I walked out of my house at exactly 7:30am – Chad was supposed to be already waiting for me at my mailbox. That's why I was surprised when I saw he wasn't there. I stood on our porch and looked around the yard. He was nowhere to be seen. I figured he was running late, because something held him up. Chad got distracted very easily, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he had to return home to get his backpack. I slowly made my way to the gate. I decided to wait for him there for about five minutes before I called to ask where he was.

Suddenly, I heard some muffled arguing coming from nearby. I stopped in my tracks and listened carefully, trying to locate the source. I realized the noise was coming from Chad's house; the window in the living room was wide opened, letting the sound escape outside. I didn't think it was actually possible that someone was arguing there, especially at this time. My common sense told me I should keep away and just wait for him by the mailbox, but my curiosity forced me to check it out. I walked up closer to the fence, pretending to be minding my own business. I didn't think anyone would actually see me snooping around, but I wanted to be careful.

'That's just unfair!' I heard Chad shout.

'You need to understand we're doing this for you' his mother replied calmly.

'You always say that!' Chad shouted at her. 'That's what you said when you divorced Dad! And that's what you said when you dragged me all the way here.'

'Chad, this is different' Ms. Rossi told him, trying to sooth him with her tone. But Chad was really upset.

'No, it's not! You're just being selfish' he said. 'That's all you do! You never think about me! About my feelings!'

'That's not true' she answered.

'I don't feel like talking to you' Chad said. 'I'm done.'

'Chad, get back in here. Don't you dare walk out on me. I am not done yet' his mother called after him, but it seemed he was no longer in the room. I figured out he probably rushed to the door, so I quickly made my way to the mailbox.

When I was already there, Chad stormed out of his house and slammed the door behind him. He threw his backpack over his shoulder, jumped off the three steps on his porch and headed towards me.

'Hey' I said quietly, when he was only a few steps away.

'You ready?' he asked as he passed by me. 'Let's go.'

I could tell he was really upset. Actually, really upset was an understatement. He was furious. I thought I could at least try to make it better.

'Are you okay?' I wondered. He was a few steps ahead of me, but didn't turn around.

'Yeah' he replied. I took a deep breath.

'Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it-' I started, but Chad suddenly stopped walking and I almost bumped into him. I stepped back and looked up at his face.

'Do I look like I want to talk about it?' he asked bitterly. I shook my head and he sighed. 'Let's just go to school, Taylor.'

We walked in silence. And so far it has been the most distressing silence we've ever shared. I didn't feel comfortable in the smallest bit, so I kept my distance from him. Seeing him this upset for the first time in my life was slightly scary. I couldn't help wondering what made him so angry, but I knew I couldn't ask him about it. It could only make the situation worse and I didn't want to push it.

I crossed my arms and hung my head down. I always did that when someone around me was mad, because I thought looking at them could only escalate their anger. I mean, it would annoy me. I stared down at the sidewalk and analyzed what could've happened. What I overheard didn't help me understand this situation, because there were no real clues there… Or at least I couldn't find them. Chad mentioned his parents' divorce and his mother's decision to move here when he was little, and that's it. All that combined didn't make much sense to me.

I discreetly glanced over at Chad. He also had his head hung down. The frown on his face meant he wasn't going to get over it anytime soon. I felt sorry for him. I really wanted to say something to make this better, but he made it quite clear I couldn't. He didn't want that. He wanted to be left alone to deal with it on his own.

When we got to school, Chad walked me all the way to my locker like he usually did. I didn't want to be the one breaking off the silence, especially because I didn't know whether he was ready for that. I placed my backpack on the ground, took some books out of it and unlocked my locker. Chad observed me in silence. When I was checking my schedule, I felt his hand on my shoulder.

'Hey, I'm sorry' he said finally. I turned to him and he sighed. 'For acting like a dick. I was angry. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you.'

'It's fine' I assured with a slight smile. 'Don't worry about it.'

Chad took a deep breath, leaned against the locker next to mine and shoved his hands into his pockets.

'I just… have a lot going on right now…' he admitted. 'But I don't wanna talk about it. At least for now. I gotta deal with it on my own.'

'Are you sure?' I asked. He nodded his head.

'Yeah, yeah. I just got into a fight with my mom…' he said and looked away from me. 'It was about me being grounded… It's no big deal, nothing to worry about.'

'Alright, if you say so' I said and closed my locker. The way he avoided eye contact made me a little suspicious, but he said he didn't want to talk about it and I had to respect it. I knew that sooner or later he would tell me what bothered him. After all, that's what we did. We promised we wouldn't keep secrets away from each other.

'Again, I'm sorry for being harsh' he said and looked back at my face. 'The last thing I need is you being against me.'

I giggled. 'Don't worry, I'm sure that's impossible' I told him. Chad smiled slightly.

'I really hope so.'

