Chapter 29: Odd Behaviors

"OK… seriously, I don't believe you. It's not stomach flu because that's been hurting for a while now." Randy said to Nikki, who was lying in her bed with her eyes closed.

Nikki pressed her lips. "Shouldn't you be with Stacy right now? You spend way too much time avoiding her."

Randy scoffed. "I do not!"

"You do too." Nikki said.

"I do!" Randy argued.

Nikki looked flatly at him.

"Whoops." Randy confessed. He looked around the room. "Have you noticed Stacy hasn't gained any pounds lately? More like she lost some for some reason."

"She shouldn't be losing some. Maybe her weight's been getting out of control for her pregnancy, I don't know." Nikki said.

"If I didn't know any better, it would seem like you're defending her." Randy said.

"Defending her for what?" Nikki asked.

"She thinks I'm cheating on her." Randy said.

Nikki laughed. "How could you two be cheating when in the first place she doesn't act like you two are together anymore. But I see this as partly your fault because you spend your time avoiding her."

Randy slouched in the chair.

"So… you're guilty of that aren't you? Why don't you just help her out?" Nikki asked.

"I've tried, but she doesn't want me to." Randy said.

"Sure… we all know you tried." Nikki said sarcastically. She got up and put on a track jacket. "I know it would make you happy if I made an appointment with my doctor about this… thing, and yeah. I did. See you later." Nikki walked out of the room but stopped midway to look at Randy. "Ok… You need to go. Leave."

Randy got up and sped out the room. Nikki laughed and left.

Stacy looked around and headed for the bathroom, before she closed the door someone stopped the door from closing.

"Hey." Randy said.

Stacy looked up at him. "What do you want?"

Randy sighed. "If I hurt you, I'm sorry."

Stacy didn't answer. She crossed her arms waiting for more.

"But literally for the past few months you and I weren't really together." Randy said.

"But you could've helped me with this baby." Stacy said.

"I asked." Randy said.

"No you didn't." Stacy snapped.

Randy sighed. "How can I help you with the baby now?"

"You can't." Stacy muttered.

"Huh? I didn't quite get that last sentence." Randy said.

"Nothing. I don't really need your help." Stacy covered.

"OK…" Randy grabbed her arms. "I love you."

Stacy began to shed a few tears. "If I did something wrong, would you love me anyway?"

Randy nodded. "I'd cross the seven seas to show you how much I love you."

Stacy reached to wipe her tears. But Randy had already wiped away her tears.

"Is there something wrong?" Randy asked.

"No." Stacy assured. "I'm fine. I just need to use the restroom."

Randy let go. "Go ahead."

Stacy faked a smile and shut the door.

Randy shrugged and went to the dance room. He went in, not realizing that Nikki had already arrived home.

"Nikki, I didn't know you were home." Randy said surprisingly.

Nikki didn't reply. But Randy knew something was wrong. He tried to play it cool though.

"So… how'd the doctor's appointment go?" Randy sat down on the floor next to her.

Nikki sniffled and wiped her tears. "It went well."

"Then why are you crying?" Randy asked.

"I just need to cry to let all of my feelings out once in a while, you know that." Nikki answered.

"Oh." Randy whispered. He looked in the mirror and he saw the look on Nikki's face. She wasn't sick, but she didn't look the same as she did before. He knew something was missing from her, and that something was wrong. "You need some time alone?"

Nikki nodded. "Thanks."

Randy got up and walked out of the room. He closed the door and stood outside. With John and Trish out for the holiday tour, and they wouldn't be back for the next 2 days, there was no one he could talk to about the sisters. Because in his mind, he knew something was wrong with the sisters, or between them.

Stacy had gotten out of the bathroom and into a storage closet. Randy met up with her in the hallway, and she was searching for something.

"You need something?" Randy asked.

"I need a pad." Stacy asked through the mounds of towels and such.

"What pad?" Randy asked.

"For when a woman rides the crimson wave." Stacy answered.

"But you're… pregnant. Doesn't your period stop when you're pregnant?" Randy asked suspiciously.

Stacy paused. "Umm… just making sure that… Trish! … Has some more when she gets back."

Randy eyed Stacy from head to toe. "Oh. Maybe Nikki has some."

Nikki had walked up behind Randy. "Has what?"

"Pads." Randy repeated.

"I don't use pads." Nikki said.

"You use tampons every time?" Randy asked.

"I don't use tampons or pads, what are tampons anyway?" Nikki asked.

Randy was about to speak when she saw Stacy running her hand through her throat. He was telling him to shut up.

Randy looked at Stacy. "… Never mind."

Nikki shrugged and walked past them.

Stacy closed the closet door. "Don't ever mention anything that has to do with the menstrual cycle to Nikki."

"Why does it matter?" Randy asked.

"Just because. Mom forbids anyone to talk to her about it. Or anything relating to it. She wouldn't tell us why, Nikki doesn't know this stuff. I don't know. Just, be careful on hat you're going to say about that next time OK?" Stacy strictly said.

Randy nodded. Stacy gave him a peck on the lips and walked away.

3 Days Later…

"So… how'd it feel being at home for a week alone with the sisters?" Trish asked.

"Torture huh?" John asked.

Randy didn't know what to say. They've been acting weird the whole time. "It was OK."

"Nothing happened?" John asked surprisingly.

Randy shook his head. "No. Went well actually."

"Hmm." Trish said. She sat down on the couch and joined John, who was watching a movie.

Stacy joined them in the living room as well. She sat down next to Randy and leaned on him. Then she started crying.

"Are you OK?" Randy asked.

Stacy looked up and nodded. "I'm OK. I just missed you."

Randy couldn't find an answer. "But… I never left."

Stacy looked up. "Don't start with that again! You're cheating I know it!" Stacy got up and ran out.

Trish just stared. "Ok… that was really random."

"You said it." John said.

"She's been like that the whole week." Randy said.

"Mmm." John paused between his bites from a fruit chew. "Mood swings from pregnancy. My sister-in-law got them a lot when she was pregnant."

Nikki had then joined them in the room. She sat on the big armchair, in a fetal position. She grabbed a pillow and squeezed it between her knees and chest. She stuffed herself in the pillow and started humming.

Trish looked at Randy. Randy just shrugged. John was too busy with hi good tasting fruit chew to even care. Trish got up and pulled Randy out to the side.

"What did you do to the two of them?" Trish asked demandingly.

"I don't know! They've been acting like that for the past week!" Randy whispered loudly.

"Then why didn't you call?" Trish asked.

"Because they said they were OK." Randy said.

"Did you sense something was wrong? Be honest." Trish stared at him angrily.

"Yes." Randy whispered in a guilty way.

Trish let her hard hold go. "Then maybe there is something wrong."

"You think it concerns the both of them?" Randy asked.

"I don't know. But it seems like the problem here is affecting them… emotionally." Trish said.

"But Stacy's pregnant." Randy said.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean we should leave her out." Trish said.

They turned to look at Nikki. She was still in the same position she was 5 minutes ago. But now it seemed like she was crying.

John rushed over. "Nikki looks retarded. Did you poison her?" John looked at Randy uspiciously frmo head to toe.

"No!" Randy denied. "I swear on my father's graveI did not do anything to the two of them. They've just been acting.. weird."

Suddenly there seemed to be a puking sound. Trish, John and Randy turned to look, and there all over the floor, was blood. And sitting right beside was Nikki. Her mouth was all bloddy and red, face looking flushed, and her eyes puffy. She puked once again, and blood came out. She started to wail.

Never in once since John and Trish met her has she cried like this.