Disclaimer! I do not own Lemonade Mouth
Dylan paced the lobby, his feet wearing a path into the floor. Stella sat in a chair, watching Dylan walk back and forth. She'd already told him several times to calm down in the few hours they'd been at the hospital. Each time, Dylan had yelled at her which resulted in a shouting match between them. The last one had nearly left Dylan in tears.
He didn't want to fight with Stella. It reminded him too much of his past girlfriends. Shouting matches had been common with them but this was the first time he and Stella had gone at it. Dylan couldn't help yelling though; he was worried about Sophia.
Finally Stella stood up as Dylan passed. He glanced at her, almost daring her to tell him to calm down. Instead she walked up behind him, grabbing him in a tight hug. Dylan stiffened under her touch trying to figure out what she was doing. "It'll be all right" She murmured, placing her cheek against his back. "Sophia and the baby are going to be fine."
Dylan hung his head ashamed of how he'd acted the past few hours. Stella had only been trying to help. He'd rewarded her by shouting. "How do you know?" She let go of him briefly to turn him around. Dylan wrapped his arms around her automatically, burying his face in her hair.
"I just know" She said. Dylan smiled despite himself, raising his head. Stella smiled back, her lips tight. She was still angry at him for yelling. Dylan laughed silently as he looked into her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I was just worried about Sophia." Stella softened slightly but not enough for Dylan. He didn't want her angry him at all; not near the end. He had seen Roy gathered with a few of his jock friends, the group glaring at him.
Slowly he leaned down, expecting Stella to walk away. Instead she hesitantly but eagerly stretched up towards him. The doors of the waiting area slammed open, making the two jump apart with a frustrated sigh from Stella.
"Are you Ms. Potens' brother?" The nurse asked after looking around the empty waiting room. Daniel nodded slowly, reaching for Stella's hand. She squeezed his hand tightly. The nurse's face broke into a wide smile. "Congratulations. You're an uncle! Ms. Potens is doing fine and the baby is healthy." Dylan let out a long breath in relief.
"Would you like to meet your niece?"
Dylan groaned drawing looks from Stella and the nurse. "I have to deal with another emotional train wreck?" He complained. Stella tried to frown but when the nurse started to laugh, Stella couldn't help herself. The two began laughing while Dylan stood wondering what was so funny.
Sophia was smiling when they got to the room. Her baby was sleeping quietly in her arms and Dylan could see the tenderness in Sophia's eyes when she looked at the baby. Sophia looked up at Dylan, mouthing words because she couldn't mime with the baby in her arms. Dylan took a step away from his sister but Stella pushed him forward, glaring at him when he resisted.
"Have you named her yet?" Dylan asked quietly, swallowing the lump in his throat. He'd have to talk to Sophia later. She shook her head as she turned her attention back to the sleeping baby. Stella let out a sigh, sitting in the only chair in the room near the baby's head.
Dylan smiled at the sight before Trina came bursting into the room. Instantly, Dylan clamped his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't wake the baby. "Be quiet Trina or I swear I'll find every one of the stuffed animals you've hidden from Sophia and rip them up" Trina's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Nodding silently, she mimed zipping her lips.
Dylan let her go, leaning back against the wall. Trina hurried over to watch the baby sleep but Dylan hung back. He didn't feel like he belonged in the peaceful scene that displayed before him. He was just too disruptive. Turning, Dylan began to tip toe out of the room, praying that none of the girls noticed his attempt to escape.
Just before he was out of the door, arms slipped around his waist. "You aren't leaving are you?" Stella's voice sounded hard. Dylan mentally cringed away from her as he sighed. He should have known he couldn't escape Stella.
"No. Now I'm not" He replied turning around. She looked into his eyes, searching for something.
"Good" She dragged him over to the chair, shoving him into it. "But I'm going to make sure you don't" Stella sat in his lap, resting her head against his shoulder. Sophia looked at Dylan for a moment, a smirk playing on her lips. Dylan sighed, putting his cheek against Stella's head. They stayed like that, watching the baby sleep, a peace flowing steadily from her over all of them.
They didn't really move until the baby woke and began crying. Sophia ushered them out of the room, her face flushing read. Trina yawned as she got up. Stella led the tired girl out of the room, looking back at Dylan. He smiled reassuringly, turning towards Sophia. "Amy" He said quietly. "Name her Amy." Then he walked out of the room.
Stella was waiting for him. Any trace of anger from their arguments was gone as she wrapped an arm around his waist. Dylan put his arm on her shoulder and they began to walk toward the entrance. "I think I want a baby now." Stella murmured making Dylan look at her in surprise. "Sophia's baby is so cute I just can't help wanting my own."
"You'll wait until you're married right?" Dylan asked automatically factoring himself out of her life. She didn't seem to notice, nodding slightly. Dylan looked down to see her eyelids drooping. Sighing, he hoisted her into his arms situating her head against his shoulder before heading out the door.
