Josh
After getting puked on, I felt disgusted.
"Pregnant." Ariel says.
"You're pregnant?" I say wiping my face off. I'm definitely going to have to change my shirt. Luckily there's a spare in my locker.
"Im so sorry." Ariel says. She stands up and gives me extra napkins. She walks over and sits beside me. She dabs on the shirt instead of smearing.
"Is it Alan's?" I ask her as she's cleaning off my shirt.
"Unfortunately," she doesn't look up at me. She continues trying to clean my shirt. "I don't know if I should keep it. Just because it's his." She finally looks at me. "I know it's the worst timing ever," she sighs, "but Josh I know now what I want. That say I smelt you, I genuinely imagined a future with you. I wanted to tell you but Celeste kissed me. I was confused but now I know. I'm bisexual." She lets out a laugh "and now I'm an accidental pregnant senior!" She throws her hands in the air. "I'm the cliche of our generation and im going to wear a stretchy dress to our graduation and there will be pictures!" She starts to crack. "And what will Aunt Cheri do? And Alan? How do I even tell him? I just don't know what to do." She's laughing and crying at the same time.
I would hug her but I'm covered in vomit. I rub her shoulders. I wipe her tears.
"Look at me," I say calmly. "I'm here for you, whatever you decide." I grab her hands. I hold them for a moment. "Maybe you don't have to tell Alan."
"What?" She looks shocked. "How?"
"We could lie, say it's mine." Truthfully, I imagined a future with her too. I always thought we'd be those friends that went to college together. Two year first and then university and then a house, marriage, finally a baby carriage but reality called for the carriage first.
"You would do that?" She looks at me with the kindest look she ever has.
"One hundred percent." I squeeze her right hand with both of mine. "I'd do anything for you."
~
It was almost perfect. We told Celeste immediately after Ariel and I decided to be together. Even though, she was already pregnant, we were taking it slow. All three of us would usually spend our days together. Watching Disney movies, a change of speed for Celeste but she knew she'd have to be used to it.
These past couple weeks have been almost perfect. Second semester was slowly coming to an end. Although we missed hosting a Halloween party due to our rocky trio's problems, we were going to have a Christmas putlock. We were all going to go to community for two years and Celeste and I decided we'd help Ariel out when she needed it.
Ariel was glowing. She always wore beanies with the fuzzy ball at the end and my big sweaters. I loved her so much already. But I worried about Celeste. Celeste had openly told me how much she liked Ariel and how if she wasn't struggling with herself, she would go after her.
"You better treat her good, better than I would," she warns as I'm making all three of us sandwiches.
"Yeah yeah," I try to end the conversation.
"You know she kissed me after all that, right?" She says.
"What?" I snap. "When!"
"The night we made up." She clicks her tongue and comes closer. "Don't worry though. I won't sabotage. You guys are cute together. I just thought you should know everything. How I feel about her, how I wish I never told her to go after you, and most importantly how much I regret blowing her off." She goes to grab her sandwich. I stop her.
"What do you mean told her to go after me?"
"Relax! It's just, you know," She gently pushes me aside to grab the sandwich. "We made promises to each other. I asked her to promise me she'd give you a chance. She deserves someone like you."
"Why are you being like this?" I ask her.
"Like what?" She smirks. "I'm just reminding you of what you've scored." She grabs my hand and twirls herself. "We will always be a trio." She kisses my cheek and grabs her and Ariels plate. "You're the best." She says as she walks away. Although Celeste was honest it did make me wonder. I stood there for a moment pondering if Ariel was using me or if her feelings were genuine. I push the thought out because it seems unreal. I think about all the moments we've shared together instead. Like staying up all night on Saturday nights watching movies and snuggling. How much she looks into my eyes and plays with my hair. How deep our kisses are and how aroused we would both get when they were too intimate. She stopped herself twice from going all the way with me and the thought crept in again for a moment.
I took my plate from the counter and start heading to join the girls in the living room.
"Why didn't you tell him we kissed?" I hear Celeste say as I'm walking over. I pause where I am for a moment.
"I thought it was a between us thing, besides it's not like there's any real feelings behind it. Remember the shame." Ariel giggles.
"Yeah what a shame." I hear Celeste laugh it off, although hers sounds forced and it's not as long as usual.
I walk in finally.
"There's my cute boyfriend." Ariel says beaming. "Thanks for my awesome sandwich. You please us so much." She blows a kiss at me. I sit in between Celeste and Ariel and kiss Ariel.
"Anything for my two best friends." I say and shoot Celeste a look.
Celeste brushes me off and grabs the remote to my television. We haven't been at her house due to her parents constant arguing so she's still accustomed to picking up the remote. When she scrolls through the channels we see a news update.
"Wait!" Ariel shouts. I snatch the remote.
"Hey!" Celeste says.
There's a news women speaking.
"Today on local news channel nine, we have a story developing…"
"No fucking way." I say as I see his picture.
"Alan Franks, seventeen year old, has escaped. He was rushed to a nearby hospital after he suffered a self inflicted injury. Juvenile detention guards say it might've been a ploy. Please if you see him stay on high alert. Call local police, he may be armed. He injured a local teen girl in a residential area and thats just what got him arrested, we just don't …"
"I can't even believe this!" I say.
Ariel doesn't say anything. Instead she gets up and runs to the bathroom. Celeste and i chase after her. She pukes into the toilet bowl. Celeste crouches behind her and tries to hold her hair back.
"What am I gonna do?" She says sobbing.
"I highly doubt he's going to come to any of our homes. He's got all the cops patrolling the streets, looking for him." Celeste adds, still picking up small pieces of her hair.
"Stay here," I say. Celeste shoots me a look "He doesn't even know where I live!"
My phone starts ringing. It's mom.
I pick up. "Hi mom!" I put her on speaker.
"Where the hell is Ariel?" She shouts. "Cheri is blowing her phone up and she is not picking up. She needs to get home immediately. That fucking asshole that hurt her is on the loose." She paused to catch her breath. "Why in the hell didn't Cheri know?! She needs to know something like that."
"I… can," Ariel tries to speak in between vomiting. "I can explain." She finally spits out. She's almost done.
"Go home now Ariel. Cheri is bringing hell upon you. Josh bring her over and then you'll take us home."
"Mom.." I try to say.
"Shut it boy. I cannot believe you right now." She clicks.