*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Eric Church*

A week after prom night, a ceremony was held at Hillwood High for the graduating class of 2011. Various awards have been presented to several students due to their outstanding academic performance. Most of them were preparing for a post-secondary school education. However, Harold, Sid and Stinky had no such goals. The three of them hated school since day one; therefore(in their eyes) the high school diploma was enough. Instead, they dedicated much of their time to jamming at Stinky's place with their band equipment.

The summer seemed to have been passing by rather quickly. It was a hot afternoon in the beginning of August; Harold headed inside of Slausen's ice cream place to meet Patty and to grab a sundae, of course. She had sent him a text asking him to meet her to discuss something important.

Patty sat at an empty table, merely twirling her spoon around inside of her double strawberry sundae. She glanced at her cell phone; it was 4:12PM. She told Harold to be there by 4:00 sharp. Just as she was about to call him, he made his way inside and approached her table.

"Hey babe," Harold greeted her with a kiss.

"Hi…..what took you so long?" Patty asked.

"The bus was late, babe."

"Whatever."

"Patty, what's wrong?" Harold asked.

"Nothing," Patty muttered." Just sit down. I have to tell you something."

"Hold that thought," Harold said." I want to grab some ice cream."

"Harold, just take mine and sit the hell down please," Patty said, impatiently." I barely touched it."

Puzzled, Harold took a seat across from Patty as she pushed her ice cream dish towards him. As he began eating the sundae, he couldn't help but notice the slightly gloomy expression on Patty's face.

"Babe, are you okay?" Harold asked.

Patty shook her head." I went to the doctor's this morning and um…..my parents are very supportive of the news but most importantly…..I need your support as well."

Harold raised his brow as if to say "get to the point".

"I'm with child," Patty confessed.

"What child?" Harold asked.

"Our child," Patty replied.

"But we don't have a child."

"No, but we will."

"I don't get it…..oh, you're confusing me!" Harold exclaimed.

Annoyed at his silliness, Patty banged the table with her large fist." Goddamn it, I'm pregnant!"

A few of the other customers took a quick glance in their direction. Patty embarrassedly realized at the last second just how loud she was. Harold was dazed at this stunning revelation. He simply sat there with his mouth hanging wide open in pure shock.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Patty asked.

"Fuck…," Harold murmured, quietly.

"Fuck?" Patty reacted." All you're going to say is fuck?"

"Fuck," Harold repeated, still in a daze.

"Well, it's the word 'fuck' that got us into this predicament in the first place when we decided to get wasted on prom night and to 'fuck' without protection," Patty reminded him, sternly.

"I'm such an idiot!" Harold groaned.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, so am I," Patty insisted." We both made an irresponsible decision. So, now we have to deal with this like the adults we are."

"You're not keeping it, are you?" Harold asked.

"Of course I am," Patty replied, sharply." What kind of question is that?"

"But Patty…," Harold began to protest.

"But nothing, Harold," Patty interrupted him." We owe this baby a chance at life. He or she didn't ask to be conceived."

"I'm just not ready for this shit," Harold told her." I'm sorry, Patty, but I can't do this. I don't agree."

"No doubt, you are sorry," Patty snapped." You don't have to agree because I don't need your goddamn permission. This is my body. I'm the one who has to carry this baby and then suffer the labor pains, not you! So, why the hell are you being so selfish? You rather run than to be responsible? Fine with me, Harold, if that's the road you want to take then by all means, take it. But if you do, you'll not only miss out on seeing your child, you'll also be kissing our relationship goodbye."

"Patty, don't get mad, I'm just….."

"Conversation over, asshole," Patty said, harshly.

She angrily rose to her feet and walked away. Harold sighed in frustration. Big Patty? Pregnant? Did she just drop the 'P Bomb' on him? He couldn't believe it. However, as Patty walked out of the door, he felt awful for hurting her feelings. After all, she was still the girl he fell in love with a long time ago. So, he mustered up enough courage to go after her. As Patty stomped down the sidewalk with her hands clenched into fists, she fought back tears. She was so furious she could hurt somebody, Harold, in particular.

"Patty wait!"

She quickly dried her eyes and turned around to face Harold.

"Babe, I'm sorry for being selfish," he apologized, emotionally." I should have been more supportive. But can you blame me for my reaction? I can hardly take care of myself let alone a baby. After all, I'm a loser and an asshole and I'm fat."

"Harold, stop it," Patty scolded." If I thought you were any of those things, I wouldn't have been with you for all these years."

