To the Moon and Back {Chandler Riggs}

S e v e n t e e n

Before I start this chapter go read Caught Up by twdchanfans 

~

I finish tying back my headband and look at myself in the mirror. My Halloween costume looks amazing from my studded boots to the fake katana on my back. Anyone can tell I'm Michonne.

"Ready to go?" Chandler pokes his head into our bathroom from his room.

I look at his blue jeans and his tøp shirt and roll my eyes.

"I can't believe you won't dress up. It's a costume party idiot."

"I'm dressed as a fanboy. Now let's go," he laughs and I follow him downstairs.

"Even Sam's wearing a costume," I tell him as we get in his car.

"Trust me. Sam is not dressing up."

"Yes he is!" I object. "He and Lizzy are going as peanut butter and jelly."

Chandler laughs hysterically for a solid minute before driving off. On the way to the party, we have a jam session to every song on the radio.

Chandler and I get out of his car huffing and puffing from dancing around so much. The party seems to be in full effect and the music can be heard from a mile down the street.

The front door is open, so we let ourselves in and join the fun.

~

Chandler has stuck to my side like glue for the past couple hours. I'm grateful because I don't know anyone here and Lizzy and Sam are doing their own thing.

Their costumes are adorable. Lizzy is covered in purple from head to toe and her shirt says "welches" on it. Sam is dressed in all beige and his shirt says "Jif".

I've gotten lots of compliments on my costume as well and people won't stop taking to Chandler about the season premiere that aired on Sunday.

"I'll be right back," I excuse myself and head toward the upstairs restroom.

It's quieter upstairs and I can hear what sounds like coughing coming from the bathroom.

"Are you okay in there?" I ask, rapping on the door with my knuckles.

"No," a girl's voice croaks from inside.

I feel a pang of sympathy, so I crack the door open. There's a girl dressed up as a cat on the floor, hunched over the toilet. I rush in and grab her hair just as she heaves once more into the bowl.

"Are you okay?" I ask again.

She shakes her head. "If sixteen and pregnant is what you call okay, then yeah. I'm great."

My face softens as she flushes the toilet and slumps to the ground. I can't imagine how hard this must be for her.

"Savanna?" She exclaims, causing me to whip my head up. My eyes meet hers and my jaw drops.

"Zoey?" I breathe in disbelief.

"Shit," she mutters. "This is awkward."

"No- no. It's- you're okay. You can talk to me," I stammer as I try to find the right words.

We sit in uncomfortable silence on the bathroom floor for a second, struggling for words.

"So how far along are you?" I say awkwardly as I try to make conversation.

"Four months," Zoey chokes out. She wipes a tear and I glance at her stomach. Sure enough, there's a little round bump. Only visible if you're trying hard to see.

"Well, wait..." I trail off as my mind begins to put two and two together. "Were you-"

"Yes," she cuts me off. "I was two months along when you socked me in the nose."

I'm taken aback by her change in attitude.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I don't need your sympathy," she snaps. She stands up from her position on the ground and storms out the door.

"Well congratulations!" I call after her.

What the hell was that about? I wonder.

One moment Zoey's sharing her biggest secret with me and the next she's completely raging. I thought that maybe, for a second, we'd put our differences aside and I could help her out, but nope. She's just the same old Zoey. Maybe it's the hormones.

I take care of my business in the bathroom and head back downstairs. Chandler's waiting for me by the kitchen just as he was when I left him.

"Hey," Chandler says, wrapping his arm around my waist.

I give him a strange look as he pulls me closer to him.

"What are you-"

Chandler cuts me off by taking my bottom lip in between his. He kisses me passionately before I push him off.

"Chandler, what're you doing?" I whisper.

"Are you warm? I think it's kinda warm in here," Chandler rushes. "I'm ready to leave. Are you ready to leave?" Chandler grabs me by the wrist and pulls me towards the door.

He's kind of scaring me so I go with him and do what he says.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?" I snap once we're in his car.

"Okay, let me explain," he says, pulling away from the house.

I raise my eyebrow at him, waiting for an explanation.

"So when you were in the restroom, this girl kept flirting with me. It was making me really uncomfortable, so I told her that I have a girlfriend. She wouldn't stop asking me about my "girlfriend", so I was basically explaining you and I eventually told her that you were my girlfriend. So if anybody asks, we're dating and I'm your boyfriend," he blurts.

"That's fine," I sigh. "I don't care."

"You're not mad?" Chandler asks, nervously.

"I'm not mad, but for the record, we're not dating and you're not my boyfriend," I laugh.

"But you wouldn't mind if I told people that we are dating?" Chandler questions. He moves his right hand from the steering wheel to my thigh.

"Keep your eyes on the road, dumbass."

"One day, Savanna, you will be my girlfriend," Chandler states. "One day..."