PART 1 -- Fear and Realization
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"God Miley, I don't know what I'm going to do." Stacy pushed both hands through her long blonde hair, elbows on her knees, as she sat on the couch of her and Miley's apartment.
Miley sat beside her best friend, trying to bring some comfort to Stacy. "It's going to be okay."
Stacy let out a humorless laugh, "Yeah right. Exactly how is it going to be okay? I'm nineteen, I live off my parents, and I'm pregnant."
Miley didn't have an answer, biting her lower lip with concern as she placed a hand at Stacy's back. "When did you go to the clinic? I had no idea you were even worried about being pregnant. How come you didn't tell me?"
"I went this morning. I was two weeks late and had a funny feeling, like I just knew, you know?" Stacy leaned to the side, letting Miley put an arm around her shoulders. "I didn't tell you because you've been pretty wrapped up with Charlie. Whenever you're around he's been with you, and I didn't want Charlie to tell Brian before I was sure."
Miley frowned, "Oh god, I'm so sorry Stace. I'm a terrible friend."
"Its fine, I understand. You two just got engaged after all." Stacy reached to the coffee table for a tissue. "Did Charlie go over to Brian's?"
Miley nodded, "Yeah, right after you called and dropped the pregnancy bomb. How did Brian take it, by the way?"
"He totally freaked." Stacy replied. "Not that I blame him, its not like either of us are ready to be parents."
"When did this happen?" Miley wondered. "I mean, when did you guys...?"
"It must have been after the party I had at my parents." Stacy answered. "The one where Charlie showed up and you guys had all that drama with Brett."
Miley's expression soured at the mention of Brett, the asshole who almost tried to rape her.
"Brian and I were totally drunk." Stacy continued. "I barely remember the sex. We've been careful ever since, but I'm sure we didn't use protection that night. We were so hammered I'm surprised I was able to get my panties off."
Miley hugged her roommate closer when more tears began to stream down Stacy's face, "We're going to get through this, I promise."
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"Dude, my life is over." Brian held his head with both palms as he sat on the couch in his parent's living room. Luckily, his parents were out of town for the weekend and were missing all the drama of the evening.
"You're life isn't over." Charlie assured his best friend. "It's going to be okay."
Brian shook his head. "I'm going to have to drop out of school, get a job, and I'll probably have to ask Stacy to marry me. My life is over."
Charlie sighed and sat down next to Brian on the couch. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?"
"What other options will I have?" Brian asked, futility dripping from his voice.
"You don't even know if Stacy will have it. And even if she does, that doesn't mean you have to get married; not if you guys don't want to. And you both have parents, I'm sure they'd be willing to help out so you wouldn't need to drop out of school."
Brian let out a heavy breath.
"Do you love her?" Charlie suddenly asked.
Brian turned a curious expression towards Charlie.
"It's a pretty important question to answer." Charlie explained. "Given that she's pregnant with your baby."
"Yeah, of course I love her." Brian stated as though admitting it for the first time, even to himself. "I've been in love with her since high school. I guess, though it was more of a crush back then."
"Does she love you?"
Brian turned a look towards Charlie. That was a very good question.
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"Do you love him?" Miley asked.
"Oh god, no." Stacy replied. "Of course not. I mean, Brian is fun and all, but we've barely been dating for a month. If I have this baby, I'll be doing it all alone."
"You won't be alone, hon." Miley promised. "You have me, and your parents, and you know Brian would be there as a father. He's a good guy; he wouldn't just abandon you and his child."
Stacy sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue. "I just mean... shit, Miley. I don't want to be a single mother. I wanted to be married, with a house and a career, before I started having children."
"Do you want to look into an abortion?" Miley asked cautiously.
"N-no, I can't. I couldn't. I don't believe that's right."
Miley nodded, rubbing her palm across Stacy's back. "Maybe adoption?"
Stacy turned to look at Miley, "If it were your baby, would you be able to give it away?"
