I was woken up to Erik's hand firmly planted on my ass, and he was shaking me saying something demonic. 'Come on Christine. It's time to get up.' Yep I was right. I probably needed to look into exorcisms but I was too tired at that point. 'Christine.' He started poking my butt so I groaned and swatted at his hand. 'Wakey wakey.'
'For the love of all that is good and holy in this world, stop talking, turn the lights out and get back in bed.' I yelped when Erik pulled me off the bed into his arms and carried me into the bathroom, my head finding its way onto his shoulder. He set me down in the bathtub and I looked up at him as I felt myself start to cry at just how tired I was. 'Erik please don't put cold water on me.' I stood up and stepped out of the tub then nudged him out of the bathroom so I could go pee.
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I elected for the classy ponytail, hoody, jeans and sandals look today. Usually I wanted to trick people into thinking I cared, but this year I didn't care at all. I put mascara and blush on, where was my award? Oh that's right. I didn't get one. I was relying on Erik to get me to homeroom safely so I could sleep against his arm, but it just wasn't doing much for me. We walked into homeroom which was also History class, and we sat down in the back of the room, and my cheek made automatic contact with the desk, and I put my arms around and over my head to block the light out. 'Hey guys what's up?' I groaned when I heard Maline's voice, and she continued talking to my despair. 'What's wrong with Christine? Hungover?' I shook my head and whimpered as I sat up.
'I am so fucking tired I'm almost to tears.' Erik moved me into his lap and let me use his chest as a pillow.
'What time did you two go to bed?'
'Ten like usual, and she woke up at seven.'
'Oh bummer. Why is she so tired?' I looked up at Erik and glared at him so he knew the truth was a no-go. I resumed my position of attempting to sleep while Erik was attempting to think of a reason.
'She must of gotten too much sleep.'
'Ah. Well avoid that from now on. So I'm glad you're back dude. Christine kinda sucked while you were gone. She really didn't talk, don't even ask how much food she didn't eat, and she was super cranky. Oh and she never hung out after school which sucked.' Erik started rubbing my back making the battle to fall asleep much easier.
'Yeah I heard. I wish it hadn't happened but it did. I'm just glad we're back to-'
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Erik once again woke me up in annoying ways. Example, he woke me up from my nap and that is very annoying. 'Christine c'mon we're going to our lockers. We're next to each other this year.' I found the strength to lift my hand up and high five him. 'Up up.' He sat me up and I wiped my mouth since it felt like I had been drooling.
'Oops.' I forced myself up and I found my backpack next to Erik's and I put it on my back so we could follow everyone else out.
'Anne's checking us out at eleven so we can go to the doctor so you can nap on the way there.' I smiled at the idea of more sleep as Erik took my hand. 'Aren't you hot?'
'You have no idea, but I only have a tank top on under this and so I'm not taking this off.' Erik stopped and tried pulling my jacket off but I put up a fight. After some struggling on both our parts he got it over my head and I hugged my stomach while trying not to panic. 'Erik give me the jacket back.'
'No you're hot.'
'I'm also going to get in trouble for breaking dress code so give it.' He refused to give it up so I crossed my arms and stood behind Erik until he gave me the code for my locker. I quickly moved to the one next to him and unlocked the locker. I set my stuff in the locker and made sure to grab my science and math book, and I was dumb enough to take college math.
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When you need to pee every fifteen minutes going to school ends up being difficult. After the second time in one class my science teacher didn't let me go anymore, and I ran to the bathroom once the bell rang, leaving my stuff in the class so I could get to the bathroom and even then I almost didn't make it. When I went back into the classroom to grab my stuff Mister Jacobs stopped me and I sighed. 'Yeah?'
'You need to put a shirt on. It's hard to teach kids when they won't stop looking at you, and while I'm not blaming you because you don't control what they do, but they won't listen to me and I didn't want to embarrass you during the class by calling them out and threatening to punish them. I will be talking to them though.'
'Yeah I was wearing a hoodie but my fiancée took it because I was hot.'
'Why on Earth did you wear a hoodie in August in Phoenix?'
'Uh because I was lazy, tired and it was cool in the house. Can you get me a pass to the nurse so I can grab a shirt? I don't think stealing my fiancées would rest well with anyone besides me.'
'Of course. Where are you going from the nurse?'
'Math.' He went over to his desk and pulled a pad out of his desk.
'So aren't you only seventeen? Why would you be engaged?'
'Listen I understand that sometimes it's hard to tell if a woman is gaining stomach weight or is pregnant, but it's pretty obvious now, as you noticed from a few other students who couldn't stop staring at the results of getting knocked up.'
'You're pregnant?'
'Why else would I go pee twice in half an hour and then nearly wet myself after only fifteen minutes? I had three bottles of water this morning and I'm paying for it now.' He gave me the piece of paper he tore from the notepad.
