Chapter 10 Happy Thanksgiving
Dylan knocked softly at the bathroom door in their apartment.
"Bren, you ok?"
"Uhh I am dying." Brenda grumbled.
"Do you need anything?" Dylan said sweetly.
"No." Brenda sighed. "I'll be out in a minute.
Dylan slowly opened the door and smiled slightly at the sight of her. She was sitting on the floor by the toilet, hair messy and hanging in front of her face.
"You still look cute."
Brenda rolled her eyes, "Yeah I'm sure. I feel awful."
"Sorry Bren, it will get better. I think." Dylan shrugged. "Hey your mom called, I told her you were in the bath."
Brenda scraped herself off the bathroom floor and brushed her teeth. She swished the water in her mouth spitting it out in the sick.
"I don't think it's a good idea to go home for Thanksgiving."
"Brenda, we talked about this, we agreed we were going to tell your parents on Thanksgiving."
Brenda pouted, "I know but.." Brenda sighed, "I am scared."
"Bren. It's time, we have known for a month."
"I can see his face, the disappointed face, it's not going to be good."
"Well you know what, it probably won't but let's get it over with because I hate lying. I talked to your brother yesterday and even though I am not coming out and lying to him about it, I feel guilty not telling him."
"I know, I am probably going to throw up all over the table anyway, so if that doesn't give it away then the look of my belly will." Brenda stood sideways rubbing it.
Dylan shook his head and smiled, "Babe, you can't tell, you look the same."
"Not true, I can't button my jeans anymore they are going to take one look at me and say wow Brenda, freshman 15 much."
"Call your mom." Dylan smiled and leaned in kissing her on the cheek.
Brenda nodded and watched him leave the bathroom. She made her way to the telephone and dialed home.
"Hey mom. Dylan said you called."
"Oh yes, honey, how are you?"
"I am good, same as last week."
"Your father and I are so excited to see you guys, I wanted to check on your flight, do you have the information?"
"Uh, yeah mom hold on." Brenda rummaged through the stack of papers on her counter.
"Ok, flight 1780, comes in at 12:30 your time."
"Lovely, can't wait, well we are going to have a big Thanksgiving, I invited all your friends over and their families. But the only people that are coming for dinner are Kelly and her mom and Steve, but everyone else stop by for dessert."
"Mom you invited everyone?" Brenda said in a disappointed tone.
"Yes why, your friends always stop by anyway."
"Alright mom, I am going to get dinner on, I will see you tomorrow." Brenda said with guilt. She hated keeping something this major from them. This was definitely going to be a Thanksgiving they would never forget, and not in a good way.
"Dylan….what do you need out of these papers, they are driving me crazy, I am about to just throw them all away." Brenda yelled.
Dylan came into the kitchen, "Alright relax, I told you I would go through them."
"Yeah last week." Brenda pulled some chicken out of the refrigerator. "You can't just leave crap around all the time, it looks messy and is it too much to ask for you to help me out once in a while, I feel like I am always cleaning up after you."
Dylan walked over putting his hands on Brenda's upper arm, "Hey…I am sorry, I will help more." Dylan just gave in so he wouldn't have to hear her rant anymore. She had gotten moody, short fused since she became pregnant and Dylan was learning the tricks to not get caught up in an argument, in which he never won anyway. "What do you say we put this chicken back in the fridge and I will run out and get that Italian place you like so much?" Dylan rubbed up and down her arms.
Brenda shrugged, "That does sound good." Brenda pouted.
"Alright, I will be back." he leaned in kissing her forehead.
"Dyl's" Brenda called out making him turn in front of the front door. "Sorry."
Dylan nodded, "I know, love you, I'll be back."
Brenda smiled as she watched him close the front door behind him.
**
"Dylan are you sure I don't look fat in this?" Brenda said sitting on the plane as they taxied in.
"Bren, you are wearing jeans and a flannel, for one you're not even fat and two no one can tell anything, you're not even showing yet."
"I am scared they will be able to tell. I feel like I have it written on my forehead. Brenda Walsh knocked up, huge disappointment.."
Bren, stop, you are being so hard on yourself. You aren't a disappointment."
"Dylan, come on, I am due in May, I won't even finish the school year out."
"You have been working so hard, and regardless of you being sick or tired, you have attended classes. You will finish, I know it."
