Life as we know it Chapter 4, a tribe fanfic

Chapter Four

By lunchtime Trudy was completely exhausted. She'd tried her best to ignore the rude stares and smile at the intruding questions. She put on a brave face when her teachers paused at her name on the attendance sheet and glanced at her over the paper. Because it was a small school teen pregnancy was pretty rare and she attracted much attention and ridicule. Though she wasn't surprised at the overall reaction, she couldn't help but want to burst into tears. The sight of Bray's smiling face in the cafeteria was enough to wash all of that away. Like promised he met she and Salene and walked her to their usual table.

"I'll get your lunch." He offered as he took her money and followed Salene up to the lunch line.

The cafeteria was filling up with hungry students but that didn't stop him from spotting the pretty blond with the mesmerizing blue eyes. Bray did a double take as she smiled at the dark skinned boy with her. His heart practically stopped at the appearance of a small dimple in her cheek. Her wavy hair was pulled into a simple ponytail and she sported jeans and a plain white tee shirt. Only her black combat boots showed any sense of style. She was beautiful without trying. Still staring at her he knocked into someone and turned to meet cold eyes.

"Watch it!" Lex growled.

"Lex," Bray spoke with a sneer.

It was no secret that the two boys hated each other. They both seemed to represent the extreme opposites of the school. Bray was the school superstar, the basketball team M.V.P. and a shoo in for Prom King. Lex was the hero of the underlings. Those who opposed popularity, lived to be alternative and loved to break the rules.

"Watch where you're steppin' Wonder Boy,"

Bray watched him go with a frown. If he wasn't so intent on being the bigger man, he would lay that kid out. Just to get it out of his system. Instead he swallowed his repressed rage and caught up with Salene.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack! Over here!" Dal waved as the red headed boy slipped through the crowd to the seat his friends saved for him.

"It's a madhouse in here." Jack pushed up his glasses and sat down.

Amber nodded. "I was worried we wouldn't be able to sit together."

Dal looked around as he unpacked his lunch. "I wonder if it's like this everyday."

"I'm not sure." Amber reached into her own brown bag. "Sol said most kids get lunch off campus."

"Not today apparently." Jack reached into his book bag and pulled out his packed lunch.

The three friends stopped in mid motion as they each noticed that they all had the same idea for lunch. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Great minds think alike." Jack smiled.

"I'm sure the food here isn't as vile as it was in Middle School."

"I don't know Amber." Dal took a bite of his sandwich. "I think vile and school lunch go together. It's in the constitution."

Amber didn't answer and Dal turned to follow her gaze. It rested on the crowded table across the room. He wasn't positive but he was sure she was gazing at the golden boy of the group. He was good looking no doubt and charismatic enough. Dal wasn't sure why but he didn't like the way Amber was looking at him. He allowed his own eyes to gander upon the raven haired beauty next to the golden boy before looking back at Amber.

"Amber,"

Jack looked at her curiously. "Earth to Amber." He waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped.

"What?" She looked at them both innocently.

Dal shook his head. "Nothing."

Lex waited outside the cafeteria doors, his arms folded. He was tired of this thing with Zandra and planned on settling it now. She didn't see him as she flounced out into the hall still laughing over something she'd heard. With a flourish he grabbed her arm and spun her around until her back was against the wall.

"Lex!" She cried both impressed and annoyed.

"What have we got here?" He smirked.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

Zandra avoided looking into his eyes. "There's nothing to talk about. Let go of my arm." Her tone was venomous.

Surprisingly Lex complied and his eyes softened. "I've been thinking of you."

"Really? I haven't given you a second thought." She knew she was lying for she'd gotten over her anger weeks ago. She secretly enjoyed driving him crazy like this.

"Come on Zan," He reached up and stroked her cheek. She turned her head. "What's the matter with you?"

Zandra pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me."

"For the last time Zan, I'm sorry about Glenn. It couldn't be helped." There was a pause as she refused to look at him. Lex growled. "You had a thing about the guy, is that it?"

"No." She said in mock horror at the idea.

"Then stop this. Someone had to go down and if he were in my shoes he woulda done the same thing."

Zandra sighed and finally met his eyes. He had such beautiful eyes set in a handsome face. If only he wasn't always such a forceful jerk. He let his bad side completely obliterate what was good about him. She couldn't help the way she felt about him. She knew he was the one the moment she laid eyes on him. It was at a Basketball game last year. She was there with friends and spied him snogging with some slag under the bleachers. He looked up from his current lady of interest and seeing Zandra he winked at her. Maybe she was young and naive but she found his bad boy image to be irresistible.

