Chapter 17: Wow.

Chapter 17: Wow.

Today is the day.

I'm going to meet the girl that dated Zachary while I was away. I am going to meet the mother of Zachary's unborn child.

I adjust my red flay dress and I put my trench coat on.

It's cold out.

Andrè is parked at the end of the driveway when I get out of the house.

I enter the car and we begin our journey to the Henderson mansion. I feel sick to my stomach.

What if she doesn't like me?

What if she replaces me in Zachary's life?

What if he falls for her again?

These thoughts fly through my mind as we head uptown.

My palms are all sweaty and this dress is starting to itch. I don't know why I chose to wear this instead of shorts. I guess I want to dress to impress.

Andrè stops at the big black gates of Zachary's house.

"I'll be ready by eight." I tell him as I get out of the car.

The black gates open as I stand before them. I walk down the pathway before I reach the front door. With sweaty palms, I ring the doorbell. Shortly after, a short man opens the door, one who I recognize as Osvaldo.

"Miss Valerie, come in." He says, gesturing for me to enter the house.

I walk into the house and I give Osvaldo my coat.

"Mr. Henderson is in the lounge." He informs me and I nod.

I walk straight down the hallway before I make a left turn into the lounge. I see Zachary's black hair as he stands at the edge of the room talking to someone on the phone.

"I know that." He says clenching the device.

I walk closer to him.

"She's here. I have to go." He says into the phone.

He ends the call and he pulls me closer to him.

"You know you could've just worn sweats, you look like you're going to see the Queen." He says chuckling.

"I'm trying to make a good impression." I say, smacking him on the head.

"Okay." He says, shrugging.

I hear heels clicking on the marble tiles as the footsteps draw nearer. I hold my breath and I wipe my sweaty palms on my dress. Zachary, sensing my nervousness, holds my hand and I smile at him.

A blonde girl walks into the room and I swear time stands still. Her perfectly curled hair bounces as she walks toward Zachary and I. Her blue eyes staring straight at us. She is dressed in a black gown that accentuates her big round belly.

"Hi." Her melodic voice says.

"Hey." I reply, completely stunned.

She is beautiful.

"Valarie, this is Stephanie. Steph, this is Valarie." Zachary says introducing us.

Steph huh?

I reach my hand out for her to shake, but she pulls me to her and hugs me.

Her belly presses against mine.

And I feel the baby move.

I pull away immediately.

"Sorry." I apologize. "I felt like I was squashing it." I tell her.

"Oh, that's fine." She says, chuckling.

"Boy or girl?" I ask her.

"I don't know yet. Zach and I are going to the hospital on Thursday." She tells me.

"Would you like to come with us?" Zachary asks behind me.

"Um, I'll be busy." I lie.

"We could move it." He says, trying to involve me.

"It's fine." I say, giving them a fake smile.

"I'll be right back, babe." He tells me, kissing me on my cheek.

Zachary walks out of the room and there's this awkward silence that just lives there.

"So, how far gone are you?" I ask Stephanie as we sit on the couch.

"Eight months. Well, I'll be eight months in three days." She says, chuckling.

"That's great." I say, smiling at her.

I can't help but stare at her big belly.

Zachary's child is in there.

"How did you and Zachary meet?" I ask her.

"Well, he was friends with my cousin, and whenever he'd come over we'd always hang out. Then one day, he asked me to be his girlfriend. That was the best day of my life. During the course of our relationship, I found out that I was pregnant. He told me that he'd talk to his parents to find out what we should do. We were both confused." She tells me.

"Well, I called his mother and told her everything. She put me in a group home, and told me that it was best if no one found out about my pregnancy. She visited me once in a while and one day the visits stopped." She says staring into a distance as if she was reliving what had happened.

She sits on the chair in front of me.

"The people there treated me so badly. They'd make me clean the sewage pipes every day, and wash the toilets. I guess since Mrs. Henderson wasn't visiting me, I wasn't that important to them, since they didn't get money for my upkeep anymore. A month later, I get a call from my aunt saying that she was coming to get me. I was living with my aunt until Mrs. Henderson came visiting two days ago, saying that she wanted me to live here." She says, with a blank expression on her face.

"Wow." Is all I can say.

"I'm quite the storyteller, huh?" She says and I smile at her.

It's horrible what happened to her, but for some reason, I don't care as much.

"I don't mean to pry, but where were your parents during all of this?" I ask her.

"They died in a car crash when I was twelve." She tells me.

"I'm so sorry." I say, covering my open mouth.

"It's fine. It's not your fault." She says, placing her hand on top of mine.

Zachary walks back into the room.