That day I observed Chad very carefully. During breaks, while our friends were around, he was rather relaxed and talkative, however during class, when he wasn't saying anything, he seemed really downcast. He just sat there with his elbow on the desk and his hand supporting the weight of his head, looking miserable as hell. In History his desk was next to mine, so I'd occasionally glance up to check on him. He wasn't paying any attention to the world around him. He was just doodling aimlessly in his notebook or staring at the pictures in the book with a really dull look on his face. It pained me to see him like this. I knew that wasn't Chad. What hurt me even more was that there was nothing I could do.

However, my presence seemed to help him a little. He wasn't giving me the cold shoulder anymore, so we talked during the breaks and I knew he'd eventually get over it. He was still a little sad, but little kisses here and there made him smile and I considered that a progress.

My father decided the practice should be held outside. September was nearing its end and the warm days wouldn't last forever. Besides, when the guys sweat it didn't stink up the entire gym area. Gaby and I settled high up on the bleachers and observed the team's warm-up routine.

'Three months left until the Holidays' Gaby said and leaned back. She closed her eyes and directed her face at the Sun. 'I don't want it to get cold yet, but I could really use a break from school.'

'What, is the campaign wearing you out already?' I asked jokingly. She opened her eyes and looked at me.

'No' she said with a giggle. 'Although, that's gonna be a lot of work. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the Holiday break, especially after the crazy campaign I cooked up for you.'

'Oh, I'm intrigued' I said smirking. 'But you know I'm running or Student Council, not the Congress, right?'

'I know, I know. But we gotta start big. And hard' she said, balled her fist and punched her palm. It made me giggle slightly, because seeing Gaby pretend to be tough was always hilarious. She just wasn't that type of person. She ignored me and continued. 'You gotta attract the attention as soon as possible. People will remember you and once they see your name on the paper, there's a big possibility they'll vote for you.'

'I don't know, Gaby' I said and looked down at my feet. 'I agreed to run, but honestly, winning is not my goal.'

'What do you mean?' she asked in slight shock. 'If we go through the trouble of organizing a campaign, you might as well just go for the win.'

'It's not necessary' I admitted.

'But you said you could use some extra credit' she pointed out. I shrugged.

'Yeah, I could. But if I don't win, I could just get the credit elsewhere. It's not a problem. I'll be fine.'

Gaby sighed. 'Not this again. Taylor, do you want me to go down there and tell your dad you decided to be a quitter?'

'He'll get over it' I said carelessly. Gaby bit her lips.

'What if I told your mom you weren't trying your best to win?' she said. I raised my eyebrows.

'Bitch, you wouldn't' I told her jokingly.

'Bitch, I would' she replied. The way she said it made me burst out laughing.

'Okay, whatever' I said. She shook her head.

'No, it's not whatever. You agreed to do this and you asked for my help. You know I always give 250% and this time it won't be any different' she said and reached to her backpack. 'You're winning this campaign, even if I have to personally drag your butt up the stage for a debate.'

I laughed once again. 'Fine. If it means so much to you, I'll do it' I promised. She smiled and handed me a notebook.

'Good. Now please take a look at this' she told me. I took the notebook from her and opened it. The first page was the title page, because there was "Junior Class President campaign plan" written on it. What caught my attention was how nicely decorated the entire page was. There were little US flags in the corners, underneath the title Gaby drew a small podium with microphones. Confetti filled up the empty space between the drawings and letters. I smiled and looked at Gaby. She shook her head.

'I know what you're thinking. I got a little carried away, okay? Just ignore it. Move on' she instructed. I flipped to the next page, where I saw a design of a poster that we discussed about a week ago. Gaby pointed her finger at it.

'This was the starting point' she said and flipped the page, revealing a new design. 'I figured the previous one wasn't legible enough, so I removed some points and made it look like a pamphlet. Here we'll put your picture. The square next to the picture will be a short note about you; your interests, what extracurricular activities you take part in and what you've done for the school so far. You know, all that Scholastic Decathlon stuff. That will be font 12, maybe 14 if we have enough space. Underneath that is where the business starts. That big box is for our most important goals, you know?'

'Why not all of them?' I wondered. Gaby shook her head.

'That was the mistake of the first one – too much text. Just looking at it would confuse people. It didn't attract any attention. I thought we could print out more thorough fliers and just hand them out to people. What do you think?'

'I'm impressed' I admitted and analyzed the poster project. 'It's great, Gaby. Really professional.'

'Well, professional is what I do' she said with a smile. I looked at her.

'I think it's much better than whatever the others are planning' I said. She sighed.

'I hope so. The thing is we don't know anything about their plans' she complained. 'I've been trying to get some info the entire last week, but no one I talked to knew anything. And I can't really just go up to Paige's friends and ask about it.'

'Yeah, that'd be really suspicious' I said and closed her notebook. 'Maybe we could get someone from Chemistry Club to figure out what Henry is planning? After all, he's tight with the Nerds.'

