On the last day of school before winter vacation, Jade and her friends stood in a circle around Sikowitz's classroom in an alphabet improv battle about the North Pole.
Cat ended up winning the battle and the students all took their seats.
Sikowitz returned to his spot at the front of the classroom and sat on the steps. "I've spent the last week looking at your scripts, and I want to perform three! We'll do Cat and Robbie's in February, Tori and Andre's in March, and Beck and Jade's in April. Each pair may pick their own casts."
All six of the chosen scripts' writers grinned except for Jade. Somehow, doing a play that hit that so close to home seemed like an awful idea. She absentmindedly placed a hand on her belly.
After the school day ended, Beck drove Jade and himself back to his RV, where Jade promptly plopped onto the bed.
"I miss caffeinated coffee," she whined, laying her arms over her face. "I miss caffeine."
"I'm sorry," Beck apologized and sat beside her, "but it's not good for the baby."
"This baby is a pain." Jade uncovered her eyes and stared out at the ceiling.
"Hey," he whispered and kissed her belly, "it's our baby."
Jade grinned. "Sap."
Beck smiled and climbed atop his girlfriend, kissing her lovingly. "I love you."
"I know," she smiled and intertwined her fingers in his hair. And then, in a whisper so quiet Beck hardly heard, she added, "I love you too."
On Christmas Eve, Jade lay in her own bed at her mother's house, unable to sleep because her breasts were so sore.
"This sucks," she muttered to herself and grabbed the results from the doctor's pregnancy test off her nightstand. Frustrated, she jabbed her index finger at the word 'positive.' "You got me into this mess, you darn positive. But I promise you're not going anywhere. Not until a good eight months from now."
Beck had gone to Florida with his family for the break, so Jade spent most of New Year's Eve in her room, only leaving it to get food or go to the bathroom (both of which she was beginning to do more often).
Half the time she spent in her room was used staring at those infernal papers that confirmed the little monster growing in her belly. After one of the times that Jade fetched another cup of soda and plate of food, she returned to find none other than her twelve-year-old brother sitting in her favorite chair and looking at the papers.
"Alex, what are you doing?" she bellowed, setting her food on an end table before stalking over to him. "Why are you in my room?"
"I know what these are," the blonde boy taunted, jumping up to stand on the chair and holding the papers in the air. "And I'm gonna show Mom."
"Don't you dare!" Jade shouted and grabbed the boy by his waist, throwing him over her shoulder.
Alex, much to his sister's disdain, swung his arms and kicked his legs and ultimately ended up hitting Jade in the belly. She immediately dropped him, clutching her stomach, and he knew exactly what had happened.
"Oh my God," the boy apologized. "I'm sorry. The papers aren't a prank meant to scare Mom?"
"No," Jade admitted, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "You're going to be an uncle. But you can't tell our parents."
"I didn't hurt it, did I?" Alex softened to the point where his blue eyes looked like they would spring leaks.
"I don't think so," Jade shrugged. "I think you hit too high." She stood up and walked over toward her food. "But never do that again. Now get out of my room!"
Alex didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted out as quickly as his feet could take him.
Jade took her food over to her favorite chair, grabbed her laptop, and started up SlapChat.
Cat quickly started a video call. "Hey!"
"Hey, Cat. What's up?"
"I wanted to wish you a happy new year!"
Jade looked at the scenery behind her friend and recognized the one bright light on the nighttime background. "Cat, are you outside my house?"
"Oh yeah!" the red-head giggled. "Robbie and Tori and Andre and I are going to Freezy Queen because they're giving away free ice cream to ring in the new year! Wanna come?"
"Two minutes," Jade smirked and closed the laptop lid before grabbing her purse and phone and running outside, where Andre's car sat in the driveway. She opened the rear passenger side door and climbed in as Cat slid to the middle next to Robbie."
"To Freezy Queen!" Andre announced and pulled out of the driveway.
At the restaurant, Jade enjoyed a large Mega Mocha Blast at a table with her friends and that darn puppet.
"We get to work on our plays when school gets back," Tori eventually spoke. "I look forward to directing for once."
"I look forward to killing you in my play," Jade smirked. Nobody actually died in 'An Alien Inside,' but watching Vega squirm was fun.
Tori was silenced by that comment and shoveled another scoop of ice cream into her mouth.
From behind the counter, workers started counting. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, happy new year!"
Cat leapt up from her seat as she screamed the final phrase and Robbie jumped up beside her, planting a kiss on her lips. The redhead kissed back briefly before pulling away. "Robbie, ew!" she squealed.
"Want to give me some loving?" Rex asked Tori after Robbie put his hand back in the puppet.
The brunette shrugged and leaned down, kissing its plastic cheek.
Andre looked over at Jade with a questioning look in his eyes. Jade flipped him off.
After finishing their desserts, the teenagers returned to their homes for the night.
Laying in bed, Jade thought about her baby for a few moments before dozing off. Baby's first new year, kind of.