"And then what? My parents are going to ask me what are plans are. Do you want to stay in New York?"
"Well yeah, I like being in our own world over there." Dylan seemed taken back.
"I do too but I mean I will be so far from my family and maybe I can finish school in California that way my mom can watch the baby sometimes and we will have help."
"Well I will be there to help you."
Brenda smiled at his innocence, "Babies are a lot of work Dylan, we might appreciate the help my mother would provide."
Dylan sat quietly; he didn't want to move back. He was actually enjoying school and it was nice being away from everyone. Him and Brenda, despite her hormonal blow outs once in a while were getting along really well, they had settled into their apartment nicely. Dylan finally felt like his life had purpose. Also he had recently started writing again, for fun about his life and Brenda, not for school. After a long silence as the people started to get up and grab their luggage.
"As long as I am with you, it doesn't matter where we live." Dylan smiled.
Brenda took a deep breath as she watched the last hand full of people exit. "I guess we have to go huh?"
Dylan nodded, "Its ok, it will be ok, you'll see."
"Yeah easy for you to say, you get to go home after dinner, I will be stuck by myself there."
"Bren, you're coming with me, you can stay at my house. You don't have a room at your parents anyway."
They got up and were the last to leave the plane; Dylan rested his hand on the small of her back and guided her out of the terminal. They walked out to saw Jim and Cindy waiting for them.
"Oooh Brenda." Cindy wrapped her arms around her. "I missed you sweetie."
Dylan and Jim shook hands and Brenda hugged her father. "How has everything been?" Jim said with a smile.
"Good, school is fantastic and Bren and I are doing well." Dylan eyed Brenda who had yet to say anything. "Right Bren?"
"Oh yeah, New York is amazing, we fit in right away."
Jim and Cindy nodded with a smile, "Shall we get out of here?"
"Brenda you look great, it looks like college is agreeing with you, your complexion is flawless." Cindy said as she walked ahead of them.
Brenda looked up at Dylan, "That's the look of horror and nausea."
Dylan laughed under his breath and leaned in kissing her on the temple. This was going to be a long and interesting evening.
**
Valerie knocked lightly on Brandon's bedroom door, "Bran?"
"Yeah." He called out.
"Can I come in?"
"Well that depends, are you descent?" Brandon smiled opening the door.
"Haha yes I am." Valerie walked in and sat on Brandon's bed.
"Who's coming for dinner?" Valerie asked interested.
"Steve, Kelly, Kelly's mom and sister."
"Steve?" Valerie sighed.
"I thought you and Steve were kind of seeing each other."
"Umm nooo, he wishes."
"Be nice, Steve is my friend; just tell him you don't like him like that. Steve has a 5 minute rebound anyway. He will be off chasing after the nearest skirt in no time."
Valerie smiled, "So is that it, no one else is coming?"
Brandon eyed Valerie, he had gotten to know Valerie a lot better in the 5 or so weeks she had lived there and Brandon actually was happy that they had gotten close. Some may even say they were friends. He missed having someone to talk to like Brenda and Valerie kind of filled the void for him. "Who are you talking about?" Brandon said with a smirk.
Valerie shrugged, "I don't know, maybe…I…wanted to know if maybe David was coming?"
Brandon laughed, "Silver, you want to see Silver? He has a girlfriend Val."
"I know, I was just wondering if him and Donna were coming, that's all."
Brandon shook his head, "I am sure they will stop by. Come on trouble maker, I think Brenda and Dylan are here, I think that was my parent's car."
As both of them made their way down the stairs Brenda and Dylan came through the front door.
"Brandon!" Brenda said excitedly dropping her bags to the floor and wrapping her arms around him.
"Hey Bren, how's the big apple?"
"Great!"
"Hey D. How's it going buddy?" Brandon said meeting him in for a handshake.
"It's going."
"Hey Val." Brenda took her in for a hug, she whispered in her ear, "Are you behaving yourself?"
"Yes unfortunately." joked Valerie.
"Mrs. Walsh, it smells so good." Dylan said setting down his bag.
"Aww thank you Dylan, I should go check the Turkey. Excuse me."
Brenda covered her mouth as her eyes began to water. "Dylan help me bring up my bags." Brenda felt the salvia building in her mouth.