'They're way too tight and that's the problem' she said. 'They'll know we're trying something with them and they'll either use it against us or lie to us. That's too big of a risk.'

'That's true' I said and we both sighed simultaneously. We looked at the court and watched the boys play in silence. Finally Gaby got an idea. She jumped up in her seat and turned to me.

'Hey, didn't you say Maya wanted to form an alliance with you?' she asked. I nodded my head slowly.

'Yeah, she mentioned something like that…' I admitted. Gaby smiled.

'Then you have to talk to her! Pretend you're just talking like friends and maybe she'll spill something about her ideas' she suggested. I shook my head.

'No, I can't do that. That's a little shady, Gaby. I mean, it's different with Henry and Paige – they're the real opponents. Maya is really nice. I don't wanna use her' I told her. Gaby's enthusiasm lowered together with her posture. She sighed and leaned back in her seat.

'Alright, then we have to go for broke and see what happens.'

'Well, we don't have to double-cross her to get her help…' I said. Gaby looked at me.

'Huh?'

'She was the one who wanted the alliance… I'm sure if we just went up to her and asked her for help, she would agree' I told Gaby. She furrowed her brows.

'Why would she do that? She doesn't owe us anything' she reminded.

'She doesn't, but we could make a deal' I said and felt myself getting a little excited about my idea. It was odd, but I went with it. 'We'll propose a deal: she agrees to help us and we help her. In case either of us makes it to the next stage of the election, she'll get the other's support.'

'Hm, I don't know, Tay' Gaby said doubtfully. I rolled my eyes.

'Think about it. We'll have two candidates instead of one. That increases our chances of actually making it to the next stage. By 100%! We'll have a 50% chance of getting past stage one.'

'Don't you think exchanging ideas with someone from the outside is a little unfair?' she said. 'How do we know her ideas even compare to what we came up with?'

'You gotta trust me on this one. From what I know, Maya is really smart. And she's a responsible person. She wouldn't get into the elections if she didn't have any ideas.'

'Okay, but forming an alliance gives you a smaller chance of winning in the final stage' she reminded. 'What if Paige and Henry don't make it? Then you'll have to face Maya. That'll be weird.'

'Look, we'll decide on that later. For now all that matters to me is that Paige nor Henry win, because we both know they don't deserve it. I'd much rather lose and have Maya win, then let those two make it to the final election.'

'Okay, you convinced me' Gaby said. 'If that's what you wanna do, then I respect it. And it does make sense. I just hope you know you're willing to sacrifice your extra credit.'

'I know, I know. But even if I don't win this year, I always got the senior year to try' I told her. 'Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd much rather not see Henry or Paige as your class president.'

'Ohh, no, noo' Gaby said quickly and we both laughed.

I opened her notebook and took a look at our notes. We already came up with the main goals for the campaign. Next step was making a perfect poster and some flyers. It sucks to admit, but I actually started to enjoy this. I really liked strategic thinking and getting to apply it in real life excited my nerdy-self. Besides, I found something worth dedicating my free time to. It was much better than aimlessly staring at the screen of my laptop in the afternoons.

'So, do we meet up later today?' I wondered. Gaby shook her head.

'Can't, Troy and I have a date' she said as she pulled a chocolate bar out of her backpack. 'Want some?'

'Sure' I replied. She unwrapped it, broke it in half and handed me one half. 'Where are you guys going?'

'We've been wanting to stop by Scott's parents' diner for a while now' she said and took a bite. I nodded my head.

'It's great. Chad and I went there like two weeks ago' I told her. 'They have amazing pancakes.'

'Hm, why don't you join us?' she asked.

'No, we can't. It's your guys' date' I reminded and took a bite. 'Plus, Chad is still grounded.'

'Oh yeah, I forgot' Gaby said and licked chocolate off her lips. 'I heard about that. Troy told me.'

'What did he tell you?' I wondered. I knew Chad didn't really like talking about that one fight him and his mother had and what he's done afterwards. I knew Troy knew about it, but I didn't know Chad let him share that with Gaby.

'That Chad got a little tipsy and came home and his mother got angry' she explained. 'He told Troy it was okay if he told me, so he did.'

'Does Troy tell you about Chad often?' I asked. Gaby gave me a funny look.

'What do you mean?'

'Just asking… in general' I told her. She thought about it for a moment and finally shrugged.

'I guess… I mean, they're friends, so they spend a lot of time together… But it's nothing specific, you know. He usually just repeats a funny joke Chad said or what they did in practice… Or that thing with his mom…' she said. 'Why?'

'I don't know… I have a feeling something's going on with Chad…' I admitted. 'He's been acting weird ever since that fight with his mother.'

'Well, you can't really blame her for being angry' she said and crumbled up the wrapper in her hand. 'My mom would be really mad if I came home like that.'

'No, it's not that. Before he stormed out of his house to meet up with Troy, he got into an argument with her' I explained.

