House of the Scotts
One week later
"Have the two of you thought about the future, how to proceed from now on?"
I glanced questioningly at Davis, who could only shrug helplessly. We were all sitting in the living room, Davis's parents, my parents, Davis and I, only Jamie was missing. He had excused himself because he wasn't directly affected by the incident. And I envied him that he could stay away from it all, because the atmosphere in the room was explosive. Since I've become silent, my mom continued with her speech.
"Well, Nathan and I have already discussed that we want to set up a nursery here in the house. We will get everything that is needed. We'll cover the costs. Since both are not yet of legal age, we must also think about a legal guardian. I would like to do that if nobody else has anything against it."
I looked around and realized that Davis' mom frowned. She didn't seem to agree with the suggestion.
"Julian and I have been thinking too, and we think it would be better for the young family if they were not separated."
I looked at her in surprise. Does that mean she wanted Davis and me to move in together? I quickly looked at my mom to see what she thought of the idea. And I could tell from her skeptical facial expression that she disagreed.
"They are still too young to move in together," she said, shaking her head. "And if I imagine, that they have the sole responsibility for such a helpless baby..." She broke off and sighed softly. "Lydia had a goldfish once when she was little. It died because she had forgotten to feed it!"
"Mom, I was 5 at the time!" I interjected indignantly. Davis grinned, and I would have liked to punch him. He should be on my side and not against me!
"We didn't think they would move in in an own apartment," Brooke said quietly. "We wanted to offer that Lydia moves in with us. The house is big enough. We could give them a bedroom and set up a nursery."
"They should sleep in one bed?"
I looked confused at my mom for raising this objection, causing me to roll my eyes. How did she think I got pregnant in the first place? But apparently she still didn't like the idea that Davis and I would share a bed. "Do we have to decide that now?" I cut in. "I'm just three months pregnant."
"You don't believe how fast time passes. And there is still a lot to do until then."
I seriously asked myself what my mom meant by that. Clothes for the baby, a changing table, a cot and a stroller. Not much to buy for a baby. Why did she make such a fuss about that? "If you say so." I shrugged indifferently and got up. "Are we done here? Can we go now?"
"We just started," she said, shaking her head. "We haven't talked about the most important things yet."
I sighed and sat down again. "Okay, what else is so important?"
"Your father and I came to the agreement that it's better for you not to return to Tree Hill High School after the holidays."
"You decided it," he said quickly. "I don't want to have anything to do with it."
I looked at my mom in horror. "What? Why?" I stammered.
"Well, I was talking with the director, and..."
"You told him I was pregnant?" I interrupted her.
"Lydia, sweetheart, you don't think you can keep that from him. Of course I had to tell him. As headmaster, he should know about it."
I could only stare at her in horrified silence. For a moment I was just speechless.
"Why does Lydia have to leave school?" Brooke intervened. "I don't understand that, Hales. You stayed at that time and graduated while you were pregnant."
"That was back then. Today, it's a different time," she replied, clearing her throat. "Lydia has been a role model for the girls so far. She is the leader of the cheerleading team and class spokesperson."
"So what?" Brooke frowned. "What does that have to do with leaving school?"
"The director believes that Lydia's behavior could rub off on the other girls," she finally admitted.
"Pregnancy is not a contagious disease!"
I quickly looked at Davis's father, who had uttered the sentence. Of course he was right, but I also understood the reasons why the director wanted me out of school. As a role model, as my Mom had already mentioned, the other girls might get the idea that being pregnant with 17 was something completely normal. So, based on the motto 'What Lydia Scott does, can only be good' or 'She has a baby, I want one too'. "So how am I supposed to graduate?" I asked softly.
"You'll receive private lessons until you give birth, and after that we will see."
I nodded and struggled not to burst into tears right here and now. Only now did I really realize what the pregnancy cost me: My whole life would change. And I would have to go my own way, isolated from everyone. The thought was just too much. "Excuse me for a minute," I blurted, before jumping to my feet and running as fast as I could up the stairs, into my room. I slammed the door and threw myself on the bed, crying. I hadn't noticed that Davis had come after me, but when he put me in his arms and held me, I pressed my tear-wet face against his chest and let the tears run freely.
"They can't do that," he said furiously. "They have no right to decide about our lives!"
"Yes, they have all the rights," I sobbed. "I'm underage. If they want, they can even take the baby away from us."
"I won't let that happen!" He said firmly. "This is our baby!"
I sat up while still leaning my head against his chest. "We're not 18 yet. You've heard what my mom said. She wants to be the legal guardian for the baby."
"And what if we got married?" He blurted out. "Wouldn't the biological father have the greater rights than the grandparents?"
I looked at him with wide eyes. "You want us to get married?" I asked in disbelief.
He shrugged. "Well, I didn't want to do it, but I would if it helps us."
"Thanks, but I'm afraid I have to reject this 'tempting' offer," I said sarcastically. I knew he just wanted to help, but I was disappointed that he saw marriage only as a means to an end. If I would get married, then only because of love and not out of obligation.
