(They say we're too young to get ourselves sprung. Oh we didn't care; we made it very clear. And they also said that we couldn't last together) (Curly's thoughts about Rhonda)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Sean Kingston*

Lorenzo was sitting on the beige, sectional-sofa in his living room and sipping a cup of tea with the television on. He was wearing a white wife-beater and black pajama bottoms. For sure, he was still upset about the catastrophic war that transpired outside of his home at the end of the party; however, he was glad that it happened at the end of the party. Therefore, Lorenzo was able to say that his fiesta still turned out to be lots of fun. Rhonda agreed to stay with him that night and without a doubt, he planned to stay true to his word and keep their social interactions completely platonic. Although the time they spent together at the party brought back many happy, romantic memories for Rhonda and Lorenzo, neither of them had any such intention on being disloyal to Curly and Aida, respectively.

Several minutes later, Rhonda entered the living room wearing a silk, periwinkle robe and slippers. Her outfit had gotten wet in the rain when the fight was taking place. Lorenzo smiled at her as she walked towards him and took a seat beside him on the sofa. He lifted the other mug off of the table and handed it to her.

"Tea? Thanks," Rhonda said.

"You're welcome."

"Are you sure your mom wouldn't mind that I'm wearing her robe?" Rhonda asked.

"I'm positive," Lorenzo assured her." She has so many of them; some in the same exact color too."

"Just like my mom," Rhonda commented.

They sipped their tea in silence for a few seconds. Between the gentle yet rapid sound of the rain pattering against the windows, the taste and warmth of the tea and the soft comfort of the robe, Rhonda felt relaxed—as relaxed as one can be with all the troubles in her life. She was still hurt by her parents' reaction to her pregnancy and she was disturbed by the tremendous brawl that took place between Harold, Sid, Stinky, Wolfgang, Junito and Ludwig. Most of all, she was still fretting over the fact that she still haven't told Curly what her plans were. Certainly, his sudden extreme appearance with the gun did not put her at ease by any means.

"Lorenzo?" Rhonda said.

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know that I had a lot of fun with you tonight," Rhonda told him.

"Likewise," Lorenzo said.

"And I also want you to know that I truly wish you luck on your engagement," Rhonda continued.

"Thank you," Lorenzo said." I know that Aida is not the easiest person to get along with but I'm glad you're accepting the engagement."

"Well, you don't exactly need my acceptance," Rhonda insisted." I'm just assuring you that I do."

"I know but it means a lot to me coming from you," Lorenzo told her." After all, I still have love for you, Rhonda; I always will."

"I still have love for you too," Rhonda stated." Ultimately, I want you to be happy. Aida is now your future wife and I respect that, completely."

"And Curly is now the father of your unborn child and I respect that—completely," Lorenzo added, softly.

Rhonda smiled with relief although she thought she detected a very tiny hint of hurt in Lorenzo's voice. Had Curly not unexpectedly arrived and announced her pregnancy in front of the entire party, Rhonda wouldn't have even said a word to Lorenzo about it.

"I didn't quite plan to get pregnant—in case you're wondering," Rhonda said, with a sigh.

"I didn't think you planned it," Lorenzo insisted." Things happen."

"Well, I suppose things happen for a reason," Rhonda said." This is what it is and I'm keeping it."

"I wish you luck, Rhonda," Lorenzo told her, sincerely.

"Thank you."

Lorenzo sat quietly for a couple of seconds and then he put the television on 'mute'.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

"Um, yeah…well, yeah I do," Rhonda answered, after a brief pause.

"I don't mean to contradict you but…..why don't you sound so sure?" Lorenzo asked.

"I do love him," Rhonda insisted." Things are just complicated. I told Curly from the start that he and I aren't going to last for too long. I mean—he is a great guy and I don't regret finally giving him a chance but I had plans for my future before we even became a couple. I'm on my way to one of the most prestigious universities in the country and I can't give that up—not even for this baby."

"Well, you definitely do have more than enough funds to raise your baby and stay in school," Lorenzo stated.

"Exactly but Curly doesn't want me to go," Rhonda told him." He wants me to stay here with the baby and attend the university that he's going to. But I can't give this up. Even Arnold thinks I'm doing the right thing."

"So, Arnold knows you're pregnant too?" Lorenzo asked.

"Yeah, he's the only one I told—besides Nadine and Patty," Rhonda said." I didn't want anyone else to know but thanks to Curly, everyone knows now. Isn't that just lovely?"

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Lorenzo assured her, gently." Who cares what anyone thinks of you? You are still the same smart, ambitious, stylish, confident and beautiful Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd that you've always been. All you have to do is be firm with Curly and tell him your plans. If he loves you even half as much as I did, he'd be one hundred percent supportive. So, you're doing the right thing, Rhonda; don't doubt yourself not even for a second. Okay?"