'About what?' she asked. I sighed.

'I don't know, that's the problem. He wouldn't tell me and I didn't want to push him' I said. 'And then today… I overheard… I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but I overheard them argue again.'

'About?'

'Again, I have no idea. It was too short for me to understand it. He just accused her of being selfish and not caring about his feelings. He also brought up the fact that she divorced his father and made him move all the way here.'

Gaby bit her lips and looked at the court. Chad was sitting on the bench, drinking water.

'It doesn't sound like something he would do…' she admitted.

'I know. That's why I'm worried. But he won't tell me anything' I said. 'I thought he maybe shared something with Troy.'

'Well, even if he did, Troy didn't share it with me' she said and looked back at me. I sighed once again.

'Too bad, I thought he might had mentioned something…'

'Well, I could ask him about it… Or better yet, you could do that.'

'No, I can't' I said, shaking my head. 'What if Chad told him what's up and he actually knew the truth, but couldn't tell anyone? And then he'd tell Chad I asked about it? I'd feel really odd sneaking behind his back like this. He'd probably think I don't respect his privacy and that I'm nosy.'

'No, why would he think that?'

'I don't know. But I'm guessing there's a reason he's not telling me anything. He will once he's ready. At least I hope so.'

After the practice was over, Chad changed quickly and we walked home together. Just like walking to school that morning, this too was rather awkward. I don't know why, but I could feel this odd, negative tension between us. And it was coming from Chad.

If I remember correctly, we discussed the election. I mean, I was the one talking and Chad just nodded his head from time to time. The only real sentence he actually formed was when he told me he'd support me during this and if there was any way he could help out, he would. That happened right in front of my house, so I just smiled and kissed him goodbye. He turned around and made his way to his house. I watched him for a second before entering my front yard.

I pressed the door handle to check if the door was unlocked. When it turned out it was, I quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside. I figured my mother had returned from work after her 24 hour shift and probably went to lie down to rest. The only thing I didn't understand was why she left the door unlocked.

'I'm telling you, I have no idea how to talk to him anymore' I heard a familiar voice say in the living room. I was about to shut the door, but I froze and listened carefully.

'You have to let him calm down, Carla' I heard my mother reply. I understood she was talking to Ms. Rossi. I bit my lips and debated whether to shut the door and reveal my presence or remain quiet and listen to their conversation. I finally decided to listen just for a little longer. Yeah, I know it was the wrong thing to do. But I figured this was my chance to finally know what all of this was about.

'But he doesn't want to calm down' Ms. Rossi said glumly. 'Whenever I bring it up, he gets really upset and refuses to listen to me.'

'Well, you can't blame him for acting rebellious over this' Mom told her. Ms. Rossi sighed.

'I know I can't. However, I want to have a mature conversation with him. I know he's serious enough to understand our decision, but he thinks his behavior will change our minds.'

'You have to put yourself in his position, though. In his eyes he is the victim here. He thinks you are being selfish, because he cannot see himself benefit from this situation.'

'But he will' Ms. Rossi said. 'That's what I've been trying to tell him. And I don't expect him to agree with me, but he doesn't even want to listen. I told him that we're not doing this only for ourselves, but especially for him and Charlie. This will be a chance for him and his future.'

'Maybe you and him see his future differently?' Mom suggested. Ms. Rossi sighed once again.

'I'm afraid so.'

'Don't worry about it. Let him cool off' my mother advised. 'He's a smart kid, he'll come around eventually.'

'I'll probably get Michael to talk to him. Since he's chosen me as the source of all negativity in his life, maybe he'll want to listen to his father instead.'

Mom laughed softly. 'Stop that. I'm sure Chad doesn't blame your divorce on you.'

'It seemed like he did.'

'Come on, he's a teenager. They often say things they don't mean. Don't worry about that, Carla. How about I get you some more tea?'

'No, I'm fine. I'll get going. Chad should be home any minute.'

I listened closely and heard them both get up from the couch. My heart started racing and I actually thought of running away, but I had nowhere to run to. If I ran outside, they would see me through the windows by the front door. I couldn't run to my room, because I'd have to pass by them to get to the staircase. I panicked and looked around. Then I realized I was still holding the door open, so I let go off the door handle and it shut loudly.

'Taylor?' Mom called from the living room.

'Yeah, I'm home!' I called back. I let out a deep breath. It sounded as if I had just returned home. Everything was okay.

I dropped my backpack on the floor and made my way to the living room. There I saw Mom standing by the couch with Ms. Rossi. My mother was holding Charlie in her arms. He noticed I came in and started waving his hands at me.

'Hello' I greeted Ms. Rossi. She smiled at me.

'Hello, Taylor. I take it as Chad already got home' she said. I nodded my head.

'Yes, we walked together. He's home' I told her.

'Great, then I'll get going. Knowing him, he's probably ready to eat his third lunch' Ms. Rossi said jokingly and looked over at Mom. 'Thanks for the tea.'

