told to give my child up by somebody that doesn't know anything," Penelope said, "And I surely won't let her tell me what to do," she added walking out of the room right when Nick walked in.
Derek got up going after Penelope telling Nick to get his stuff later. He knew that Pen was pissed off, emotional, and was going to break down again. He also knew that the teacher had no right to tell them what to do with the baby. He didn't know how, but there was no way he was going back in that classroom, Penelope either. Then again they might have to, but he was hoping that they could find something or some way around it.
TBC
AN: hope you enjoyed, I knew few teachers that probably would done just what that one did. More coming later today.
