by Laci Maskell
Amelia’s house is almost the size of mine, just like the rest of the houses in our neck of the woods. The Carters’ home is well decorated, also like the rest of the houses. Each home, any home I have been in, has a certain theme. My parents have chosen an antique theme, antique furniture, antique clocks, silverware, and so on. Tyler’s family has the down home, southern theme. Liam’s family’s home has a British theme.
As I am examining Amelia’s parents new china hutch, Amelia walks down the Carter’s center staircase, wearing a floor length sky blue dress which has a halter top and from the waist down is made of sky blue feathers. Amelia’s long blonde hair is in a curly up do with a few long strands purposely escaping. She looks as beautiful as ever and she knows it. Her makeup and shoes match her dress.
Amelia meets me at the bottom of the stairs and places her arm around mine. Her parents take a mass amount of pictures then we head to my car.
When we leave her house, Amelia turns to me and asks, “Are you ready for this, my king?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I tell her. If she only knew how ready she should be for tonight.
When we reach the school, we meet Jesse, Tyler, Liam, Elizabeth, and Hailey outside so we can make an entrance. Intimidation has always been key to our success.
We walk in all graceful and poised and the entirety of the gym turns our way, even Leah and Lux. She is so amazingly beautiful, she glows.
Glances are exchanged, pictures are taken, then Amelia, Jesse, I, and the rest of our friends find a table, in the center of them all, to sit at. The dance is already in full swing, we like to show up fashionably late.
My friends and I dance as a group in the center of the dance floor to the fast songs. We break apart into couples for the slow songs. I am once again a part of the group, but I can’t help looking over to Lux every few minutes. She looks bored but not like she is miserable. I wish so badly I could go to her, dance with her, kiss her, hold her in my arms.
In the second hour of the dance, the Sweetheart couple is announced. Our principle gets on stage in front of the mic. To each of his sides are last year’s king and queen with this year’s envelopes and crowns. Everyone but my friends and I move close to the stage. We like a long look-at-me walk to the stage when we win. There is no surprise when Amelia’s name is called and she walks to the stage to be crowned. But, I have been distant and distracted in the past few months and I think Jesse will get the crown. That is okay though, because I don’t want the crown. I don’t want the attention it gives the winner. I just want to be with Lux and under the radar.
But, as I wish I had a low profile, the principal calls my name and I can feel Jesse and Liam patting me on the back and my own legs carry me to the stage.
Last year’s king places a crown on my head and I smile as flashes blind me. Amelia and I climb down the stairs and walk to the center of the dance floor for the Sweetheart’s dance. Afterwards, the dance is a bit of a blur and I just want it to be over so I can be with Lux.
I really don’t pay much attention to the happenings around me until I hear Tyler say, “Go dance with her, Greyson. I dare you.”
I come to and realize I am staring at Lux. Tyler must have seen me and thought I was staring at her because she is an outcast.
“What?” I ask.
“Go dance with her. It will blow her mind. And we’ll all get a kick out of it,” Liam says, indicating the rest of our friends.
I look to Jesse to get his opinion on it. I know Jesse and Lux have a better relationship than he will tell anyone so I don’t want him to think this is a bad idea. In way of an answer, he shrugs his shoulders, tilts his head to the side, and squinches up his face as if to say he doesn’t know. What a load of help.
Amelia glares, Elizabeth and Hailey look as if they could care less, Tyler and Liam jab my arms as if to egg me on.
“No way man,” I say, in fear that if I dance with her, my feelings for her will be evident.
“What?” Tyler asks. “Are you too chicken?”
“No, I just don’t want to,” I say nonchalantly.
Liam crosses his arms and says, “I double dare you.”
I am dying to dance with her and maybe I could get something out of it. “If I do it, what do I get?”
“What?”
“If I do it, I’m not doing it for nothing,” I say in my old Greyson voice. “What do I get?”
Liam thinks about this for a bit then looks down at his left wrist. “My Rolex,” he says.
