Chapter Two
Rachel arrived at her the steps of her home about fifteen minutes later. She couldn't call it a home, really, but it was the place she lived. She had to go there sometime. When she walked in, her mother was just changing out of her work clothes. Yes, her mother had to get a job after the divorce. Instead of lounging around the house all day while Mr. Green made the money, she had to work. Sandra Green had never worked a day in her life until Rachel's dad got all of the money in a settlement. It was his money, after all, but he had to pay child support.
"Where have you been?" Rachel's mother asked quickly.
"I was with Monica."
"Well, I wish you would call before you go off with your friends after school. You're still a child, Rachel."
"I am not a child," Rachel replied quickly. "I'm fourteen years old, mother. I am a teenager."
"You're barely a teenager. You're not an adult, therefore you are a child. You still live by my rules."
"I wish I lived with dad," Rachel replied angrily before stomping up the stairs. She hated being called a child. Sure, she was young, but she was no longer a child. She was a teenager, and no matter how much she hated the idea, she was going to be a mother in October.
"What's your problem?" Amy asked as she poked her head inside Rachel's bedroom. Rachel was lying on her bed, curled up in a ball. She hated the feeling she had in her stomach. She was already feeling sick, and she knew that it was because she was guilty for getting pregnant so young, and because being pregnant was making her physically sick.
"Go away," Rachel replied. "I don't want to talk to anybody."
"Why not?" Jill asked, walking inside with Amy.
"Just get out of my room!" Rachel screamed.
"Don't be such a bitch, Rachel," Jill replied. She walked out of the room. Amy sat down on Rachel's bed.
"You know I'm here for you, right? We're sisters. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah," Rachel replied quietly. "I just don't want to talk about it right now."
"Is it something really bad?"
"I don't know just yet," Rachel replied.
"Alright. I'll leave you alone for awhile." Amy got up and left the room. Rachel began to sob silently into her pillow. She only wished she could turn back time. She wished that she never would have slept with Joey. Joey! She had to tell Joey. She got up and ran to her phone. She dialed Joey's phone number, hoping not to get his mother. She hated when his mother answered the phone. She always had a million questions to ask.
The phone rang about four times before somebody picked up.
"Hello?" asked a young woman.
"Who's this?" Rachel asked.
"This is Phoebe. Who's this?" she asked.
"I'm Rachel. Is Joey there?"
"Yeah. He's here," Phoebe replied. "Hold on." Rachel heard Joey's voice telling Phoebe to wait outside. He took the phone.
"Hey babe," he said.
"Hey," Rachel said quietly. "Who was that?"
"Oh. That? That was my . . . my cousin Phoebe."
"I didn't know you had a cousin named Phoebe."
"Very distant . . ."
"Oh."
"So what's up?"
"I have some news."
"News?"
"Okay. Don't freak out."
"What's the matter?" Joey asked with a yawn.
"Remember that afternoon about a month ago?"
"How could I forget?" he asked in a suggestive manner.
"Focus!" Rachel replied.
"Sorry."
"I'm pregnant." There was a long pause. "Joey?"
"You're what?"
"I'm pregnant."
"As in . . ."
"As in knocked up . . . having a baby. I'm four weeks pregnant. I'm due in . . . October."
"Oh my God."
"I know. I'm shocked too. I thought you should know that . . . because you're going to be a daddy." There was another long pause. Rachel cleared her throat. "Joey?"
"Look, I've got to go."
"We need to talk about this, though," Rachel urged.
"Yeah. I'll call you later." Joey hung up before Rachel had a moment to protest. She slammed the receiver down and sighed heavily. She put her hand on her stomach and went back to her bed to lie down. Not even ten minutes later, Sandra knocked on Rachel's door.
"Rachel, sweetheart, are you awake?"
"Yes, mother," Rachel muttered.
"Your friend Monica is here with Chloe." The door opened and Rachel sat up.
"I'm not up for visitors right now, mom," Rachel replied.
"Just come downstairs, Rachel. You don't look so good. I'll make you some tea, and you and Monica can have a nice chat." Rachel pulled herself out of bed and followed her mother downstairs.
"Hey Rachel," Monica said when she saw her friend. Sandra left the room and Rachel crossed her arms.
"You're talking to me?" Rachel asked.
