Muahaha, I spit out another chapter! And sorry about the cut-off in the beginning of the previous chapter; I completely forgot to finish writing there. Aack, I'm so unorganized. Anyhoot, I had had most of this chapter written in my notebook (Algebra is soo boring), so all I had to do was type it in.
TheNinaBobo- Haha, I'm glad you're getting into the story!
VandyC- Thanks for the compliment! Haha, you guys make my day when you comment :) luv yall!
crushie- It's kind of odd; I really hadn't planned for this story to be so deep about keeping kids and stuff...I'm always surprising myself, haha. Thanks for keeping up with all my stories!
Ann- I'm glad you can see the story; that's a sign that I'm doing good, haha. And the reason I had made Gabriella the mother when I first planned this story was so I could make Lilly's mom a complete JERK. I wasn't planning on making her more human, haha. But my real opinion of Gabriella will come out more as the story develops, I guess :)
Enjoy this nice little flashback chapter!
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Chapter Five
"We need to talk." Ryan glanced up from Gabriella's note, and cocked his head at her. She just shook her head and concentrated on reading the book on her desk.
Later, she pulled him into a spare classroom. "Ryan; do you remember anything from Chelsea's party about six weeks ago?" Ryan scratched his head.
"Not really; it's very fuzzy"
"Do remember the bedroom?" His eyes widened.
"Err…" Gabbi took his answer as an affirmation.
"Well, I've not been feeling too good lately, so I went in and took some tests. Ryan; I'm pregnant. And it's yours!"
Ryan's head reeled. He had gotten Gabriella pregnant? And she…was carrying his child? It was too much. He passed out. Gabbi soon revived him with a few gentle slaps to the cheek.
"After just one time?" he gaped, rubbing his aching head.
"Do you never pay attention in sex ed?" Gabbi asked, laughing. Ryan grinned sheepishly.
"I just never thought it would apply to someone like me"
Gabbi sighed. "Look, I've already broken up with Troy; but he doesn't know the real reason why. I refuse to get an abortion; I've having this child. Since we might be stuck together for awhile, let's try to get this to work, alright?"
Ryan slowly nodded. "Okay. Let's do it"
"And we did pull it off. I went with her to all her hospital visits, and kept my eyes off of other girls for a very long time. Eventually—probably attributing to all the time we had spent together—we really hit it off and began to date"
"Didn't the other students get suspicious?"
"Gabbi switched to another school when her physical form began to change. But everybody knew by then that she and I were…well, pretty serious, I guess"
"So it wasn't just about the baby anymore?"
"Oh no. We ended up head-over-heels in love with each other. I can still remember the day Lilly came into the world…"
Ten minutes into "Pride and Prejudice", Gabriella suddenly gasped.
"What is it?" Ryan asked frantically.
"The baby's coming"
"Now?" Are you sure?"
"Now," she groaned, her teeth clenched. Ryan grabbed her hand and they went as fast as they could (Gabbi couldn't really run at this point) to the car. Fifteen minutes later, Ryan rushed Gabriella into the hospital.
"The baby has dilated only eight inches," the doctor told them. And we can't allow you to stay here until it has reached eight"
"Can you at least give us something to hold off the pain?" Ryan begged, looking nervously over at his wincing girlfriend.
"Here; have her take this pill and she will sleep like a baby until morning. Then bring her back early tomorrow morning"
Ryan thanked him, and led Gabbi back out to the car. "Where are we going to stay for the night?" she asked him.
"Is your house alright?" he asked. She nodded.
"My parents won't mind, I'm sure." She gasped.
"What's wrong?" Ryan immediately asked.
"Just contractions," she sighed, gritting her teeth again. "They come about every five minutes now"
"Hold on until we get you home," he said nervously. "That way you can take the sleeping pill"
The pill did its job; Gabriella slept like a baby, but Ryan never closed an eye. Every movement from the bed he jumped to his feet, only to settle back down into a spare chair. Every groan, he glanced into her face, only to pace about the room again.
