CHAPTER FIVE
Twenty four weeks later.
Leah was at her cubicle sitting on her desk doing some work just as Karen came by "Leah, Brownsey wants to see you in his office."
She took a deep breath and then swallowed hard. She was showing quite a bit. A lot of bit. "Alright." Leah got up from her chair and followed Karen to Editor in chief Jay Brownsey's office. Brownsey was a hip guy. He had spiked up blonde streaked hair, wore clothes from Urban Outfitters, and looked about twenty five years old, acts like he's nineteen, but really is thirty two.
"Leah Davenport, take a seat!" Brownsey said.
"Alright" Leah sat down and felt her fingers start to shake.
"Okay, so um, I'm just going to get straight to the point…when were you ever going to tell us about your pregnancy?"
"Uh…" Leah struggled with her words "Look, I was going to tell you soon. I just…I was…I'm scared, alright? Scared that you would fire me."
"Leah, you should tell us these things sooner. You're a club reporter. Its dangerous for us to send a pregnant girl out into the clubs."
"Yes I am aware."
Brownsey took one long look at Leah. She could feel his eyes burning a hole into her forehead "We should be firing you but luckily for you, we don't want to lose you. We're going to be doing a feature on hip, stylish Moms to be and we want you to cover it."
Leah's jaw dropped feeling herself being saved from being unemployed and pregnant "Oh my god…really?"
"That and when you come back from maternity leave, Stacey is going to be leaving so we want you to move up to Fashion editor!"
"Oh my god, I'm speechless!" she flailed her arms "I have no words!"
Later that evening, Leah went to Spencer's place to break the news. Carly was at Sam's so they were going to be alone. Right when he opened the door, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. When they pulled away, Spencer's mouth had gone slack "What are we celebrating? Or do you really want me that bad?"
"I got promoted! I didn't even have to tell my boss about the pregnancy. He just noticed I was pregnant by the fact that I've been walking like a penguin and wearing loose clothing and all that other pregnancy stuff! Isn't that great?!"
Spencer really was happy for her. It just meant that now he really had to tell Carly. It was hard enough that Leah couldn't come over when Carly was around "Its great. It's greater than all the greats in this world!"
"Have you got a chance to tell Carly yet?" Leah sat on the couch.
"Not yet. But I will." Spencer followed her.
"Make it soon. I love you. And I love her. And I miss spending time with the both of you. If you need help telling and explaining to her, I can back you up…"
Everyday after that, Spencer tried his best to find the right time to tell Carly. There were lots of opportunities. In the morning at breakfast, in the car on the way to school, around the table during dinner, and during TV time after dinner. One night, Spencer went to Leah's to pick her up for a date but got turned away.
"Did you tell her yet?" Leah asked.
"Um, not exactly…no…" Spencer replied.
Leah sighed "Spencer, I hate to enforce this but I don't think I can be with you until you tell your sister. I'm sick of not being at your place because your sister is home. If you're in this with me, I don't want you to be ashamed of me."
"I'm not ashamed of you. I just…Carly looks up to me. I'm the closest responsible adult in her life right now…and if I tell her about this I'm afraid she'll look down on me and move to Yakima."
"I understand. I really do. But if you really loved Carly and if you really loved me, you'd stop keeping secrets from her and you'd want to let me in your life completely. But for now, I just can't see you…" and just like that, Leah shut the door in his face.
Spencer sighed and then went back home. In the middle of the night, he woke up to get a glass of milk. Carly and Sam fell asleep with the TV on again. Spencer turned off the TV and put blankets on the girls. Getting his milk, he retreated back to his room but not before looking at Carly while she slept. He made it the top of his list to tell her.
At school the next day, Freddie walked down the hallways nonchalantly and turned the corner to see Sam kissing Duke in front of her locker. He DID NOT, WAS NOT supposed to care. But a surge of jealousy ran through him. He watched as Duke held her waist and ran his hands through those curly blonde tresses. He remembered himself doing the exact same thing a few weeks ago during empty afternoons at the Shay loft. Or during "study sessions" in the empty Home Ec classroom after school.
Freddie came close pretending to want to talk to Sam. He stood there watching their public display of affection take place and as Duke pulled away and left, Sam stared back at him "What are you looking at you dipwad?"
"Nothing." Freddie replied "So, um, is he your boyfriend?"