'Oh. Well had I known I would have let you go. I just assumed you were trying to get out of class.'
'Nope, and thanks. I don't know where he stashed my jacket so I was stuck with my tanktop. See you tomorrow.'
'See you tomorrow.' I left the class and as I turned I bumped into someone and nearly fell over but I caught myself. 'Oh shit I'm sorry I didn't-' I stopped picking their stuff up when I was staring at my worst nightmare. I quickly gathered my things and ran off out of the quad and over to the office building. I stopped when I knew I was safe away from her in the office. I got into the nurses office as the class bell rang so I made quick work of finding the nurse in her office. 'Hi sorry- I need a shirt.' She looked up from her book and smiled.
'Of course. In the cabinet at the back of the room. Bring it back at the end of school, okay?'
'Will do. Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' I hurried to the cabinet and opened it. I grabbed the first shirt I could find, and when I didn't find any shirts that would fit I had to go for the one option I had which was a grey potato sack of a dress. I grabbed it and went into the bathroom and pulled my tanktop and shorts off so I could put the dress on. I was impressed when it didn't look as bad on. I picked my clothes up and folded them so I could set them on top of my books. 'You can leave those with me if you'd like!' I stopped in front of her office mid-step and moved back so I was in front of her door.
'Oh really?'
'Yeah of course. Lockers are small enough with books.' I walked in and she met me half way to take them. 'What's your name?'
'Christine Daae.'
'Alright they'll be waiting. Oh I need to sign your pass.' I gave her the pass I was given and she quickly scribbled on it and handed it back to me. 'Good luck with math. Was always my worst subject.'
'I'm terrible at math, but my boyfriend is good at math so he helps me.' I backed out of the nurses office as I came to the decision that calling Erik my boyfriend was a lot easier than going through the 'you're engaged? But you're so young!' thing.
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'Christine, Erik.' We both looked up from our computers. 'You're somehow being checked out together.'
'My mom is his legal guardian since his dad is in Germany.' I stood up along with Erik and picked my stuff up off the table after signing out and pushing my chair in. Erik and I hurried out since we were running late and I still needed to go change. 'Hey can you get my backpack? I need to go change.'
'Yeah I'll meet you there.'
'Thank you.' I stopped him so I could kiss him for a short moment, and I smiled and moved his hand away when it landed on my butt. 'Nice try, but later.' He smiled as well and I turned so I could once again hurry to the nurses office.
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I stepped out of the bathroom and finished folding the dress, and the nurse walked past me over to the cabinets to get something from them. 'Just put that in the box on the bottom of the cabinet. That's where the ones that have been worn go, unless you plan on coming back.'
'Oh no I don't think I am, but if I do I'll be going by my house first so I'll be able to get a shirt.' I dropped the dress in the bottom box and Erik walked in as I did.
'Ready?' I nodded. 'Well let's go then.' I walked up to him and then past him, and as I did he slapped my butt.
'You are so grabby!' I took his hand after putting my backpack over my shoulder so he was restricted from grabbing my butt.
'Sorry I don't mean to be I just get grabby when I'm nervous.'
'Yeah I'm sure. Is that what you're calling it now? Nervous?'
'Absolutely.' I shook my head and let him put his hand on my hip.
'Erik I swear to God dont do it.' He grinned and didn't squeeze my hip like I thought he would, but I remained on high alert since that was his way of innocently and nonchalantly getting me in the mood.
We walked into the office, and the moment Anne saw us she started talking. 'Hey sorry work didn't let me get out as quickly as I hoped, but I think you two can still make it so hurry.'
'It's alright, we'll see you later to tell you the results.' I hugged Anne and slapped Erik's hand away as he poked my butt. She and Erik hugged then she shewed us out of the office in front of her.
'Go! Get going no being late but drive safely!' She broke off from us to go to her car, and Erik and I got to his car. We threw our stuff in the back then got into the car. Erik quickly started it mostly because it felt like a sauna, but also because we were late.
'Alright onto the doctors.'
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'Hey you two how's life?' John walked in, his computer in hand.
'Pretty good. How about you?' He stopped and sighed then shrugged his shoulders.
'Same old same old. I get to do two STD tests today which is fun.'
'Oh that sucks. Hopefully they don't have anything.'
'Yeah they're probably just idiots with yeast infections. I don't like people.' He set his computer down so he could wash his hands. 'So why has it been so long since your last appointment?'
'I can't remember I think it was you were booked?' I looked at Erik for confirmation and he nodded.
'Really? My mornings have been not busy at all. Like I would have killed to get more appointments, and that's saying something when you have my job. Women are gross. I'm sorry but they are.'
'We really are. Have you ever been in a women's public bathroom? It's disgusting.'
'Try having to clean one everyday.' I nearly gagged and shook my head making John laugh while drying his hands off.