"Okay. I have everything set up in the movie theater. Let's go." He tells us.

I stand still as I watch Stephanie reach out for Zachary. He holds her hand and helps her get up from the chair she is seated on.

My heart sinks in my chest at the sight.

"Val, you coming?" He asks me.

"Yeah." I say, shaking my head.

I trail behind them, as we walk into the indoor cinema. I sit two seats away from where they're seated. I don't want to intrude, in a way I feel like I'm third wheeling.

Zachary puts his hand on her swollen belly and Stephanie smiles at him. Zachary isn't my boyfriend right now, so why do I feel like he's cheating on me by sitting with Stephanie.

The sound of the movie starting drowns all my negative thoughts.

***

After the movie's done, Zachary and I are seated outside his house, on the garden chairs.

He types away on his phone.

"Finals are next week." I tell him.

"Yeah." He says in a monotonous voice.

"Are you prepared?" I ask him, trying to make small talk.

"Mhm." He hums under his breath, still typing on his phone.

"Zachary?" I call out.

He doesn't answer.

"Earth to Zachary." I yell at him, waving my hands in his face.

He snaps his head up and stares at me.

"I'm sorry babe, I'm just so busy." He says, holding my hand.

"Well if you-" I am cut off by his ringtone.

I roll my eyes at him.

"I'm sorry babe, I gotta go." He tells me, kissing my forehead before he leaves.

I sit there in utter shock.

The Zachary I know craves my attention, this new Zachary is so bland and indifferent.

I call Andrè and I tell him to come get me.

I just sit on the chair till Andrè arrives.

***

Well, the news that Zachary got a girl knocked up, spread like wildfire down the halls of Barkridge High.

As I walked down the school halls, about two people asked me if I was okay after Zachary broke up with me.

And I was like "We're still together." And they just laughed and walked away.

People are weird.

"Hey best friend." Adam chimes in my ear.

"Buzz off." I joke.

"Hey, I get it. I'd be mad too...if I wore that sweater." He tells me, obviously making fun of the teal cashmere sweater I have on.

"Asshole." I say with a smile on my face.

"How are you?" He asks me in a serious tone.

"You guys need to stop asking me that shit. Zachary is the one who got a girl pregnant. not me." I yell at him.

"Yikes." He exclaims.

"Well, technically you can't get anyone pregnant." He tells me and I scowl at him.

"I've really had enough with these people. I mean, Zachary's baby mama is so attractive. She has the most perfect blonde hair I have ever seen. And she's giving him something that I can't give him." I say staring at the binder in my hand.

"Oh come on, she got pregnant because she's a slut. And you're acting like you're thirty and you're obliged to give Zachary a child. Wake up!!! Hello!!!" He screams in my face.

"You're in high school and you're an honor student. Zachary is just a renegade, who happens to have great hair." He adds.

"Did I ever tell you-"

"How much you love me? I know." Adam says at the same time I say "How stupid you are."

Adam scowls at me and I ruffle his hair.

"I have Chem. See you later." I tell him, walking away.

I enter my Chemistry class and I sit in the far corner, close to the window.

Seconds later, Ashton sits beside me, opening his notebook.

"I don't want you to sit next to me." I tell him bluntly.

"Then change your seat." He says in a 'duh' tone.

I don't reply, I just keep my eyes on the whiteboard in front of me.

My Chemistry teacher walks into the classroom and I pay rapt attention to the lesson, until Zachary storms into the classroom, messy hair and all.

"Ashton, you son of a bitch." I hear him say before he charges towards where Ashton and I are seated. I watch Zachary as he lifts Ashton off his chair and throws him across the room.

How is that even possible?

Gasps are heard around the room.

A snap is heard from the other side of the room, as Ashton lands on a wooden table.

Everyone in the class yells the words "beat his ass."

I didn't know Ashton was this hated.

Well, I had heard some kids talking about him the other day and I think the words "egotistical asshole" were used, but I never thought anything of it.

Zachary walks over to Ashton and picks him up by the throat, choking him in the process. Ashton's lanky frame dangles in front of Zachary's muscular build.

Mr. Ferfenicle tries to break them up but it doesn't work.

Ashton mistakenly shoves him back to his desk and the whole class laughs. Several snaps and cracks are heard as the two boys manhandle each other. Seconds later, two security guards come into the classroom to break up the fight.

This is so dramatic.

It's like something out of a movie.

"Don't you ever touch my girl." Zachary yells at him.

Everyone's eyes are now on me.

What?

I am not his girl.

I stare at Ashton whose left eye is now bruised, purple rings are now formed around his eyeball.

Zachary did a number on him.

I can't wait to see who will be suing who first.