Sam shrugged her shoulders "Kind of I guess…why? You jealous?"
Freddie's eyes widened. It was like she was reading his mind "No! What makes you think that?"
"Relax Fredwierd, it was a joke. Unless you really do like me…"
"I don't!"
"Well psh, I knew that. Anyways, I'm gonna go steal a doughnut from Ms. Briggs' desk. Later." Sam brushed passed him as she left. Freddie watched her leave and then sighed.
"She likes a tough guy, Benson…"
Freddie turned to see Rip off Rodney standing there with his locker open "You've got no chance with that girl even if you're the last guy on this great earth…"
"What?" Freddie looked at him like he was crazy "What are you talking about? You think I like Sam? Gross!"
"I don't think. I know you like her. I see it in your eyes. Its in the way you talk Plus, I kinda saw you guys kissing in Mrs. Cortez's classroom a few weeks ago. But look, bottom line is, you are not Puckett's type. She looks good with Duke."
"But opposites attract…"
"You believe that garbage? That's what hopeless losers say when they realize they have no chance whatsoever with who they like."
"So you think I'm a hopeless loser?"
"Do you really want me to say it?"
"Ugh. Why am I even talking to you?" Freddie turned to leave but Rodney grabbed his shoulder "No, wait Benson! I want to help you get Sam!"
"Uh, how?"
"Here's what I want you to do…" Rodney whispered into Freddie's ear. Since all teacher's answer keys were in the computers, he wanted Freddie to hack into the system and print out some answer keys for him to sell. In return, Rodney would secretly tell Sam that Freddie was the bad ass mastermind behind the operation thus making her more interested in him. The plan sounded like complete danger and Freddie was about to turn his back but his affections for Sam prevented him from doing so.
So one afternoon after class, Freddie took his laptop to the library and found a port to plug into. When he connected his computer, he immediately broke into the school system and downloaded various answer keys to his laptop. He was surprised that he had gotten off Scott free and then went home to print out the answer keys.
The next day, he handed them to Rodney "Here, you can make copies of them. Are you gonna tell Sam?"
"Of course I am! You held your part of the bargain so I must come through with yours."
Rodney came through alright. While making copies at the library, the librarian immediately caught him and sent him to Principal Franklin. Franklin then asked him who was his accomplice and without hesitation he named Freddie.
Freddie was nervous as he entered Principal Franklin's office. He saw Rodney sitting there and felt like ripping his head off for getting him caught up. Principal Franklin had Freddie serve three weeks of detention.
"Dude, you were supposed to get Sam to like me after this! Not get me in trouble!" Freddie yelled as they were out of Principal Franklin's office.
"Chill out, Benson! Where does Sam spend most of her time after school?"
"At Carly's?"
"Think harder…"
"Detention?"
"That's where you will be! And when she sees you, she'll know you did something badass!"
Freddie beamed with joy "You are a genius, Rodney!!"
At the Shay loft one evening, Spencer made chocolate pudding waiting for Carly to get back from the Groovy Smoothie. He finally decided to just tell her and get it over with. It was going to be a brother-sister one on one and he was ready to explain whatever needed to be explained.
"I'm home!" Carly came through the door putting her keys on the coffee table and her jacket on the couch. She paused to see Spencer sitting at the kitchen with a bowl of chocolate pudding.
"Hey kiddo, how was your date?" he asked.
"It was okay. Jake got major brain freeze and that's why I'm home early. I thought you'd be out with Leah tonight?"
"Well, um, come have a seat, I wanna talk to you…I made chocolate pudding!"
Carly smiled making her way towards the table and sitting beside her brother. She grabbed a spoon and dug into the pudding. Spencer watched her trying to stall from telling her.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" she asked.
"Yeah. But uh…do you remember when I asked you what you thought about Leah that one day?"
"Yeah I remember that…"
"Do remember when you asked me why baby books were under my bed?"
"Yes, I remember that, too."
Now all Spencer had to do was tell her straight to her face. But when he looked into her eyes, he couldn't do it. He had a vision of Carly leaving for Yakima every time he came close to telling her.
"Ugh, I can't do this…" Spencer sighed and stood up to pace around the kitchen. Carly raised her eyebrow and watched as he talked to himself pacing back and forth.
"Sit down, Spence…" Carly said.