'No problem. And if you ever need any help with Charlie, I'm here' Mom assured and handed her Charlie. Chad's mother gave him a kiss on the cheek and placed him in his carrier, which was resting on the armchair.

'Thank you, Debra, really' she said.

Mom walked Ms. Rossi to the door and they chatted for about a minute before she left. My mother walked back into the living room.

'How was school?' she wondered. I shrugged and dropped on the couch.

'It was fine, I guess' I replied. Mom walked up to one of the shelves by the TV and checked it for dust.

'Why do you guess?' she asked. I sighed.

'I don't know. It's just school, Mom. Nothing really happens there. It's always just fine.'

Mom giggled. 'Three kids and I still hadn't learned not to ask that question.'

'It's a really pointless question, Mom' I admitted. 'No matter what happens, I'm always gonna say fine.'

'How about the election?' she asked as she picked up a dust rag from the other shelf and continued cleaning.

'Gaby designed a new poster' I said. 'It's really good.'

'She did it herself?'

'Yeah. I mean, we came up with the initial idea together, but she decided to improve it. And it's great.'

'Well, that's good, honey' she said and moved on to a higher shelf. I observed her and realized she spent 24 hours at work and she still had the energy to clean.

'How was work?' I asked. She turned to me with a smile on her face.

'How about I say fine so you can feel how annoying that is?' she suggested. I rolled my eyes.

'Okay, don't tell me if you don't want to. I won't pressure' I replied. She laughed.

'Six new citizens; four girls and two boys' she told me and started dusting off the TV screen.

'Yes, girl power!' I cheered, which made Mom giggle.

'My shift was very busy' she admitted.

'So why didn't you just go to sleep? I mean, Dad and Destiny will be back soon and you won't get any rest' I told her. She shrugged.

'I'll get enough rest, Tay. Don't worry' she said. 'I have a night shift tomorrow, so I have the entire day to sleep.'

'Why do you have a night shift tomorrow? Shouldn't you have a 24 hour break?' I asked.

'I'm already taking Thursday and Friday off, so I had to take a night shift to make up for it' she explained.

Dad finally gave up and told Mom about his anniversary plans. He didn't tell her what exactly he planned out for them, but he let her know it required them both taking two days off from work. She already guessed he planned a getaway, but their destination still remained a secret. Nevertheless, she was still pleasantly surprised with him. She just didn't think Dad had a romantic in him. None of us did.

'How come Ms. Rossi came to visit?' I wondered. I figured this was a good chance to find out what happened. Eavesdropping didn't pay off once again; I had no idea what they were talking about. Mom gave me a funny look.

'Why wouldn't she? She's been our neighbor for a while now, Tay' she pointed out. I discreetly rolled my eyes.

'I don't know, I just haven't seen her here in a long time' I admitted. Mom got back to dusting off the decorative figurines that were standing on one of the end tables.

'Well, she's been busy with Charlie. But she had a day off, so she decided to stop by for a chat.'

'And what did you chat about?' I wondered. My mother slowly turned around and gave me a very penetrating look. I wasn't a nosy person, so I never really asked about things like that. I had to play it cool, so I shrugged. 'I'm just asking.'

'Charlie… He's two months old, so she's taking him to the pediatrician for a regular checkup. She's worried, because he's been crying a lot more than usual. She came to ask for advice and I told her it seemed like colic to me. Either that or he's just very moody. But while she was here he calmed down and napped for a moment. We had some tea and you came. And that's it.'

When she turned her back to me and started readjusting the books on the shelf, I looked down. It was clear – even my own mother was keeping secrets from me. I didn't think I cared that much about Chad's fight with his mother, but having Mom lie to me did hurt. I sat there and wondered why she did that. She wouldn't had lied if she didn't have a good reason for that.

On the other hand, she could've told me the truth. I asked what her and Ms. Rossi talked about and she told me the reason she stopped by. They did talk about Charlie, because he was right there with them. And Chad did mention something about him crying constantly. Maybe as they talked they just naturally changed the subject to Chad. And maybe Mom didn't think that topic was a priority, so she just kept quiet about it. My gut was telling me that if I asked her if they brought Chad up, she would tell me the truth. The thing is I couldn't. If I did, it'd be obvious I eavesdropped. I had to find another way to investigate this.

'Oh, Destiny's back' Mom said. I snapped out of it and looked up. Through the window in the living room we could see our front yard. Destiny got out of her friend's car, shut the door and made her way to the house. Soon she was in the hallway, cursing under her breath.

'I can't do this anymore' she mumbled, hung up her jacket, took off her shoes and lazily strolled into the living room. She walked around the couch, dropped on Dad's armchair and rested her legs on the coffee table. 'I'm this close to stapling her stupid mouth shut!'

'Molly?' Mom asked with a smile. Destiny groaned.

