This is a sequel/continuation to my first story. While it's a separate story, I've decided to post it right along with the first one instead of by itself. Think of it as the second part of one overall tale. The second part begins about six months after the last scene in the first part.

Six Months Later

Annie moaned in annoyance as the alarm beeped on her night table. All she wanted was to stay in bed a little while longer. Last night had been the best she'd slept in weeks. True, she had to get up twice in the middle of the night to pee, but these nights she usually got up three to five times to use the bathroom before morning, so only having to get up twice was a good night in her book.

She groaned as she sat up, her back once again feeling sore. She was done with being pregnant. At first she had really liked it. True, morning sickness had sucked, and she hated that at only the three month mark her feet had swollen to the point where she couldn't fit into regular shoes, but that paled in comparison to the fact that she was carrying a life inside of her. She loved going for doctor's checkups and seeing their child develop more and more with each ultrasound. She loved picking out baby supplies and combing through books for baby names. She loved when she felt the baby kick and move around inside of her. She had even liked seeing her stomach grow and expand (at least in the beginning), knowing it was due to the miracle she was carrying inside of her.

But she'd been pregnant for a while now, and whatever good aspects there were to pregnancy were greatly outweighed by the sucky parts. She hated getting heartburn every time she lied down, and that all her pants now had an elastic waist. She hated how much effort bending down or even just moving now required, and how little it took to become gross and covered in sweat. She hated that she couldn't see her feet, and that she waddled when she walked, and that shaving her legs took as much focus and concentration as performing Olympic gymnastics. She was sick of the extreme mood swings and was really sick of people treating her like a time bomb (if she heard Jeff say "it's just hormones" one more time she was going to shave his head in his sleep.) She hated that people would touch her stomach without even asking, and then either remind her of all the things she couldn't do or tell her something gross that happened to them when they were pregnant. She missed drinking regular coffee and enjoying a glass of wine and being able to have sex in a position that wasn't just her laying on her side. She knew it would all be worth it once their little miracle finally came into the world. But she really wished she didn't have another month to go before it finally happened.

She glanced over as Jeff sit up in bed. "I hate getting up early on a Saturday."

"Doesn't everyone?"

She wiped her forehead, a sheen of sweat already forming despite it being December. "It's boiling in here."

"They said it was supposed to be really cold this morning. I'll turn the heat down."

Annie glanced at herself in the mirror above her dresser, almost chuckling manically at the sight of how she looked first thing in the morning. "I look like a cow banshee."

"You're not a cow," Jeff reassured her, brushing her matted hair aside before kissing that certain spot on her neck that she liked. He knew it was a slight risk, since these days an act like that could cause her to melt in affection or snap at him in rage. Luckily today it was the former and she closed her eyes and sighed in content. He lowered his lips to her collarbone before Annie looked at the alarm clock and pushed Jeff off her.

"Jeff, we can't. We're going to be late for the doctor's."

"Tease," he said with good humor, figuring she was in a decent enough mood where he could poke fun at her without worrying about getting his head bitten off. "You can take a shower and get ready while I'll make coffee."

"Decaf, remember?"

"Yes, I know," he said with exasperation, having heard the same order every morning for months.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"What are you doing up?" Jeff asked Lexi, who was sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal.

"This was just when I woke up?" she said with a shrug.

"Fair enough." He poured some decaffeinated coffee in the machine and got it ready before taking a small jar of instant regular he had for himself, putting a few spoonful's in a coffee cup.

"Is it okay if I go to a party at Sasha's tonight?" Lexi asked her dad.

"Are her parent's going to be there?"

"They're out of town. But her older brother and his wife will be there, and they're about Annie's age. Please?"

Jeff thought about it as he added hot water to his cup and stirred it into the coffee. "Alright, sure. But keep an eye on yourself and don't do anything too dumb."

"I won't."

He took a sip of his coffee as he looked at his daughter seriously. "You know I'm not stupid and don't know that there might be drinking there, even if an adult's there. Just remember, you can always call for a ride home if you need it, no matter what time it is. Don't ever get in the car with someone drunk or try to drive home if you've been drinking. I'll come get you, no questions asked. I can't promise you won't be punished afterwards, but I'll come get you."

"I know."

"And always keep an eye on your cup."

"I know," she said with a chuckle. Ever since the incident at the club, that had almost become the family motto whenever she went out. While enough time had past to where they could joke about it a little, she still knew enough to watch herself if she had a cup of anything in her hand.

"How come you're up this early on a Saturday anyway?" she asked.

"Annie and I have an appointment with the OBGYN."

"Nothing's wrong, right?" she asked seriously.

"No, it's just a basic checkup. Nothing's wrong. You were really worried there."

"It's my little sister. And Annie. I want both of them to be okay."

"Well trust me, everyone's good."

She nodded her head before slurping the milk from her bowl and putting it in the sink. "I should probably go out later and get a new outfit for the party tonight."

"Is Cassidy going?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, she's going. With her boyfriend Roger," she said with distain.

"You still don't like the guy, huh," Jeff commented, having heard that groan of distain creep up whenever she mentioned her friend's boyfriend.

"He's just such a tool. I don't know what she sees in him."

"Well, you can't always help who you fall for."

"They're not you and Annie, Dad. He's a poser dufus and she's…she can do better."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Annie asked as she wiggled impatiently on the exam table.

"Relax, it's only been a few minutes."

"Thanks for the heads up," she snapped at him.

I'll be so glad when the mood swings go away, Jeff thought. Though even having to walk on egg shells around his wife didn't overshadow what was about to happen. He was having a baby. In a month's time he would be holding a little squirming baby girl in his arms. It was almost too much to comprehend.