That’s a dang fine watch. “Alright,” I say and begin my walk to Lux. Everyone in my path looks after me and I can only imagine that is what Tyler wanted. When I get to Lux, she looks up at me with a what-on-earth-are-you-doing-slash-thinking look. I smile at her and ask, “Lux, will you dance with me?”
“People can see,” Lux says in a whisper through her teeth.
“I was dared,” I say, using my sly voice and winking at her.
“Clever,” she says, shaking her head.
“I try.”
“What do you get if you do it?”
“A Rolex.”
“And what do I get?”
“Time with me.”
“Lucky me,” she says, shaking her head sarcastically.
Lux looks around the gym and I am afraid she won’t dance with me, but then she stands up and I hold out my hand to her. We walk together out to the dance floor as Nickelback’s “Lullaby” begins to play.
We dance and it is wonderful, if not a little awkward. I’ve never danced with a pregnant person before.
I stare at Lux while we dance and I can’t help but say, “You look so beautiful.”
Lux almost laughs but sadly says, “I look fat and ugly.”
“You couldn’t be more beautiful to me,” I say sincerely.
Lux smiles and says, “Call the doctor, you’re delusional.”
I chuckle and say, “And you’re a smart ass.”
Lux shrugs her shoulders and we continue dancing. Listening to the song, its lyrics, fits Lux and I so perfectly.
I wish so badly I could make her happy. She deserves so much to be happy.
As the song nears to an end, Lux looks around, then looks up at me and says, “Look, they’re all talking about us.”
“So they talk,” I say, tired of all the bullshit of this school and my friends. “Who cares? We know the truth.”
“It still hurts, Greyson.” Lux says, angry.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her.
She looks up at me, teary eyed. Being this close to her I wish I could kiss her. And that is exactly what I tell her. “I want to kiss you so badly.”
Tears roll down Lux’s face. Not sad tears, but not happy tears. Frustrated tears. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this,” Lux says and walks away from me and out of the gym.
I take a second to collect myself and walk back to my friends. I feel Lux’s frustration.
“Were you going to kiss her?” Amelia asks, disgusted.
“No,” I say coolly. “I told her she was fat and ugly. Didn’t you see her run away?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Amelia says.
I look to Liam, hold out my hand and say, “Hand it over.”
Reluctantly, he unclasps his watch and hands it to me. I place it on my wrist then say. “I need some air,” and walk out of the gym. I hope I can find Lux.
I walk out of the school, into the cold, and find Lux sitting on a snow covered bench to the right of the door.
I rush to her and say, “What are you doing? It’s freezing out here.”
“I was hot,” she says simply.
I brush snow off the bench and sit next to her. “I’m sorry for…in there.”
“It’s alright.”
“I want to make you happy, Lux. I don’t want you to be sad anymore.”
“I’ll be okay.”
I turn to Lux and take her face in my hands. “Lux, I-“
“Greyson! What are you doing with her?” Amelia asks, aghast.
&n
bsp; I turn to see Amelia, Jesse, Liam, Elizabeth, Tyler, and Hailey standing ahead of us. Leah rushes out of the door just behind them. She comes to stand by us and I’m thankful. We could use backup.
I could lie to my friends. I could keep myself in their graces a bit longer. But I don’t want to. I want them to know the person I have become. I want them to see that there is another way. I want them to know that a person like me, who has everything they could ever hope for, is no better or worse than a person like Lux, who has so much to hope for.
I look at them all, determined, and say, “She’s carrying my baby.”
All of their eyes widen and many mouths drop. Amelia looks humiliated and Jesse looks pissed.
“So you’re the bastard’s father,” Jesse says with a hint of righteous indignation in his voice. But what right does he have?
I honestly can’t believe this has come from him. Jesse is the one who said he felt bad for Lux. Jesse is the one who told me she isn’t as bad as we were all lead to believe. Jesse is my best friend and the one who should have my back. But instead I feel like he stabbed me in the back.