'Yes, Molly!'

'Um… Who's Molly?' I asked.

'She's a walking nightmare!' my sister replied angrily. I looked over at Mom. She put down the dust rag and sat down next to me.

'Molly is Destiny's new co-worker' she explained and I nodded my head.

'She is the worst person on this planet, okay?' Destiny said and looked at me. 'Have I not told you?'

'No, this is the first time I'm hearing about her' I admitted. Des dug her nails into the armrests and took a deep breath.

'She used to be an intern and she worked on the ground floor, but now she got her diploma and she's off probation period. I walk into my office on Monday and the first thing I see is a second desk by the wall. And I stand there like "what the fuck".'

'Destiny' Mom said. Des ignored her.

'So I'm thinking this is a joke of some sort. I sit my ass down and I'm ready to begin another exhausting day at work, when suddenly this… this… live action Strawberry Shortcake walks in and starts squealing like she's at a dolphin talk convention. And she introduces herself and I stand up and she sees I'm pregnant and she gets so excited like she's about to shit a rainbow!'

'Des, please' Mom cut her off. But Destiny was way too absorbed in her tragic story, which had me cracking up, by the way.

'And turns out she's pregnant too! And I'm like "okay, cool, whatever", but she wouldn't stop talking about us being "pregnant besties" or some shit like that and I've only been speaking to her for five minutes, but I already wanted to punch her in the face' she admitted and took a deep breath. I laughed.

'Sounds like you have a new friend' I teased. Destiny glared at me.

'No, no, no. She's absolutely my worst nightmare. She doesn't stop talking about her spawn in her body and how amazing it will be to have a baby girl and how her and her husband already have a nursery ready and how they had to move to a bigger house, so they could make the perfect room for their little princess' Des recited very fast. All that was accompanied by exaggerated gestures. 'And don't even get me started on her husband. He's like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons! Except like no moustache! And he's much younger. But be besides that he's an exact copy of him! And he's so irritating. He calls her like five times a day to ask how she's doing and drives her to work and picks her up afterwards. And today he came into our office to meet me, because apparently that stupid idiot told him we're best friends now! So he started asking about me and about my husband. And I said I didn't have one. And then he gave me a look, like I said my name was Rosemary and I was carrying the child of Lucifer.'

'Honey, come on' Mom begged with a smile. My sister shook her head.

'No. I'm sick of them. And she's driving me insane. She sent me a Facebook request today. And guess what? Her and Flanders have a joint Facebook account' she said with disgust. 'How fucked up is that?'

'Quite' I admitted. Des sighed and leaned back in her seat.

'I gotta get away from her crazy ass, otherwise I'll need a therapist myself… Damn, I might actually get locked up in a psycho facility if I spend another week with her.'

'Well, you should definitely cut the stress' Mom suggested and made her way to the kitchen. Des bit her lips.

'Hmmm… I could try to talk to my boss… I could tell her I couldn't walk up the stairs up to my office, because of the pregnancy. Maybe she'd agree to relocate me. I could share an office with Angela… Or anyone else, but Molly' she said and looked at me.

'Sounds like a good plan.'

'Oh my God, you gotta come over and see her' she told me. 'I cannot explain how irritating she is. I just can't! There are no words to describe it! You just have to see.'

'To be honest, she sounds terrible and I don't want to be anywhere near that' I admitted. Des leaned her head back.

'Good call. But I need someone to make fun of her with. At work I have Angela for that, so I could really use someone at home who knew what kind of mess she actually was.'

I looked at her bump and smiled. 'How is my nephew doing?'

'Oh, he's good' she said and looked down. 'He's been moving a lot. My book says that at this point he's opening his little eyes and his brain is developing pretty fast… although, all of Molly's bullshit we both hear could make it shrivel up.'

I laughed. 'Des, come on!'

'I gotta escape from her!' she said dramatically.

We heard some rumble coming from the hallway and soon Dad walked into the living room.

'Hey, girls' he greeted. 'Your mother at home?'

'Yeah, she went there' Destiny said and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. Dad nodded his head.

'Deb, I'm home!' he announced.

'Alright' Mom called from the kitchen. He took off his jacket, threw it on the other armchair and sat down next to me, because his favorite spot has already been taken by Destiny. He reached for the remote, turned the TV on and pulled his legs up on the coffee table. Destiny groaned loudly.

'You okay, Princess?' Dad wondered. Des nodded her head.

'Yeah. It's just my legs' she explained. 'They hurt like hell.'

'You were supposed to exercise' Mom said as she walked into the room. She was holding a yogurt cup in her hand. 'James, legs.'

Dad sighed and pulled his legs off the coffee table. I got up from the couch, so Mom could sit down next to him. I took a seat on the second armchair.

'Yeah, well that's not simple when everything hurts and this is always in the way!' Destiny said and pointed at her baby bump. Mom sat down next to Dad and looked at her.

