BMS goes Pro

Episode 7: WWIII

"You're so selfish and ignorant, I don't even know why I wanted to be with you in the first place!!!" I screamed, as he followed me out the door. I was blind with rage, and he was crying. After what I'd seen him do, I wasn't sure he was fit to be a father. He wasn't mature, or even that smart.

"Alice! I'm sorry! I don't even know why you're mad!" Thad yelled at me as our friends and college students gathered around to watch the scene we were making.

"You don't?!" I shouted, whirling around on my heels. "How about this; the fact that every single stunt you pulled, the angrier I got. It proved to me that you aren't ready to raise a child at all!" Thad stopped in his tracks and covered his mouth.

"You don't really mean--"

"I do." I sobbed, "And I'm going to find the cougar and raise this baby by myself with her help." I pushed past him and went upstairs onto the balcony to think. It was getting dark, but I didn't care. I heard someone come onto the balcony and sit down alongside me. I looked to see it was Alex.

"Thad is still crying in there." He said as I looked up at the stars.  sighed as I looked over at him.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" I snapped with a monotone voice. Alex shook his head as Mikayla joined me. I felt I was about to get a huge speech, just like the ones she used to give me when I had a hard time with boys in high school. Alex took the hint and left, closing the door behind him so we had privacy.

"Alice," She sighed as she pulled me in for a hug. "you mean a lot to Thad. He told Alex you were the best thing that ever happened to him. Don't take that away from him." I rolled my eyes and looked away. "Thad really wants to have this baby with you, and if you leave him he's not going to be able to play football ever again. You wouldn't want that, would you?" I shook my head as I felt the tears irritate my eyes, but I blinked them back. The sore feeling sat in the back of my throat as I choked up.

"I think you should go in there and talk to him. Poor Thad is going insane. He won't eat or do anything. He won't even drink the Mojito we gave him." I refused to feel guilty about what I'd done and sucked the tears and the need to cry back.

"Nothing's happening until he wakes up." I replied sternly as I pulled out a lighter and began flicking it on and off for fun.

"He's not waking up until you do something, Alice." She reasoned, "This is all in your hands now. He'll change if you want him to, all you have to do is talk to him." She stood up and opened the door as Thad came in and sat down beside me.

"Alice, I--" 

"I don't want to hear it, Thad. I'm not changing my mind." I sputtered, but managed to keep ahold of my remaining sanity as I looked over at him. He looked deprived of sleep, food, and water. His face was red and swollen, and of course wet with tears. His cheeks must've been sore from all the crying he'd done.

"Look, I'll sleep on the couch if you want, just please forgive me! I need you!" He begged, now on his knees ahead of me. I took a good, long stare at him, thinking about my final answer.

"No." I left Thad sobbing on the balcony, and Mikayla shook her head disappointedly, at least having tried to help him. I went and crawled into bed, thinking about what had happened that day. I felt like I'd overreacted, like I'd been to hard on him. Then, a small boy's voice said something to me.

Go back to him, It persuaded. He needs you more than anything in the world.

"He needs to grow up," I said to myself as I stared up at the ceiling.

He has a football game this Saturday. If he loses it he'll never leave this house again.

I shook the feeling of forgiveness that I'd grown while listening to the boy. Who was he? The voice was unfamiliar, but I felt a hint of recognition as I listened to it. I turned onto my side, pulling the covers down and glancing at my stomach. It was definitely noticeable that I was pregnant at this point. I somehow gained the courage to stand up and go out to the living room. I stepped out silently, and saw Thad sprawled across the couch, taking in a shaky breath, and exhaling a long, exhausted one. I began to feel sorry for what I'd said, but ignored myself and went back to bed. That night I had a touching dream.