The Royal Issue

Chapter 23: Back to School

School starts back up the second week of September. I'll be going back a lot bigger than I was leaving the school. My friends know I'm pregnant and keeping the baby but nobody else knows and I'm really scared of what people are going to say.

I had gotten up which is way harder now because I'm nearing the third trimester, from my bed and walked downstairs to get breakfast. I haven't started to waddle yet thank God! I have to leave soon to go to the airport. Me and Max have talked about what our plan is for the baby. As soon as I hit nine months we're both coming back home to Chicago to take online classes. We both don't want the other to miss important steps in this pregnancy. I eventually plan on going back to actual school but who knows I might have to just stick to online schooling. Max had to leave earlier than me because he wants to get a lot of his work done so he can come back home with less work. I'm surprised he could find so much time to plan out what to do with the baby when he was doing homework and studying.

I called an uber and arrived at the airport. I boarded the plane and was on my way to New Jersey. I called another uber to get home and once I did get home I just walked straight to my bedroom to take a nap. I called my friends to let them know I was back in town after I woke up from my nap. They came over to hangout and find out more about the pregnancy. All in all we just took some time to catch up and honestly it was fun, I missed just being around my friends and talking.

It's been a couple of weeks since school has started and honestly I've been hella swamped with homework and studying. I'm doing a lot of studying and homework so that I can have less work to do when I have the baby. I know I'm going to be stressed so I'm stressing out now rather than later.

Max and I have been catching up though. He keeps asking if I've told my parents and I'm just waiting on the perfect moment to tell them about the baby. I don't know how they'll react and I don't think I wanna know. I joked around and told Max that we should wait until the baby is old enough to speak, so that the baby can tell them herself. But of course I'll tell them, just not right now, It's not the perfect time.

We're about two months into school and it's officially the start of November. I'm about eight months pregnant and it's kind of more obvious that I'm pregnant. But of course with me showing more there's a higher need for me to not really be in public because people could be taking pictures and videos and I don't want them to head to my parents. My friends invite me places but I always say no and they understand because of the baby. Since I don't want a lot of people knowing, at least we're in fall on the way to winter. I always look just really well bundled up.

A week later after all of my consistent studying, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from sleeping.

"Hey baby? How are you?"

"I'm good, what about you? You're up early." I looked at the clock on my nightstand it was 7 a.m.

"I'm feeling so productive! I got up early, went running and finished even more studying and homework! So then I figured I would talk to you!" He cheerfully replied.

"That's good sweetie, I just woke up so I'm kind of far behind your productivity level." I laughed.

"Oh...sorry if I woke you up. How's the baby doing? Is she behaving?" He chuckled.

"Oh yeah she's behaving, she's doing ok I guess, just making me get more tired and not want to do work."

"You'll eventually get work done, she's just being difficult. Hey I wanted to ask you something....What do you think about marriage?"

I choked on my spit a bit.

"Marriage? I-I would like to get married eventually, just not yet I'm still young. What about you?"

"Yeah I guess but I mean, I would like to get married to you eventually."

I was stunned, me and Max never really had the marriage talk before, I'm even more stunned that he brought up the idea.

"You're not trying to purpose to me right now are you?" I breathed out.

"No! No I'm not I was just wondering!" Max chuckled.

"Oh ok. So what do you have planned for today?" I said trying to change the topic.

"Uhh, I think I'm just gonna hang with some friends and relax, how about you?"

"I don't know yet maybe just stay in and study?" I stated.

After talking for a few more minutes me and Max said our goodbyes. I got out of bed and brushed my teeth and took a shower and got ready for the day. After making sure I had fresh breath I went to my kitchen looking for food. I was constantly hungry now, all the time. I only think about food now and I'm really surprised I don't look like a bus yet, with the way I've been eating.

After eating I sat down to start reading my textbooks when my doorbell rang. I got up and went to open the door, only to come face to face with Nicole.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" I leaned in to give her a hug.

"Get dressed! We're going out!" She giggled.

I looked at her and she quickly started leading me to my room and helped me pick out an outfit. I chose on a beautiful navy blue dress and did my hair half up and half down. We walked out to her uber that she had ordered and got in.

"Oh I almost forgot! Here we're going to put this on you." She handed me a blindfold.

"Wait...why?"

"Because this is a surprise! You can't know where we're going or what's happening!" I let her tied on the blindfold and we continued enjoying the ride wherever it was taking us.

At least twenty minutes later the car stopped and Nicole got out of the car and then helped me out of the car and helped me walk to wherever we were headed. I smelt food once we got past some doors. I sat down and then the blindfold was untied from my face.

"Surprise!!!!" All of my friends screamed.

I was shocked! I quickly looked around and realized that we were in a Korean barbecue restaurant and that we were also in a semi private room. People could still see us but not too well.

"This is a mini baby shower for you since we know that you're almost due to have her, but don't have anything done yet!" Jasmine smiled.

I got up and hugged my friends and we sat down to order food and to commence my mini baby shower.

I had a lot of fun! I got things for the baby and had tons of fun with my friends before I had to go back home and get ready for the baby.

When I got back home I was super exhausted from all the fun. I texted Max letting him know how my day went and that I was going to sleep. I went on snapchat and saw that his friends also gave him a mini baby shower as well. I laughed watching them surprise Max and ended up asleep. Tomorrow is a busy day so I need to get my sleep.

Today is my last day of actual school because I will be taking online classes so that I can be at home with the baby. Today Max is coming home to get settled in for his online classes and for the baby. I woke up bright and early to get some last materials from my teachers before I left. I was leaving my last class when Sarah came running to me.

"Elle!"

I stopped and slowed down for her.

"Hey, what's up?"

"You need to see this!" She handed me her phone and I stopped breathing. I can't believe it...