Dylan looked down at Brenda, "Bren, are you ok?"
Brenda shook her head as she ran to the bathroom.
Val and Brandon looked at each other, "Is she ok?" Valerie said pointing toward the bathroom.
"Yeah she is fine." Dylan said with an exhale.
"Does she have the flu?" Brandon asked concerned.
Dylan gave them a fake half smile and nodded, "Yeah something like that."
Brenda took deep breaths as she looked at herself in the mirror. This was not going well so far, the day had just started, she had just arrived home and she was already getting sick. Brenda rinsed out her mouth one last time and patted her mouth dry with a hand towel. She slowly opened the door to find Dylan waiting for her.
"Do they think I am crazy?" Brenda said as she cuddled into his embrace.
"Yep pretty much." Dylan kissed the top of her head. "Should we tell them now or wait until later?" Dylan said softly.
"Now, let's get this over with." Brenda took a deep breath and walked with Dylan into the kitchen.
"Mom…Dad…can we talk to you in the living room?" Brenda said nervously.
Jim and Cindy looked at each other, "Sure sweetie, is everything ok?"
"Yes, Mrs. Walsh, everything is fine." Dylan smiled sweetly.
Brenda and Dylan led them into the living room where Valerie and Brandon were watching football.
"Hey Brandon, can you turn that off for a second, Dylan and I have to talk to all of you."
Brandon shrugged and clicked off the TV. Brenda and Dylan stayed standing as the others sat down. Dylan felt Brenda tense up, he placed his hand around her waist and felt her relax a bit.
"Umm Ah." Brenda exhaled. She felt the tears coming, this was so hard.
"Dylan and I are…"
Jim's face fell, he knew something was coming and he didn't know what it was. "You and Dylan are..?"
"I am pregnant." Brenda felt Dylan's hand on her back as he rubbed up and down.
Valerie looked at Brandon waiting for the explosion. Brandon's mouth dropped.
Brenda stared at her parents waiting for a response but they got nothing. Brenda nervously looked up at Dylan.
"Mr. and Mrs. Walsh, I know this is a shock, and we know we are young but.."
Dylan stopped when he heard Cindy begin to cry, she rested her face in her hands and sobbed.
"Mom?" Brenda let her tears fall freely.
Finally the beast arose, " I knew this was going to happen, didn't I tell you Cindy I knew this would happen. You two living together, traveling together." Jim yelled. "How could the two of you be so irresponsible, didn't we teach you about this sort of thing."
Brenda wiped her face and she just stood as close to Dylan as she could possibly get.
"Dad, I am sorry." Brenda said crying.
"Sir, I will take care of her.." Dylan said softly.
"Take care of her Dylan? I think you have been doing enough of that, you are 18 years old, what about school, what about your future? We send you to Europe twice, we let you move in with your boyfriend and this is how you repay us." Jim was red and holding back the tears himself.
Cindy raised her head and looked at Brenda and shook her head.
"How far along are you? I think you should just take care of it." Jim said angrily.
"Jim!" Cindy cried.
"I am almost 12 weeks."
Cindy shook her head again, "She is almost in her 2nd trimester, Oh Brenda."
"I am going to finish school, Dylan and I love each other we are going to keep the baby."
Jim let out a grunt, "What are you guys going to get married?"
Brenda cleared her throat, "No not now."
"I am going to check the food." Cindy was still clearly upset, "Our guests will be here any minute."
"Great.' Jim crossed his arms, he walked closer to Dylan and Brenda, "I knew you would be trouble since the first moment I saw you, I knew you would take advantage of my daughter and take away her innocence and now you have taken her childhood. I cant even look at either of you. I have never been more disappointed in one of my kids." Jim took one last look at both of them and walked out of the living room.
Brenda broke down, she knew her parents would respond like this, she knew it but it still hurt. There was no way to fully prepare for it and even after going through the conversations and their possible reactions nothing compared to the feeling. She wrapped her arms around Dylan's waist and she cried on his shoulder.
"It's going to be ok Bren." Dylan whispered. "We will be ok."
Eeeek Jim and Cindy are pissed. This was a hard chapter to write. I hope it turned out ok. Trying to layout this kind of situation and give the reader the feeling of anger and nervousness is so hard. I hope its to your liking. Pease review I would love to see what you guys think.