AN: Just to let you know, I'm working on 4 Gilmore Girls stories currently - two are halfway done (and neither of them have a name) and the other two are still in their early stages. Once these are done (and are starting to be published), I'm thinking about moving over to Harry Potter or Grey's Anatomy, but we've got time until then. Either way, I thought I'd tell you that I'm working on new stuff (and one of the halfway done stories is actually quite light for me), and I'll tell you when they're being uploaded.
"Hey!" Tristan complained as I stole the apple off of his tray, "I was looking forward to that."
"Oh well," I said, biting into it. Since that morning on the bridge, I had felt a lot better in myself. That isn't to say that I was better, because that was a long way away, but I felt better compared to the way I felt before, and while that wasn't saying much, it was still good. Christmas had been and gone, with not even a card from my father for Christmas, which proved my point to Mom, and we had just come back after the two-week break.
"When is your appointment?" He asked, and I sighed. I was dreading it; while it was feeling more real, I was expecting it to be the final nail in the coffin, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. However, it was something I needed to do to make sure that the baby was healthy and developing correctly.
"Friday, after school," I told him, placing a hand on my stomach for a brief moment. I had a tiny bump, which was apparently normal, according to Mom, and my boobs had basically exploded. My body was changing in more ways than one, and it was quite strange. A few people had mentioned that I was glowing; the rumour was that Tristan had finally de-flowered me (their words, not mine) and I actually preferred it over the truth.
"If you want any support from me, I'll do what I can for you," He told me, and I smiled at him.
"You carrying my very heavy bag at the beginning and end of the school day is currently enough for me," I said honestly, "I will ask if I need anything."
"No, you won't," He said with a roll of his eyes, and I smiled sadly.
"I will for the baby," I murmured softly, keeping my voice down. And that was the truth – I could ask for help without shame when it came to the baby, but when it came to me... I couldn't do it.
"So why won't you do it for yourself?" He asked, and I shrugged, unsure.
I knew he was about to press me for more information, but Paris dropped into the seat next to Tristan, "How are things?"
"Things are good," I told her, knowing she was referring to the baby. She nodded.
"The main rumours for your glow are the fact that you and Tristan had sex, but Cissy thinks you're pregnant – her older sister had a baby last year, so she's recognised the look. Thought I'd let you know; I've never said this before, but thank God that I'm friends with Madeline and Louise because I'd know none of this without them."
She then got up and walked off, re-joining her lackeys, who had been staring at us trying to figure it out. I turned to Tristan, "I'll tell the school nurse once I've finished this."
"You still haven't done that?" He asked, shocked. I rolled my eyes, and he shook his head, "For someone who likes rules and organisation, you're also a master at procrastinating."
"I learnt from the best," I told him, referring to my mother, "And I'm not even close to as good as she is."
He chuckled, "Why am I not surprised?"
"Oi!"
He walked me to Mom's car after school, delivering me safely. He had become very protective of me but had also become one of my favourite people. While he hadn't been through what I had been through, he knew something about it. I loved Lane, I did, but she didn't get it like he did, and it was the same with my mom.
"Tell her," He murmured in my ear, and I inwardly rolled my eyes.
"I got through the whole school day without a panic attack," I told her, feeling a little proud. I wasn't sure if it was a fluke or a real sign of improvement, but it was something to be proud of.
She hugged me hard, "I'm so proud of you. I'll buy you a book after therapy if you'd like."
"Well, I'd never say no to that," I told her, climbing into the jeep. I saw her say something very quietly to him, making his ears turn red in the way they do when he's nervous or embarrassed, and then she got into the car as he walked off, "What did you say to him?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," She lied and I rolled my eyes; I'll get it out of her eventually.
After therapy, I decided I was going to put off book shopping until tomorrow. Therapy left me mentally and emotionally drained, and I wanted to be enthusiastic about the book I was buying. So instead, we headed to Luke's for dinner. I had chilli fries and a milkshake while Mom had a burger and coffee – she had thought about quitting with me, but there was no way I was going to let her put me through that – and we talked about nothing in general for a while.
"How do you feel about Tristan?" She asked randomly, and I looked up at her, confused.
"He's a friend," I told her, "You know this."
She rolled her eyes at me, "He has this gigantic crush on you, you must know this."
"I'm not convinced," I said, "I was a giant conquest to him before the dance, and he's been friendly since. He's probably over trying to get me now since..."
I trailed off, pushing my plate away. Even if he didn't view me as damaged, there was no way he could want me now. He had practically seen me at my worst, and between the incident and the baby, there was no way I was desirable now, even if I was interested.
"You're not less of a person for your current situation, and even if his feelings have changed, he's still got a crush on you. It might just be a bit different now," Mom said, pulling my plate towards her and finishing what was left on the plate.
"I don't know," I told her, placing a hand on my tiny bump, "The whole school either thinks I'm pregnant or sleeping with Tristan. They seem to be under the impression that it can't be both."
She coughed a couple of times, surprised, "You're definitely my kid, but I wouldn't recommend pointing that out. That's just asking for trouble."
"It's funny, though," I said, smiling at her.
AN: I hope you love this chapter, please review (with constructive criticism) and have a good weekend.
