Life. It never seems to turn out the way we pictured or envision it to be when we were younger and thought about our future. Life is unpredictable and just when you think you have everything under control wham, something happens that throws you for a loop or puts a major hole in your plans. It is an up and down rollercoaster; one you have to just hold onto the bars and hope for the best.
Oct.30th, 2027 (Saturday)
"I don't care if you don't believe me! The test isn't mine!" Malia (my twin sister) yelled.
I rubbed my eyes and groaned as I looked at my clock to see it was 7:00 in the morning. I got out of my bed and put on a robe before heading downstairs. I followed the shouting to the living room to see my parents sitting on the couch while Malia was standing in the middle of the living room in her nightclothes and robe like me.
"Malia, sit down and we'll discuss the next steps like adults." Our dad said.
"No! The test isn't mine. I'm not pregnant so don't treat me as a child or act like I'm lying about this! I've done a lot of messed up things but I'm a virgin!" Malia yelled before stomping her left foot.
"You are a child. You are 17 years old. Now sit your butt down." Our mom said in a mad voice and doing her best not to yell.
Malia screamed before walking towards the other couch and sitting down.
"Meira, I'm sorry we woke you up. Please go back upstairs. We need to talk to your sister alone." Our dad said when he noticed me standing near the opening to the living room.
Our mom and Malia looked to see me after that.
"Yeah, wouldn't want me rubbing off on the perfect daughter/twin even though I'm innocent this time. I am not pregnant." Malia said in a mad voice as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat on the couch.
"I'll have the maid cook something and bring it to your room honey." Our mom said smiling at me.
"It's mine. I'm pregnant." I said really quickly.
She stopped smiling and her face went white. Our dad got a shocked look on his face and Malia just started laughing.
"It's not April Fool's Day Meira and that isn't funny." Our dad said in a mad voice as Malia continued to laugh.
"I know it's not funny. It's the truth." I said before looking at the floor then Malia stopped laughing.
"Malia, go upstairs." Our dad said.
I heard Malia stand up and she patted my right shoulder before walking past me. I walked towards the couch and sat down before slowly looking up at our parents.
"I thought Owen and you broke up months ago." Our dad said.
"We did." I said.
"Meira, tell me you know who the father of this baby is." He said in a mad voice.
When I didn't say anything, he muttered something before standing up and walking towards the drink cart.
"I blame Malia. She is a bad influence. I bet it was that stupid masquerade welcome back party she talked us into letting both of you go to." Our mom said before shaking her head.
"Malia can not be blamed for Meira's choice to have sex Tammy." Our dad said as he poured some scotch into a glass.
"At least we know he goes to your private school." Our mom said.
I bit my bottom lip then our dad shook his head as he sat back down.
"There were kids from other schools there." He said and I nodded my head.
"Meira, you have any idea how much of your future you just threw away?" He asked in a mad voice.
"Not to mention you are setting yourself up to raise this kid by yourself since you don't know who the father is." Our mom said.
"Nonsense, no kid of mine is raising a child by themselves. We will figure out who the father is." Our dad said.
"And both of you will do the right thing." He said then I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Get married Meira. That is the right thing to do. The only thing to do especially in our social class and standing." Our mom said.
"Even when we don't know each other?" I asked.
"There will be time for that after the wedding." Our dad said.
"Now, go up to your room while your mother and I discuss this further but our private investigator will be here shortly to talk to you. You will describe everything you remember about this boy you slept with and don't you dare leave a thing out Meira." He said giving his famous do not cross me look.
I slowly stood up and nodded my head before leaving the room.
"Hey, you know I wasn't laughing at you but at the situation right? I have no problem with you being pregnant Ariel (my middle name)." Malia said when I saw her leaning against my bedroom door.
"But you have to admit their faces were priceless." She said smiling at me as I just moved her out of my way so I could open the door and walk into my room.
"Ariel, talk to me. They already going to blame me for this because bad Malia took our sweet angel to a party and she got pregnant now our sweet angel has to get married to who knows who." She said following me into my room and closing the door behind her.
"It was my choice not yours Phoebe (her middle name) so I don't blame you for nothing. Is that what you want to hear? Please leave my room so I can go back to sleep before this private investigator comes and starts drilling me on what do I remember about a guy who wore a mask that he never took off since it was a masquerade party." I said sitting down on my bed and not looking at her.
"Piercing emerald, green eyes that gave him a mysterious factor because they were so intense. I mean I have never seen anyone with eyes like this like they could see through to your soul and you wouldn't like it if they did. The black in them complimented the green with the gold color that I saw when the light it hit his eyes just right. His hair was like a raven and cut into a faux hawk haircut. He was definitely tall because I had to look up at him and boy did he look like he had a six pack. He didn't look skinny or fat so healthy but looked like he worked out to me." She said as I felt my bed depress in front of me.