"For the moment. Look, I just want to tell you that I'll be there for you and your baby as much as I can. I'm really busy with school, work, and Chloe. My parents and Ross help out when they can, but they have lives too, you know? I just want to let you know that it's not going to be easy. Um, and about Joey . . ."
"I just talked to him on the phone."
"Oh?"
"He told me he'd call me later to talk about it. He had his cousin Phoebe at his house."
"Phoebe? As in Phoebe Buffay?"
"I don't know. I don't know any Phoebes."
"Oh my God," Monica said.
"What?"
"Phoebe is a new girl at the school. She just got here today, and I saw Joey eyeing her all day. I never thought to mention it. Honey, I don't think that Phoebe is Joey's cousin."
"But she was at his house. He said she was a distant cousin."
"I don't think so, Rachel. I'm sorry."
"But he can't be cheating on me! I'm pregnant with his baby."
"This is reality, Rachel. It happens. I know you wanted your life to be some happy fairytale, but it is never going to be that way. Your Prince Charming got you pregnant and cheated on you."
"No! He can't be cheating on me!"
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Monica said. Rachel began to cry.
"I need proof."
"I can't help you there. Honey, I have to take Chloe to the dentist." Monica held her arms out to hug Rachel. "You don't need that jerk anyway."
"But we were going to be so happy . . ."
"I know," Monica whispered. "I have to go, alright? I'll call you later?" Rachel nodded slowly. Monica left with Chloe. Sandra walked into the room and saw her very distraught daughter.
"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Sandra asked. Rachel looked at her mother with teary eyes.
"I'm pregnant," she replied. Before her mother had a chance to react, Rachel was running out the front door toward Joey's house.
A few minutes later, Rachel opened the gate to the front of Joey's parents' house. She saw a car parked in the driveway that had never been there before. It was at that moment that she saw Joey coming out the front door. Rachel was then shocked to see a pretty blonde girl about a year older than her walk out behind him. She saw that they were holding hands. Rachel's heart began to pound and a lump formed in her throat. Her dreams of a family with Joey and her baby shattered right then and there. This was her proof.
Rachel swallowed hard and marched up the sidewalk briskly.
"Cousins, huh? If she's your cousin, Joey, then what the hell are you doing kissing her?"
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked slowly. Joey looked like he had seen a ghost.
"I'm Rachel . . . Joey's pregnant girlfriend!" Rachel exclaimed. Phoebe pulled her hand away from Joey.
"You have a girlfriend?!"
"He told me you were his cousin. Come on. I'm sure you knew."
"I just got here! He said he'd show me the ropes. He never told me he had a girlfriend!" Phoebe exclaimed loudly.
"Well now you know!" Rachel screamed. Phoebe slapped Joey across the face and walked up to Rachel.
"I'm very sorry, Rachel. I didn't know. Don't worry. I won't come around this scumbag anymore." Phoebe walked off and Rachel crossed her arms and stared at Joey.
"Hey baby," Joey said awkwardly.
"Don't even start," Rachel replied. "You have no idea how much I wanted to believe that you weren't cheating on me. All of my friends told me you were bad news. I was hoping you'd prove them wrong. I wanted you to be a good guy. I can't believe I actually gave myself to you. It wasn't worth it! Now I'm pregnant with your kid! What the hell was I thinking?!"
"You knew my reputation, babe. You should have thought about it before you jumped in the sack with me."
"Excuse me?!" Rachel asked. "You're the one that pressured me! You're such a jerk!"
"Well, I heard you were loose, so I just figured . . ."
"You were my first! I am not loose. But I feel cheap now. I feel so cheap, and it is your fault! I blame myself for getting involved with you, but I blame you for being the stupid jerk that you are! I hate you, Joey. I hate you."
"Well, like it or not, I'm that kid's father."
"Like you even care! I'm sure you won't see it. You don't care. You're too busy corrupting young girls like me. Well, I can only feel sorry for them. But you're the one I feel sorry for the most. You know why? Because you're pathetic." Rachel ran off with tears in her eyes. She couldn't go home right now. She figured her mother would kill her. She needed to just let off some steam. She needed a shoulder to cry on.
She slowed her run as she started to get out of breath. That was when she saw the familiar car coming down the dirt road. She flagged Ross down and she stopped by the side of the road. He opened the passenger door without question and Rachel hopped in. He drove off and he looked over to see that Rachel was crying.
