Teenage Romance - Or More Than That? (PAUSED)

33: What About Us?

A few weeks have passed since Harumi, accompanied by Skylor, visited the doctor.
Harumi was now at the end of her second month pregnant. She had finally found the courage to confront Lloyd about his selfish, totally unfair behavior.

The two faced each other on a dirt road.
But not arm in arm, as usual.
They had quite a distance between themselves.
The mood was not loving and pleasant but very tense.

"You wanted something from me?" Lloyd sounded very annoyed and angry. It was clear.
He definitely didn't want to be confronted with this topic again.
But he had no choice.

Harumi swallowed. His voice... it sounded so... foreign and distant. Her heart clenched before she gathered her courage and began to speak.
"Yes. About our situation. Which is quite, how should I say, complicated?" She stuttered.
"You call that 'complicated'!? That's the most fucked up situation you could have gotten into!"
He was loud again. Harumi looked down. She got scared.

"What if... what if he never goes back to the way he was? I miss him so much! His closeness, his smell, his kisses, EVERYTHING!"
"Are you crying? Are you serious?"
It was true.
Her eyes were definitely wet, red and full of tears.
She just couldn't believe that this boy was the same boy with whom she had the happiest time of her life months ago.

"L-Listen to me, Lloyd-" she wanted to say his name in a cute short version, as she has always done.
But he didn't deserve that.
He ended up calling her by her normal name.

"Lloyd." She said firmly.
"You have no choice. You are the father, whether you accept it or not." She was interrupted.
"Definitely not, but go ahead."
She winced at that statement.
"Wow. He's so damn cold-hearted to me... to US."

She looked at him, still with watery eyes, but with a much more confident voice.
"You know what, you idiot? I'm going to have this child. It's MY child after all! My body, my decision! Besides, if you don't help me, I'll just have to ask others. But then be sure: within a few days it will spread like wildfire, then everyone will know it. I wanted to avoid it, but after all, I have to take care of our future. By 'our', I don't mean you and me, but my baby and me. And I can get money differently, too! If you don't want to contribute a single bit to the baby's well-being, then just stay away from us completely, got it?!"
She was totally upset.

"Shit. Did I really say that? Damn, I don't want to see him ever again! I want my old Lloyd back! Whatever. That has hit him for now, I hope."
And it has.
Lloyd's jaw was clenched.
He was nervous.
He couldn't imagine letting her go either. But a baby? NO THANKS.
On the other hand. He had never heard her say such words before. She had to be damn angry.

"Listen," he began.
"If you really want to get it born, do it. But don't wait for me. That would be in vain.
And? Then everyone should know! They will understand me! Father at 18? Who wants that?! And even if things turn out differently and no one is on my side, I will still know exactly why I think the way I do.
Is that it now?" Now he sounded annoyed again.
He definitely just wanted to get away from her. Them.

"All right. You promised me back then that you would always stay with me, but okay? If you want to break your promise, just like my heart and my mind, then go, you coward!"
With that, she turned around and ran away at a quickened pace, leaving a completely angry Lloyd behind.

"What is she imagining, huh!? Coward. Pft! You yourself! You're running away. I'm tired of the dirt here, I'm going home. A round boxing will definitely put me off."

~Weeks later [3.5 months pregnant]~

"Have you heard it? Harumi from the parallel class is supposed to be pregnant?"
"Yes, I did. Lloyd is said to have left her because of that."
"Oh God, poor Girl!"

Lloyd walked through the halls. Students were talking all around him. Quiet. But loud enough for him to hear.
But not like usual about hobbies or parties. No. About his and Harumis situation.
No, that would be wrong.
More about him. Next to 'Harumi and pregnant', what he hears most is 'Lloyd, break up, idiot and abandoned'.

So this is what happens when the school's dream couple suddenly breaks up. Full attention on them.
"They don't know anything! How would they feel in my situation, huh?!"

He had arrived at his locker.
Since he just wanted to get into the classroom and quickly sit down at his seat in the back, he just threw the books into his backpack, closed the locker and left.
But in front of the classroom he was confronted again.
From none other than his hothead best friend. Kai.

"DUDE?! IS THAT TRUE?!"
"Yes. Now shut up!"
Lloyd continued his steps and walked to his table.
Again he was stopped.
"WHAT!? Yes? That's it? Are you serious? WHY DID YOU LET HER DOWN? I thought you loved her!" Lloyd slammed his backpack on the table and turned to Kai.

"I do! Only this stu... just not this baby! I'm not playing dad yet at 18? Is that understood?! Someone else can do that!"
"Dude, I don't even recognize you anymore! She's devastated... dude!? She needs help! She needs YOU!"
"Oh yeah? It sounded different when we spoke with each other. Also: how would you react if your girlfriend suddenly became pregnant?!"
Lloyd hissed the words between his teeth.

"I would be confused and maybe angry, yes. But at ME. And I would calm down again, even as a hothead! I would know that it's my fault too and wouldn't let her go through this emotional chaos alone! I would BE WITH her and we would FIND A SOLUTION TOGETHER!"
He hit the table where Lloyd had sat down during Kais speech, causing him to frighten. Kai then disappeared into the slowly filling classroom.

During the lessons there was a lot of whispering and looks that Lloyd didn't like. He didn't like this whole situation with Harumi and the baby.
"Why did it have to happen to me of all people? And it's probably not my fault! Its hers. She had prevented me from pulling out. And it's my mother's fault too. She forgot to give me back my condoms. That's why I didn't find them that day. Why should it be my fault?! They all fuck me up!"

"Rumi!"
Harumi turned around and saw Skylor running towards them.
"Hey! How are 'you' sweetie."
She hugged Harumi from the side. She alternately looked conspicuously with her eyes into Harumi's eyes and at her stomach.
"'I'm fine, thanks. So... I guess. Health-wise, yes. But emotionally? It'll take a while."
She lowered her head sadly.

Skylor then took her chin in her hand and lifted Harumi's head up a little again.
"Hey. Everything's going to be okay. I promise. Even if that asshole doesn't come back to you. Then I'll still be here. And our other friends. Even my hottie is mad at his best friend. So. Lloyd is doing it wrong. You, on the other hand, are right.
Everything is right. You have decided FOR your child. This is the first step towards a bright future! Including Aunt Sky!"

Skylor smiled lovingly at her friend and put an arm around her as they continued towards the school exit. "Thank you Sky..."
Harumi let her head fall on Skylor's shoulder and enjoyed the closeness of her best friend.
No, her sister.
It felt so good to know that there is someone who cares for you. Even in such a chaotic and depressing time when wouldve felt alone...