Rhonda looked into his eyes, nodded and smiled.

"You are so sweet, Lorenzo," she said.

Lorenzo smiled back at Rhonda, put his arm around her and gave her a gentle kiss on her temple. She slowly leaned her head to the side, allowing it to rest on his shoulder. This moment felt so surreal for the two of them; being so close together without being too intimate. Rhonda almost forgot how endearingly passionate Lorenzo was. It was the same charm and tenderness he displayed on their first date, their first dance, their first kiss and the first time they made love—both of them were virgins sharing something so cherished and pure with each other. Rhonda felt as though she had good reason to let him go but now that they were reconnecting in a friendly manner, she finally began to take his feelings into consideration.

"Lorenzo?" she said.

"Yeah?"

"Did I really hurt you when I broke up with you?" Rhonda asked.

Lorenzo sighed a little and then responded." Yeah, you did."

"Well, I want you to know that I'm sorry," Rhonda told him, genuinely.

"It's okay," Lorenzo insisted." I understand why you broke up with me and I was able to tell that it wasn't easy for you to do."

"It definitely wasn't," Rhonda sighed.

"I'm sorry," Lorenzo told her." What we had was amazing and if I wasn't such a busy guy, it probably could have worked out. You know my parents had me involved in so many different activities to shape me into what they considered to be 'refined'. It consumed too much of my time. I wish I would've made more time to spend with you."

"I completely understand," Rhonda assured him." Parents can be so dictatorial…especially rich, sophisticated parents like yours and mine with their extraordinary standards. After my mom and dad demeaned me for becoming pregnant, I gave them a piece of my mind and shut them right up."

"You did the right thing," Lorenzo said." Sometimes even our own parents need to be put in their place. The moment I turned eighteen, that's when I demanded more freewill from my mom and dad. They didn't like it at first but they respected it."

"That's good."

Rhonda yawned due to sleepiness and shut her eyes, still laying her head on Lorenzo's shoulder.

"Are you tired?" Lorenzo asked.

"Yeah," Rhonda replied.

Lorenzo grabbed one of the sofa pillows and set it onto his lap. Rhonda kicked the slippers off of her feet and then lied down on her side, resting her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes but she wasn't asleep quite yet. Lorenzo softly stroked her long, black hair with his fingers. It was certain that they were going to miss each other; however, the bond that they were rebuilding that night made them both feel as though something was still there and what they once shared was never going to be completely over. IF that was the case, Rhonda had yet to see where life would take her or even how many men she'd go through before she reunites with Lorenzo—again, that's IF that was the case.

As Lorenzo continued to stroke her hair, Rhonda felt soothed and relaxed.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she whispered, with her eyes shut.

"Same here, Mami," Lorenzo agreed, softly." But don't say it like its 'farewell forever'. I'm always here for you. Whatever you need and whenever you need it, don't hesitate to contact me. Okay?"

"Okay."

Lorenzo proceeded to stroke Rhonda's hair. She fell into a blissful state of relaxation which eventually led to her falling asleep. Lorenzo smiled somewhat sadly, leaned down and kissed her softly on her cheek. He realized exactly how much he still loved this girl. He had faith in her inner strength to pursue her dreams and goals even with a baby on the way. He couldn't help but to wonder if the two of them would be in a similar predicament had they stayed together; more than likely not since they both were very responsible when they had sex. All Lorenzo could do was think about "what if". He was hurting to tell her that he still truly loved her but he made a conscious effort to keep it to himself out of respect for both his fiancée and the father of Rhonda's unborn child. While Rhonda was sleeping peacefully on his lap, Lorenzo lied back against the sofa and fell asleep as well.

Rhonda and Lorenzo slept and cuddled until well after sunrise. The rain gradually subsided by the morning. When they woke up, they cleaned themselves up—separately of course—and got dressed. The outfit that Rhonda arrived in was completely cleaned and dried for her to redress herself. What would be her last moment with Lorenzo—at least for the next few years—was over a scrumptious breakfast at an upscale restaurant. Although the two of them smiled and laughed during the entire conversation, they were still undeniably sad. Saying goodbye, even if it wasn't an eternal one, was hard to do. When they hugged, it took a lot of strength on both their parts to break their embrace. Rhonda, especially, had to fight to keep her tears hidden.

