It was Friday evening, and Junior and Cameron just finished their shift. They were walking to their car. Junior didn't talk much all week, Cameron could tell he was sick about Sky and Rodney's new relationship. Cameron told Rodney that Junior probably already knew that he (Rodney) and Sky are together. But Rodney still instructed Cameron to tell Junior that Rodney and Sky are boyfriend and girlfriend, as if he didn't know. Rodney wanted to rub salt into the wound. Cameron knew it would hurt Junior, but he listened.
"Junior, you have to stop beating yourself up" Cameron advises Junior as they head towards their cars. Junior didn't respond to Cameron.
"Come out with me tonight, and we won't go to the Campus Tavern that all of your sister's friends hang out at" Cameron suggested guilty that he made Junior feel worse today.
"Cam, I'm not in the mood to party. I just want to go home, and binge watch hours of meaningless television" Junior said as he walked closer to his car.
"Please, come out with me. If you go home, You'll spend the night sulking, thinking about the situation, and Sky on loop. But if you come out with me It'll be fun, and it'll take your mind off of her" Cameron says
"Fine, I'll only go with you, if you're buying" Junior said
"Done! Meet you at The Lounge in 2 hours" Cameron said with a smile.
Sky was sitting on the couch of her counselor, Ms. Parker, office. Since bed rest Sky had been seeing one of Cal U's counselors, Sky's track coach advised her to do so, especially after her traumatic incident. Aaron also advised Sky to go see a counselor, he told her that his Black Minds Matter event helped in hiring more diverse counselors for students.
Sky was hesitant to talk about her emotions to her counselor, but once she started it was like she was an open book. They had discussed Sky's feelings towards Jazz, their relationship as sisters, and how this pregnancy has affected them. Ms. Parker has helped Sky open up and say how she feels out loud.
"Ms. Parker, I hate being pregnant, and I know I shouldn't say that, but it's how I feel" Sky admits
"Many women hate their pregnancy, Sky, you are not alone in the way you feel" Ms. Parker assures Sky.
"But Sky, we've already established that fact" Ms. Parker laughed. "You associate being pregnant as the thing keeping you from pursuing your dream, of being an Olympic track star. Therefore, blocking you from bonding with your baby" Ms. Parker concluded
"Damn Doc, you're good. So do you have anything that could help with that" Sky asked
"You could try talking to your baby, because it can hear you. Maybe you can connect with it by rubbing your belly, responding to your baby's kicks, and/or play music to you baby" Ms. Parker suggests, Sky nodded. "Last time we were here, you talked about, and in your words not mine, your "mess of a love life". How's that going?" Ms. Parker asked
"Oh it's still messy. Rodney asked me to be his girlfriend-" Sky started
"Again?" Ms. Parker questioned seeing that it was a little soon after Sky had rejected his previous proposal
"Yeah, but this time I accepted. After he asked me, we shared our first kiss... from hell. It was so bad, and at first I thought it was because we weren't in sync, but I've come to the conclusion that it's just him" Sky winces at the memory of their kisses. "But then like an hour after he asked me out I kissed my baby daddy, but it was a goodbye kiss, because I had told him about my new relationship status" Sky informed her counselor.
"So let me get this straight. You accepted to be Rodney's girlfriend, just to make out with your baby's father right after?" The counselor reaffirmed, and Sky nodded her head. "You were right, it is messy"
"Yeah, to make matters worse. The kiss with Junior was so good. It made me feel like how I'm supposed to feel when I kiss Rodney" Sky tells Ms. Parker.
"Why do you think you feel this way?" Ms. Parker asked
"I don't know. I'm confused, but I'm not sure if I felt this way about the kiss, because my kiss with Rodney was so bad" Sky shrugged
"Do you have feelings for Junior?" Ms. Parker asked
"I don't," Sky said instinctively.
"Why do you always deny the fact that there is a chance you may have feelings for Junior?"
"Because I know what our relationship is, er was." Sky corrected herself. "It was a friends with benefits relationship, and I've seen the movies. Someone always catches feelings, but in real life the person who catches the feelings is the one who gets hurt" Sky explained
"Gets hurt from what?"
"The other person is not feeling the same. If I allow myself to have feelings for Junior I'm only going to get hurt because I know he doesn't have feelings for me"
"And how do you know that?"
"I know that, because as soon as we couldn't have sex anymore, Junior stopped visiting me. I thought we were more than just friends who hook up. I thought he was someone I could tell anything to, but it turned out he was only tuned in because we were having sex" Sky admits,
"But didn't Junior tell you he wasn't avoiding you for that reason?" The counselor said
"I can tell he's lying. Recently, every time he lies he brings up an imaginary apartment" Sky informs her counselor
"What if Junior does have feelings for you? What then?"