Miley bit her lip, and then shook her head.
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"Maybe she won't even want to have it?" Charlie suggested.
"You mean an abortion?" Brian pondered. "I don't know dude, I can't even suggest it. You know how funny girls are about that topic."
"Yeah." Charlie agreed.
"I'll just have to live with whatever she decides." Brian lamented. "It's not like I'll have much say in the matter."
"If she does have the baby, would you really propose to her?"
Brian shrugged, "I guess so. Who knows dude, I might be married before you are. Who could have predicted that, huh?"
Charlie patted Brian on his back. "Everything will work out; don't rush into anything just yet."
"I should talk to her." Brian considered. "I kind of freaked out when she told me. She left for home pretty upset, right after calling Miley."
"I'd give her some time." Charlie advised. "Miley's with her now. Maybe call her tomorrow."
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The following day, Charlie was completely distracted while at work and unable to get Brian and Stacy's situation out of his mind. He was working the cash register, but it was a slow day and he mostly stood at the counter staring out into the mall as his mind raced.
"What's with you today, Charlie?" Theo appeared from organizing the magazine racks. "You've totally been zoning out, like some kind of zombie or something."
Charlie turned to glance at his younger co-worker, "Huh? Oh, just a lot on my mind I guess."
Theo was tall and skinny, lanky even, and reminded Charlie of himself when he was seventeen. Charlie almost chuckled when he looked at what Theo was wearing: a pair of ratty khaki pants and a wrinkled Batman tee shirt. Charlie began to recall his life as the high school nerd; Theo was almost a mirror image.
"You're not having problems with your girlfriend, are you?" Theo asked.
Charlie made a little smirk, "No, it's my friend who's having the girl problems, actually. And her name is Miley."
Theo gave Charlie a confused look.
"My girlfriend." Charlie clarified. "FiancΓ© actually. Her name is Miley."
"Oh, I know her name." Theo claimed. "Miley Andrews. I was a freshman when you guys were seniors. Everyone in my class knows who Miley Andrews is. Well, all the guys at least. You're seriously engaged to her?"
"Yeah." Charlie nodded. A customer approached the counter and Charlie casually began adding up a stack of comics on the cash register. "Trust me, sometimes I don't believe it either."
"No offense or anything, but how did you hook up with such a 'betty'?"
Charlie grinned and wasn't insulted. "Um... it's a long story." He took the customer's money, handed back the change, and put the comics into a bag. "Thanks for coming to the House of Spandex."
On queue, as the customer exited the store, Miley entered.
"Speak of the devil." Charlie said.
Miley approached the cash register and lifted to her sneaker-covered toes, leaning over the counter to give Charlie a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm a lot cuter than the devil."
Charlie agreed. "More tempting too. Hey, have you met Theo? He goes to our old high school, he's a junior."
"I remember, from yesterday. Hi Theo." Miley offered a little wave, wriggling her fingers.
Theo blushed and smiled. "Uh, hi Miley." He couldn't resist looking at Miley's naval, which was bared between a white buttoned top and tight black jeans.
Lifting a paper bag from a nearby burger joint, Miley shook it in her hand towards Charlie enticingly. "I brought food?"
"You're the best, I'm starved." Charlie stepped out from behind the counter. "Theo, watch the register while I take lunch?"
The back of the comic book store had a stock room where new inventory could be sorted and priced. There was also a small table and chairs near a refrigerator where employees took their breaks.
"How's Stacy doing?" Charlie asked as he sat down next to Miley and unwrapped his hamburger.
Miley frowned a little. "She's upset. She doesn't know what she's going to do, or what's going to happen. God Charlie, I don't even know what to say to her."
"Yeah, it's the same with Brian. All we can do is be there for them, I guess."
"It's pretty scary." Miley said, nibbling on a French fry. "I mean, what if it was me? What if I was the one who was pregnant?"
"Would that be so bad?" Charlie asked.