And then it was morning. Another car ride to the hospital, and the doctors confirmed it; the baby was ready to come.
Gabriella cried out in pain.
"Ryan!" He was by her side in an instant, gripping her sweaty hand.
"It's alright, Gabriella; I'm here. Remember the breathing we practiced?" She nodded, tears pouring down her face. "Breath in deeply, breath out, okay? You can do this." She nodded again, and inhaled and exhaled the proper way. The nurses poised at the end of the bed.
"Ready, Gabbi?" Ryan asked. She squeezed his hand until it turned white. "Push!!"
After 30 hours of tears, cries, shrieks, and encouraging words, the process was over. The nurse brought the bawling, newborn baby right next to Gabriella.
"It's a beautiful girl," she whispered, smiling as she placed the baby into her exhausted mother's arms. Gabbi's eyes shone with love as she gazed upon the brand new life in her arms. Then her gaze turned to Ryan.
"It's gorgeous, Gabriella," he whispered, also crying. "Just gorgeous"
Gabriella motioned him closer. "I love you," she cried, kissing him soundly on the lips. He kissed her back, tears pouring freely down his face. They stared together at their precious baby girl; their hearts in their eyes. Ryan stroked Gabbi's perspired head.
"Now it's time for you to sleep," he whispered, kissing her again on the lips. She nodded tiredly, and closed her eyes. The nurse picked up baby Lilly and glanced over at Ryan.
"Would you like to hold her?" His eyes widened.
"C-could I?" he stuttered, wiping his hands on his jeans. He had never held a baby before, and was afraid he would drop her. The nurse smiled understandingly, and held out the bundle. Ryan took his baby girl into his arms, and pulled back the covers. She squirmed inside her blanket; her itty-bitty thumb stuck firmly into her mouth. Ryan freed a hand and held the index finger right next to her; and his daughter's tiny fist closed tightly about it.
"Welcome to the world, Lillian Gabriella Evans," he cried softly, his heart about to burst with love. He wondered how such a small person could ever hold so much love after five minutes of living.
"Is that how the story ends?"
"Sadly, no. I wish it would have; then Lilly would actually have a mother. But things always have a way of going bad right when life is great"
Gabriella tugged Ryan into a spare room yet again. Presuming they were going to do what they usually did when in a spare room, Ryan took Gabbi's face in his hands, but she pushed him away.
"I brought you here to discuss something"
He raised an eyebrow. "Serious stuff? Now? Come on Gabs, that's no fun"
"I'm not fooling around, Ryan." She took a big breath. "I have gotten a huge scholarship fund for Rice University-in Texas"
"Rice University? In Texas?" Ryan asked bewilderedly.
"Yes; and they have a very good academic program and I really feel that this is my big chance to hit it big in what I'm best at"
"Being a hot nerd?" Gabriella giggled attractively, but brushed aside the jest.
"But the one problem is, I would be in Texas; you would be here in Albuquerque, am I right?" He nodded.
"Most likely"
"And living expenses in college dorms are really expensive"
"Probably"
"Then you see why you have to keep Lilly for me?"
Ryan's jaw dropped. "You mean, forever? But I thought we would keep on rotating every two weeks who got her, and then when we got married-"
"Ryan this is the real world; there's no way we can get married! At least, not for awhile." His eyes plainly said that he had no clue why this was so. "I've got four years—maybe more—of college ahead of me, and I really can't afford to have a little girl to look after! I don't want our mistake to mess up my future!" At last he nodded.
"I see now why it won't work," he said quietly. "And of course I will look after Lillian; I wouldn't give her up for anything"
"And neither would I," Gabbi sighed. "I will send you a check every three weeks to help out; it's my child too, of course. And I'll call as often as I will. Once I get my degree…well, we'll see how things turn out. But Ryan—is it alright if I see other guys in college? I mean, we really came together for Lilly, right?"