"I don't know. We'd have to have a serious conversation. Because if he does have feelings for me, he sure has a funny way of showing it" Sky said
"Alright so let's flip it, What are your feelings towards Rodney?" Ms. Parker asked
"I love that he's always there for me, he knows how to make light in a dark situation, and he's super fun to hang out with. I really like him" Sky explained
"Yet, you don't feel the butterflies?" Ms. Parker pointed out, and Sky sat there really thinking.
"No, I do not. But at least I know he has feelings for me. There's a saying that the guy has to like you more than you like him" Sky said
"Yeah, but you have to at least like him for that to apply" Sky rolled her eyes.
"I like Rodney, it's just that the sexual chemistry isn't there" Sky shrugged
"Is sex an important part of a relationship to you?" Ms. Parker asked.
"Yes, it is. But at the same time, it's not like I can be having sex anytime soon, so I'm going to have to enjoy the relationship without sex anyway" Sky deflected.
"Aside from the sexual chemistry do you feel the butterflies, even when you're just hanging out? Something you say you really like about Rodney" She asked, and Sky sat there really trying to recall, and think. "I'll let you sit with that one" Ms. Parker shook her head. "Moving on. How are things with your dad?"
"Nowhere. He still won't talk to me, or even acknowledge that I'm his daughter. Like I get it, I disgraced and embarrassed you. But I'm still your child I would think you'd love me unconditionally"
"How does that make you feel?"
"I'm not going to lie, it hurts like a bitch. My father, someone who I used to be so close to, can't even look at me. Even when I landed in the hospital-" Sky choked up, a couple of tears slipped. "-he wouldn't even say a word to me. Like why was he even there if he wasn't going to speak to me? It's hurtful, I didn't think there was anything I could do to make my father stop loving me" Sky sniffled
"Have you tried reaching out to your father? Or try having a conversation just the two of you?" Ms. Parker suggested
"I've tried calling him, texting him, and even just talking to him when he's there. It's like talking to a bare wall" Sky blew her nose in a kleenex.
"I say you should call him out on it, and let him know that what he's doing is hurting you. Even if he doesn't respond to what you've told him, at least he'll know" Ms. Parker advised and Sky nodded agreeing with her advice.
Cameron and Junior were at the bar, and just like Junior predicted it was a waste of time. Junior didn't want to be there, but Cameron was so wasted Junior didn't want to leave him there alone. Cameron said it would take Junior's mind off the situation, but it didn't. Because instead of thinking about Sky in his bed, he's thinking about Sky in this bar. Junior was very annoyed to be here.
Cameron had taken 7 shots, back to back, no breaks. Cameron was so drunk he could barely stand up. Junior was confused as to why he got so drunk and wondered if Cameron brought him here so he won't be drinking alone.
Cameron became friends with a girl from a bachelorette party. He was dancing with the whole party, Junior saw that Cameron could barely hold his own, but the whole scene was too funny. Cameron saw Junior watching. "Girls, that's my boy, Junior. He is single, and a hopeless romantic" Cameron slurred to the bachelorette party. Embarrassed, Junior went outside for fresh air. He sat down at a bench, loving the cool breeze on his skin. A girl walks out of the bar and sits next to Junior on the bench. Junior notices her, gives her a brief smile, and looks off overthinking about how he waited to tell Sky he has feelings for her.
"What'd she do?" The girl asked, seeing Junior's distracted state. Junior was startled by her voice. "Or he" She joked, and Junior smiled. "I'm only asking because in there (the bar) you looked out of it, and then you come out here and you look completely lost in your thoughts," She says
"It wasn't her, it was me" Junior replied honestly
"Oh, what'd you do?" She corrected
"I didn't tell her how I felt," Junior said briefly
"The case of the one that got away" The girl jokes and Junior chuckled nodding his head.
"Why are you out here?" Junior asked
"I'm here for my best friend's bachelorette party, but I'm not really in the mood to party. So I called an Uber" The girl started and Junior tuned in by turning his body towards her. "Last weekend, I caught my boyfriend in bed with his co-worker" Junior's eyes widened, and the girl nodded, seeing the sympathy in his eyes.
"So why are you here tonight?" Junior asked
"I could ask you the same question" She smirked
"Well, I asked first" Junior laughed
"It's my best friend's wedding week. I didn't want to burden her with my relationship problems, so instead of telling her what happened I came out tonight" The girl sighed, Junior nodded. "You?"
