What Doesn't Kill You
A Clique Fan Fiction
Chapter 52

Papa I know you're going to be upset
'Cause I was always your little girl
But you should know by now..I'm not a baby
You always taught me right from wrong
I need you help, daddy please be strong
I may be young at heart, but I know what I'm saying

"Massie," Alicia whispered as she knocked on her best friend's bedroom door.

"Yeah?" Massie called. She was sitting on her bed, prepping for her SATs when Alicia walked into the room.

"I need to talk to you-I have something really important to tell you, but you have to promise not to over react and get mad, because I know you're going to get upset," Alicia blurted, forgetting all about her planned out speech on how to tell Massie about her problem. She knew Massie was going to take this the hardest, because Alicia was always the one who would never lie to Massie. She would always follow Massie's advice. Even when they'd gotten into fights, Alicia had stayed true to Massie's rules on almost everything, especially boys.

"What? Did you hook up with Josh or something stupid like that?" Massie teased, kicking aside her books and smiling at her best friend. Comparing this Alicia, the mature, confident and sophisticated one to the old, insecure, innocent and naive Alicia that had existed back in seventh grade was like trying to compare the old Massie to her knew self. It was clear that Alicia had changed with the years she'd had added to her life. Massie knew that better than anybody.

"You always gave me that great advice," Alicia whispered, sitting down on the edge of Massie's advice. "Especially about guys, and I always followed it. But I didn't listen and I messed up one time, and I need your help. Can you be strong for me?" Alicia whispered.

"You got together with Josh," Massie's jaw dropped.

You don't know the half of it...Alicia thought. Who was she kidding? She couldn't tell Massie the whole story! Look at how judgemental she was getting from just these few sentences and the mere thought of Alicia sleeping with Josh.

"I love him...and you love Derrick, so don't tell me I'm too young to know what I'm talking about, alright? You're only two months older than me anyways," Alicia protested. "I know what I'm talking about," She declared.

She was in too deep to back out now.


The one you warned me all about
The one you said I could do with out
We're in an awful mess
And I don't mean maybe-please
Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep
Papa don't preach, I've been losing sleep

"I told you a million times," Massie shook her head. "I've warned you about what he's like and you still insist on getting with him? Leesh, do you want to get your heart broken? He abused you! He could-"

"I know, Mass, okay? You've warned me all about him. I understand that you think I can do without him and all, but right now, I really can't. We're in real big trouble...we got into an awful mess, and I'm not sure if I mean maybe or not just yet...but, please-I'm just asking for your help, okay?" Alicia begged, tears flooding her doe-like brown eyes.

Massie sighed, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. She needed to be rational. Alicia was clearly upset about whatever was going on right now, and she expected Massie to be there for her, as her friend. And Massie was going to do whatever Alicia needed. She was a good friend and she would help Alicia through whatever tough time she was in right now.

"What's going on?" Massie sighed.

"Please don't start preaching about how I was stupid, okay? I'm in really deep shit and you're the only person I have to go to. Don't start trying to reprimand me, because I've lost enough sleep," Alicia sighed.

That was when Massie noticed the dark circles ruining Alicia's beautiful face. Even her make-up couldn't hide just how tired she was. Massie sighed.

"How long's this been going on for?" She asked.

"Well, I suppose it happened on Saturday, but I didn't think anything of it until Wednesday," Alicia sighed. It was Friday now, a week after Alicia and Josh's big scene in the parking lot where he'd all but begged her to take him back.

"Alright, tell me what's wrong," Massie said at last.


He says he's going to marry me
We can raise a little family
Maybe we'll be alright
It's a sacrifice, but my friends keep telling me to give it up
Saying I'm too young, I ought to live it up
What I need right now is some good advice, please

"I think I'm pregnant," Alicia whispered.

"What do you mean, you think?" Massie asked, doing her very best to remain calm. "You know what, I don't care about that. What are you planning on doing if you really are?" She whispered.

"Josh said he's going to marry me, if I am. We can have a little family, just the three of us. I'm sure we'll be alright," Alicia shrugged carelessly.

"Alicia," Massie sighed, shaking her head. "Josh is a pretty boy who depends on his parent's money to get him by. Do you really think they're going to help him support a mistake he made with you? And what about you? You have all these plans, and you do realize how hard it's going to be to go through with them all if you have a baby, right? I mean...don't you realize that your parents won't help support you either? The chances of getting your parents' support are slim to none, sweety. I don't want you to throw your entire life away be-"

"Massie-I understand that it's a sacrifice," Alicia cut her off. "But I don't care. I know that Dylan's going to tell me that I should just give the kid up and Kristen's going to be all logical about it. But I don't want to hear that I'm too young and should be enjoying my life and trying to make the most of it. My parents are going to say that when I tell them. What I want from you-because you're my best friend-is some good advice, please?" Alicia asked in a soft voice. She seemed so weak that it killed Massie to listen to.

"I know..."Massie sighed. "And this is all I can honestly tell you. Listen to your heart, all right?" Massie said, crawling across the bed to be besides Kristen. She wrapped an arm around her and held her close, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder. "Leesh, I'm going to be here no matter what you decide. And if you want to keep the baby, I'll help you. The only thing I'm going to ask of you...please don't rush into marrying Josh just because of the baby, alright? And I really want you to at least consider adoption, alright? But I can't make this decision. Your parents can't make the decision and neither can Josh or his parents. Kristen and Dylan's opinions don't matter. All that matters is what you think is right," Massie explained.

"When'd you get to be so wise?" Alicia asked, and that was when Massie realized she was crying.


But I made up my mind-I'm keeping my baby
I'm gonna keep my baby
Daddy, daddy if you could only see
Just how good he's been treating me
You'd give us your blessing right now
Cause we are in love-we are in love, so place

Alicia pushed away from Massie's hug and looked her right in the eyes.

"Thanks, Mass...but I've given it a lot of thought, and I've already made up my mind. I'm going to keep my baby. It was my mistake and I need to live with it. I can't be immature and hand it off to somebody else. I'm going to keep my baby," She nodded once as if to confirm her decision.

"Please reconsider that one," Massie said. "Adoption will make your life easier, but it will also make the baby's life better," Massie explained. Alicia nodded.

"And I get that you're angry with Josh, but if you could see how he's been treating me...oh, Massie, he's been so sweet and so kind. Especially after I realized that something must have gone wrong. God, Mass, you'd fall under his spell all over again, I promise. And either way...well, I love him. We're in love, so...please, just promise you'll help us-both of us?"

"Of course I will, Leesh...I swear," Massie smiled, hugging Alicia once more, finally letting her own tears fall.