That Makes Three

Chapter Twenty Three

We got to school in time for the second period but decided against going in, considering none of us had our books. Instead we went for breakfast and came back in time to meet Leetha for lunch.

I squinted as the high school doors opened and poured out groups of people at a time. Most of there faces were ones I felt like I was seeing for the first time, but others... others left a strange feeling in my gut as I recognised them in the pile of bodies from my vision. A group of girls, that boy... even a couple of the teachers I realised with a jolt. Even though the sun was shining I pulled my jacket closer.

It felt wrong to not tell them they would be dead soon. Barbaric. But they wouldn't believe me even if I did try to help them.

"She's getting so big - I can't wait to meet my nephew!" A girl said as she passed one of her friends her phone with a picture of her pregnant sister. I let out a large breath and lent against the wall heavily at the thought of that girl not being able to watch her nephew grow up.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked, his hand on my back. I plastered a smile on my face and nodded.

"Do you think she'll like me?" I asked, hoping he'd just think I was nervous to meet Leetha. Peter jutted his bottle lip out as he thought.

"She doesn't not like anyone." He said teasingly. I elbowed him in the ribs.

"You're not funny."

"It's not like you're that hard to like, Mi." I just stared at him, my eyebrow raised. As soon as he seemed to remember that I was a banshee no one could stand to be around, he frowned at his choice of words.

"You're really not funny."

"What are we talking about?" A light tone sounded as a tall blonde haired girl walked past me and planted a kiss on Peter's lips. As the smell of peaches caressed my nose I looked her up and down. So this was Leetha. I'd seen her before. She was quite petite in every way accept her height. Her curly, silky blonde hair framed her heart shaped face perfectly which had, I realised with a pang of jealously, a lovely rosy glow behind it.

"Nothing. I'm Miya - it's nice to finally meet you, Leetha." I said, holding my hand out for her. Her eyes, brighter than Romans seemed to sweep me too to bottom, her grip tightening on her cranberry juice bottle. I knew what she was feeling. The impulse to say away from me. To run in the opposite direction. Trying not to show how much it bothered me I just smiled, placing my hand in my pocket and taking a few small steps back. She seemed to relax. Ignoring Peter's gaze I laughed.

"I think we have bio together." Her innocent round eyes widened.

"Oh yeah! You sit at the back! I thought I'd seen you before. Well it's nice to finally talk to you - Roman says you two are getting pretty close." I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled at the memory of last night.

"Yeah. You could definitely say that." I mumbled as I tried to avoid eye contact with Peter.

"We should totally go on a double date. You and Roman, me and Peter! It would be so much fun."

"I would rather stick a glowing hot folk into my eye." Roman said as he approached us carrying three plates stacked on top of each other and orange juice pouches. Offering me one I realised it was slices of pineapple pizza.

"Oh come on Roman. Why are you always a downer - it would be so much fun. We could go bowling or to dinner."

"Or cliff jumping." He mumbled as he took a sip of juice. I frowned. Why was he being so negative?

"Dude why would you ruin a perfectly good pizza with pineapple chunks?" Peter asked as he picked them off.

"Whoa whoa - there is nothing wrong with pinnacle on pizza. It's hot and sweet and juicy and it compliments the cheese beautifully." I said, taking the rest of his pineapple chunks.

"Thank you!" Leetha exclaimed as if she had been trying to win this argument with him for a while.

"Nope. Fruit does not belong on a pizza and I stand by my earlier statement."

"Tomato is a fruit and you seem to have no problem with the marinara sauce."

"But it's not a proper fruit - you don't see it in a fruit salad. It's like putting strawberries on a pizza. It's just wrong." I laughed as they bickered like a married couple. She seemed to make him happy and I could tell by her smile she felt the same way about him as they joked around in their love bubble. Turning to Roman I smiled. He rolled his eyes and took out his cigarettes. Quickly lighting one he drew a long breath and blew it out in circles. Leetha coughed and waved her hand in front of her face to disperse the rings into tendrils.

"Roman, no smoking in front of the pregnant lady." She said in a whiny tone, like this was t the first time it had happened.

"Fuck. Sorry I forgot." He said, throwing it on the floor and putting it out with his foot. My expression remained frozen as I stared at her, somehow seeing it now. Her glow, her mannerisms as one arm lay dormant in front of her stomach.

"You're... you're pregnant? That's somthing I did not know about you. Wow. I mean - I guess congratulations is in order." I babbled as I began to nervously laugh. Peter had not told me about - he had let me think it wasn't as serious with her and now they're suddenly having a child together? Looking to Roman for support I just saw confusion flash across his face. Not surprise. He had known?

"Thank you." She said, glowing harder. Feeling really awkward and guilty I began to back away from them.

"So I -uh - I have a b-biology report to turn in. Yeah I forgot to hand that in earlier so... I have to go. Now. But it was really nice to meet you and we should hang out sometime... okay. I'll see you guys later?" My stomach dropped. Was it okay that I was hanging out with her boyfriend.
"I mean if you want - or if I see you. Not like I would see you otherwise unless I did and that would be completely coincidental." I added quickly, smiling so wide my cheeks began to ache and I was sure my eyes were squinting.

Slowly I turned to run when I walked into someone. Apologising I ran up the stairs and into the corridor. When the doors closed behind me I took a deep breath. I felt wrong. Weird. Bad. It didn't matter if I didn't know at the time. I still slept with Peter last night while his girlfriend, weather he wanted to admit it or not, was pregnant with his child and apparently very happy about it. I took two more breaths. Was I the other woman now? No. It was a one time thing and she didn't have to know. I wouldn't be lying. If she asked me if I'd slept with him and said no, that would be lying. But still. A baby? At the thought of not being more than friends with Peter my heart sank. Suddenly he seemed off limits. It was probably for the best.

"Jesus. What have I gotten myself into?" I whispered as I walked further into the school.