Okay, so kinda gave up on using song names for chapters because I'm really running out of them lol. Please keep writing reviews; they really make my day!! Especially long comments. This chapter is a bit lighter. Getting close... xx

The Shower

Early that Friday evening, Lola laid on the couch watching The Notebook. She was still heartbroken over her breakup with Miles and the fact that tonight was prom night only made it worse. Ever since freshman year, she and Frankie and Shay had obsessed over what dresses to wear, how to do their hair, the boys they would take as their dates. Real life, as it turned out, had other plans.

She glanced through her text messages. There were three from Miles asking how she was feeling, making sure there were no signs of early labor or anything. They hadn't discussed their breakup much-- Lola had apologized repeatedly, told him she loved him, that he was the only one for her, but nothing changed. And it wasn't just because of the kiss with Saad, Lola knew. She had built a wall between them by bringing up the idea of adoption and no mater how hard Lola tried to get around it, they just remained stuck. He hadn't stopped loving her, Lola could tell. But, she was realizing, just because he loved her, it didn't mean he wanted to be with her-- at least, not right now.

She hadn't talked to Saad since their kiss. He had texted her several times apologizing, but she didn't feel like replying. Right now, the only things she really cared about were the baby and Miles. She was due in three weeks, which honestly scared the hell out of her. But, she was also eager to finally meet their baby.

Her dad had stepped out of the house for a couple of hours, which made her nervous. She didn't like to be alone nowadays, just in case the baby came early or something went wrong. Her dad had been a lot more caring lately, though. He still wasn't happy about the pregnancy, but Lola was his daughter and he wanted to make sure she was okay. He wouldn't let her help with anything around the house-- no dishes, no laundry, no cleaning her room. If it weren't for the giant elephant in her stomach that made it impossible for her to move, it would have felt like a vacation.

Suddenly, the door opened. Lola nearly jumped off the couch-- the only person who had a key besides her dad was Miles, and he always knocked first. "Surprise!" several voices shouted. Lola was stunned as Frankie, Shay, Yael, Maya, Zoe, Grace, Goldi, and Rasha all came into the living room. They were all in their prom dresses-- except for Yael, who wore a tux-- and carrying gift bags and plates of food.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lola cried, sitting up.

"Oh, come on," Frankie said. "You really think we would let you go without a baby shower?"

Lola couldn't help but smile. She couldn't believe they did this for her. "But," she said, "don't you all have prom?"

"Prom doesn't start for four more hours," Maya said. "We've got plenty of time to get there later."

"And," Zoe added, "that's why we made this shower prom themed." She handed Lola a little tiara.

Lola put the tiara on and smiled. "I-- I don't know what to say," she said, almost tearing up.

Shay handed her a pink gift bag. "We know you haven't made up your mind about the baby yet," she said. "So none of these gifts are baby-themed."

Lola opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of hot pink nail polish and a copy of Teen Vogue. "Thank you so much," she said. She felt like bursting with happiness-- she couldn't remember the last time she felt this good.

"To keep you busy while you're stuck in bed," Frankie explained.

Maya handed her another bag. Lola pulled out a stuffed teddy bear. It was adorable-- pink with a little button nose. "That'll keep you company in the hospital," Maya said, smiling.

Lola opened a few more small gifts and then they all had some cake and ice cream and talked about prom and school and summer. It felt so good to be with everyone else; to be normal for a change.

"You know," Frankie said, sitting next to Lola and munching on her second slice of chocolate cake, "if you do decide to keep the baby, I'm going to spoil it rotten."

Lola laughed. "I'm sure," she said, shaking her head.

"What?" Frankie said. "You don't think I could pull off being the cool aunt?"

"Do we get to be like, honorary aunts?" Maya asked.

"Guys, Lola hasn't made her decision about the baby yet," Yael reminded them. "Don't pressure her."

Lola sighed, smiling and pulling Frankie closer to her. "They're not," she reassured Yael. "No matter what happens, I'll always think of all of you as the baby's aunts." She paused. "And uh, whatever the gender neutral version of that is," Lola added to Yael, who just laughed.

Frankie leaned against Lola. "I just realized something," she said. "You never let me feel the baby kick."

Lola sat up a little bit. "Oh yeah," she said. "You're right." She rubbed her stomach, waiting for the baby to respond. The baby kicked softly-- it recognized Lola's voice and touch. "Go ahead," she said to Frankie.

Frankie put her hand on Lola's belly. "Wow," she said. "Yup, it's definitely Miles' kid if it's that hyper."

Lola's heart sank at the mention of Miles' name. "I miss him, Franks," she said sadly.

Frankie looked at Lola and smiled. "Whose idea do you think this was?"