'Thank God our jobs don't involve cleaning bathrooms. I'd puke.'
'I'm scared.' We both looked over at Erik who had the luxury of never having to see or smell a woman's bathroom.
'It smells like period and dirty cootch. That's all you need to know.' He did a similar gagging noise to mine and shook his head even harder.
'I've never loved having a penis more.'
'Omg sexism you aren't allowed to love your gender if you're a male! Sheesh so insensitive to my womanly oppression.' I crossed my arms and figured I did too good of a job because they both seemed frightened. 'I'm kidding. When I start meaning that get me help.'
'Will do. So how are you feeling?' John grabbed two gloves and started putting them on.
'I'm feeling amazing. We went to Disneyland and the first day I napped for an hour on the train and the second I was fine all day. After I stopped taking the iron pills I stopped throwing up, I'm not as tired, my color is coming back and I'm gaining weight.'
'Yeah you were one ten in June and you're one fifteen today. Still under what you should be, but you're perfectly healthy so I wouldn't worry too much, just make sure you keep eating regularly.'
'I am. So do you think we'll find out what they are today?'
'We can try, but I'm not promising anything. Lay back and we'll take a look.' I laid back and moved my shorts down some so they didn't get dirty, and he put that cold ass goo on my stomach. 'So any unusual pains, feelings or anything?'
'No. Just those cramp things and sometimes butterflies. They're getting more common, the butterflies I mean.'
'Alright. Any discharge that smells or doesn't look right?'
'Nope.'
'Good. So you're going to be able to hear the heartbeat now, and hopefully they'll be moving and kicking so you two can see.' He put the paddle thing on my stomach in the center of the goo and slowly started moving it around to find them. I heard something coming from the monitor and I smiled as I realized it was the heartbeat. 'There they are.' He moved the monitor towards us so we could see better and I instinctively took Erik's hand. 'They look to be good in size, nothing is out of place, the umbilical cord isn't wrapped around anything which is good. That's not something I worry about happening until later in the pregnancy but I always keep parents updated because some tend to worry.'
'Oh my God they've grown so much. It was just a circle last time and now we can see arms and legs.' Erik seemed amazed by it, and it was pretty insane.
'Hang on I think I can see-' he stopped talking and moved closer to the monitor. 'Ha right there I'm amazing.' He smiled and froze the picture since they were wiggly and I could feel it. He stared at the screen for a good twenty or thirty seconds. 'So do you guys want to know what you're having?' We both nodded and I felt my excitement rising since I wanted to know if I was right.
'It's a girl.' I accidentally squealed when it sunk it that I was right.
'Oh my God I was right! Holy hell it's a girl we're having a girl. Erik are you excited?' I looked back at him and he was staring at the screen. 'Erik?'
He was silent for a good minute before finally he shook his head. 'I can't do this.' He ran out of the room and I sat up. I looked over at John and he didn't seem phased.
'Is that normal?'
'Some people find news about the gender difficult to take. Go talk to him and see what he's worrying about. I'll have the pictures up at the desk and you can make your next appointment for next month. Congratulations, and don't worry about him.' He gave me paper towels to wipe my stomach off and I took them.
'Alright, thank you. See you next month.' I cleaned my stomach off as I grabbed my purse, and I pulled my shorts up and tanktop down before leaving the room. I went into the office to see if Erik had gone far, and when he wasn't there I left the office and went over to the bathrooms. I pushed the guys door open after closing my eyes. 'Erik?! Are you in there?! Is anyone in there?!' When there wasn't any response I opened my eyes and stepped inside. I checked for feet under each stall, and when the place was empty I left and continued the search.
After ten minutes I finally got to the car and he was sitting in the backseat with his forehead on the back of the passenger seat. I opened the door and slid in next to him. 'Hey.' I set my hand on his back and gently rubbed it to get his attention. 'What's up?'
'Sorry for running out like that. I just got overwhelmed and I'm scared that what happened to me will effect how good of a father I am, and I don't want to disappoint you guys. What if she looks like me? Or she's scared of how I look or she gets made fun of because her dad wears a mask. I can't do that to her and I don't know how to avoid it.'
'Erik she's not going to be affected by your face. She won't get it, she won't be afraid of it, and kids get made fun of because of their parents all the time. She'll probably get crap for having such young parents, and for having parents who work in the theatre and for having a mom and a dad and not two dads or moms. There's always something to be made fun of over, and as long as you try your best there's no reason for us to be disappointed. You're going to be great, Erik.' I kissed him just enough to calm him down and he sighed and put his arms around me. 'I love you, and I believe in you.'
'I love you too.' He started kissing my neck and I smiled and moved my head to the side. He moved my hair out of the way and I was about to do a really bad idea when I remembered we needed to schedule the next appointment. I decided to let him continue kissing my neck for a few more seconds before clearing my throat.