I lunge for Jesse, my fist out stretched, and connect it with his face. Jesse straightens up and punches me in the jaw. Before long, Liam and Tyler have joined in and the girls are screaming. I am punched in the side and a few times in the face. But I can’t stop myself. My best friend just called my baby a bastard.
From a distance I can hear Lux yell, “Greyson, stop!” and I do.
Jesse, Liam, and Tyler also stop. We all stand apart from each other, our stances hunched, our glances crazed, and our breathing heavy.
“Why are you with her?” Amelia asks.
“Why are you sleeping with my best friend?” I counter.
“Is that what this is about?” Jesse and Amelia both ask in synch.
“No. Not at all. I’m with Lux because I love her.”
Amelia gasps as if I have slapped her. I glare at them all hatefully then walk over to Lux, take her hand, and we walk away from all of my now exfriends. Leah follows us, but not before she tells her brother to go to Hell. Lux, Leah, and I get into my car and drive to her house.
When we get to Lux’s, she says, “Come inside. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
It’s then that I realize I am bleeding. We walk into Lux’s house. Her parents are waiting up for her and are surprised to see me. And to see me beat up.
“What happened?” Lux’s dad asks.
“I told my friends that I am the father of Lux’s baby,” I say sadly.
I am sad. For as long as I have been in school, those six people were my people. They were my core friends. They were the people I spent all my time with. And now, with four words, I’ve lost them. I’m not a guy who loses a lot. This feels like I’ve lost too much. As thankful as I am not to have to hide Lux and the baby, I am less thankful I’ve lost my best friend.
“I take it didn’t go so well,” my mom says.
“No ma’am,” I say.
“Are you okay, Lux?” Lux’s dad asks. “Is the baby okay? Do you need to lie down?”
“I’m just fine, Dad,” she tells him.
“I’ll get the first aid kit and a wash cloth,” her mom says.
Lux takes me into the kitchen and her mom brings in the first aid kit and wash cloth. Lux wets the wash cloth and starts cleaning off my face. Leah sits on a chair and watches. I think Leah and I are feeling pretty similar at this point. I know she’s angry at her brother for what he said, I’m also angry, but we both just lost someone who is central to our lives. I think I get now what Lux was feeling when her brother left her.
“I’m sorry,” Lux says, “but you’re friends really suck.”
“Ha,” Leah practically shouts.
“I’m sorry for what Jesse said,” I tell her. Sorry will never be sorry enough.
Lux continues to clean my face and without looking at me she says, “It is what it is.”
I cup her chin with my hand to make her look at me. “Don’t you dare say that. Do you hear me?” I ask.
Lux nods her head but looks as if she’s about to cry.
“Our baby is not a bastard and it is not what it is. Do you understand me? Tomorrow Jesse is going to realize what an ass he was and he is going to feel terrible. Our baby is perfect and we do not need anyone to tell us otherwise. You got that?”
Lux nods but allows a few tears to fall from her eyes.
When Lux is finished cleaning my wounds, she, Leah, and I make our way to the living room, sprawl out on the couch and watch a movie. Lux soon falls asleep. Leah and I share a deep glance with each other but don’t say a word. Our look speaks volumes. She’s sorry about my friends. We’re both sorry about Jesse. I’m sorry about Jesse. She’s proud of me for telling the truth. I’m proud she always stands by Lux. Volumes.
After Lux fell asleep her parents came in to check on us and said Leah and I could stay the night if we needed or wanted to. I’m praying my ex friends have sense enough not to tell my parents about the baby until I can do it myself. But if they do, then yes, I will need to stay at Lux’s house. But if they don’t, I do want to stay here and wake up to tell Lux she is my girlfriend whether she wants to be or not.
Leah and I watch Lux sleep for a moment to make sure she is peaceful and not plagued by what happened tonight, then fall asleep on either side of her.
Chapter Eighteen
Thirty One Weeks
Lux
It’s a weird feeling having a boyfriend. Even the word boyfriend doesn’t seem to fit what Greyson is. It is even weirder to have a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. I’ve always thought of Valentine’s as Singles Awareness Day, and now I have someone other than Leah to share it with.
