Unplanned

Chapter 3: Leaving

  Ian never had found out when Mickey's wedding was going to be, never really wanted to. It then meant that there wasn't really a countdown to the day on the gnawing inevitability that it was going to happen at some point. What Ian wasn't expecting was for Mandy to drag him off of their normal route to school a week after the confrontation with Mickey.

  He started to protest but then remembered that before they were heading off to school and that he would much rather spend a day most probably getting high with his best friend. Wait no fuck, he couldn't do that. Fuck, fuck what was he going to tell Mandy? He never turned down a high, she was going to be suspicious. She was his best friend, he had helped her when she had gotten pregnant but then again she hadn't wanted to keep it, Ian did and the father of Ian's was her supposedly straight brother.

  Being caught in his head, he hadn't noticed where they had been going so when Mandy pushed him down on a low wall in the park he startled and looked around quickly to get his barrings. Mandy snorted next to him but then looked down at her hands and, for the first time since they deviated, he really took her in. What he saw startled him; his best friend looked sad, bone-weary sad, weight of the world sad. This was Mandy Milkovich that he was sat next to and she looked to be on the verge of tears.

  Even though he desperately wanted to ask questions he decided that maybe it would be best if he consoled her first and so he pulled her to him in a tight hug. Running his hands through her highlighted hair, he buried his face in her neck and breathed her in, listening as she tried to keep herself under control. Eventually though she broke down in his arms, sobbing bitterly, shaking against him and tears soaking through his t-shirt. Through it all he held her until the crying quietened and the shaking subsided.

  Mandy pulled away and carefully rubbed under her eyes, probably trying not to smudge the dark makeup that had miraculously not run. Then she took and deep breath and turned to him, Ian knowing automatically that she was about to tell him what was hurting her so much.

  "Ian... you know that Kenyatta hasn't- hasn't been the best. Fuck that, you know Kenyatta is an abusive piece of shit," she started, Ian nodded because he did know and he hated it, hated seeing his best friend hurt so badly and hated that she wanted him to just do nothing," well I can't take it. And Mickey, Mickey's getting married I told you. Well Mickey doesn't want that so- so we're leaving Chicago."

  Leaving Chicago. His heart stopped then at the thought. The two people outside of his family that meant the most were simultaneously moving away. They were leaving now when he needed them the most, father of his baby and his best friend who would love him no matter what.

  He put his head in his hands and just breathed. This couldn't be happening. Part of his wormed up then and said that at least Mickey really didn't want this wedding. Mandy put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed before bringing the other up to cup his cheek and pull his face up. There were tears in her eyes again and he knew he was the same. Maybe... if she came to live with him. If he told her about the baby... He couldn't stop Mickey or save him from Terry but Kenyatta maybe. 

  "Come and stay with me. Please Mandy. You'll be safe from Kenyatta I swear, please," Ian begged before she could say anything.

  "Ian I... I wish but. I want to. I just don't know," she whispered brokenly.

  "Mandy I need you. I need you and I need you now more than ever," Ian replied in an equally broken whisper.

  "Why now more than ever Ian? Why now, you don't need me," she was almost crying.

  "I'm pregnant Mandy and I'm gonna have it," he confessed then, surprised at how easily the words came out. 

  "Wait, wait what?!" Mandy yelled after a moment's pause.