Chapter 5

Drake let his car idle in the parking lot of The Premier. From where he was sitting he could see both the front doors and Josh's car, so there was no chance of missing him. Five minutes later Drake saw his brother walk out of the theater, his red vest slung over his shoulder, talking to a petit girl with Asian features named Anna. When Josh turned away from Anna and towards his own car Drake tapped his horn and the sudden noise made Josh spin around so quickly that he nearly lost his balance. After a quick glance around the parking lot Josh noticed his brother's car parked a few spaces away and ambled over to the passenger side.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Josh asked when Drake leaned over and rolled down the window.

"Sorry." Drake mumbled. "Can you get in? We need to talk."

Josh frowned. It was rare for him to see his brother with such a serious expression and he climbed into the car without question. Drake shifted into gear and pulled out of the parking lot without a word. Josh waited patiently for Drake to speak, his fingers worrying the hem of his shirt. Ten minutes later Drake pulled into a small park a few miles from home. Josh found the silence unnerving and braced himself for the worse when Drake got out of the car and walked over to a near by picnic table. Josh followed and when Drake stepped up to sit on the table top Josh took a seat on the attached bench.

"Molly's pregnant." Drake finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence.

Josh felt his jaw drop and his hands gripped the wooden beach tightly. After a long pause Drake went on.

"She told me yesterday. She hasn't told her parents yet. I told her I'd be there with her when she did." Drake looked up, his eyes dry but glossy with fear, "How am I going to tell mom and Walter?"

Josh pried his fingers off the bench and turned to face his brother directly. A million lectures streamed though his mind, but one by one Josh rejected them knowing that none of them would take the freighted look out of his brother's eyes.

"And you're sure it's y--" Josh began, but Drake cut him off with a curt nod.

"When did this… happen?" Josh asked, still in shock.

"A few weeks ago…" Drake began counting backwards in his head, "a month and a half…" had it really been that long since they're night on the beach? "Yeah," Drake sighed, "about a month and a half ago."

Drake looked up at his brother, waiting for the lecture he had all ready heard in his head, but it never came.

"So aren't you going to tell me how badly I screwed up this time? Aren't you going to lecture me about responsibility? About how actions have consequences?" Drake asked bitterly.

"No." Josh said simply, "It sounds like you've covered it pretty well on your own, and there are going to be enough people telling you that you messed up. You don't need me to be one of them."

Drake looked down and fought back a tear that threatened to escape.

"You're the best." He said quietly.

"So when are you going to tell mom and dad?" Josh asked when Drake has composed himself.

"I'm thinking tonight before we tell Molly's parents." Drake said standing up on the bench. "I'm going to tell mom first, I don't think I can handle telling them together."

He hopped down to the ground and stood in front Josh.

"Thanks man." He said holding out a hand to help his brother up.

"For what?"

"For not lecturing me, for understanding… for being a great brother." Drake told him as they turned towards the car.

Just as settled himself and put the key in the ignition his phone rang. Glancing at the readout Drake blew out a breath and flipped his phone open.

"Hi mom. OK. Yeah, Josh is with me. Megan's at her friends. Yeah, we'll be home soon. OK, Yeah. Love you too." He closed the phone and dropped it back into the center console.

"Mom and dad home?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, they want us to pick up Megan on our way home."

"I'll get her." Josh volunteered, "Since you picked her up yesterday."

"Cool." Drake said with a nod, then turned up the volume on the radio and motored back towards the movie theater.

Twenty minutes later Drake pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see that his step father's car was missing.

"Hello?" he called as he walked through the front door. "Mom? Walter?"

"In the kitchen." Drake heard his mother call, and turned towards his voice.

As he pushed the swinging kitchen door open Drake noticed that his hand was trembling again and drew a deep breath.

"Hi mom." He said casually as he entered the kitchen.

"Hi hunny, how was everything while we were… Drake? Are you ok? You're really pale."

Drake sat down at the kitchen table, "I'm ok." He said quietly as his mother ran her cool hand over his forehead.

"Well you don't have a fever." Audrey looked at her son closely, "What's wrong Drake?"

Drake sighed, "I need to talk to you mom, it's kind of important."

Audrey sat down beside him crossing her legs and rattling her ankle. Seeing the familiar movement nearly made Drake laugh as he realized where he had inherited the gesture from.

"You're going to be mad." Drake began, not looking his mother in the eye.

"Hunny, whatever it is we'll find a way through it, nothings worth getting this upset over."

Drake rested his forehead on his hand and did not look up when he spoke.

"You remember Molly, the girl I've been dating for the past couple months?"

Audrey nodded, though she knew her son couldn't see it, "Yes, she's a very nice girl. Did something happen between you two?"

"Sort of…" Drake breathed, "A few weeks ago, well more like about six weeks ago, I snuck out after you all went to bed."

Drake glanced up through his fingers and saw the crease beginning to form between his mother's eyebrows. Looking back down he went on.

"I picked Molly up, she snuck out her window, and we went to the beach."

Drake paused and rubbing his face sat up straight in his chair.

Audrey frowned, "Obviously I'm not happy about you sneaking out, and yes you're going to be grounded, but its not the end of the world."

Audrey's eyes roamed her son's pale face, "But that's not the news you need to tell me is it?"

Drake shook his head, "No."

Drawing a deep breath and bracing himself Drake finally met his mother's eyes, "She's pregnant."

Drake held the breath as he watched his mother, anxiously waiting for a reaction.

It was a long minute by the time Audrey found her voice, "Oh Drake." She said quietly.

Drake blew out the breath that was making his lungs burn. Anger he had been prepared for, tears he could have dealt with, but the quiet disappointment in his mother's voice hurt him more than he could have expected.

There was a long silence where Audrey sat staring at her son, her vision blurring as she thought about how much his life was about to change. Drake sat staring down at the table, his foot rattling back and forth in an unconscious imitation of his mother. When Audrey finally moved Drake looked up and was surprised to see her pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Walter? Hey hunny. I just wanted to let you know that you, Josh and Megan are on your own for dinner tonight. Yeah, Drake and I have something to take care of so… no, I'm not sure what time we'll be back. All right, if you need anything I'll have my phone on. Love you too."

"Where are we going?" Drake asked his mother as she slid the phone back into her pocket.

"For a ride." She told him as she shrugged her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her car keys.

Slightly confused Drake followed his mother out of the house and to her shiny red VW Bug parked in the driveway.