"What happened?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Oh I just told Joey that I'm pregnant. And I found him sleeping with some new girl. Phoebe . . . something."
"Phoebe Buffay?" Ross asked.
"Yeah," Rachel replied.
"She's a nice girl . . ." Rachel glared at Ross. "Sorry."
"It's alright. She didn't know that Joey was dating me. He's such a scumbag."
"I'm so sorry, Rachel," he said. He put his hand on her knee for a moment. She glanced at him and he quickly pulled away as if he'd been bitten by a snake. He cleared his throat.
"You need me to take you home?"
"No," Rachel replied with a sob. "I can't go home right now."
"Well . . . I know a place we can go." Ross turned down another road and drove off toward the country. Rachel leaned back in her seat and silent tears slipped down her cheeks, her dreams of a perfect life shattered, her heart broken into pieces.
They soon stopped by the lake and Ross parked alongside the road.
"Where are we?" Rachel asked after she wiped away the remaining tears that still clutched onto her eyelashes.
"This is a place I come to when I need to unwind. I call it Lake Ross," Ross replied with a chuckle. "I'm not really sure what it's called. I never see anybody else around here. It's really relaxing."
"It's beautiful," Rachel replied with a sigh. "You know, I wish I was still a kid. I'm only fourteen and I'm having a baby. I just wish that I could turn back time and never meet Joey."
"I know," Ross replied. "But people make choices and mistakes. It's inevitable."
"I just wish it had been somebody else, you know? I hate feeling like this." Rachel got out of the car and she walked over to the water's edge. Ross got out and walked over to stand beside her.
"Rachel, just don't think about it right now. Okay, I'll tell you what. This always works for me." He stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Close your eyes?" Rachel trembled nervously under his touch. She closed her eyes and listened to Ross' words.
"Okay," she said softly.
"Now, just think about what makes you happiest in the world." Rachel couldn't think of anything. Her whole life was a mess.
"I don't . . . I don't know."
"Rachel, something's got to make you happy."
"Well, talking to you and . . . and to Monica makes me feel better."
"Alright. Just picture . . . picture this moment," Ross said. "Picture it in your mind."
"Okay," Rachel said slowly.
"Listen to every sound. How do you feel now?" Rachel sighed slowly.
"I feel relaxed. I feel better." She opened her eyes and turned around. "Thank you, Ross. You're really a great guy." She hugged him and she held her close for a few moments. He had always wanted to hold her. But now . . . things were different. He did want to hold her, but she wasn't the same Rachel he had always had a crush on. She had so much pain in her life, and if he tried to get involved, he wondered if it would make her life better or worse.
Ross pulled away and cleared his throat nervously.
"I better take you home."
"I can't go home. I can't face my mom right now."
"Want me to take you to your dad's?"
"Yeah," Rachel said with a nod. She always got along well with her father. She smiled at Ross and he put his arm around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his chest. She breathed in the smell of his cologne and closed her eyes slowly. "Ross?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me something . . ."
"Yeah?" Ross asked again.
"Promise me that you'll always be there for me when I need a friend." Ross smiled and pulled away from Rachel. He held her hands in his.
"Rachel, I promise you that I'll always be there for you. If you need me, call me, and I'll be there. I don't care if it's three in the morning. Call me. I'll always come to help."
"Thank you," Rachel said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. The two headed back to Ross' car and he drove off toward her father's house. Rachel looked out the window, thinking about the predicament she was in. Her hand slipped over her belly and she watched out of the corner of her eye as Ross glanced at her. His hand slipped over to rest on top of her free hand, and she smiled, knowing that Ross truly was somebody she could count on.
As soon as Ross pulled up to Dr. Green's large estate which he had won in the divorce settlement, Rachel got out of the car.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Ross asked.
"No. I'm okay," Rachel replied. "I'm daddy's favorite." Ross chuckled a little and pulled around to park while Rachel walked up the white marble steps to the large oak door. She pressed the doorbell and waited for Kitty, the maid, to answer the door. However, she was surprised to find her father answering the door.
"Hello pumpkin."
"Daddy, you fired Kitty?"
"I sent her on a long vacation," Dr. Green replied quickly.
