Part II

Chapter Thirty-four

No One Can Bring Us Down

It was Monday and Sam was driving to high school with Alyssa. She was wearing a purple loose fitting tunic and a lacy shrug over it. When the car was parked her eyes scanned her figure. She tugged at her clothing self consciously.

"Do I look pregnant?" She asked nervously.

Sam smiled. "A little."

She slapped his arm. "You're supposed to say no, jerk!"

"I think it looks cute. I like the bump."

"I don't. You know how many cute things I can't wear?"

"You look gorgeous. In fact since I knocked you up you've been at your prettiest."

'Are you lying?" She asked sarcastically.

"No. You've never been more beautiful than you are now."

She kissed his cheek. "You're sweet."

Most of the people at high school had completely forgotten about Sam and Alyssa going out. There were more scandalous things to think about.

But Alyssa's so called friends were still glued on the issue. As Sam and Alyssa walked through the hallways, they watched the couple intently. Brianna whispered into another girl's ear. "She looks chubby."

The girl smiled maliciously. "Maybe he's been letting her smoke his weed. Munchies are a killer."

The red head watched Alyssa closely. "No, she'd be big all over. It's just around her middle."

Brianna's eyes widened. "Oh my God. She's totally pregnant."

They all giggled. The redhead smirked. "That's gross."

Alyssa tried her best not to notice the looks they passed her way. She had always been unshakably confident. But she couldn't.

Brianna whispered into Alyssa's ear as she walked by. "I heard you can do DNA testing to see if your baby is retarded. I suggest you do that, since there's like a 99 percent chance it's a mutant." They all laughed hysterically.

Alyssa blushed furiously. She waited until they couldn't see her face and broke down in tears. Sam shot them a nasty glare. Then he turned his attention back on the hurt girl beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple.

"Don't listen to them. They're just immature little girls."

She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I just don't understand why they hate me so much."

"Because you went against them. Because you're with me."

"But that's so stupid. You're a great person."

"Not everyone thinks so."

"They should." She said in irritation.

"People are stupid. But hey, we have each other."

She let a smile creep on her face. "Since when did you become so positive?"

He looked down at her, his lips curling into a grin. "Since I met you."

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Alyssa listened to her professor's lecture. As focused as she was on the literature discussion her teacher was leading she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She turned her head to where the feeling emanated most strongly from.

Josh.

His brows were furrowed slightly, his eyes on her intently. He looked angry.

She mouthed an irritated "What?"

He looked away from her and pretending he was listening to the class discussion, but Alyssa knew that as soon as her eyes returned to her notebook that he was staring at her again. She pushed it in the back of her mind until class was over. As she gathered her things to leave she saw him walk up to her. She frowned.

'What do you want?"

"I've been hearing some things about you."

She crossed her arms. "Like what?"

His eyes flickered to her stomach. "Like that you're pregnant. Is it Sam's?"

"Did you hear that from the gossip sluts? I wouldn't believe everything those whores say."

He pressed the issue further. "So are you?"

She sighed and pulled her shirt up revealing her swollen belly. "What do you think?"

His face twisted in dismay. "It's Sam's, isn't it?"

She smiled. "Of course it is. He's the only guy I would ever let touch me." She swung her bag over her shoulder. 'Why do you care so much?"

"Because we never officially broke up. You just moved on to that freak."

"Oh we broke up the minute you fucked my mom. And don't call Sam a freak. You're the fucking freak. He told me how you pimped out guys to older men, that he was almost raped by one because of you."

'The queer did it willingly. I didn't make him do anything."

"You're disgusting. Now leave me alone."

"I'm disgusting? You let that druggie fag fuck you. Aren't you afraid that your baby is screwed up?"

She set her mouth in a thin line. "He's been sober for a long time. Which I'm pretty sure that you aren't. You're a drug dealer. You're probably gonna smoke a blunt during lunch break. And everything went fine at my check-up."

"How do you know that it doesn't have some mental defect?"

"God, Josh. Fuck off."

His eyes were cold. "You're a dirty whore."

She began walking off, completely unaffected. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

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Sam walked outside, waiting for Alyssa in the parking lot. He had promised to take her to the fast food drive thru for lunch. The thought made him smile. She was so cute when she had cravings. So much like the little girl he met a decade ago. He remembered her adorable pout when she asked him to buy her a cheeseburger.