"Now," He said softly. "Are you gonna give up this game and forgive me or what?"

Zandra paused before nodding. "Okay. I forgive you."

Lex smirked and leaned in to kiss her but she deftly dodged him and started down the hall. Turning to him she smiled.

"I said I forgive you about Glenn. You'll have to try harder for a kiss."

By the time the last bell rang Trudy was dead on her feet. What had started as indigestion after lunch had blown up into severe cramping. She steadied herself against a locker as she made her way through the hall. Kids raced past her and she was fine with letting them go ahead of her. Though walking helped the cramping, all she wanted to do was lie down with a hot water bottle to ease the discomfort. She absently thought about whether the indigestion had started before lunch and vaguely remembered feeling uncomfortable the night before. She finally made it outside where she saw Bray and Salene chatting with friends. She joined them and tried to ignore the fact that her presence had squelched the conversation. Bray placed a comforting arm around her shoulder and smiled at their friends.

"Talk to you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Bray, Salene... Trudy."

She nodded at them as Salene studied her face with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Trudy smiled her best for her friend. "I'm fine. Long day."

Satisfied with that answer, Salene turned to Bray. "I have to pick up the little ones from the Middle school. You guys wanna walk me?"

"Sure," Bray nodded.

Though she was tired, Trudy nodded and they set off. The two schools sat next to each other with only a bit of brush between them. It was a short stroll but too long for someone carrying an extra twenty something pounds from her abdomen. Trudy tried to keep her fatigue unnoticeable and not lag behind. Bray and Salene seemed engaged in some conversation or other but Trudy didn't hear a word of it. She simply told herself that it was just a few steps to the flagpole. And when they reached the flagpole it was a few more steps to the memorial statue. Finally at the statue, she leaned against it and tried to bear down on the cramp ripping through her lower back. Bray finally seemed to take noticed of Trudy's discomfort and placed an arm on her shoulder.

"Salene, we'll wait here while you run and fetch the kids." When she was out of earshot he turned back to Trudy, leaning in close. "Trude? Are you okay?"

She tried to nod but he could see the pained expression on her face.

"Trudy what is it? Is it the baby?"

"I'm tired." She said quietly. "I just want to lie down is all."

Bray nodded and rubbed her back gently now feeling guilty for momentarily forgetting his responsibility to her. It took Salene less than ten minutes to round up her charges but it seemed like an eternity to the couple at the statue. Trudy could feel the eyes of the younger kids staring at her stomach but she didn't care. She just wanted out of there. For some reason her cramps were getting worse by the minute. She should have listened to her mom and stayed home until the baby was born.

"Back." Salene came running over followed by three young kids. She pointed to each of them. "Patsy, Paul and Cloe."

Bray smiled at them. "These ones are new. When did they move in?"

"Beginning of July. Bonnie and her brother Jess went back to their mother." Salene's parents started taking in foster kids as soon as her three older siblings moved out. They couldn't stand the empty nest syndrome and loved the feeling of a full house. "They're all in the fifth grade."

"Nice to meet you." Bray smiled again.

Patsy made a face at Trudy's stomach. "I know what that is. That's a baby." She signed to her brother.

Bray gave Salene a look. "Is he deaf?"

"Yes, but he has a hearing aid and he can lipread."

"He prefers to sign." Patsy popped in not missing what they said.

Quietly Cloe slipped away something catching her eye. No one noticed. Bray gave Trudy, who hadn't said a word, a worried look.

"I think we better go Salene. I have to get her home."

Salene followed his gaze and nodded. "Of course. Poor dear." She caressed Trudy's arm. "Today must have taken a lot out of you. Get her home and in bed."

Trudy was relieved to be finally going and leaned on Bray as he helped her up. She turned to say goodbye to the others when she was stopped dead by a terrible pain ripping through her pelvis. She cried out and nearly fell into Bray's arms. The crowd of students milling around stopped and stared.

"Trudy!" Salene rushed to her friend.

"Bray it's coming!" She looked terrified. "The baby's coming!"

"Are you sure?" Bray asked. "You think it might be a false alarm?"

Trudy suddenly went silent and trembled as she looked at him. "My water's just broken."