I can’t be in school to celebrate with him, but Greyson is coming over later tonight to see me. I can’t wait. It may be weird to have a boyfriend, but it is also exhilarating. I get chills thinking about kissing him or being held by him. I sound like all the girls I’ve ever made fun of, but I could care less.
Greyson is finally getting over the backlash our peers gave him after the dance. He has become an outcast. The only person in the school willing to hang out with him or sit with him at lunch, bless her soul, is Leah. Jesse, of course, now barely talks to her or looks at her. But Leah is the same way. She curses her brother and the rest of the group every day. Some days she swears she will never speak to her brother again. I want to thank her for her support and loyalty, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel bad for Jesse. It hurts that he called my baby a bastard, but I think he was just acting out of betrayal. Greyson has spent seven months lying to his best friend, the least he should have expected is an insult and a punch in the face. But, either way, the Posh People have elected a new king.
I’m not sure if it is because the school hates me that they have taken this stance against Greyson, or if they all feel betrayed by their king. Whichever it is, I feel miserable about it. Greyson hasn’t heard a kind word from his so called friends since the night of the dance. He hasn’t heard any word. They don’t even make fun of him in the hallways. Amelia and Jesse are now a couple. Greyson is actually happy for them. I don’t understand it. He is still their friend when they snubbed him. I don’t think he will ever be able to forgive Jesse for what he said, though. Some things cut too deep. I feel utterly and completely guilty. Greyson has come to hate school, if it weren’t for him needing to attend all of his classes in order to graduate, he would more than likely skip it. I almost wish I could go to school to be with him and Leah. I don’t know that I would be any help to their social image. But I could lend some moral support.
However sad I am about it, I love having Greyson as my boyfriend. We have had the most fantastic week together. We relax together on the couch and watch movies. We do homework on the couch together. We play board games on the floor. I am still on bed rest and not really allowed to do much of anything. Leah comes over all the time and we all hang out together. Leah and I have gotten to know Gre
yson better as has he gotten to know us better. He constantly, profusely apologizes for what he used to think of us and how he used to treat us. All has been forgiven and we have all become incredibly close.
These are some of the things I think about as I sit and watch my talk shows. Shows whose hours are entirely dedicated to Valentine’s Day, meals to cook for your loved one, gifts to give to your loved one, the best sex positions for the evening, new lingerie to wear for your loved one, and so on. Being eight months pregnant kind of puts sex out of the question for me. Not to mention the fact that the act of getting pregnant was the only time I’ve ever had sex. I’m a little more than afraid of the day, after the baby is born, and Greyson and I can have sex again. I may not have been a part of the Posh People but I know enough about them to know Greyson and Amelia went at it like rabbits. I’m afraid I won’t be ready. I’m afraid I won’t live up to Greyson’s expectations. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint him. I’m afraid we won’t do it enough for his taste and he’ll find another girl who will satisfy his needs.
I really need to stop thinking.
Right as The Chew is about to come on, I get a text from Greyson,
Mr. Rush is batshit crazy today. He’s probably pissed I’m the one who gets to kiss you tonight.
I laugh for a second then think better of it. Besides the fact that he had a misguided crush on me, not that I didn’t return that crush for a minute, but Mr. Rush is a great guy. He’s a great teacher and a nice person and I hate to see what negative effect I’ve had on him.
Be nice,
I text back to Greyson.
Alright. I can’t wait to see you after school. The clock is mocking me.
He replies.
I text back,
In four more talk shows you will be here.
Gotta love your math skills. Well, I’m just going to go eat lunch in the library,
he writes.
Three seconds later he writes,
Don’t feel bad for me. I’ll see you soon.
He can say it, but that doesn’t make me feel any better about his situation. But, at this current moment, there is nothing four chefs and I can do about it. After the baby is born, I can go back to school, Leah, Greyson, and I will be able to comfort each other, then Greyson will graduate and this whole mess will be behind us.