Dead Baby Kickball

Chapter Eight

    When I woke up the next morning, lying on my side. I felt someone's arm wrapped around my ever growing waist. I turned, half expecting to see Blake, but instead, I saw Kyle. The sleep deprived and hazy memory of his voice chiming 'I love you' rang softly around my mind. "Shit.." I murmured, getting up carefully, so as to not disturb him.

   I padded to the kitchen and got myself a cup of coffee, and as I dripped the dark liquid into a small white cup, I heard Kyle  walk out of the room, and plop down onto the couch with a loud groan. I grinned and walked into the living room, taking a sip of the hot coffee. "Morning, Beautiful." He said with a cocky gleam. I rolled my eyes."Hitting on your best friend's girlfriend? For shame, Kyle. For shame." I said with a wink and a sip of coffee. He laughed a bit.

   "So, what's on your agenda for today?" He asked. I put the coffee cup on the table, sitting on the arm of the couch, near Kyle. "Well, I have to interview Devin Worhol from Questioning Cleopatra, then, I have an article to write on Behold's new album... Then I've a doctor's appointment."

"Blake's taking you?" He asked, grabbing my cup of coffee and taking a sip for himself. "Actually... Cal's taking me."

"Where's Blake at?"

"Busy, I guess. He's... I don't know. I doub't he'd really want to go, anyway. Y'know, lot of people who'd probably recognize him." I said, fishing for a lie to tell not only to Kyle, but to myself. Maybe if I gave Blake a legitimate excuse, instead of the truth, I wouldn't feel as bad about taking Cal with me to see my baby, instead of it's own father.

  Kyle sighed a bit and nodded. "Sounds legit. Well... have fun?" I nodded and stood up. I eventually got dressed and headed to work. "Em!" Someone called from the far side of the room. Cal was smiling and making his way over. I grinned childishly at him and waved a bit. "Early?" He asked. I nodded. "Of course! I've been waiting to interview Devin for... what? A year now? I'm excited!" I said, sitting down in my office chair. Cal nodded, rubbing his beard gently.

The day crawled by very slowly. The interview with Devin, then writing the report on an album by a band I'm not too fond of, and finally, Cal taking me to the doctor's. I lay on the medical bed in the whitewashed room, paper crunching under my body with every move I made. Cal sat beside me, looking nervous as all hell. I smiled softly and craned my neck to look at him. "You alright, baby boy?" I asked him. He managed a small smile and nodded.

The doctor came in shortly after, instructing me to lift my shirt above my stomach. I obliged, lifting the black, green, white and blue graphic tee displaying some sort of monster, along with the band name Out to Sea, up to the bottom of my breast. I bit my bottom lip gently as Dr. Straus put a glob of cold, clear gel on my belly, then put a handle type thing over it, spreading it around. He asked normal questions, How far along I was, Morning Sickness, things like that. Then as a small fluttering heartbeat sounded from the monitor, a grin broke out on Cal and I's faces.

"Congratulations, Ms. Rocha," Dr. Straus said happily, taking the medical instrument from my stomach. "it's a baby girl."

---

"Any names picked out?" Cal asked, smiling happily. I grinned and shrugged. "Eh.  That's something I should probably talk about with Blake, huh?"

"You haven't even discussed names?"

"Not yet, He's b-"

"Been busy, right?"

"Well... Yes." I said quietly. Cal sighed and nodded, his smile faltering a bit. I looked down, sighing a very small bit. "What's wrong, Cal?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer was. "I don't think he pays enough attention to you or the baby."

"Cal, he's just really bus-"

"Yeah, Busy, I know. Busy fucking groupies. Busy partying. And if that isn't what he's doing, Em, then please. Enlighten me." Cal blew. I blinked in astonishment, then shot a glare in his direction. How DARE he speak to me like that? About MY boyfriend. "Stop the car." I demanded. "No, We're alm-"

"Stop. The fucking. Car, Calvin." I growled, interrupting his protest. He took a deep breath and pulled over on the side of the road. I started to open the car door, but Cal's hand wrapped itself around my wrist.

"Em, before you go, let me tell you something first."

"What? What do you fucking want, Cal?" I snarled. He took a deep breath. "I love you."

"What?!"

"I said I love you, Emily. I've been in love with you since I met you. And if you step foot out of that door-"

He was cut off by me stepping out of the door, and walking down the sidewalk. Lone. He... He really just... Ugh.

I walked into the apartment and slammed the door behind me. "Em? You okay?" Kyle asked. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "No. I'm... I'm confused." I said, biting my lip to the point of blood. "Fuck." I growled, walking into the bathroom to put some toilet paper on the bleeding area.

Love? Cal? Cal loved me?I mean... Cal was my best friend. He had to be joking... Right? I was in love with Blake. Wasn't I? "Em?" Kyle asked, knocking at the door lightly. I turned, shoving the white tissue onto my mouth. "Yes?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well... Cal... He's... Cal loves me. Which... I don't know what to think about that."

Kyle nodded slowly and looked at me through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Just... confused."

"How did he tell you?" Kyle asked, sitting on the toilet. I sat at the edge of the bathtub and told him the whole story. From beginning to end, where I got out of the car and walked home out of confusion. Kyle nodded slowly and pulled me into a hug. I bit my lips together and hugged back, somehow feeling right in his arms.