After parting ways with Lorenzo, Rhonda drove home to take a shower and change into a more comfortable outfit. No matter what the circumstances were, Rhonda Lloyd normally wouldn't be caught dead dressing down. However, she actually found herself in the mood to wear a humble outfit that consisted of a plain white T-shirt, jeans and white sneakers. When she finished dressing, she headed back outside to her car. All the while, she barely uttered anything more than a simple 'hello' to her parents and her aunt, for she was still upset with them and she was quite certain that they felt the same.

While Rhonda was driving, she connected her earpiece and called Curly, who answered his cell phone after only half a ring.

"Hello, babe," he said.

"Hi," Rhonda said." Are you busy? Can I come over?"

"C'mon, you know you don't even have to ask," Curly responded.

"Okay, so I'll see you in about five minutes," Rhonda told him." We really, really have to talk."

"Sure thing, baby," Curly said." See you then. Ciao."

After hanging up with Curly, Rhonda let out a deep breath. She prayed for strength and courage the same way she did when she was preparing to inform Curly of his impending fatherhood. Rhonda was dealing with an unpredictable character, no doubt. He didn't react to the revelation of her pregnancy the way she expected; therefore, there was no telling how he'd react to knowing that her mind was set on going forth with her original postsecondary school plans. However, the truth had to be laid out on the table no matter what.

When she arrived at Curly's house, they headed straight upstairs to his bedroom and shut the door. Curly's parents weren't home at the moment. His bedroom had a darkly glamorous theme to it which included various paintings of vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, dragons and wizards all over the walls. He also had framed posters of different rock bands and vintage sex symbols, actresses and characters such as Marilyn Monroe, Lena Horne, Jane Fonda, Lillian Russell, Billie Holiday, Lucille Ball and Betty Boop. On his door was a large poster of his all-time favorite musician and idol—Marilyn Manson. Trendily uncanny and stylishly bizarre were two of Curly's most prominent traits; his bedroom added even more emphasis to his personality.

Curly took a seat at his computer desk while Rhonda sat at the foot of the bed.

"Are you thirsty, babe?" Curly asked.

"No."

"Did you have fun last night?"

"Yeah, I did," Rhonda replied, quietly.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?" Curly asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure," Rhonda said." Curly, let's not beat around the bush too much, okay? I have something very important to talk to you about."

"Okay, I'm sorry for giving everybody such a fright last night," Curly told her, quickly." I wasn't really going to hurt anyone."

Rhonda rolled her eyes; she hated when Curly spoke for her and assumed what she was going to say.

"That wasn't exactly what I came here to talk to you about but since you brought it up—what the hell were you thinking?" Rhonda asked, sharply.

"I just wanted to put a stop to that huge scuffle that was taking place," Curly insisted." Harold, Sid and Stinky were this close to getting sliced like ham. Wolfgang and his buddies are bad news. I saw that horrified expression on your face and it pained me. So, I did what I had to do."

"You scared the shit out of me, Curly," Rhonda debated." Had you used a little common sense, you would have known that there was no way all of us were going to stand there and just watchthem get sliced to bits. So, believe me when I say Wolfgang, Ludwig and Junito wouldn't have gone very far with those switchblades—not with Lorenzo, Arnold, Gerald and everyone else standing around. With that being said, I wasn't quite 'horrified' until you caused such a horrendous scene, driving by and firing bullets into the air! Where the hell did you get that thing anyway?"

"My dad's cousin owns a gun shop in Virginia," Curly told her.

"Well, you need a license to carry a firearm in this state," Rhonda pointed." Anyway, forget about that. Let's get back to what I was trying to tell you. I'm—"

"You do accept my apology though, right babe?" Curly asked.

"Yes!" Rhonda exclaimed, in frustration." Yes! I do. Now will you please stop interrupting me?"

"Okay, sorry."

"Curly, I love you and I don't want to hurt you but I have to do what's best for me," Rhonda stated.

Curly paused, blinked a couple of times and silently waited for her to continue.

"I'm still going to Zax-Scesney at the end of this week," she told him.

"But you can't," Curly said, softly." We already agreed that you'd stay here with me for our baby's sake."

"Curly, you're wrong," Rhonda said." We didn't agree to anything. That's what you wanted to happen."

"Oh really?" Curly responded, doubtfully." So, why are you telling me this just now?"

"Because you don't make things easy for me—at all," Rhonda insisted.

"What do you mean, Rhonda?"

"What I mean is that you always speak for me instead of listening to me," Rhonda explained, sternly." I tried to tell you that I'm still going away but you wouldn't even let me get a single word out, so I just gave up for a while. But I never actually told you that I'm staying here with you."

"But Rhonda…..we're having a baby," Curly stated, feeling hurt." Babies tend to interfere with people's plans. That's the way it goes."