'No one's telling you to run a marathon, honey' she told her. 'But you should try stretching a little, it should help with the cramps.'

'I used to massage your mother's legs, it helped' Dad said, not looking away from the TV screen. Destiny rolled her eyes.

'Awesome, but if ya'll didn't realize yet, I don't exactly have a loving husband who could do that for me' she said angrily. Dad shrugged in response. Mom put her spoon into the yogurt cup.

'Did you talk to Jerome this week?' she wondered and put the spoon in her mouth. My sister nodded.

'Yeah, he actually got a job' she said. 'At a construction site. You know, where that new mall is going to be?'

'Really? That's great!' Mom said with a smile. 'Although, isn't a degree needed for those jobs?'

Dad scoffed. 'I don't think much logic is needed for operating a concrete mixer' he said. Mom shook her head at him.

'You'd be surprised, James. Especially now, when the unemployment is quite high, employers are looking for qualified people. There's barely any work available for people with master's' she told him. Dad gave her a weird look.

'Do you think they'd hire a dude with a master's to operate a sledgehammer?' he asked.

'Over a man with no degree? Any day' she told him. 'It's not about the degree, it's about reliability and qualifications. If a man with a degree comes seeking for a job, just the fact he has a degree gives him higher chances of getting hired. The employer views him as a responsible human being, not just some unemployed man from the street.'

'So how come that dumbass got the job?' Dad asked snidely. Mom shook her head.

'James, please' she begged. Destiny sighed.

'Look, I don't care. I'm just happy he got his ass off the couch and started getting paid.'

'How do they pay him?' Dad asked. 'By the hour or by a screw?'

'Seriously?' Destiny asked him angrily. Dad just shrugged.

'I'm just sayin', Des. Whatever he makes won't be enough to cover the cost of having a kid' he told her. She rolled her eyes.

'Well, you know what, at this point I'm pretty fucked, so I'll take whatever I get' she said. 'And that's none of your business.'

'Um, yes, it is!' Dad scoffed. 'You're my daughter. You're in my house. You're about to have a child. That child will live in my house. I think I have the right to express my opinion.'

'If you don't want me here, just say it!' she yelled at him. 'It's no problem! I'll find a place to live! I'll go live under a bridge. At least I won't have to hear your useless comments all the time!'

'Destiny' Mom reprimanded. But once Destiny and Dad got at it, separating them was quite hard. I just sat quietly and observed them. Whenever they argued, you could clearly see how alike they were. Their gestures, their expressions, the way they raised their voice and the words they used. Destiny was a one-to-one copy of Dad. That's why they fought so often; two hotheads in one household is one too many.

'It's not that I don't want you here. I just can't understand your taste in men' he told her. Destiny raised her eyebrows.

'Oh, really?' she asked angrily. 'What don't you understand?'

'I don't understand what you saw in a man that had just gotten out of prison, didn't have a job or his own place to live. Why did you even begin anything with him in the first place?' he asked. 'Weren't there any other guys around? You know, with ambitions and perspectives? Did you have to go for him?'

Destiny's jaw dropped. 'Oh, so you think I planned this?' she asked and pointed at her round belly. 'You think I just woke up one day and thought "hm, today is a good day to have an out-of-wedlock child with someone"? You think this is fun for me? Do you really think this is something I want to do? That I'd much rather change diapers than party my ass off with my friends?'

'You brought this onto yourself, Des' Dad said. Destiny groaned loudly.

'When the fuck did I say I didn't? That it wasn't all my fault? The fuck am I supposed to do now, huh? I fucked up and now I gotta suffer the consequences! What do you want from me? Since day one you've been acting like I got pregnant just to fuck up your life and your peace and quiet!'

'Destiny, calm down' Mom begged.

'That's not what I mean and you know that' Dad retorted angrily. 'I'm just saying you've never thought twice and you finally got your lesson. You could've picked better, you know that.'

Destiny bit her lips. Dad's words definitely hurt her, but she wasn't one to show it. She quickly thought of a way to hurt him back.

'Well, if picking better was so simple, surely you wouldn't have this family now, would you?' she replied.

'Destiny!' Mom scolded her. Dad raised his eyebrow.

'How so?' he asked. Des crossed her arms.

'Well, if Mom could choose between having a kid with an unemployed eighteen-year-old and a rich businessman, we both know what would happen.'

'Okay, alright. That's enough' Mom interrupted them. 'Stop this right now!'

'Fine' Destiny said and got up from her seat. 'I'll go upstairs and search for a place to live, so you don't have to look at me and my bastard child.'

'Destiny!' Mom scolded her. She just picked up her cellphone from the coffee table and made her way to her room. Mom turned to Dad. 'I hope you're happy with yourself.'

'What did I even do?' he asked. My mother rolled her eyes at him.

'Are you serious, James?'

'I just told her what I think, that's it. I don't know why that's a big deal' he said and looked at the TV screen. Mom reached for the remote and turned it off.

