Candy walked into her quiet apartment, careful not to wake up the sleeping Dolly on the couch. The TV was full blast with re-runs of Sex and the City and on the floor was an empty container of strawberry ice cream, with a silver spoon laying on the bottom. The red head turned off the TV, only to wake up Dolly.
"Hey! I was watching tha…oh, hi," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "You're home early."
"Actually, I'm home about three hours late. Work was insane and we tried calling you to come in but you didn't pick up. We had to get Jen to come in and she's only worked for three days!" Candy picked up the empty ice cream container, placing it on the counter in the kitchen and the spoon in the sink. "What's happening, Doll face? Since last week, all you've done in sleep on the couch, you haven't even gone to training. What did the doctor tell you?"
Dolly rolled over so she was facing the couch, her attention away from the television and her best friend. The last thing she wanted to do now was have a confrontation with her since Dolly knew she wouldn't be able to win. She pulled the blankets up around her chin and cuddled as close as she could with the thick, red blanket. Candy was still quiet, which was a good thing, and then she sat down on the couch, placing Dolly's feet on her lap.
"Are you going to tell me?" she asked, rubbing the blonde's feet. "You've been so distant…not working, not training, not moving off of the couch…"
"It's nothing," Dolly shrugged. "Just a bug. It'll go away eventually."
"A bug that makes you throw up but yet, you're gaining weight. Running fevers, sore back…Sounds like an odd 'bug' to me. Hey, speaking of odd bugs, did you tell Austin what you had? Because when he asked me to take over his class, I went in…and taught the entire thing. So it must've been something huge, right? The kids trained so hard, we even went an extra hour, and still no Austin. So, get this. After class, I'm turning off the lights, the kids have gone home and I stop in front of his office window, you know the one I'm talking about right? Looks out the front parking lot, right across the street from Dunkin Donuts…"
"What are you getting at, Candy?" Dolly asked with a yawn. "I'm awfully tired and want to call it a night…"
"You were straddling him! You had your tongue jammed down his fucking throat, and you were grinding each other and cuddling…what the hell was that? When were you going to tell me that you and Austin have been having these extreme make out sessions, unless of course, that was your first one." The red head stared at Dolly intensely, her blue eyes blazing through her green orbs. "It wasn't, was it?"
Dolly turned over so she was facing her friend, her eyes half closed in thought and tiredness. This wasn't the time she wanted to talk to Candy about this. She wanted to take her out for a day of shopping on one of their day offs, have a coffee and maybe go for a movie, like they usually do. Sitting on their couch in their $650 a month rent apartment with the TV blaring was not what she had in mind.
"No," Dolly finally whispered. "It wasn't."
"How many have you had? Have you slept with him? Are you guys going out? How long has this been going on for?" Her face was turning red from frustration as all the questions that she had wanted to ask for the past week were finally coming out. Candy wasn't the only one that had seen the heated kiss, in fact, the entire class saw it; but little information like that wasn't needed right now.
Putting her thoughts aside, the red head took a deep breath. She reached out and linked her fingers through Dolly's and held her hand in support. Then, she asked the question she really wanted to ask, "when were you going to tell me?"
"I was, Candy...I really was...it's just..." She took her hand out of her friends and scratched the back of her head. What was it exactly she wanted to tell her? Tell her that he didn't want anyone else to know? Tell her that she was going to tell her, but on her own terms? Tell her when she wasn't pregnant? "Candy, you know I love you..."
"You weren't going to tell me. I can't believe you! After all we've been through together? Dolly, you're my best friend. We both left what we had back home to come here and try to make it in this business, we're the only girls we know! We've had so many matches together, and all the training sessions where the guys abused us so much more than they do each other, just to see if we really wanted it...I've told you everything that has happened in my life. Everything! From the moment we first met, you've been there for me. We have cried together for so many nights...and you can't even tell me that you kissed Austin? How many times have you kissed him?" She was holding back tears as she thought about the memories the two have experienced for the past year. They live together, work together, work out together; there wasn't much they didn't do without the other.
"Candy, please let me explain?" Dolly asked quietly. "I would've told you sooner, I swear. But...it's just..."
"He's your teacher, Dolly. It's so wrong..."
"I know it is! Do you think I came all the way from Canada to fall in love with my wrestling teacher? I love him, Candy! I'm crazy about him! How he talks to me when it's just the two of, you wouldn't believe how sweet he can be. He's so gentle and he listens so well. Candy, I wanted to tell you sooner..."
Candy stood up from the couch, shoving her hands in her pockets to prevent from breaking something. She walked over to the TV calmly and turned it off; it was still on, something neither of them had realized. And now the apartment was silent.
Dolly brought her legs up, resting her chin on her knee. She could feel the lump forming in her throat; wanting to let the tears escape from her eyes...she couldn't stand having her best friend this mad at her. "Candy...please don't be mad at me..."
