Next in Line

by R. L. Wilson

  “I’m just going to go outside and get some air” I told Emma. She just nodded and continued dancing.

  When I got outside, all the seats were taken so I leaned up against a wall and sighed. I tried not to think about Blake but I was failing miserably. After two years of a relationship he breaks up with me so he can basically dry hump other girls on the dance floor.

  I leaned my head on the wall and closed my eyes while I tried to clear my mind of all things Blake. I felt someone lean against the wall next to me but I kept my eyes closed figuring Emma had decided to join me.

  “Well it doesn’t take you long to move on, does it?” I heard a deep voice say. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know that the person next to me was Blake but it still doesn’t stop my eyes from popping open.

  “I could say the exact same thing to you. At least I wasn’t basically dry humping people on the dance floor” I snapped. Deciding that I wasn’t in the mood to argue with Blake, I turned to walk away but he caught my arm and pulled me back so I was standing directly in front of him. I gasped a little from his closeness and his lips pulled up into a smirk.

  Damn my stupid body for enjoying the closeness when I was trying to be strong and do what I knew deep down was the better option for me, but I just can’t seem to shake off Blake Andrews.

  Deciding that I was still extremely mad at him I pulled my arm at his grip and folded them across my chest and stared into his eyes, hoping that I looked as mad and annoyed as I felt.

  Blake stepped even closer to me and quietly said “I hate it when you go out with Emma. She’s a bad influence on you.” I really hope this wasn’t Blake’s way of trying to make things better, because all it did was make me angrier.

  He gently stroked the back of his hand down my face and I felt some of the anger start to fade away. “You look amazing tonight” He said quietly before gently gripping my neck and pulling me towards him where he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Come on, let’s go home and maybe we can talk?” Even though he said it as a question I knew that he was telling me that I was leaving with him now whether I liked it or not. Even though I knew that I should have stayed strong and not given in to the desire that I had for him, I couldn’t help myself.

  “Okay. I’ll just text Emma and let her know that I’m leaving with you.” Blake had a smug look on his face which I knew was because he was getting everything that he wanted from me like he always did. He knows just how crazy I am about him and he uses it to get his own way. My love for him is my biggest weakness.

  I sent Emma a text telling her that I was with Blake and we were going home to talk and that I promised I would explain everything to her tomorrow. I knew she wasn’t going to be happy but in the end she only wants me to be happy. Even if that means being with someone who she doesn’t like and thinks is poison for me. But that’s exactly why she’s my best friend.

  Chapter Two

  Bianca

  It’s been a week since Emma and I went to the club. Blake has been coming around more and things are starting to feel pretty normal between us now. I wish that I could say that I couldn’t be happier but today that definitely wasn’t true because I was sitting in a doctor’s office with Blake and Emma on either side of me waiting quietly while the doctor read over my test results.

  I bounced my leg up and down and was picking at my finger nails when I felt Emma place her hand on my leg. I know she hates it when people bounce their legs but I just couldn’t help myself. I’m so nervous and it’s not making me feel any better that both Emma and Blake seem to be completely calm right now.

  The doctor clicked his tongue once while still looking at the piece of paper in his hand. I was beginning to get angry. How hard is it to read test results off of a piece of paper?

  After what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds the doctor finally put the stupid piece of paper down and cleared his throat. “Well Miss Coleman, it looks like you are in fact pregnant.” Well crap. I’d suspected that I’m pregnant for weeks but it’s completely different to hear the doctor confirm it. Emma squeezed my leg and I heard Blake sigh but I couldn’t really react yet. It was still sinking in.

  When none of us said anything the doctor looked back at the piece of paper and continued. “We suspect that you’re about 10 weeks along and -.” “What?” We all shouted at the same time cutting the doctor off from saying whatever he was going to say next.

  The doctor stared at all of us for a few seconds before grabbing a card out of his desk and handing it to me. “There is a number on there that you can call and make an appointment. Congratulations.” “Oh, Thanks” I replied as I grabbed the card from the doctor. I sat there staring at the card in my hand thinking about the life that was growing inside of me.

  The entire situation was hard to swallow and it made me feel sick. Well that, or I was nauseas from being pregnant. Pregnant. It feels so strange to think of me actually being pregnant.

  I felt Blake nudge me in the arm and that’s when I realised the doctor had been speaking to me and I hadn’t heard a single thing that he had said. “Huh?” I replied. I saw Blake shake his head out of the corner of my eye but I didn’t care. I was in shock and clearly didn’t know how to react in this situation.

  The doctor smiled at me before he began speaking again. “Eat some dry toast or crackers if you experience nausea or morning sickness but if it gets too bad then come back and I can prescribe something to help. On the back of the card that I gave you is the name of the pre-natal vitamins that you should begin taking straight away which help with development and be sure to call that number and make your appointment soon.”

  I grabbed my bag and stood. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone while I mumbled “Thank-you” to the doctor and walked outside.

