We’d thought that would be the end of it, but she threw us a curve ball a few days ago. That curve ball being that James wasn’t even Janie’s father.
What Janie’s mother failed to realize was that it didn’t matter to James. Janie would forever be James’ little girl, whether it was by blood, or by love. He would fight her until he died, and he would never give up. Seeing my best friend suffer like this really made my blood boil. I hadn’t realized that he was so low though. I would have to keep a closer eye on him just to make sure he didn’t do anything crazy.
“You don’t look old enough to be a father of a five year old.” Bennett supplied his two cents.
“I was young, barely twenty when she was born. I was already enlisted, so I couldn’t back out without being court martialed. Sucked pretty fucking bad.” James told Bennett.
Bennett looked over his shoulder, and then looked back at us. He opened his mouth, and closed it before anything came out. Repeatedly he opened his mouth to say something and the closed it. He looked like a fucking fish in a fish bowl.
He must have mustered up the courage, because suddenly he blurted, “We had unprotected sex three weeks ago; she thought she was pregnant, but we haven’t done a thingy yet.”
We watched him in silence for a few minutes. Jack looked like he was struggling to hold in his laughter. James was doing the fish thing himself now, so I guess that left me being the grownup.
“Well, by thingy you mean pregnancy test, right?” I clarified.
He nodded, so I continued. “Well, then she needs to see a doctor even more than ever. Payton will convince her though, don’t worry. Do you love her?” I asked bluntly.
“Yeah, like crazy.” Bennett insisted.
I didn’t have anything else grown up to say, so I stayed silent for a while, trying to think of what to say next. The thought of “you’re fucked” kept crossing my mind, but I couldn’t do that to him. He was so young; there was no way he was going to be able to do this on his own. His sister was going to fucking flip. Let alone his father. Hell, I haven’t even met him yet and I knew he was going to flip.
Jesus. Sometimes I felt like I lived in a fucking soap opera. Secret babies. Secret marriages. Hasty marriages because you knocked up your girl. Lies. Back stabbing. Killing. Murder. Teenage pregnancy. I’m pretty sure I’m the only normal one in this bunch, and that’s not saying much. I’d just gone through my own amnesia, near death experience, and forgetting the woman I loved.
“What are you guys whispering about in here?” Payton asked from the doorway that led to the back bedrooms and hallway.
“Ugh, well, um, you see, well…” Bennett sputtered.
“Your brother knocked his girl up, and now he’s not sure if he wants to tell you or not. I told him he needed to since she needed to go to the hospital. Yelling later, hospital now. Shake a leg.” I said as I marched to the front door and held it open.
No one moved, not that that surprised me much. Payton took over the fish expression. Bennett had his head buried in his hands. James was burying his head into the pillow on the couch, and Jack was still silently laughing.
Payton was the first to overcome her surprise. “Jesus Christ, Bennett! How many times did I go out and buy you fucking condoms? I even got you the flavored, lubed, ribbed for her pleasure ones! I showed you pictures of STDs! What the fuck?” She finished on a yell.
“Bennett sunk deeper into himself, his head between his knees now.
“Now, Payton. We didn’t wear condoms our first time either. Sometimes shit just happens.” I said from the open doorway.
Shit really didn’t just happen. We’d had the talk a couple of weeks ago. She’d asked about my sexual history, and we had the “talk,” you know, the one where you list out all
What Janie’s mother failed to realize was that it didn’t matter to James. Janie would forever be James’ little girl, whether it was by blood, or by love. He would fight her until he died, and he would never give up. Seeing my best friend suffer like this really made my blood boil. I hadn’t realized that he was so low though. I would have to keep a closer eye on him just to make sure he didn’t do anything crazy.
“You don’t look old enough to be a father of a five year old.” Bennett supplied his two cents.
“I was young, barely twenty when she was born. I was already enlisted, so I couldn’t back out without being court martialed. Sucked pretty fucking bad.” James told Bennett.
Bennett looked over his shoulder, and then looked back at us. He opened his mouth, and closed it before anything came out. Repeatedly he opened his mouth to say something and the closed it. He looked like a fucking fish in a fish bowl.
He must have mustered up the courage, because suddenly he blurted, “We had unprotected sex three weeks ago; she thought she was pregnant, but we haven’t done a thingy yet.”
We watched him in silence for a few minutes. Jack looked like he was struggling to hold in his laughter. James was doing the fish thing himself now, so I guess that left me being the grownup.
“Well, by thingy you mean pregnancy test, right?” I clarified.
He nodded, so I continued. “Well, then she needs to see a doctor even more than ever. Payton will convince her though, don’t worry. Do you love her?” I asked bluntly.
“Yeah, like crazy.” Bennett insisted.
I didn’t have anything else grown up to say, so I stayed silent for a while, trying to think of what to say next. The thought of “you’re fucked” kept crossing my mind, but I couldn’t do that to him. He was so young; there was no way he was going to be able to do this on his own. His sister was going to fucking flip. Let alone his father. Hell, I haven’t even met him yet and I knew he was going to flip.
Jesus. Sometimes I felt like I lived in a fucking soap opera. Secret babies. Secret marriages. Hasty marriages because you knocked up your girl. Lies. Back stabbing. Killing. Murder. Teenage pregnancy. I’m pretty sure I’m the only normal one in this bunch, and that’s not saying much. I’d just gone through my own amnesia, near death experience, and forgetting the woman I loved.
“What are you guys whispering about in here?” Payton asked from the doorway that led to the back bedrooms and hallway.
“Ugh, well, um, you see, well…” Bennett sputtered.
“Your brother knocked his girl up, and now he’s not sure if he wants to tell you or not. I told him he needed to since she needed to go to the hospital. Yelling later, hospital now. Shake a leg.” I said as I marched to the front door and held it open.
No one moved, not that that surprised me much. Payton took over the fish expression. Bennett had his head buried in his hands. James was burying his head into the pillow on the couch, and Jack was still silently laughing.
Payton was the first to overcome her surprise. “Jesus Christ, Bennett! How many times did I go out and buy you fucking condoms? I even got you the flavored, lubed, ribbed for her pleasure ones! I showed you pictures of STDs! What the fuck?” She finished on a yell.
“Bennett sunk deeper into himself, his head between his knees now.
“Now, Payton. We didn’t wear condoms our first time either. Sometimes shit just happens.” I said from the open doorway.
Shit really didn’t just happen. We’d had the talk a couple of weeks ago. She’d asked about my sexual history, and we had the “talk,” you know, the one where you list out all
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