I looked at her.
"Ariel, you forget I notice hot guys especially hot guys who talk to my sister." She said smiling at me.
"Oh, he also had this tiny bow and arrow tattoo on his left arm right here." She said pointing to a spot right above her wrist.
"You know maybe I should talk to the investigator and you get the rest you want." She said patting my right leg.
"No, I want to be in the room too." I said and she nodded her head.
"One thing is for certain our parents are going to hate him with his faux hawk haircut." She said.
"Though that does make him hotter in my book." She said before standing up and I shook my head.
Nov.12th (Friday)
Carmine's POV
"Oh come on, you know I need your help to convince mom and dad." Alessia (my 15 year old sister) said as I walked inside the house then she followed behind me.
"Nope, leave me out of it. I'm not sticking my neck out for you when I don't like the guy you are currently crushing on and by currently I mean the guy for this week because wasn't it a different guy last week?" I asked and she groaned really loudly as we took our shoes off before putting them in the closet near the front door.
"Like you are any different. I thought you liked Erin but yet Lori was the girl glued to you at recess today." She said as I walked away towards the staircase.
"Carmine Delaney, get in here right now." Our dad said from the living room.
"Someone is in trouble." Alessia whispered in a sing-song voice.
"Shut up, you are just convincing me of more reasons not to help you date whoever this new loser is." I whispered before walking to the living room.
"Alessia, go upstairs. I need to talk to your brother alone." Our dad said when Alessia and I made it to the living room.
I saw two guys in black suits that had this aura about them that they thought they were better than my dad or anyone else that lived in this house. Sure, it looked like they came from money but my family has a lot of money too. These two guys were stuck up rich entitled politicians more than likely or higher society people if I had to guess.
Alessia walked away and towards the staircase while I walked towards my usual seat in the living room which wasn't far from the couch the two stuck up guys were sitting on. Both guys looked to be my dad's age and they both looked alike so I figured they were probably brothers.
"Carmine, this is Trevor Keller and his brother Ian Keller." My dad said after I sat down and pointing to each of them as he said their name.
"Ian owns the Political Corner Newspaper and producer/director of the TV show." My dad said.
"Keller, wasn't there a Senator with that last name at one point?" I asked.
"Yes there was that was our father and our grandfather was Mayor plus Governor. Our grandfather also founded Keller STEM Institute to which I am now running and making sure everything runs smoothly." Trevor said and I nodded my head.
I looked at my dad and he gave me a look that said all I needed to know which was they did not know what my dad's true business was or how my family really made most of its money.
"So what brings you two by today? Are you two looking to invest in one of my dad's businesses?" I asked smiling at them.
"Did you go to a back-to-school masquerade party in August that was held at Tabiatha Vanhorn's house?" Trevor asked.
"I didn't know the name of the person who was throwing the party but yeah all the seniors at my school were invited to a back-to-school masquerade party in August that was held at a house that had a huge lake in the backyard with a long driveway that was lined with roses plus violets." I said and my dad just looked at me.
"And at this party, did you happen to talk to a girl with long dark brown hair and light brown eyes almost golden/honey colored?" Ian asked.
"I talked to a lot of people and that party was in August sir." I said.
"She would have had on a dark red and black dress plus wearing glasses that were dark purple on the sides." Ian said.
"Carmine, they are asking because you fit the description of a guy this girl was seen with and now this girl is pregnant." My dad said then I quickly looked at him.
"It's him Ian. He has the tattoo." Trevor said pointing at my left arm right above my wrist.
"I get this is a shock believe me it was for me too but if you are the guy that my daughter was with then you will do the right thing and marry my daughter." Ian said standing up then Trevor stood up.
"Marriage; you want my son to marry your daughter." My dad said.
"It's the right thing to do. They are 17 and I will not allow her to become a single parent plus try to raise this baby on her own. So he needs to grow up just like my daughter is being forced to do. They both made the choice to have sex so yes, the next logical and right thing to do is for them to get married. I expect your answer by Monday." Ian said then he stared to leave the living room.
"No need to wait, he will marry her." My dad said before Ian walked out of the living room.
"Of course I would like to meet my future daughter in law." My dad said as Trevor made it to Ian's side.
"You will. You will meet her at the wedding. I am going to have everything expedited so they can get married ASAP. We will be in touch." Ian said looking at my dad then at me before leaving the living room and walking to the front door.
As soon as we heard the front door close behind them, my dad looked at me before standing up.
"A Keller; you knocked up a Keller. I knew you couldn't be a total screw up and would be worthy to be my heir to this empire. Looks like I was right, you did good son." He said nodding his head at me in approval before walking out of the room and towards his office.