"Did you hear from mom?"
"Yeah. She told me about your, uh, situation."
"Right," Rachel replied. "Daddy, the thing is, I don't want to live with her. I want to live with you."
"Sweetheart, your mother got custody of you girls. There's nothing I can do."
"But daddy, you've got money. Can't you take her back to court?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't do that."
"Mom probably hates me."
"She said you ran out and didn't give her a chance to yell at you. She doesn't hate you, pumpkin. She's worried about you. She called me as soon as you left. She was afraid you'd run off with the circus or something."
"No. I'm not that stupid," Rachel replied.
"Well, you did get pregnant at fourteen. That's not what I call smart."
"Daddy, I know what I did was stupid. I wish I could take it back, because the guy that put me in this position is a total loser. My friends tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. He's not going to be involved, and I'm not sure I want him to be either. But I know what I did was wrong. I just want to get past this and move on."
"How can you move on, Rachel? You're going to be a mother for the rest of your life." That's when it hit her. She suddenly realized that she was going to be somebody's mother forever. She would be mommy. She would be the one the baby ran to when it needed a boo-boo kissed.
"Oh my God," Rachel cried. "Daddy, I can't do this."
"Rachel, you're a week shy of your fifteenth birthday. You're going to have a baby before you learn how to drive a car."
"Can't we look at the big picture, daddy?! I'm going to have a child in school before I graduate college! I'm too young for this!"
"Well, we can get rid of it."
"What?" Rachel asked slowly.
"You don't have to have it."
"No!" Rachel exclaimed. "You want me to kill my baby?!"
"I'm not saying I want you to do that. I'm just letting you know that you have an option."
"I won't do that!"
"Well, you can give the baby up for adoption."
"I don't know what to do, daddy. I just know that it's not going to be easy on mom either. I know that she works and she's not going to have an easy time while I'm at school."
"At least you're thinking about staying in school. Rachel, this baby's going to change your life forever. I hope you're ready, because you're in for a big wake up call." At that moment, the phone rang and Dr. Green answered it. "Hello?" Rachel watched her father and he looked at her. "It's for you."
"Who is it?" Rachel asked.
"It's Joey."
Rachel arrived at her the steps of her home about fifteen minutes later. She couldn't call it a home, really, but it was the place she lived. She had to go there sometime. When she walked in, her mother was just changing out of her work clothes. Yes, her mother had to get a job after the divorce. Instead of lounging around the house all day while Mr. Green made the money, she had to work. Sandra Green had never worked a day in her life until Rachel's dad got all of the money in a settlement. It was his money, after all, but he had to pay child support.
"Where have you been?" Rachel's mother asked quickly.
"I was with Monica."
"Well, I wish you would call before you go off with your friends after school. You're still a child, Rachel."
"I am not a child," Rachel replied quickly. "I'm fourteen years old, mother. I am a teenager."
"You're barely a teenager. You're not an adult, therefore you are a child. You still live by my rules."
"I wish I lived with dad," Rachel replied angrily before stomping up the stairs. She hated being called a child. Sure, she was young, but she was no longer a child. She was a teenager, and no matter how much she hated the idea, she was going to be a mother in October.
"What's your problem?" Amy asked as she poked her head inside Rachel's bedroom. Rachel was lying on her bed, curled up in a ball. She hated the feeling she had in her stomach. She was already feeling sick, and she knew that it was because she was guilty for getting pregnant so young, and because being pregnant was making her physically sick.
"Go away," Rachel replied. "I don't want to talk to anybody."
"Why not?" Jill asked, walking inside with Amy.
"Just get out of my room!" Rachel screamed.
"Don't be such a bitch, Rachel," Jill replied. She walked out of the room. Amy sat down on Rachel's bed.
"You know I'm here for you, right? We're sisters. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah," Rachel replied quietly. "I just don't want to talk about it right now."
"Is it something really bad?"
"I don't know just yet," Rachel replied.
"Alright. I'll leave you alone for awhile." Amy got up and left the room. Rachel began to sob silently into her pillow. She only wished she could turn back time. She wished that she never would have slept with Joey. Joey! She had to tell Joey. She got up and ran to her phone. She dialed Joey's phone number, hoping not to get his mother. She hated when his mother answered the phone. She always had a million questions to ask.