His train of thought was interrupted by a hand whipping him around. Josh stared back at him, looking ready to fight.

Sam furrowed his brows and stood at his full towering height over Josh. "What the fuck is your problem?" he asked in a hostile tone.

"You tainted MY girl."

"YOUR girl? The last time I checked you didn't give a shit about her. If you did you wouldn't have done her mom."

"It doesn't matter if I love her or not. She was MINE."

"Alyssa doesn't BELONG to anyone. You don't OWN her. She can be with whoever she chooses and she chose me."

"She is so far out of your league. The only reason she ever hung around you was because she felt bad for your sorry ass."

"Really? Did she tell you that?"

"She didn't need to. It's obvious she gave you a pity fuck."

Sam's resolve was unfaltering. "Really? Is that why she didn't let you near her cunt with a 10 foot pole and the first chance she got she slept with me?"

"She slept with you because she'd give it up to anybody. She's a whore. Don't think for a moment that you mean anything to her."

Sam was smug. "Right. She doesn't give a shit about me. That's why we've been together for a year, she went to prom with me, and she's having my baby. Nope, she doesn't like me in the slightest."

"Shut the fuck up, Monroe."

Sam was growing impatient with Josh's attempt to scare him. "Don't call her a whore. And DON'T tell me what to do."

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, fag?"

"I'm gonna put your man goodies in a meat grinder."

Josh's face turned the deepest red Sam had ever seen a person's face turn. Almost a purple. He raised his fist and swung for Sam. Sam ducked and Josh's fist crashed into the wood accenting of the Sam's station wagon. He clutched his hand and cried out.

"You gonna pay for that, asshole?" Sam asked haughtily.

Josh was still reeling from his self inflicted injury. "No, it's a fucking shitbox anyway!"

Sam took advantage of the fact that Josh was whining in pain like a little girl and punched him in the jaw. Josh swung with his good hand. He managed to get Sam in the shoulder. Sam pinned him to his car aggressively, fisting his designer shirt.

"Then I suggest you get the fuck out of my way." He hissed.

"I'm not scared of you, Sam." He shot back. He kicked Sam in the shin. It hurt, but Sam was not going to back down. He struck the boy under the ribs and swung at him so hard that Josh stumbled and fell. Sam walked around him.

"That's a good Joshie." He said condescendingly. He got into his car and flicked an old cigarette's ashes on Josh's crumpled form. Then he drove away.

Alyssa waited for Sam at the school steps. He pulled up with a smile on his face. She hopped into the car gleefully. "Hey!"

"Hi, love." He answered. He brought his face to hers and their lips met in a tender kiss.

"Burger King!" she yelled excitedly.

He laughed.

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That night after work Sam knocked on Alyssa's bedroom door. He heard a whine come from inside and opened the door. She was lying on her side, with a heating pad tied to her back with a belt. It would've been funny if Sam didn't feel so bad.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She didn't bother turning around. 'Yeah, my back is just killing me." She said quietly.

He slid into bed beside her. "You want me to get one of those heat wraps for you so you're not chained to the bed?"

"Oh…no. That's sweet, but I don't want to bother you. You're probably beat from work."

He traced her arm. "It's not a bother."

"It's fine. Really. It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

"Sit up." He said.

'What?"

"Just do it."

She swung her legs out onto the edge of the bed. He came up behind her and started caressing her back. She closed her eyes. "Oh, Sam. That feels so good."

He kneaded the small of her back and threw her head back. He chuckled and brushed his lips over her neck. She turned around and climbed onto his lap, straddled him. He looked down into her eyes affectionately, stroking her cheek. He noticed the glow that emanated from her, her skin seemed more vibrant. He kissed her and she loosened in his arms. He buried his fingers in her hair and she sighed into his mouth.

God, she was so beautiful.

Later when they lay in bed together, Sam wondered why he couldn't fall asleep. Usually being with her made him feel serene. Sometimes, though, the scent of her, the warmth and softness of her body made his heart race. And he realized that that was what was keeping him awake.

She had fallen into a deep sleep and he enjoyed the way her body rose and fell under his touch with every slow breath she took. In a routine and unconscious movement his hand rested over her belly. He smiled when he felt stirring under her skin.

She was so beautiful.