"All right, fine." He shrugged casually and then got up. "Shouldn't we go back to the others? I'd like to know what they are talking about us."
That was probably the basic difference between men and women. While I was still mentally on the subject of 'marriage', Davis's thoughts were already on another topic. Sighing, I reached for his hand. "Okay, let's go back to the others," I said, then left the room with him.
House of the Bakers
A few days later
When Mom summoned us to a meeting again, it was easy to guess what the topic would be this time. I looked at it with mixed feelings because I knew that I would be in the focus of the conversation. But the talk with Lydia's parents hadn't been a success. We still hadn't found a solution to our housing problem and how to proceed in the future. I still couldn't believe that they really forced Lydia to leave high school. As if it was the first pregnancy at this school! But even though she was heartbroken about it, Lydia had succumbed to her parents' will. As Mom and Dad entered the living room, I tried to brace myself for what would come.
"First, let me tell you that I'm glad you all came," she greeted, looking around. "Surely you can imagine why I've asked you to this meeting, right?"
The eyes of my siblings turned to me and I rolled my eyes. "Okay, we all know why we're here. Can we hurry and get it over with, please! I have to practice for a math test." Izzy, who was sitting next to me, poked me in the ribs and Justin gave me a warning look.
"We wanted to tell you something."
I saw my parents exchanging glances, then my dad nodded slightly, whereupon my mom pulled out a picture and placed it on the table for all of us to see. It was an ultrasound scan, I noticed.
"After we learned that Lydia is pregnant, your dad and I talked about telling you that the same thing happened to us when we were very young," she said softly, pointing to the slightly faded ultrasound image. "I was 16 when I met your dad. We fell in love pretty quickly." She stopped and placed her hand on his arm. "But our love had no future because he had to move to L.A. On the last day, before he got on the plane, we slept together. And two weeks later, I realized that I was pregnant."
I stared open-mouthed at my mom and realized from the baffled faces of my siblings that they apparently had no idea. "You were pregnant?" I blurted put.
She nodded. "That was 23 years ago. But I lost the baby when I was still in my first trimester."
Concerned, I looked at her and realized that the memory still gave her grief because I could see tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," I said softly.
"We had a brother or sister?" Izzy cut in. She was visibly affected by the confession.
"If I hadn't lost it, yes, then you would have had a brother or a sister. But I didn't tell you that to make you feel bad. I have told you to explain that we also know the situation in which Davis and Lydia are now. And we don't judge them."
I wasn't the guy who cried so fast, but I had to swallow hard. I had expected that they would lecture me in front of all my siblings, and now that. I was genuinely moved.
"We really want to support you and Lydia. These weren't empty phrased. And we still hope that Haley and Nathan will give in and allow Lydia to move in with us."
It was time that I also participated in the conversation. "I asked her if she wanted to marry me," I said.
"Oh wow! I hadn't thought that you were so brave to ask her that," said Izzy impressed. "What did she answer?"
"Unfortunately she refused my proposal." I shrugged. "Maybe she thinks we're still too young for that."
"How did you ask her?" Izzy asked.
I scratched my head thoughtfully. "Lydia's mom mentioned that she wanted to be the legal guardian for the baby. And I asked Lydia if we should get married to prevent that."
"My God, Davis! No wonder she refused." Izzy rolled her eyes. "That was the most unromantic proposal I've ever heard of. Tell him how to do it right, Dad."
I looked at my father, who glanced at me with raised eyebrows. "Yeah, tell me what you said to Mom when you proposed to her," I asked him. But it was my mom who answered.
"He prepared a romantic candlelight dinner and then went on his knees and proposed."
"Wow, how romantic!" Izzy rolled her eyes sighing. "If I ever have a boyfriend, I also want him to kneel in front of me and ask me to marry him."
"You're only 15, Izzy," Jude interrupted. "You're too young to get married."
"Lydia is 17. So what?" She shrugged. "Sometimes things like that happen faster than you think."
"Just to clarify," I cut in, "I really don't want to get married right away."
"Then you should wait until you're sure."
My dad was right, I shouldn't rush things. Neither Lydia nor I were ready to take such a serious step. "Are we done now?" I asked cautiously.
"Yes, we are done for now. I really hope Haley gives in and Lydia can move in our house."
I looked at my mom and smiled. I even liked the idea of living with my girlfriend under one roof.
"I'd love if Lydia moved in here," Izzy said. "And when the baby is born, I would be willing to play the babysitter."
I had to smile involuntarily. It was a good feeling to know that everyone was standing behind us. Lydia and I wouldn't be alone with the responsibility for the baby. "Then you should talk to her mom again," I suggested. "Maybe she'll listen to you."
"The meeting is closed!"
We all got up and I went over to my mom and dad. "Do you know that you are the best and coolest parents one can wish for?" When Mom hugged me, with tears in her eyes, I backed away and smiled embarrassed. "Okay, I'll go and start studying," I muttered, then quickly ran out of the living room, upstairs to my room.