"Mad? You've been making out with our teacher! No wonder you moved up quicker than anyone else from the class, what, have you been sucking his dick too?"
"No! I mean...it's not like that! He asked me to join the advanced class before any of this was happening! God Candy, I didn't even want to do it! I didn't want to leave you behind!"
"That's such bull shit," Candy said with a chuckle. "Such fucking bull shit. Seriously Doll...how long has this been going on? Because that kiss you guys were sharing in the truck, it definitely looks like this has been happening for far too long. Do you know what this could do to you if people find out about it? Or what it could do to Austin? Did you think about any of this?"
"You don't understand..." Dolly whispered, wiping a tear away with the blanket.
"I don't understand because you won't tell me anything! Fuck Dolly...do you have any idea how much trouble you guys can be in?" Candy sat back down on the couch, not making eye contact with the blonde. "How long?" she asked quietly, resting her arms on her legs. "How long have you and Austin been doing this?"
Dolly wiped another tear away, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. "It's been a while," she finally managed to speak.
Candy laughed. "A while? Is that all you're going to tell me? How serious are you guys?"
"Ten months...eleven on the 29th this month..."
Candy eyes widened in shock. Her blue eyes stayed on Dolly as the smaller blonde curled back up into a ball and began to cry. She wasn't wailing like she was in the truck, in fact, she tried to stay quiet and not make it noticeable.
The redhead wanted to say something. Wanted to yell and scream at Dolly, maybe even fight her. All this rage and frustration was building inside of her, but she didn't know how to release it.
"Almost eleven months?" she finally said after moments of silence. "Are you guys serious? You haven't had sex with him, have you?"
Dolly looked up from her curled position, leaning against the head rest of the couch. "I didn't want to tell you like this," she said. "Candy...you're my best friend..."
"Good God, you have! You had sex with your teacher! Dolly, you need to be careful, you could get a disease, or catch something, or wind up pregn..." She stopped in mid sentence as she stared at her blonde friend. Everything was making sense now, especially with her emotions tonight.
Neither of them could find the words to say. Dolly continued to wipe the tears that were coming from her eyes while Candy stared blankly at the turned off television. Complete silence for the second time that night.
It wasn't until Dolly finally got up from the couch and slipped her shoes on, mumbling "I'm going to go for a walk..."
Shutting the door behind her, Dolly finally let out every emotion that she was holding in. The tears began to stream down her face as she collapsed against the wall in the elevator, letting out a loud cry. The ride down the eight floors was longer than she had remembered as she sat curled up in a ball. When the doors finally opened, she dashed out of the elevator and through the front lobby, pushing anyone that was in her way.
She knew where she had to go. It was far, and she probably shouldn't be walking to that side of the city, but she had to. She had to go see Austin.
It was a long walk, Dolly realized once she was almost there. She stopped inside a phone booth and contemplated if she should even bother to call him, even having the phone inside her hand. But she hung up once she realized that the building was within eye distance.
When she finally reached the building, she buzzed up to his apartment. "Baby," she croaked her voice scratchy and sore. "Baby, it's me…I need to see you..." The door opened slightly for her to enter, and as soon as she did, she ran up the stairs.
Her vision was blurry as the tears continue to run down her face, not even noticing Austin running down the stairs to meet her. Dolly ran into him with a thud, almost falling backwards before he caught her.
"Dolly, what's wrong? Come up with me…" He held her hand as they made their way up five more flights of stairs, reaching the very top floor where his apartment was. Austin led her inside, having her sit at the small table in his even smaller kitchen. He sat in a chair that was beside her and faced it sideways so he was looking at her. "Baby, you have to tell me what's wrong…"
"Candy knows!" She shouted. "She knows about us, she knows how long we've been going out for, she knows about the baby…she knows, Austin! She made me tell her everything tonight, I'm so sorry…"
He grabbed hold of her shaking hands, holding them in his. Softly, he ran his thumb over her knuckles, something he found out early in their relationship that would calm her down. It was a few minutes before she stopped shaking; he was pretty sure she just ran out of tears.
They continued to hold hands as they walked out of the kitchen and to the living room, sitting in a large chair known as the "video game chair", something they both sat in comfortably as Dolly sat on his lap with his arm protectively around her stomach. He nuzzled her neck, placing a soft kiss on her collarbone.
She finally stopped shaking when his hand went up her back, letting his nails graze the surface of her skin. "It's OK babe," he whispered, his breath on her neck. "It's Ok…"
"Austin! Why the hell was the door open? Letting the god damn hea…oh. Hey man." His roommate walked into the living room, finding Dolly curled up in his lap. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was becoming more and more steady, much calmer than before. When his roommate came in, she only stirred a little bit, just raising herself so her lips were that much closer to her boyfriend's neck. "Sorry man didn't know you had a girl here. The music wasn't blaring or anything so…"
"Don't worry about it," Austin replied, staring down at Dolly. "We were going to move anyways, right babe?" She placed a kiss on his lips, silencing him in front of his roommate. He didn't want to give in, but the way she was using her tongue to trace his lips made him submit, only making him embrace her stronger than he already was.