"I came because my work friend invited me out. But he only invited me out because he feels sorry for me" Junior said
"Why do you think he feels sorry for you?" the girl asked
"I got one of my closest friends pregnant, and then I fell for her. Then, I didn't have the balls to tell her, and now she has a boyfriend" Junior admits to the stranger.
"Wow. So I guess we were both in no mood to party" The girl said and Junior laughed.
"Yeah, but I've got bigger problems. You see, I've spun myself in a web of lies" Junior speaks and the girl looked up at Junior confused as to what he means. "I lied and told the girl I like that I bought an apartment and I'm throwing a housewarming party in a couple weeks, when in reality I still live with my parents. All because I couldn't tell her the truth about my feelings" Junior tells the stranger, and she laughs at his predicament
"I'm also a liar. I told my friends that I'm showing up to the wedding with a date that isn't my boyfriend because my boyfriend can't make it because he has work" The girl admits to Junior.
"So I see we both have lying in common" Junior jokes
"Yeah, but lucky for you. I can find you a decently priced apartment in a week, just in time for the housewarming party you planned without a house" The girl laughed
"Seriously!?" Junior asked surprised
"Mhm hmm. I'm a real estate agent, and I can definitely help you out" She said seriously.
"Thank you so much...uhh" Junior trailed off giving the girl time to fill in her name.
"Chanelle" She filled in
"Thank you so much, Chanelle. I'm Junior" Junior introduces
"It's no problem" Chanelle smiles
"It's your lucky day, too" Junior starts
"And how's that?" Chanelle asked pretending she didn't know what was going to come out of Junior's mouth.
"If you need a date to the wedding, I can be your date" Junior suggests, and Chanelle laughs.
"I'd love to have you as my date" She smiles.
A car pulled up, Junior assumes it was the girl's Uber. "This is my ride" The girl told Junior.
"Before you go, I need to have a way to contact my new date" Junior smirked. Chanelle grabbed a pen from her purse, and wrote her number down on his hand.
Junior smiled at that, and Chanelle smiled back. Leaving Junior on the bench and hoping in her Uber.
Cameron stumbles out of the bar, and sees Junior.
"There you are, why'd you disappear?" Cameron asked
"I needed some air" Junior said
"Well, guess what? I got us invited to the reception of the wedding" Cameron slurred excited, and Junior shook his head at his intoxicated friend.
Junior went with Sky to her doctor's appointment, this afternoon. Junior feared that things would be hard for him. But once he got to the doctors office and was in the room with Sky, he acted like he hadn't been hurting all week. Junior was relaxed, and didn't act weird, like he had been ever since he realized his feelings for Sky. Junior was elated he could finally ignore his feelings, and just be Sky's friend. Maybe it's because he saw that he didn't have a chance with her.
"The baby still hasn't kicked yet" Sky expressed to Junior with a hint of worry in her voice.
Sky was on the exam table, Junior was standing next to Sky.
"Maybe because it hasn't heard it's daddy's voice in a while" Junior said rubbing her belly trying to feel if the baby would kick, and if it heard Junior's voice. Junior put his lips to her stomach and spoke to the baby. Saying "Hey baby, it's daddy. I know it's been a while, but I've been working. Working on getting a place for the two of us. But I'm going to make time to come see your mother and you more often. Promise" Junior spoke into Sky's belly.
The vibration of Junior's voice, and his touch, lingered. Sky had thought a lot about what she and her counselor discussed about her feelings for Junior. Sky was actively trying not to feel anything to Junior, but when Junior's hands were touching her belly, she felt butterflies. She couldn't help how her body responded to Junior's touch. Sky refuses to admit that her sexual feelings towards Junior are not only sexual, but romantic. She wanted to grab Junior and have her way with him, but those thoughts quickly left her mind when the doctor walked through the door. The doctor immediately started Sky's ultrasound.
"Everything looks great! Your baby's organs, bones, and brain are developing as expected" Dr. Jackson informed Sky and Junior, and they smiled at the ultrasound. "Would you guys like to know the sex of your baby?" Dr. Jackson asked noticing that the sex of the baby was obvious to her.
Sky and Junior looked up at each other, and shrugged. "I'm down, for whatever you decide" Junior tells Sky.
Sky looked over to the doctor and said "Yeah, I want to know the sex" Sky nodded telling the doctor to proceed, as the doctor started Sky grabbed Junior's hand.
"See here on the screen" The doctor pointed to the baby's private part on the ultrasound "Your baby is a girl" Dr. Jackson smiled.
"Oh my gosh" Sky smiled and looked up at Junior who was also smiling.