"Not always," Rhonda said, shaking her head." A baby may make my life a little harder but I can still do this. Zax-Scesney is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"And it's all the way in California," Curly pointed out." I'll never see my child!"

"Yes, you will," Rhonda assured him." I promise."

"But what about us?" Curly asked, sadly." What about you and me? If you really loved me, you wouldn't go."

"Curly, you're wrong again," Rhonda responded." If you really loved me, you'd be a little more understanding and supportive, even if it hurts."

"Hurts?" Curly reacted, on the brink of tears." It's worse than hurt. You're breaking my heart, Rhonda; tearing it to shreds. It's like you don't even care how I feel."

"You cannot be serious!" Rhonda exclaimed." I'm trying to do what's best for my life—which will also benefit our baby—and you're sitting here looking at me as if I'm some selfish, coldhearted bitch! I can't believe you!"

"Admit it, Rhonda; you just don't want to be with me," Curly argued." That's what this is really about. You had a blast at Lorenzo's party, sparks started flying between you two again and now you're ready to push me aside. I should have seen it coming."

"Curly, this has nothing to do with Lorenzo and don't you dare patronize me like that," Rhonda stated, angrily." I'm just trying to tell you—you know what? Screw this. I feel like I'm going in circles. You're hearing me but you're not really listening. I'm just wasting my time."

With that, she stood up and started walking towards the bedroom door. She grabbed the doorknob but before she had a chance to turn it, she heard Curly's angry outburst.

"Don't you dare talk to me about how much time you wasted, Rhonda Lloyd," he growled." Do you think just because you took me to the prom and fucked my brains out all summer long that you deserve some kind of medal? I've been pining over your snobbish ass since I was nine years old; that's half of my life right there. So, screw you for bitching about one whole stupid summer! Give me a fucking break! I may love you very much but you're not that special. I only want you to stay because you happened to have gotten knocked up. Otherwise, I'd happily give you an extra shove towards the airport."

"Okay, I tried to be nice to you but now you're being a complete fucking jerk," Rhonda snarled." And that's all the more reason to be brutally blunt with you. I was going to figure out a way for us to somehow maintain a relationship but you blew it, mister. My mind is made up and there's nothing you can say or do about that; so cry me a goddamn river, build a bridge and get the hell over it! I'm leaving. Bye!"

"Goodbye to you too, you narcissistic bitch!" Curly snapped.

Rhonda was appalled at his audacity as he walked over towards her with a furious scowl.

"Like I said, Rhonda, you're not that special," Curly continued." You think your God's gift to men? Give me a break! What are all those snobby Zax-Scesney jocks going to think of you sporting a humongous, pregnant belly around campus? Oh yeah. They're going to think you're a slut—just like your parents think of you."

In all actuality, Curly didn't mean half of the cold words that escaped from his mouth. Due to his hurt feelings, he was speaking without thinking. However, Rhonda was still infuriated as hot, angry tears welled up in her eyes. Without warning, her hand impulsively flew up and slapped Curly across the face. His head turned for a brief moment and then he glared back at Rhonda with an equal mixture of resentment and gloom in his eyes. For several seconds, they locked eyes on each other coldly.

"Don't ever speak to me again," Rhonda finally stated, harshly." Not only am I throughwith you, your unborn child is through with you too. You'll never see him or her."

Curly was instantly crushed as Rhonda opened the door and stomped out of his bedroom. Regretting what he said to her, he desperately walked after her, apologizing frantically.

"Rhonda, I'm sorry," he said.

"Go straight to hell, Curly," she snapped.

"Rhonda please, I didn't mean it," Curly pleaded.

Rhonda ignored him as she kept walking. Curly continued to follow her and beg her for forgiveness until she exited the front door, slamming it behind her.

"I'm sorry, Rhonda," Curly began to cry, even though she couldn't hear him.

As soon as he heard the sound of her starting her engine and pulling away from the curb, tears rolled down the sides of his face. Feeling sorrowful and melancholy, Curly removed his glasses, buried his face into his hands and sobbed.

Meanwhile, an equally hurt Rhonda was driving when she called Nadine's cell phone.

"Hello?" Nadine answered.

"Hi Nadine, please tell me you're not busy," Rhonda said.

"Um, I'm at Sid's right now," Nadine told her." Are you okay?"

"No, I finally told Curly the truth and he acted like a total asshole," Rhonda responded, emotionally." I really need someone to talk to, specifically my girls."

"Okay, let's meet at the park or something," Nadine agreed." Sid has to go to work in two hours anyway."

"With a black eye?" Rhonda questioned, concernedly.

"I asked him the same thing but he insists on going," Nadine responded." I give him props though; he's not usually that brave. Anyway, I'll meet you at the park as soon as I can."