  I stood outside with my eyes closed, enjoying the feel of the wind on my face when someone grabbed my hand. I looked to see that it was Emma and she was smiling sweetly at me. I knew that all of this was as much of a shock to her as it is to me. I turned to ask Blake how he was feeling after that bomb was dropped on us but he walked straight past us and towards his car without saying anything.

  “What’s his problem?” I asked Emma. “He’s a little bitch, that’s his problem” she replied loud enough that Blake could hear and judging by the looks a few people were currently giving us, they heard her as well. We stood there and watched as he got into his car and drove out of sight. “Come on. Let’s go back to my place and we can have some coffee and talk.” “Sounds great” I replied unenthusiastically.

  It’s not that I wasn’t grateful for Emma and her trying to help me because I am, I’m just worried about Blake and how he is going to handle all of this. I thought we were doing good enough that this wasn’t going to be too much of a problem for us, but judging by the way Blake stormed off I’m guessing I was wrong.

  “Are women up the duff even allowed to drink coffee?” Emma called out from the kitchen. “Yes. Now shut up and bring me my coffee” I called back to her. Emma laughed and then walked into the doorway of the dining room where I was sitting. “That’s funny, but seriously, are you allowed to have coffee?” “I don’t know, Em. I’ve never been pregnant before.” Emma smiled at me and then turned and walked back into the kitchen.

  Emma and I sat in silence for a few minutes while she drank her coffee. “So when are you going to start telling people that you’re pregnant?” Emma asked me. I hadn’t even thought about telling people. I know that everyone is going to judge me. I mean it’s no secret that my relationship with Blake is anything but stable. “I don’t know. Soon I guess” I replied. My phone binged, alerting me to a new text message. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and saw a text from Blake.

  Blake: Where are you? We need to talk.

  Oh, so now he was ready to talk. I know that he isn’t going to be happy and I just don’t think I’m ready to deal with him.

  Me: I’m at home. We can talk tomorrow.

  Blake: No, we need to talk now.
I’m on my way.

  Oh joy. Emma is not going to be happy about that. I didn’t bother to send him a reply. He wouldn’t listen to me if I told him not to come here. That or he’d think I’m seeing another guy behind his back. Two years of relationship and I have never been unfaithful to him but for some reason he has himself convinced that if I don’t want to see him then I must be sleeping around behind his back. I let out a sigh and threw my phone down onto the table. “Don’t hate me but Blake is on his way over here now. He wants to talk” I said to Emma. She looked mad so I smiled at her but that didn’t seem to help at all.

  “Does he really need to come here? Can’t you just talk to him some other time when I’m not around?” “I said that to him but he said he wanted to talk now. He’s already on his way. I’ll just wait for him outside and we can go somewhere to talk instead” I replied.

  I grabbed my phone and went to stand to say goodbye but Emma grabbed my arm. “No. Don’t be stupid. You know I just don’t have a very high opinion of him. It’s fine. Just sit your ass down now before I beat you down” She said smiling at that last part. I couldn’t help but smile back.

  Chapter Three

  Bianca

  For the second time today I’m sitting in a room with my best friend and my on again, off again boyfriend and it couldn’t be more awkward. Blake showed up half an hour after he sent me a text message saying that he wanted to talk and when Emma saw how mad he looked she refused to leave us alone to talk. I can’t complain though, she is defending me after all.

  “You can think I’m an asshole as much as you want Emma, but that’s what Bianca said she would do. That’s what she made me believe for the past 2 years would happen if we were ever in this situation and now she’s just decided to change her mind all of a sudden. She can’t just ruin my life like that” Blake yelled.

  When we first got together, we spoke about what we would do if I got pregnant “too early” or before we were ready that I would get an abortion and I honestly believed that’s what I would have done. But since I found out that I am pregnant, I can’t stop thinking about the little life growing inside of me. It has a heartbeat and grows every day. I just can’t do that to something so precious. I told Blake that hoping he would at least understand where I am coming from but that’s not how he took it at all.

  “Will you please stop talking about me like I’m not sitting right here and can’t hear every single word that you say” I said. Emma stopped shooting daggers at Blake long enough to look at me and say “Don’t listen to what this ass wipe has to say. If that’s the decision that you want to make then that’s fine.” “Excuse me? You don’t have a say in this at all. What does any of this have to do with you?” Blake said.

  I knew that I should be doing something other than sitting here listening to Blake and Emma argue about this, but it had been a very long, emotional day and I was feeling defeated. “How does this have nothing to do with me? Bianca’s my best friend and we live together so this has everything to do with me. You are a sad excuse for a man, Blake, and you truly are pathetic. Why don’t you do us all a favour and don’t bother coming back again” Emma shouted.

  Blake looked me in the eyes, the anger evident on his face. I knew that he wanted me to say something. To tell Emma that she was wrong but I knew that she wasn’t, so I continued to sit there in silence while Blake stared at me.

  After a moment Blake let out a frustrated growl and slammed his fists down onto the table making both Emma and I jump in our seats. Blake then grabbed his keys and phone off the table and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I let out the breath that I didn’t realise that I was holding and ran my hands over my face.

  “Well that was fun” I said sarcastically as I grabbed the mugs from the table and placed them in the dishwasher.