I'm Not Dead

Chapter Twenty-Three

I was sitting with Laura, helping her study for a calculous test. Her parents had been yelling upstairs for the past half hours, and Laura had finally given up. "I can't study like this."

"What are they even arguing about?" I asked, shutting her notes.

Laura sighed, putting a hand on her stomach. "Me. About us and the baby and about how I'm a slut and Mom's being a bitch for just going along with it and that she should've been stricter with me and if he had it his way none of this would've ever happened."

"Damn."

Laura rolled her eyes.

A door upstairs slammed open, and Brad stormed down the stairs, a duffle bag in his hand and keys in the other. "I'm sick of this, Rebekka! I'm sick of acting like everything is fine while watching my daughter ruin her life! I'm sick of us."

"Brad, please,"

I looked at Laura. Her breaths were short and choppy. Board line hyperventilating.

"Dad," She said, standing.

"No, Laura. I can't do this! Have fun playing House." He stormed out the door, slamming it with a definitive boom.

Rebekka took a deep breath and left, going back upstairs and locking herself in her room. Laura just looked at the door, tears rolling down her face.

"Laura?" I whispered, too scared to startle her.

Laura wiped her eyes. "That fucker." She turned and went up to her room.

I followed her, sliding into her room and shutting the door silently behind me. The light was off, and Laura was sitting on her bed, sniffling.

"Laura?"

"What are you still doing here? Haven't you done enough?"

I held Laura's face and kissed her lips. "Laura who cares? Our child, our baby? They'll be great. They'll be wonderful. We will love them. We don't need anyone else. Just you and me, right?"

Laura looked up at me, the sunlight shining through her window and casting long shadows on her face. She leaned forward and kissed me, starting to pull off my shirt.

"Don't look," She said when she took off her shirt and dammit I didn't. This is my shot, and I'm not going to ruin it, although I'm sure she looks beautiful.

"I love you, Laura."

"I love you, too, Elliot."

"Is she still Blue Balling you?" Theo asked in English class.

"Theo, shut the fuck up." I messed the wedding band on my finger. I would have preferred gold, but Laura's ring was silver and she wanted to match.

"So you finally got laid?" Theo pressed.

I smirked and Theo slapped a hand on my back, causing a few eyes turn to us. "Atta boy."

"Theodor? Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?" Ms. Hastings said, the old witch having a stick up her ass like always.

"No, Ma'am." Theo said.

I snickered, Theo punched me in the arm.

I'm going to miss Theo.

Laura wasn't at school so it was just Theo and I for lunch. We went across the street and got burgers from McDonald's. Then we walked back to the school. It was nice to just talk with Theo, even if he was complaining about Gen the whole time. It was good just to speak to him again.