"This is so great! My grandma Ruby, knew it was going to be a girl" Junior exclaimed
"You're all set. I'm printing two ultrasound photos for you two. Do you have any questions?" Dr. Jackson asked
"Yeah, I haven't felt any kicks from my baby yet, should I be worried?" Sky asked
"You're 20 weeks now, you should feel a kick from your baby any day now. Your baby looks fine, and she was moving during the ultrasound. It's completely normal if you haven't felt a kick yet, but you will soon" Dr. Jackson reassured Sky, and she handed Sky a paper towel to wipe the gel off her stomach.
Sky and Junior were walking from the car to the track field. It was the first track meet of the season, and Sky and Junior were late. They were elated from their doctor's appointment, and they couldn't wait to tell everyone about it after the meet.
"The house took bets on what the sex of the baby would be" Sky told Junior on their way to the bleachers. "What'd you think the baby was going to be?" Sky asked
"I thought it was going to be a boy, I'm not gonna lie. But I'm happy it's a girl" Sky nodded agreeing, Junior was unconsciously walking a little fast, he is 6'1 and he takes longer strides than Sky, who is 5'2, and Sky tried to keep up, but she had to slow down to catch her breath.
"Sky, my bad. I keep forgetting, you still have to take it easy" Junior said rubbing Sky's back, as she caught her breath. Sky was so annoyed that she can't even walk at the same pace as Junior. "No, it's okay. I even forgot that I have to pace myself" Sky said.
Sky and Junior made it to where everyone was seated. The whole gang was there, even Doug.
Doug told Jazz he's willing to wait for her, so there he was in the stands cheering her on, even though they're on a break. Sky thought it was sweet. Also near Doug, was Sky's dad. He never misses the first track meet of the season. There was an open seat next to her dad, Sky initially wanted to sit furthest away from her father, but then she remembered what Ms. Parker advised her to do. So she sat down right next to her father, and Junior sat down beside Sky.
"Hey dad" Sky greeted, and Sky's dad nodded at her, at least acknowledging her presence, but not saying a word. Sky continued to talk to him. "Dad, this is Junior. He's Zoey's brother, and a really close friend of mine" Sky backed out of ambushing her father with her baby daddy at the track meet. Junior reaches out his hand and says "Nice, to meet you sir" Left hanging. Junior's hand was ignored. Sky's dad didn't say anything to that, and just stayed focused on the meet. Junior pulled his hand back and Sky looked down on her lap disappointed.
"So where's your boy?" Junior asked changing the subject and trying the lighten the mood, for Sky at least
"Oh he went home for the weekend" Sky told Junior, and Junior nodded. The both focused their attention back to the meet, where Jazz was competing in the 400m. Once the race started Sky was staring at Jazz watching her go, and Jazz was leading the pack. She jetted ahead of all of the girls in that race. It was looking good for Jazz, until a couple of the girls behind her started picking up speed, and passing her. The race finished and Jazz placed 4th. Even though Jazz was getting better at practice, she still wasn't where she was last season. Sky's dad grew frustrated, stood up, and left the stands. Sky unsure where her father was going, she followed him. Turns out he was just looking for a place with shade, so he can cool off, and let off some steam. Sky followed him, and cornered him. Not allowing him to leave.
"Look dad, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. Even if you don't say anything back to me. At least you know how I feel" Sky said with courage.
"Dad, I know you're mad at me, but ignoring the fact that I exist is not going to change the fact that I'm pregnant. It hurts me every time I reach out to you, and you don't respond to me. I'd rather have you yell and scream at me, than this silent treatment. Because at least when you're yelling and screaming I know you still love, and care about me. When you ignore me it makes me feel like you hate me" Sky pours out to her father. "I know you hate the situation, I've put myself in, but no one hates it more than I do. And no one is more disappointed than me, I've been seeing a counselor, and she's been helping me work through my emotions. I just wanted to let you know that what you're doing hurts me greatly" Sky finished bravely, staring at her dad who wasn't looking at her. They stood there in silence, and for a second longer Sky was about to give up and leave, when her father spoke up.
"All these years of training, and making sure your image was perfect, innocent, all-American girls, so no one has any reason to doubt your athletic ability. Just for you to throw it all away by getting pregnant. It's like you forgot everything I taught you, because I'm not with you everyday. And it's not just you. Your sister has been performing terribly today, because she was obviously distracted with something that isn't track. Tell me? Why did you two lose focus of what's important? I worked so much to help you reach your dreams of being Olympic track stars, just for you to drop the ball the year of the Olympic trials. Do you know how infuriating that is?" Sky's father exclaimed.
