A N G E L (Roger Daltrey)

Twenty Four

TW: pregnancy complications
Nancy's POV

Things had mostly calmed down at my house, but I sat on the floor with my back against my locked bedroom door anyways. Just in case anyone tried to come in. My dad was still spectacularly mad and he definitely didn't want me to be here.

My parents had given up and gone to bed. It was late, the sun was probably going to start coming up in a couple of hours. I couldn't sleep, though. Between the anxiety and the cramping in my stomach and the leftover adrenaline oozing out of me in the form of shaky hands, I doubted I'd get any sleep for a while still.

Ringo lay curled up in my desk chair, his eyes closed into little slits. I envied him and his easy life.

I put my hand over my belly, trying to get it to stop hurting so much.

Keith's baby's in there, I told myself.

Unless it isn't. Another part of me butted in. What if you're miscarrying?

You'd like that, wouldn't you? The other side said.

It would be nice for it to all go away....

I shook my head.

It would be nice for it to all go away, but I didn't want the little guppy inside me to have to die for my convenience. I was already starting to get attached. Blame it on the hormones, I guess.

I wished there was some way to tell Keith.

I must have drifted off leaned up against the door, because the sounds of someone trying to open it jolted me awake.

"Who is it?" I asked defensively.

"It's me." The voice was small and quiet.

"Me who?" I pressed my back into the wood as whoever it was started jiggling the doorknob like there was no tomorrow.

"Janice. Let me in. Please."

I froze. What was she doing here? She sounded so frail and defeated, not at all like her usual self.

I peeled myself out of the floor. Every inch of my body hurt so bad.

Cautiously, I cracked open the door. Janice was standing there with a cop.

Oh right, my parents called the cops after she took off.

"What do you want?" I sighed.

"I just need to get my stuff. I'm moving into some government housing thing, just until I can scrape the money together to go somewhere else. Y'know. Since I'm not wanted here anymore." Her voice broke on the last part and my heart squeezed painfully.

I opened the door wide.

"Janice—" I began.

"Nancy, I am so sorry." She sobbed. "I am so, so sorry I got us into this mess. I'm so sorry I got you stuck in a place where you don't feel safe in your own house, and maybe not even in your own body. I am a terrible friend, I'm a terrible person, and I understand completely if you never forgive me."

She stood in my doorway bawling, the cop hovering awkwardly behind her. Then, to make matters worse, I realized my parents were standing there, too.

I took a deep breath. "Janice, nothing you say or do could ever be unforgivable to me. I'm mad at you, sure, and you hurt my trust, but I love you. You're my best friend. And that isn't ever gonna change. I don't know where we go from here, but I will not leave you. Ever. Just, please...don't ever leave me."