'We had this conversation before. You already told her what you think and she almost broke down completely. Do you need that again? She's been doing so good, but you've ruined it again' she told him. Dad sighed.

'How did I ruin it?' he asked.

'By doubting her. Whenever you criticize Jerome, you criticize her. You make her doubt her ability to be a good parent. I know she's always been very confident, but this is different. She started doubting herself. And we, as her parents, need to support her. Why can't you understand that?'

'I do, I just… I don't criticize her because I hate him, but because I'm pissed my daughter gets treated so badly by him. She deserves better, you know?'

'I know' Mom said and put her hand on his knee. 'But it's too late for that. It's done. There's no point of bringing it up anymore, because it won't change anything. The only thing we can do is to support her no matter what.'

Dad sighed and looked down. 'You're right. I gotta learn to control that. I don't mean to hurt her, I really don't.'

'I know, honey' she said. 'And I think she'd like to hear that.'

'I do, too' Dad said and got up. 'I'll try to talk to her. Hopefully she doesn't attack me.'

Mom smilled. 'Just go and try talking to her.'

Dad nodded and walked out of the living room. A moment later, when he was already upstairs, we heard him knock on Destiny's door. He asked if he could come in and we heard the door close. Mom sighed.

'I really hope that's the last time' she told me and continued with her yogurt. 'I can't stand it when they argue.'

'Yeah, it's always unnecessary' I admitted.

'Hopefully Destiny feels a little better over the weekend. You two will be all by yourself, so she won't have your father to stress her out' Mom said and put the spoon in her mouth.

'When are you guys leaving?' I wondered.

'Well, Dad told me he'd be taking me out on Wednesday afternoon and after that we'll be leaving and coming back on Sunday' she explained. I raised my eyebrows.

'Des and I will be alone for… five nights?' I asked. She narrowed her eyes.

'Don't get any ideas. No parties and such' she said seriously. 'If I come home and see one object out of order-'

'Calm down, we won't do anything like that, I promise' I assured with a smile. 'I don't do parties and Destiny's not really in party mode right now.'

'Well, I still want you to know that that's out of the question' she told me.

'I understand. I just think it's cool you and Dad get to spend so much time together and not worry about us' I told her. She sighed.

'I will still worry about you' she admitted. 'And I'm a little scared of that that trip. You know, we haven't spent that much time all alone since…. Well, since Destiny was born. Even our honeymoon was just three nights.'

'Well, you'll get a chance to get to know each other all over again' I said, trying to make her feel better, but she just gave me an uneasy look. I laughed. 'Mom, you've been married for twenty years!'

'I know, I know. But can't I be a little nervous?' she asked. I smiled.

'Yeah, you can.'

'Thank you.'

'Wait, so that means you both won't be going to work on Thursday and Friday?' I asked. Mom nodded her head.

'Yes, we both took those day off work.'

'What about Dad's practices? What about the basketball team?' I wondered.

'Oh, don't worry about that. He said that he's talked to the principal and they've arranged a substitute for Thursday. Someone will come and supervise the boys while they play on their own. And on Friday they'll be let out of school earlier.'

'Oh, that's good' I said. 'I won't have to wait for Chad.'

'I knew you'd like it' she said and got up. She headed to the kitchen, leaving me all alone in the living room.

I was about to reach for the remote, since I really didn't feel like doing anything else besides watching TV, when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and saw I got a text from Chad. I unlocked my phone and read the message.

Hey im sorry for being so weird today. how about we go out somewhere tomorrow after school?

I bit my lips before texting him back.

Aren't you grounded though?

He replied a second later.

Ya but i can go out tomorrow. so?

I wasn't sure what to say. I felt like maybe he was lying and was trying to sneak behind his mother's back, since he was grounded for two weeks and only one week has passed. I really doubted that Ms. Rossi agreed to shorten his punishment. She was strict and really serious about punishments. On the other hand, I was dying to spend some time with him. Maybe he wanted to tell me about his fight with his mother? Maybe he couldn't wait any longer, because it really bothered him and he had to share it with someone? Or maybe he just really needed me to be there for him. After all, that was my duty as his girlfriend.

I tapped the screen before it went blank and reread his message. I made up my mind.

Yes, of course :)

My phone buzzed.

Great cant wait till tomorrow (:

I smiled before replying.

Neither can I :)

Taylor M.

Hey! So yeah I'm back after another long break, but this time it was actually much shorter than usual, so that's a good start! ;) I was going to update three weeks ago, but I unexpectedly went on vacation. Yes, I know. How does one go on vacation unexpectedly? Well, I found out I was going two days before I left, so I was in a rush to pack and had to leave finishing this chapter for later. But it's done and I'm working on the next one! So far the writer's block has left me and I'm full of ideas and energy to write! :D So for now I'm leaving you with this chapter! I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think!

~TheCreativePenguinLover