The phone rang about four times before somebody picked up.
"Hello?" asked a young woman.
"Who's this?" Rachel asked.
"This is Phoebe. Who's this?" she asked.
"I'm Rachel. Is Joey there?"
"Yeah. He's here," Phoebe replied. "Hold on." Rachel heard Joey's voice telling Phoebe to wait outside. He took the phone.
"Hey babe," he said.
"Hey," Rachel said quietly. "Who was that?"
"Oh. That? That was my . . . my cousin Phoebe."
"I didn't know you had a cousin named Phoebe."
"Very distant . . ."
"Oh."
"So what's up?"
"I have some news."
"News?"
"Okay. Don't freak out."
"What's the matter?" Joey asked with a yawn.
"Remember that afternoon about a month ago?"
"How could I forget?" he asked in a suggestive manner.
"Focus!" Rachel replied.
"Sorry."
"I'm pregnant." There was a long pause. "Joey?"
"You're what?"
"I'm pregnant."
"As in . . ."
"As in knocked up . . . having a baby. I'm four weeks pregnant. I'm due in . . . October."
"Oh my God."
"I know. I'm shocked too. I thought you should know that . . . because you're going to be a daddy." There was another long pause. Rachel cleared her throat. "Joey?"
"Look, I've got to go."
"We need to talk about this, though," Rachel urged.
"Yeah. I'll call you later." Joey hung up before Rachel had a moment to protest. She slammed the receiver down and sighed heavily. She put her hand on her stomach and went back to her bed to lie down. Not even ten minutes later, Sandra knocked on Rachel's door.
"Rachel, sweetheart, are you awake?"
"Yes, mother," Rachel muttered.
"Your friend Monica is here with Chloe." The door opened and Rachel sat up.
"I'm not up for visitors right now, mom," Rachel replied.
"Just come downstairs, Rachel. You don't look so good. I'll make you some tea, and you and Monica can have a nice chat." Rachel pulled herself out of bed and followed her mother downstairs.
"Hey Rachel," Monica said when she saw her friend. Sandra left the room and Rachel crossed her arms.
"You're talking to me?" Rachel asked.
"For the moment. Look, I just want to tell you that I'll be there for you and your baby as much as I can. I'm really busy with school, work, and Chloe. My parents and Ross help out when they can, but they have lives too, you know? I just want to let you know that it's not going to be easy. Um, and about Joey . . ."
"I just talked to him on the phone."
"Oh?"
"He told me he'd call me later to talk about it. He had his cousin Phoebe at his house."
"Phoebe? As in Phoebe Buffay?"
"I don't know. I don't know any Phoebes."
"Oh my God," Monica said.
"What?"
"Phoebe is a new girl at the school. She just got here today, and I saw Joey eyeing her all day. I never thought to mention it. Honey, I don't think that Phoebe is Joey's cousin."
"But she was at his house. He said she was a distant cousin."
"I don't think so, Rachel. I'm sorry."
"But he can't be cheating on me! I'm pregnant with his baby."
"This is reality, Rachel. It happens. I know you wanted your life to be some happy fairytale, but it is never going to be that way. Your Prince Charming got you pregnant and cheated on you."
"No! He can't be cheating on me!"
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Monica said. Rachel began to cry.
"I need proof."
"I can't help you there. Honey, I have to take Chloe to the dentist." Monica held her arms out to hug Rachel. "You don't need that jerk anyway."
"But we were going to be so happy . . ."
"I know," Monica whispered. "I have to go, alright? I'll call you later?" Rachel nodded slowly. Monica left with Chloe. Sandra walked into the room and saw her very distraught daughter.
"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Sandra asked. Rachel looked at her mother with teary eyes.
"I'm pregnant," she replied. Before her mother had a chance to react, Rachel was running out the front door toward Joey's house.
A few minutes later, Rachel opened the gate to the front of Joey's parents' house. She saw a car parked in the driveway that had never been there before. It was at that moment that she saw Joey coming out the front door. Rachel was then shocked to see a pretty blonde girl about a year older than her walk out behind him. She saw that they were holding hands. Rachel's heart began to pound and a lump formed in her throat. Her dreams of a family with Joey and her baby shattered right then and there. This was her proof.
Rachel swallowed hard and marched up the sidewalk briskly.