Dylan spent the following days splitting his time between Stella and Sophia. When he wasn't with one, he was with the other ruled by the fear that soon the fragile world he had built up would come crashing down on top of him. Unfortunately, he spent so much of his time with them that he was barely getting enough sleep and the jocks noticed.
He was walking home when they got him. Stella had borrowed his car in order to do a little shopping promising to return it before the day was up. It forced him to walk but he was all too happy to help her out. Dylan was wiped out from the days spent jockeying between Sophia and Stella so he had thought a little time to himself would be a good thing but the jocks had been looking for this exact opportunity.
"Hey! Tough guy! You wanna tell me whose king of the school?" Dylan looked up tiredly to find himself surrounded by ten or fifteen jocks, Roy standing smugly in front of him. He snapped awake recognizing the situation. Dylan had been in it one too many times to not recognize it.
Slowly, he put his backpack on the ground. The leader always strikes first. He remembered in time to dodge Roy's punch. Dylan cursed the sluggishness of his movements, punching Roy in the gut. The jock doubled over coughing as Dylan backed away, looking around.
No way out He thought as the jocks all rushed forward Again. Dylan didn't even bother trying to fight back. He knew from past experiences that fighting back just made things worse. Dylan shielded his face, feeling the fists pounding on his back and the feet against his ribs. One of the jocks kicked his left arm, snapping it with a loud crack. Dylan cried out in pain making most of the jocks back off but a few were determined to beat him into the ground. The pain overwhelmed Dylan, causing him to black out.
When he awoke later, all he felt was the heat of pain burning in his left arm. Only one thing broken? Dylan thought gingerly poking his body with his right hand while keeping the left firmly clasped against his body. Every little movement sent another wave of pain and Dylan bit his lip to keep from crying out.
Where is my phone? He looked around trying not to move too much. Dylan noticed his backpack was gone and he closed his eyes. I put my pone in my backpack…Idiot! He scolded himself as he got up, nearly biting his lip off from trying to hold in the screams. Dylan looked around for any kind of phone. Maybe the jocks had dropped a phone?
He grew frustrated in his search, not wanting to move lest he aggravate his arm any more. "Dylan?" Someone cried out. I can't be that lucky. He thought with disbelief. First they only break one thing and second someone finds me within a few hours? Kyle's figure materialized in front of Dylan, appearing hazy as the pain threatened to make Dylan black out again.
"Dylan! I'm so glad I found you!" Kyle said pulling off his jacket to craft a sling. Carefully he placed Dylan's left arm in the sling before placing the other end over Dylan's head. "I knew something was wrong as soon as Sophia called me." Dylan closed his eyes. Of course. Sophia expects me to call every hour when I'm not in school.
"I already called 911. They're looking for your stuff and the jocks who jumped you. There's also an ambulance on the way." Dylan stared blurrily at Kyle trying to form words as pain engulfed his mind. Kyle gently led Dylan toward the road, waiting patiently when he noticed Dylan's mouth moving.
"How…many have…you been through…with me?" Dylan asked finally, the words sounding strange to his ears. Kyle laughed grimly holding up his fingers. Four. Dylan closed his eyes. So many factors making this one different…and yet not so different. He opened his eyes again to look at Kyle. "Stella?" Kyle shook his head and Dylan closed his eyes again, letting the pain take over. He barely felt himself falling while he thought Stella doesn't know yet. Good…
Dylan awoke in the ambulance, the siren cutting through the haze of his thoughts. "Lay still" The EMP said softly. "You have a concussion as well as your broken arm. You're going to be out of it for a while." Kyle sat solemnly near Dylan, a sad look in his eyes. Dylan shared a look with him before closing his eyes. Kyle knew what was coming next. It always came next with varying degrees of extreme.
"You're going to have to tell her Dylan" Kyle said quietly, the EMP's warnings ignored. The concussion didn't seem important at that moment. Not in the face of what the future held for Dylan.
"I know." Kyle looked at him gravely. Kyle knew just how much Dylan liked Stella and how much pain his friend was going to be in. Stella was different from past girlfriends because for Dylan, Stella was the whole world.
"How are you going to tell her?"
"I don't know" Dylan shifted uncomfortably "I have to tell her everything. I can't just tell her bits and leave the rest hidden. Stella's smart. I won't be able to pull anything over her eyes." Kyle placed a hand on Dylan's right shoulder, careful not to jostle him.
"I'll be there if you need me." Dylan smiled his appreciation but shook his head. The movement made his head throb wildly in protest. He fought to withhold a groan, trying to put together coherent thoughts.
"No this is something I have to do alone. Having you there won't make things any easier." Kyle nodded, turning to look out the window. Dylan tried to get comfortable, his aching head shifting through different scenarios. No matter what he thought of they all pointed back to one question.
How am I going to tell Stella about my past?