"I get that it might be frustrating, but you have to accept that we are going to make our own choices, and do our own thing. Just know that everything you've taught us is still instilled in us, but you have to allow us to make our own mistakes, and grow from them. It's not about you" Sky told her father, and for the first time in months her father looked at her, and really looked at all of her. He noticed her obvious bump.
"Sky, I'm sorry for making you feel like I hate you. I could never hate you, I love you so much. I just want to give you the world, but I see now that if you want the world, you have to go get it. You and Jazz are adults and more than capable of making your own decisions, and I shouldn't have let my pride get in the way of being your father" Sky's dad apologized, and Sky smiled. Sky was about to respond, when something didn't feel right. Sky quickly got worried, and it showed on her face.
"What's wrong?" Sky's dad asked noticing Sky's face change
"I don't think something's right with the baby. I knew something would go wrong, earlier in the parking lot I walked a little too fast" Sky shook her head worried.
"Let me see" Sky's father placed his hand on her belly, to feel if he could tell what was wrong. When he did, he quickly figured it out.
"Dad, why are you smiling, what's wrong?" Sky asked
"There ain't nothing wrong with your baby. Your baby is kicking that's all" Sky's dad reassured her, and the biggest smile stretched across Sky's face.
"Really? That's what that feels like? I've been waiting for her to do that" Sky smiled, as she placed her hand where her dad's was to feel the kick.
"Her?" Sky's dad questioned. "You're having a girl?" He asked with a smile
"Yeah, I just found out," Sky answered. Then she heard Junior call out her name, faintly. Then she saw him come down, and call her name. And she waived over at him. "I'm right here" Junior jogged over to Sky and her father.
"When you didn't come back, I got worried. So I came to check on you" Junior told Sky.
"Thanks," Sky nodded, and then she looked over to her dad. "Dad, this is Junior-" Sky knows she already introduced him. Instinctively Junior sent out his hand again for Sky's dad to shake it, and he did. "-the father of my baby" Sky dropped on her father mid handshake.
"Hi, sir. Nice to meet you" Junior said nervously, Junior let go of his hand, but Mr. Forster didn't let go of Junior's hand. He had a gorilla grip on his hand, and started squeezing it too.
"So you're the boyfriend?" Mr. Forster asked.
"No, I'm not her boyfriend. I'm just the one who got her pregnant" Junior said and winced when the grip on his hand got tighter, and Mr. Forster glared at him. Sky gave her dad a nervous smile.
"But we're really close friends," Junior said. Mr. Forster let go of his hand, and looked over at Sky, who just shrugged her shoulders. Mr. Forster chuckled and walked away from the two of them going back to his seat.
"You could've at least warned me you were going to tell your dad, I'm the baby daddy" Junior said to Sky once Mr. Forster was out of their sight.
"I didn't know I was gonna do it, until it happened. My bad" Sky chuckled, and Junior made a face a Sky. "Oh hey, you want to feel something cool?" Sky grabbed Junior's hand and placed it on her stomach. Especially where the baby was kicking. It took a minute for the baby to kick again, but she eventually did and Junior's face lit up.
"That was fast, I didn't think she'd start kicking today" Junior said surprised
"Same. I was arguing with my dad, and then boom. She starts kicking" Sky explained. Junior's hand stayed on Sky's belly long after the baby kicked. They stood there staring at each other not saying a word. To Sky it felt so good to be in Junior's company, her heart fluttered standing there but she was unsure if it was because of Junior or the baby kicking, most of all she was glad they could go back to being close like they used to. To Junior staring at Sky was bittersweet, he loved being in her presence as beautiful as she was, but he couldn't be with her in the way he wanted to.
Breaking their eye contact and removing his hand, Junior cleared his throat.
"Junior, why'd you kiss me? Last week I mean" Sky asked
"What do you mean? I told you it was a last kiss, you know a goodbye to doing what we used to be doing" Junior explained
"So that was really all it was?" Sky stepped closer to Junior
"If I'm being honest, I just really wanted to kiss you" Junior admits getting lost in Sky's eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know, the kiss last week felt different. It's been on my mind all week" Sky admitted
"Really?" Junior asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I just wanted to tell you-" Sky was cut off by Doug who came down the bleachers yelling Sky's name.
"Sky, Jazz just finished first in her last 2 races. Come!" Doug called out to Sky excitedly. Sky and Junior followed Doug back to the bleachers to see what was going on, and saw Jazz with a huge smile stretched across her face, the whole group clapping for her. Sky smiled at her sister, happy her sister's hard work paid off and will continue to pay off. Sky watches as the team high-five Jazz, for a job well done. She felt a twinge of jealousy in her, she wished she was down there also congratulating her sister, and competing too.