"Was it just about Lilly, Gabbi?" Ryan asked, truly wanting to know. "I thought we had more than just mutual jobs to do"
Gabriella yanked him down to her height and kissed him passionately on the lips. "Ryan Evans, if you think I don't love you, you are sincerely wrong. But I've got to think what's best for me…and Lillian. She needs to have a steady home—can you give that to her?"
Ryan thought about it for a moment. "I hope so. But I will only agree to this if you promise to call." She laughed.
"I don't think I could survive not calling. So; are we agreed?"
"Yep." Ryan held out his hand for a handshake, but Gabbi had a different kind of agreement in mind. Not that Ryan terribly minded the second option, of course.
"Did she fulfill her promise with calling and sending the checks?"
"For three months, yes. And then—suddenly—she stopped calling. The money stopped coming. I had been depending on her financial help when I took the risk of buying an apartment; now that I was past eighteen, my parents had kicked me out, daughter and all. I've tried calling her cell phone several times, but gave it up after talking to the answering machine one too many times. Through Sharpay, however, I've found out some news. The main reason Gabriella stopped calling was because of two reasons; school and Troy Bolton"
"That one basketball captain back from your high school?"
"The same. Anyways, Gabbi and him hooked back up and have been dating since. I'm not sure why she stopped sending money; I know it's not because she's short on cash. I think it has something to do with the fact that she wanted to brush off all of her past and get a move on with Troy. The past included me, Lilly, and all her responsibilities as a mother." Ryan sighed and closed his eyes as Tabitha methodically stroked his head. "I can't say that I blame her for wanting to forget; I wish I could forget as easily as she seems to have"
"But she hasn't, Ryan. From what you told me about the grocery store meeting, she still has strings pulling her home"
"Kelsi said that there was no reason why I should want Lilly's mother back," Ryan said carefully. "But she just doesn't understand! I grew so close to Gabriella through all those months working together for our daughter…and for some reason I can't get rid of the nagging want of reliving that amazing relationship. Why is that so hard to understand?"
Tabitha didn't answer right away; she was staring out into the night sky. Ryan relaxed, and had almost dozed off before Tabitha spoke up again. "I think, dearest, what the problem is is that in your frame of mind, you are picturing the same Gabriella you loved back in high school. Kind, caring, going through the exact same problems as you, and altogether adorable." Ryan chuckled at the last addition. "But Ryan; what you must understand is that times have changed. Years of Troy's affection and being told that school is the number one priority has changed your daughter's mother. Her thoughts no longer dwell on the home life"
"But she told me-"
"Forget what she told you. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. She doesn't care about you; Gabriella is just seeking love. That is how Lillian came about, remember?" He turned bright red, but smiled. "Having no father in her life, Gabbi is determined to find her source of male attention in other places. Do not mistake wanting for loving, Ryan." He didn't answer; it was Ryan's turn to stare at the stars. "I think that's enough deep discussion for you tonight, young man. You need to get your sleep, and I believe that you have a truly loving girl waiting by her phone waiting for some answers." Tabitha gently removed Ryan's head from her lap and climbed over the railing again. "And Ryan…" He looked up. "She needs to know. She has a right to know. Kelsi loves you. Do not let this opportunity escape you." Tabitha vanished into the shadows of the night.
Ryan Evans lay on the bench in his puny back porch until the clock struck twelve before he finally rose. Stretching his cramped muscles, he closed the sliding door and walked over to the phone. His hand paused before it touched the dials. He had a better idea.
Shrugging on a simple black jacket, Ryan locked the door to the apartment behind him. He knew Tabitha was awake and would make sure no harm came to his sleeping child. Much as he disliked the idea, Ryan was going to take a leaflet out of Troy Bolton's handbook and make a house call.
This is probably a pointless question, but who do you think Ryan is going to make a house call on? Who will he choose/Will he take Tabitha's advice? Do you think Gabriella was right in her reasoning to leave Lilly with Ryan? R&R please, as always!!