Running With a Bad Girl

Chapter 11

Zoe

"No Ryan!" Casey nearly screamed into the phone. "I want the chocolate chip cookies."

"They don't have the chocolate chip ones!" I heard his distant voice ring back through the cell placed against her ear.

"Fine then sugar."

"They. Only. Have. Oatmeal."

Stephanie looked to me with a smirk, peering over the rim of her glass as she drank steaming co-coa. I wasn't surprised that Casey was giving her boyfriend attitude once again. Lately she has been in a funk where her mood goes from crazy serial killer to an innocent puppy that you just accidentally stepped on. I worried about her here and there because who knows if Ryan could put up with the bullshit. But alas, he was still kicking and managed to work around her language.

"I hate oatmeal," Casey frowned, actual tears swelling in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her expression and looked to Stephanie in shock. Was this girl really crying about cookies?

"I'll go to a different Subway to get chocolate chip then," I heard Ryan explain in a softer tone.

"Thanks love," Casey smiled, her eyes still glossy.

When she finally set her phone down in front of her on the kitchen counter, I wondered to myself if I should ask what her mood swings were about? But was I ready for an evil rant?

"What's with the water works?" Stephanie blurted, and I bit my tongue to hold back a laugh.

Casey then looked to us in shock, as if we just revealed a secret of hers, which we didn't. It looked as if she were hiding something from us. Something that we couldn't know and it worried me. We all usually told each other everything.

"Oh sorry, I'm on my period," she laughed. "I'm craving Subway chocolate chip cookies right now. Was I being mean?"

"A little," Stephanie smirked. "Hell, he's a good guy though. Going all the way to another Subway to find your cookies."

"Yeah," Casey frowned and scratched her neck. "I guess I should stop shouting at him."

The thought of my best friend hiding secrets upset me. If there was an issue that was bothering her, I wanted to know so I could comfort her.

"Cass," I spoke out gently to get her attention. If I was going to approach the situation, I had to do it as if I was a lioness stalking the antelope. "Is something wrong?"

"No why? Nothing's wrong. Why would you think something was wrong?"

She answered the question too rapidly with more questions, telling me there was indeed a problem.

When Stephanie and I sent her a knowing look, Casey caved and bowed her head as if she was ashamed.

"I'm not on my period," she confessed. "I missed it.

"Have you taken a test?" Stephanie questioned.

"Three."

"And?" I wondered.

"Positive."

I was rubbing my bare arm, feeling slightly washed away as Casey sat there looking defeated. She obviously wasn't ecstatic to be pregnant; I don't think anyone would be in her situation. She was still trying to pass business school while having a boyfriend who wasn't ready for kids.

"Does Ryan know?" I decided to ask.

"Yes. We both don't know what to do. On one hand, a baby is going to intervein with a lot. My studies, our money, and the fact that he has a lot of enemies. But on the other hand, how cute would it be for me to have a baby? And I feel if I aborted it, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. There is a human growing inside of me. Who am I to take away that baby's opportunity at life?"