"Cousins, huh? If she's your cousin, Joey, then what the hell are you doing kissing her?"
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked slowly. Joey looked like he had seen a ghost.
"I'm Rachel . . . Joey's pregnant girlfriend!" Rachel exclaimed. Phoebe pulled her hand away from Joey.
"You have a girlfriend?!"
"He told me you were his cousin. Come on. I'm sure you knew."
"I just got here! He said he'd show me the ropes. He never told me he had a girlfriend!" Phoebe exclaimed loudly.
"Well now you know!" Rachel screamed. Phoebe slapped Joey across the face and walked up to Rachel.
"I'm very sorry, Rachel. I didn't know. Don't worry. I won't come around this scumbag anymore." Phoebe walked off and Rachel crossed her arms and stared at Joey.
"Hey baby," Joey said awkwardly.
"Don't even start," Rachel replied. "You have no idea how much I wanted to believe that you weren't cheating on me. All of my friends told me you were bad news. I was hoping you'd prove them wrong. I wanted you to be a good guy. I can't believe I actually gave myself to you. It wasn't worth it! Now I'm pregnant with your kid! What the hell was I thinking?!"
"You knew my reputation, babe. You should have thought about it before you jumped in the sack with me."
"Excuse me?!" Rachel asked. "You're the one that pressured me! You're such a jerk!"
"Well, I heard you were loose, so I just figured . . ."
"You were my first! I am not loose. But I feel cheap now. I feel so cheap, and it is your fault! I blame myself for getting involved with you, but I blame you for being the stupid jerk that you are! I hate you, Joey. I hate you."
"Well, like it or not, I'm that kid's father."
"Like you even care! I'm sure you won't see it. You don't care. You're too busy corrupting young girls like me. Well, I can only feel sorry for them. But you're the one I feel sorry for the most. You know why? Because you're pathetic." Rachel ran off with tears in her eyes. She couldn't go home right now. She figured her mother would kill her. She needed to just let off some steam. She needed a shoulder to cry on.
She slowed her run as she started to get out of breath. That was when she saw the familiar car coming down the dirt road. She flagged Ross down and she stopped by the side of the road. He opened the passenger door without question and Rachel hopped in. He drove off and he looked over to see that Rachel was crying.
"What happened?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Oh I just told Joey that I'm pregnant. And I found him sleeping with some new girl. Phoebe . . . something."
"Phoebe Buffay?" Ross asked.
"Yeah," Rachel replied.
"She's a nice girl . . ." Rachel glared at Ross. "Sorry."
"It's alright. She didn't know that Joey was dating me. He's such a scumbag."
"I'm so sorry, Rachel," he said. He put his hand on her knee for a moment. She glanced at him and he quickly pulled away as if he'd been bitten by a snake. He cleared his throat.
"You need me to take you home?"
"No," Rachel replied with a sob. "I can't go home right now."
"Well . . . I know a place we can go." Ross turned down another road and drove off toward the country. Rachel leaned back in her seat and silent tears slipped down her cheeks, her dreams of a perfect life shattered, her heart broken into pieces.
They soon stopped by the lake and Ross parked alongside the road.
"Where are we?" Rachel asked after she wiped away the remaining tears that still clutched onto her eyelashes.
"This is a place I come to when I need to unwind. I call it Lake Ross," Ross replied with a chuckle. "I'm not really sure what it's called. I never see anybody else around here. It's really relaxing."
"It's beautiful," Rachel replied with a sigh. "You know, I wish I was still a kid. I'm only fourteen and I'm having a baby. I just wish that I could turn back time and never meet Joey."
"I know," Ross replied. "But people make choices and mistakes. It's inevitable."
"I just wish it had been somebody else, you know? I hate feeling like this." Rachel got out of the car and she walked over to the water's edge. Ross got out and walked over to stand beside her.
"Rachel, just don't think about it right now. Okay, I'll tell you what. This always works for me." He stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Close your eyes?" Rachel trembled nervously under his touch. She closed her eyes and listened to Ross' words.
"Okay," she said softly.
"Now, just think about what makes you happiest in the world." Rachel couldn't think of anything. Her whole life was a mess.
"I don't . . . I don't know."
"Rachel, something's got to make you happy."
"Well, talking to you and . . . and to Monica makes me feel better."
