How It Came To Be// Two Become Three Book 2

I'm pregnant

"Joseph, Louise is on the house phone, she sounds upset," Graham called up the stairs to his son, who was editing a video.

Joe sighed and saved the video, taking the phone off his Dad who had come up the stairs.

"What's up?" Joe asked, the minute he put the phone to his ear, as he flopped onto the single bed.

"I-I tried your mobile but you didn't answer," she said, and Joe instantly knew his dad had been right- his best friend seemed to be in a right state.

"Oh I'm sorry, I think I forgot to charge it, are you okay, you sound upset?" Joe asked, ready to recount the value of his friend to her after another breakup with a lad Joe didn't know she was with.

"Where are you, are you on your own?" She asked him, her voice still shaking.

"Yeah, I'm in my room, are you okay Lou? Has someone hurt you?" He said, sitting up from his bed, ready to go and get her from somewhere.

"No, Joe oh I'm so sorry, I've really messed up, I'm so sorry," she sobbed down the phone.

"What are you apologising for? You don't need to apologise, what's going on? Do you need me to come and get you?"

"No! No I'm, I'm okay, well sort of Joe. We've really messed up. I er I took a pregnancy test earlier and it was positive and I think it's yours, I don't think it can be anyone else's," Louise stuttered out, and it took everything for Joe to not drop the phone.

"Oh," was all he could muster.

"I'm so sorry Joe, this is not what you need I know, I'm so so sorry, your new career and that girl that you liked, I'm so sorry," she blubbed, breaking Joe's heart.

"Its okay, we'll be okay. Where are you? I'll come over, does anyone else know?" Joe asked, suddenly kicking his brain back onto gear.

"Can you leave me for tonight?" She asked, wanting to be alone with the news.

"Yeah, I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow and we can discuss it, please don't worry Lou, it'll be okay," Joe said, as much for the girl over the phone as for himself.

"I'll try, bye Joe."

"Bye Lou."

He hung up and flopped back onto the single bed, rubbing a hand over his face. How the fuck could they be so stupid? The whole situation had been the dumbest thing ever and to top it off there was now a potential baby out of it.

For the first time in his life, he couldn't read what Louise was thinking. He couldn't figure out if she was going to go ahead with it or abort it. Whether she was just shocked or actually upset.

He got up and wandered, well more stumbled, through to Zoe's room- he needed to talk to someone quickly. His stomach felt like it was doing flips.

His sister took one look at the grave look etched on his pale face through the mirror on her desk and said, in a jokey manner, "Who's died?"

"Lousie," Joe choked out, shaky hands gripping the chair she was sat on.

"What?" She said, hand flying to her mouth. Had she understood him correctly? Louise was dead? Surely not, no she'd seen her the other day.

"When, how?" She croaked out, wrapping him in a hug.

"No, no, oh gosh no, she's, she's not dead Zoe," Joe stuttered out, and Zoe pushed him away, landing a punch in his arm- he deserved that.

"You idiot, I thought she was dead, why do you look like that then? Like you might faint if I tapped you too hard." She asked, pointing at his pale face.

"She's pr-pregnant," Joe managed to say, walking back to hold onto the chair, worried he might actually faint.

"She'll be fine Joe, she can handle herself," Zoe said, after she had let out a laugh. He brother had always been quite the dramatic when it came to people's news. She imagined that he looked so worried because he couldn't imagine anything worse at his age. Louise was his best friend and he had a habit of worrying unnecessarily for the people he loved so she was sure it was just that.

"No, Zo, it's mine, the baby, a few weeks ago stupid mistake, its mine," Joe said gravely, sinking into the floor in his sister's room, no longer able to hold his body up. It was as though saying it out loud to someone had made the whole situation real.

Zoe tried to hide her anger, and shock. How could her little brother be so stupid as to not protect himself? Not protect her? And with his best friend, who he had no romantic feelings for, to top it. She managed it though, just. She took a steadying breath, looking at him almost curled up in a ball in the floor, sighing. He looked completely terrified and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. No matter how stupid he had been this was still a big deal and she was relieved to know he had come to her. 

"You need to put aside how you're feeling Joseph," she said, kneeling next to him, "you need to support her whatever she does, you need to shoulder the burden. You need to support her."

"I am, I will. I don't know what she's doing with it. I wanted to go and talk to her but she was sort of closed off, she sounded like she was crying," Joe rushed out.

"Of course she was crying Joe, you dingo. Don't be so daft. Her life had just potentially changed forever because of a stupid mistake. Go and find her, she can't be alone if she's like that. Go and find her and give her a hug, a proper one with two arms, and tell her you're not going anywhere Joseph, because you're not. This is as much your problem as it is her's. This is as much your responsibility as her's," Zoe pulled him up and hugged him again, tightly. She had been stern so that he kicked into gear but that didn't merit her not comforting him. His life had changed too.

"Its going to be okay Joe," Zoe said softly, wiping a tear from his face.

"Don't tell Dad," Joe said, running out of her room, downstairs.

"Where you off to?" Graham asked, watching his son try and put his shoes on the wrong feet.

"Louise's. I'm not sure if I'll be back tonight. I'll call you though," Joe said, "with my phone that is upstairs."

He turned and ran back upstairs grabbing his phone that wasn't out of charge, just on silent. That and the house phone as well. Joe jogged back downstairs, passing his dad back the phone as he pulled a coat on.

"She broken up with another boyfriend?" Graham asked, putting the phone back on it's stand, wondering why his son was in such a rush all of a sudden.

"Something like that, see you," Joe muttered and sprinted out the house before Graham could ask him anymore questions.

"Your brother Zoe Sugg," Graham shouted up the stairs, "is a bloody nutter."

"He's an idiot," she said under her breath sending Joe a text that read

Stay calm Joseph hug her properly

She only hoped this wouldn't destroy them both and their friendship, only time would deliver the truth.