'Okay let's go schedule the next appointment and go home.'
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I slowly kissed Erik and cuddled up closer to him. 'You are so beautiful.' I smiled and kissed him again, and as my hand started to wonder below the blankets someone rang the doorbell making me stop. 'I'll go get it. You stay here.' He kissed me one last time before getting out of bed and quickly putting his pants and mask on. He left the room and I heard the door open a few seconds later. A few words were said and the door didn't close, but I heard boxes so I got out of bed and put Erik's shirt on to go see what was going on.
'What's going on?'
'Crib and changing table are here already.' I looked and there was another box leaning against the wall.
'Ooo yay! I'm excited to see them!'
'We aren't putting them together until we find an apartment.' I groaned and tried not to be too impatient... But I was really impatient. 'Groan all you want, but it's best to wait to nothing gets lost or damaged, plus we don't have room for a crib and changing table we're not going to use.'
'Fine.' I saw his points and I agreed but it was habit for me to want to open something I got in the mail even if it was something I knew it was.
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I walked into my dressing room and turned the light on, and I smiled when there was a purple vase full of lilies, carnations, daisies and other flowers I didn't know the name of but we're beautiful. They were all different shades of purple and pink, and I found the card on top of another box for me to open. When the note was blank I set it to the side and slid the lid off the box. I lifted the paper lining and my mouth watered when it was a dozen strawberries covered with chocolate and colored sugar. I picked one up and it was nearly the size of Leila's head. I bit a piece from the side and it was like I bit into heaven, and I didn't know I was craving chocolate covered strawberries until then. I set it down and smelled the flowers before leaving my dressing room and crossing into Erik's dressing room. 'Hey what's up?' I smiled and walked up to him, and I put my hands around him.
'Thank you for the flowers and strawberries. They're amazing.'
'Flowers and strawberries? Without a reason? I'd never do that.' He started smiling to making me giggle and pull his head down and kiss him.
'If you're hungry have a strawberry and you'll be full for weeks.'
'Are they big?'
'Very, and so good you need to try one.' I took his hand and dragged him into my dressing room and gave him the one I took a bite from.
'Jesus Christ that's huge.' He took a bite and nodded. 'That's really good. I'll definitely be getting more of those, and the flowers are amazing! Wow I'm really happy with this.' He smelled them and smiled the same way I had.
'Thank you for this. They're perfect... C'mon we need to change and get to work.' I gave him the strawberry and turned him so I could push him out.
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I ran out onto the stage, the first time in the production that I was in full costume and make up. 'I'm Elphaba! It's amazing and I look fantastic! These look like the costumes on Broadway.'
'Except my bubble dress doesn't look like a dick that needs Viagra.' Valerie walked in wearing her first outfit as well and her dress was not missing any fluff. It was beautiful. 'So did you guys find out the sex today?' She was messing with the pedals on the skirt and finally looked over at me.
'Yeah. It's a girl.' I smiled as she did and she hugged me.
'Congratulations! Oh that's so cool. I bet you two are starting to get excited.'
'Thanks, and we are. We're nervous but excited.'
'These pants make my ass look fantastic.' Erik walked out and I spun him around.
'Holy hell they make it look like a sculpture.' I couldn't help but smack his butt and it made Valerie laugh. 'Does it-'
'Cup.' I frowned and crosses my arms while he turned around to look at us. 'Oh wow you're green and your dress is really fluffy.' Valerie and I highfived.
'And the dress fits! That's so cool I love knowing I don't have to worry about outgrowing my costumes.' I looked down at my stomach which was poking out.
'Okay is everyone in costume?!' We all looked towards Gracie who was the director and said yes. 'Cool awesome so now rehearse. You guys need to get used to doing this show in costumes!' I raised my hand and she nodded for me to speak.
'I need to pee way too often to wear costumes unless absolutely necessary. I've done this show before so can I get a pass?'
'Christine you're already in costume. For today just have Mary help you get undone, but after today yes you can just wear your clothes.'
'Thank you.' We all broke apart and went to start doing what we needed to do. I personally got to sing which excited me.
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'Night guys, see you tomorrow.' Erik and I went towards the car, but I stopped when I forgot the strawberries in the fridge. 'Crap I'll be right back.' I gave Erik the flowers and my purse so I could run back to the stage door. I put the code into the lock and pulled the door open once the locks moved unlocking the door allowing to get in.
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I was walking back towards Erik's car, but I dropped the strawberries and the one I was eating when someone put their arm around my neck and covered my mouth. I grabbed at their arm and tried to move the hand so I could scream while they dragged me away, my wiggling not effecting their grip. My heart rate rose when the person shoved me into a trunk and closed it before I could even attempt to recover. I kicked, punched and did everything I could do to get out, but nothing worked... I was in big trouble.