"No, I can't."
"Why?"
"I just can't…"
"Is this about Leah being pregnant?"
"Yes!" Spencer kept on pacing and then paused to realize what she just said "Wait, what?"
"I knew she's pregnant. Come on, it's obvious."
Spencer took a seat and breathed hard. It was one of the most scariest things he had to face in his life "How long have you known?"
"When I found those baby books under your bed. And I saw her little bump. I thought she was getting fat but then I realized all the fat was going to her uterus. Oh, and her appetite. I just put it all together and figured she had a bun in the over. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I guess I was just afraid that you might think I'm irresponsible and a bad influence and move to Yakima."
"Spence, first off, yeah, that was kind of irresponsible but you're a good guy. You're taking care of Leah and that's not bad at all. I just think that you keeping all of this from me was bad. Oh, and me moving to Yakima? Not gonna happen!"
Spencer smiled a bit "I'm sorry, Carls…I guess I was too scared to face you…" he hugged her
"Its okay. Oh my god, I'm gonna have a niece or nephew! I wanna be a cool aunt."
"You'll be the coolest aunt!" Spencer and Carly dug into the chocolate pudding.
"I do wanna know one thing, though…" Carly asked mid bite.
"Ask away, little sister!"
"How did it all happen?"
Spencer paused "I knew you were going to ask." And like that, Spencer began to explain.
In the afternoon the next day, Freddie strolled into the cafeteria where after school detention was being held. Sam had her head down but just as Freddie passed by her, she sat up "Freddie? What are you doing here?"
"Got in trouble…" he sat next to her putting his feet up on the table.
"No feet on the tables!" the lunch lady yelled.
"Sorry ma'am" Freddie quickly put his feet down and looked at Sam as she rolled her eyes.
"What did you get in trouble for?"
"I broke into the school system, downloaded some answer keys for Rodney and got in trouble for it."
"That was you? Wait a minute, of course it was you. Which other dork at this school can break into the system?"
"I'd like to let you know that there are-"he stopped himself from going on "So, pretty bad ass, right?"
"Meh" Sam shrugged "I've done worse."
Then as Freddie could say something else, Duke came in without any confrontation. The lunch lady was reading a magazine and didn't notice him come in. He came towards Sam and whispered in her ear. A second later, Sam was grabbing her stuff "I'm going to the bathroom!" she yelled. The lunch lady just gave her a thumbs up as a sign of approval and off Sam went with Duke. Poor Freddie was stuck in detention for an hour. He couldn't escape without feeling guilty about it later on. He spent that hour thinking about Sam. It must've helped because time flew by and he was released from detention much quicker than he thought.
Freddie needed some alone time so he walked all the way back home. Was Sam teasing him? And what a fool he was wanting a relationship with her. As he got to his floor, Freddie saw Spencer come out of his place going to take the garbage out "Hey Freddo, what's going on?"
"Hey Spencer. Not much just getting home from detention…"
"You got detention?"
"Yeah. Long story. Later…" Freddie opened his door just as Spencer was leaving. He then paused and closed it and went after Spencer "Spence, wait!"
Spencer turned around stopping not even down the stairs yet "Sup?"
"Um, mind if I accompany you? I need some advice…"
"No problem, Freddo." The boys walked down the stairs.
"So uh, I like this girl…" Freddie began "And lets just say we've gotten close before."
"What do you mean by close?"
"We've made out. But that's only when no one was around. And all the time I spent with her, she was a different person. But now she's putting up a front and acting like she's all into tough guys…I was telling myself that I wasn't into her but I guess I kinda am. I got detention trying to prove that I could be a tough guy but it still didn't get her attention…"
"Well, the best thing I can tell you is to always be yourself. If she doesn't like it, then she's not worth it. But if you feel the need to be with her, don't be afraid to tell her your feelings. You'll be surprised what girls will say…"
The advice was simple but it gave Freddie some confidence "Thanks, Spence. I'm gonna try it." He went back up to their floor.
Spencer stood there for a second watching Freddie. It made him think about what if the baby was like Freddie? Innocent, awkward, really into tech stuff. He then thought about what kind of fatherly advice he would be able to give it. He thought he did a great job with Freddie. Spencer smiled as he made his way back upstairs envisioning himself giving his child advice.
(to be continued...)