As he looked around the exam room he remembered the last time they were in here, when they found out they were having a girl. While he would have been happy either way, a small part of him had been hoping for a boy. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been a bit disappointed when they first heard the news. But then he thought about how much he regretted missing out on Lexi's childhood, and came to realize he would now be able to experience everything he's missed the first time he had a daughter.

"Good morning," Dr. Patchers said as she entered the room. "How is everyone doing today?"

"My back hurts, I'm sweating in December, and I can't stop peeing," Annie said, luckily missing Jeff roll his eyes at her response.

"That's pretty common for women in their eighth month," Doctor Patchers said good-naturedly. "But other than that everything's good?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well let's just have a quick look-see." The doctor moved the ultrasound to the exam table and got it ready before using it on Annie. "Everything seems to be alright. The baby is developing normally and has a strong heartbeat. I'd say unless there's a problem we shouldn't have to see each other again until it's time to deliver."

"And when is that?" Jeff asked while keeping his eyes on the image of his unborn child.

"Well…" she paused as she pulled Annie's chart and briefly look through it. "Based on how long it's been since conception, and growth of development, I'd say your due date is January 7th."

"That's nine days after my birthday," Annie exclaimed.

"Actually, some cultures believe it's good luck when the birthdays of mothers and children are close together. Have you thought of a name yet?" Dr. Patchers asked.

"We've narrowed it down to a few," Jeff said. "But we've defiantly got her middle name all picked out.

"And what is it, if I may ask?"

"It's a surprise."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You've got to be kidding me," Lexi groaned as she stepped out of the dressing room holding two blouses. The first one fit in the chest, but left several inches of her stomach exposed. And the one in a larger size was long enough, but bagged in the chest and made her breasts seem smaller than they were. While she usually didn't mind being tall, it did sometimes make finding clothes that fit right a challenge.

She went back over to the clothing rake and shifted through garments to find something else when she saw a nervous looking girl in the clearance section. Lexi immediately recognized who it was; Jill Turnlington, a sophomore who had moved here from Minnesota at the beginning of the school year. Being the new girl with a Midwestern accent, along with having chronic acne, had made her a target for bullies. Stacy in particular had made it her new project to torment the poor girl, to the point where her vendetta against Lexi had cooled down.

As she looked at the girl Lexi felt a pang of guilt. She knew firsthand how hard it was to be tormented by bullies, and to be uprooted and have to move away from your home. She should have done something to help the girl out, instead of standing back and doing nothing.

Maybe it's not too late, Lexi thought as she walked over. "Hey Jill?" The girl let out a gasp as she dropped the shirt she was holding. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay," Jill nervously replied as she picked up the shirt. "Didn't see you there…your name's Lexi right?"

"Yup. I've seen you around during lunch and such."

"I'm kind of hard to miss. Doubt you Coloradoans get many people from my neck of the woods, huh?" she said good naturedly.

"I guess." Lexi drummed her fingers against the clothes rack as she tried to think of something to say. "Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"

"It was alright. Usually it's a big gathering at my aunt's house with all our cousins. But we couldn't afford…we couldn't get a flight out there so it was just me and my parent's here. What about you?"

"I went to my Gran's with my dad and stepmom. It was fun." She glanced at the clothes when an idea came to her. "Hey, would you like to come to a party tonight at my friend Sasha's house?"

"Really?" Jill asked in nervous wonder. "I've never been to…are you sure that's alright? You and your friends being seniors and me a sophomore."

"That shouldn't matter. I went to house parties seniors threw when I was in your class. And it'll give you a chance to meet people. It'll be fun."

The girl thought about it for a sec before her face bloomed in happiness. "I'll have to check with my parent's first, but I'd love to go."

"Great." Lexi smiled as she pulled her phone out. "Sasha said it starts at 8. Just give me your number and I'll text you the address."

"Yea, sure," Jill said, heavily emphasizing the 'a' in the word 'yeah'. She pulled her own phone out, moving her fingers vigorously. "I just have to tweet this first. My first high school party." Her fingers stopped as she paused in reflection. "I don't have anything to wear though."

"Don't worry, I'll help you pick something out."

Jill still looked worried as she touched her face, which was covered in blemishes and acne scars. "People are going to laugh at me when they see me. They always do when Pizza Face comes around."

"Don't call yourself that," Lexi said seriously. "Or let anyone else call you that. I know it sucks having pimples, but everyone gets them. Even the mighty so called high school elite. So anyone who makes fun of you for that is a jerk. And I can show you some make-up tricks that will help hide them."

"Really?" she asked gratefully. "You know how to hide zits?"

"I'm a redheaded teenager with Irish skin. It's definitely not my first time hiding a blemish with make-up."

"Okay. Then I'm definitely going." She giggled in happiness as she posted the tweeted the news, her joy causing Lexi to smile right along.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Stacy tore through her overstuffed closet for something to wear to the party. True, she hadn't technically been invited. But Sasha always threw great parties, so she was going to make an appearance, invite or not.

I should just buy a new outfit no one's seen me in, she thought as she abandoned her search. She pulled out her phone to try and find out what other girls were wearing so she didn't wear the same outfit (though if she saw something she liked she's get it and tell the other girl she had to wear something else.)

As she looked through people's news feeds, an interesting bit of news regarding the party crept up on twitter. "Turdlington's going," she said in surprise. "Pizza Face Jill is going to this thing. Isn't that against the natural order or something?"

For a moment she contemplated not going, since it had to be lame if crater face sophomore hicks were now going. But then an idea came to her. She pulled open her desk drawer and searched through it until she found the leftover bag of pills she had used on Lexi several months ago.

Maybe this thing won't be so lame now after all, she thought wickedly.