"I know."

"I know you're scared," Patty continued." I'm scared too. But we have to support each other. Our unborn baby is counting on us. So, can you at least try?"

Harold sighed and said." Sure Patty. I'll do my best. I promise."

"Thanks, Harold," Patty nodded." I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, they hugged each other firmly. Although the scorching weather made close physical contact a little less than comfortable, they didn't care. They needed to comfort each other but most essentially, Harold needed to reassure Patty that he was going to be there for her no matter what. A few minutes, Harold walked Patty home and then made his own way home with so much on his mind that he developed a headache.

Sitting alone in her room, Patty wondered if Harold would stay true to his word. She figured if he really loved her, he would never abandon her at a time like this. Thankfully, her parents took the news of her pregnancy exceptionally well as they were the first ones to know. Patty was seven and a half weeks pregnant. Considering that her period always arrived on time and then all of a sudden it didn't come, she knew what the case was before the doctor even confirmed it to her. Having told the three most important in her life…..her mother, father and boyfriend, Patty also wanted to talk to her best girlfriends, Rhonda and Nadine.

The three of them were speaking via three-way on their cell phones. Rhonda and Nadine were very surprised at the news but they were not judgmental either.

"Wow Patty, are you scared?" Rhonda asked.

"Shitless," Patty sighed.

"I'm sure it's going to be fine," Nadine insisted.

"Yeah, you're a strong, smart girl," Rhonda added." You'll be okay."

"Thanks," Patty said." But if anyone needs to be convinced that it's not the end of the world, it's Harold."

"Don't worry about him, Patty," Rhonda said." Harold is Harold. In time, he'll get used to it. Besides, he does love you very much. It's not like you've been diagnosed with a terminal illness or anything, you're just pregnant."

"Besides, it could have been any of us," Nadine told her.

For some odd reason, an awkwardly brief moment of dead silence followed after Nadine's statement.

"Hello?" Patty said." You guys still there?"

"Yeah," Rhonda responded.

"We're still here," Nadine added.

"Oh okay, but why did everyone get so quiet?" Patty asked.

"I don't know," Rhonda replied.

"Well Patty, I was just sort of wondering if you've been experiencing any morning sickness," Nadine stated.

"No, at least not yet," Patty told her." Why do you ask?"

"Well, I've been really nauseous lately," Nadine replied." But it could have just been something I ate…..right?"

"Uh, yeah right!" Rhonda scoffed, sarcastically." So, I suppose the reason I've been so drowsy and exhausted lately is due to that one little teaspoon of Nyquil I took over a week ago….oops."

There was another few seconds of silence before Nadine said." Oh my GOD. Rhonda, do you think we're…you know?"

"Wow Nadine, when you said it could have been any of us, you should have said 'its most likely all of us," Rhonda insisted, glumly.

"Girls, you'll be okay, just like you told me," Patty told them." Besides, you two don't even know for sure yet."

"Well, this is one weird coincidence," Nadine stated.

"Should you be worried, Nadine?" Patty asked.

"I don't know," Nadine replied." The last time I've had sex was at Rhonda's with Sid after the prom. We didn't use a condom but we only hooked up that one time and it didn't even last long. It was over in like fifty or sixty seconds…."

Patty and Rhonda laughed.

"It was funny the first time you told me that, too," Rhonda said, with a giggle.

"Well, if I am pregnant, then it's not funny," Nadine insisted." If a guy….you know….ejaculates after one minute of sex, is that enough to get you pregnant? Seriously."

"Nadine, it doesn't matter how long or short it took," Rhonda told her." If in that one minute session he managed to send his millions of little 'Sidlets' to your uterus then chances are…..you could be pregnant."

"I know," Nadine sighed." I just don't want to believe it."

"What about you, Rhonda?" Patty asked." Do you think that would explain why you've been so exhausted lately?"

"Yeah but I just can't see how," Rhonda told her." Curly and I have been doing it all summer long and we always use protection. Prom night, however, was our first time together and frankly, I was so incredibly drunk I don't even recall if he used a condom or not. So, who knows?"

She and Nadine both let out a heavy sigh. Patty knew that having a child would possibly interfere with Rhonda and Nadine's futures. The news of her pregnancy was still a little difficult for her to deal with, so she certainly hoped that Rhonda and Nadine's respective fatigue and nausea is due to something else instead of pregnancy. On the other hand, Patty also figured it would be nice for the three of them to go through something together, so she wouldn't feel so alone. Only time will tell.