"Alright. Just picture . . . picture this moment," Ross said. "Picture it in your mind."
"Okay," Rachel said slowly.
"Listen to every sound. How do you feel now?" Rachel sighed slowly.
"I feel relaxed. I feel better." She opened her eyes and turned around. "Thank you, Ross. You're really a great guy." She hugged him and she held her close for a few moments. He had always wanted to hold her. But now . . . things were different. He did want to hold her, but she wasn't the same Rachel he had always had a crush on. She had so much pain in her life, and if he tried to get involved, he wondered if it would make her life better or worse.
Ross pulled away and cleared his throat nervously.
"I better take you home."
"I can't go home. I can't face my mom right now."
"Want me to take you to your dad's?"
"Yeah," Rachel said with a nod. She always got along well with her father. She smiled at Ross and he put his arm around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his chest. She breathed in the smell of his cologne and closed her eyes slowly. "Ross?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me something . . ."
"Yeah?" Ross asked again.
"Promise me that you'll always be there for me when I need a friend." Ross smiled and pulled away from Rachel. He held her hands in his.
"Rachel, I promise you that I'll always be there for you. If you need me, call me, and I'll be there. I don't care if it's three in the morning. Call me. I'll always come to help."
"Thank you," Rachel said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. The two headed back to Ross' car and he drove off toward her father's house. Rachel looked out the window, thinking about the predicament she was in. Her hand slipped over her belly and she watched out of the corner of her eye as Ross glanced at her. His hand slipped over to rest on top of her free hand, and she smiled, knowing that Ross truly was somebody she could count on.
As soon as Ross pulled up to Dr. Green's large estate which he had won in the divorce settlement, Rachel got out of the car.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Ross asked.
"No. I'm okay," Rachel replied. "I'm daddy's favorite." Ross chuckled a little and pulled around to park while Rachel walked up the white marble steps to the large oak door. She pressed the doorbell and waited for Kitty, the maid, to answer the door. However, she was surprised to find her father answering the door.
"Hello pumpkin."
"Daddy, you fired Kitty?"
"I sent her on a long vacation," Dr. Green replied quickly.
"Did you hear from mom?"
"Yeah. She told me about your, uh, situation."
"Right," Rachel replied. "Daddy, the thing is, I don't want to live with her. I want to live with you."
"Sweetheart, your mother got custody of you girls. There's nothing I can do."
"But daddy, you've got money. Can't you take her back to court?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't do that."
"Mom probably hates me."
"She said you ran out and didn't give her a chance to yell at you. She doesn't hate you, pumpkin. She's worried about you. She called me as soon as you left. She was afraid you'd run off with the circus or something."
"No. I'm not that stupid," Rachel replied.
"Well, you did get pregnant at fourteen. That's not what I call smart."
"Daddy, I know what I did was stupid. I wish I could take it back, because the guy that put me in this position is a total loser. My friends tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. He's not going to be involved, and I'm not sure I want him to be either. But I know what I did was wrong. I just want to get past this and move on."
"How can you move on, Rachel? You're going to be a mother for the rest of your life." That's when it hit her. She suddenly realized that she was going to be somebody's mother forever. She would be mommy. She would be the one the baby ran to when it needed a boo-boo kissed.
"Oh my God," Rachel cried. "Daddy, I can't do this."
"Rachel, you're a week shy of your fifteenth birthday. You're going to have a baby before you learn how to drive a car."
"Can't we look at the big picture, daddy?! I'm going to have a child in school before I graduate college! I'm too young for this!"
"Well, we can get rid of it."
"What?" Rachel asked slowly.
"You don't have to have it."
"No!" Rachel exclaimed. "You want me to kill my baby?!"
"I'm not saying I want you to do that. I'm just letting you know that you have an option."
"I won't do that!"
"Well, you can give the baby up for adoption."
"I don't know what to do, daddy. I just know that it's not going to be easy on mom either. I know that she works and she's not going to have an easy time while I'm at school."
"At least you're thinking about staying in school. Rachel, this baby's going to change your life forever. I hope you're ready, because you're in for a big wake up call." At that moment, the phone rang and Dr. Green answered it. "Hello?" Rachel watched her father and he looked at her. "It's for you."
"Who is it?" Rachel asked.
"It's Joey."