"Thanks Nadine," Rhonda said." Call Patty and ask her if she can come too."

"Sure."

Less than twenty minutes later, Rhonda, Nadine and Patty were all at the park, sitting on a bench in a shady spot under a large tree. Nadine and Patty were both spending time with their boyfriends before they came to the park; but their loyalty to Rhonda was undeniable seeing as they dropped what they were doing, without hesitation, to be there for their friend. Rhonda commenced to share all of the details of her dispute with Curly. Nadine and Patty listened to her compassionately.

"Wow, I can't believe he would say that to you," Patty commented." What an ass."

"He seriously needs to get a grip," Nadine stated." Curly, Patty and I are all going to the same college. If Patty and I—your best friends in the whole world—can accept that you're leaving, then so can he."

"Curly is just out of his mind," Rhonda said, shaking her head." The guy needs help. I love him and all but he is so…insane."

"I still can't believe he pulled up in front of Lorenzo's place shooting up the air," Patty said." He scared everybody shitless."

"Oh, don't remind me," Rhonda groaned." He claims he did it to save Harold, Sid and Stinky from getting stabbed."

"There was no way anyone was going to allow that to happen," Nadine stated." Junito and them wouldn't have had the chance to stab them without everybody jumping their asses."

"I said the same thing," Rhonda responded." Curly is not as sly as he think he is. I know what he was really up to. I'm willing to bet that he was discreetly parked outside the entire time, wondering if something was going on between me and Lorenzo at the party."

"Do you think he's jealous?" Patty asked.

"I know he is," Rhonda replied, shaking her head." It's pathetic."

"Well, at the end of the day, you're doing the right thing," Nadine assured her." That's all that matters."

Rhonda nodded and sighed. As expected, her two best girlfriends provided her with the comfort and support that she needed. Life just wouldn't be the same without them; Zax-Scesney University was right around the corner. Although Rhonda strongly desired to go, she was well aware of just how much she'd miss Nadine, Patty and everyone else she grew up with.

About an hour later, the girls decided to go to Slausen's. Ice cream has always been tasty to them but for some reason, it was extremely delicious to them during pregnancy. Rhonda felt better after talking to Nadine and Patty. She decided to think positive and remain confident that her best friends would always be there for her no matter how far apart they were. Just as they've done on numerous occasions, the three girls laughed and talked as they hungrily devoured their ice cream.

"No way, Nadine!" Rhonda exclaimed, with a laugh.

"You're seriously going to name your baby 'Butterfly' if it turns out to be a girl?" Patty questioned, with a smirk.

"What's wrong with that?" Nadine asked.

"Nadine, we all know that you adore insects—but come on," Rhonda responded, bewildered.

"You guys don't like it?" Nadine asked.

"Not even remotely," Rhonda replied, bluntly.

"No, I don't like it—no offense," Patty added.

Nadine shrugged; it was just a thought. She still had roughly seven months to decide on a name. The girls chatted for a couple more minutes until Rhonda heard her phone ringing and vibrating inside of her purse. So, she stood up and stepped away from the table as she glanced at the caller's ID. Rhonda didn't quite recognize the telephone number but she answered it anyway. Meanwhile, Patty and Nadine continued to talk.

"Harold wants a boy," Patty said.

"So does Sid," Nadine told her.

"Boys always wantboys, it never fails," Patty commented.

"That's true," Nadine nodded.

Suddenly, they heard a hoarse gasp of fright escape from Rhonda's throat. Instantly concerned, Patty and Nadine turned around. While Rhonda held her cell phone to her ear with her right hand, she had her left hand clasped over her mouth and her eyes were widened with distress. Whoever the caller was and whatever he/she had to say apparently alarmed her.

"Oh my God," Rhonda sobbingly spoke to the caller." I can't believe this. Yes. Okay. Okay, Mr. Gammelthorpe, I'll be there right away."

After Rhonda hung up, she trembled fretfully and exhaled three times in a row. Nadine and Patty quickly hurried towards her.

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

Rhonda sobbed a little and responded." That was Curly's dad. Curly's in the hospital. He just tried to kill himself."

Nadine and Patty both gasped.

"Oh shit," Nadine said, in terror.

"I-I gotta go," Rhonda stuttered, tearfully." I gotta get over there."

Without another word, Rhonda quickly bolted out of the door to her car. Nadine and Patty would have gone with her but she was just too fast—and for good reason. They sadly hoped that everything would be turn out to be okay.

(You're way too beautiful, girl. That's why it'll never work. You'll have me suicidal, suicidal—when you say it's over.) (Curly's thoughts about Rhonda)