The roommate stood where he was, in awe of the affection they were showing in front of him.
The way their hands roamed over each others bodies and ignored the fact that he was even standing there watching them…it was as if they were actually in love.
Austin kept an eye on his roommate as he walked out of the room, leaving to enter one of the bedrooms. As soon as he was out of ear shot, he ripped his lips away from Dolly's. "What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted, taking her off of his lap.
Dolly stood up, her hands instantly going to her pockets. "I didn't want him to see me," she told him. "If he knew I was one of your students…"
"Say it louder Doll face, I don't think he heard you. You know what, how about you just go into his room and tell him about us? Tell the entire world, Dolly, will it make you feel better?"
Her green eyes began to water as she stared at her boyfriend, not believing what he was saying.
"Or maybe we could put an announcement in the newspaper, and then the whole fucking city will now. How's that, Dolly? Is that good enough?"
Without a second thought, she turned on her heel and left the apartment, slamming the door on her way out. The blond stormed her way down the stairs, wiping the tears away as they escaped from her eyes. She was sure she was done with crying in the apartment…
When she was about halfway down, she stopped at the sound of Austin calling her voice. "Dolly!" He called, chasing her down the stairs. "Dolly, come back babe…I didn't mean it…"
"I hate you!" She screamed, slowing her pace as she got near the bottom. "I...hate...you!" The door was just out of her reach by the time Austin grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, pulling her flush to his chest. "You're hurting me," she mumbled, jerking her arm out of his grip.
"Baby, come here…I'm sorry…" he reached out for her hand, but she pulled it away, making it go to the back of her head as she twirled a strand of hair. "Look, I'm sorry I was so harsh, but you have to understand…if he ever finds out you are my girl, then the entire independent wrestling scene will know. You know him, he can't keep a secret. I can't have you ruin my rep…"
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Dolly cut him off, throwing her hands in the air. "I forgot that this whole pregnancy thing only affects your future. I'm so sorry that you were the one that made the first move, and not me. You were the one that asked me to stay after class so I could help 'tighten the ropes'. God damnit Austin, you're so self centred! How are we supposed to raise a kid, when the only person in your world, is yourself?" She stared at Austin hard after, wiping away one last tear before she pushed the door opened and exited the building.
"I'll chase after you!" Austin called after her, watching her walk down the sidewalk from where she just left. "I'll chase after you, right now!"
She stopped in her tracks with her hands shoved in her pockets and a smirk on her face. "If you chase me now, then everyone on this fucking block will know about us! What are you going to do, Austin? Huh? Are you going to come get me or what?"
From the door way, Austin peeked out, seeing herds of people on the sidewalk. Some stopped to look at the fighting couple, others continued to talk on their cell phones and shove their way past the onlookers. "If you don't come and get me now, you'll never see me again!" Dolly called out as she began to continue her walk in the other direction.
After that last comment, he left the door way. Pushing people past him, he ran as hard as he could to reach the blonde that was walking off into the starlit sky, underneath the streetlights. She wasn't walking very fast, he noticed as she got closer and closer.
Dolly could hear the footsteps behind her getting heavier and heavier, closer and closer. She wasn't sure if she actually meant the last thing she said, but it seemed like the right thing. She was sure he'd either come after her, or slam the door shut and never actually see her again.
His hand was on her shoulder. "Dolly, please…" he begged, grabbing her hand to prevent her from walking away. "Please," he said again, pulling her into a hug. "I can't have you leave like this."
Austin stared down at the smaller blonde, only to see the top of her head. Her head was right in the centre of his chest with her arms around his neck. When she finally looked up, she was smiling.
"I was hoping you'd come get me," she admitted, her lips mere inches away from his. Austin licked his lips as he saw her lean closer to him, pressing their lips together again. The people that were watching from before continued to walk, passing the kissing couple as they walked by, sometimes smiling in their direction, sometimes ignoring so they could continue on with their night.
Dolly finally pulled back to catch her breath, her eyes meeting Austin's. "I want you to hold me," she whispered, using her fingers to play with the short hairs on the back of his head.
Still holding her hand, he turned around and began to walk back to where his apartment was. "I want to hold you," he whispered back, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
When they walked into the building, still holding hands all the way up to the top where his apartment was, Austin opened the door, only to find his roommate on the couch with a box of pizza on his lap.
"Hey man, did you get her?" his roommate asked, taking a bite out of his pizza.
"Yes I did. In fact," Austin pulled Dolly in front of him who was hiding behind his back. "I would like you to meet my girlfriend, and the mother of my unborn child, Dolly."
LegendSpeaking: Le sigh. With each chapter that is posted, its one chapter closer to being completed. Read and review because they make me happy and it may encourage me to post more than once a week! Wooo!