A College Romance Bethyl

Chapter 25: Coping

Chapter 25: Coping

Setting up her new apartment, Michone brings up the last box and sets it by the door. Beth smiles and then sits on the couch the last owner left.

"So you know he really misses you."

"Michone, I can't...it's jus...huh." She gets up and goes to the window.

"Okay...if you need anything. Let me know." She says goodbye and leaves Beth.

It is for the best, she knows. She just doesn't feel it good. Her heart hurts, but it was inevitable. On top if that, if she is pregnant, how can she go on with a baby that will just remind her of him.

A knock comes at her door and she gets up, opening it up.

"Gareth...um, come in." She opens the door wide enough, letting him in and he enters.

"Nice place. Do you need help unpacking?"

"Yes, but don't worry. I got it." She starts unpacking a box and starts crying when she sees a picture of him and her.

"Hey, come here." He pulls her away from the box and sits her down next to him on the couch. "It's okay."

"I just don't know what to do with my life....I'm just..."

"It's okay. Listen, I'm here for you."

She hugs him and they stay that way for the rest of the night-falling asleep on his chest.

Waking up, Gareth's arms are wrapped around her tight and her arms are around his neck. Shuffling around, she wakes him up and he smiles at her.

"Good morning..."

"Morning." She almost forgets he's holding her. Sitting up, he let's go of her and they separate. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you last night."

"No, it's fine, really."

"I um, gotta get a shower." She awkwardly gets up and Gareth understands.

"I better be going. I gotta feed Murphy."

"Thanks for stopping by."

"Yeah, we should get coffee sometime."

"Sure..."

He leaves and she feels worse than last night. This isn't what's supposed to be happening. She's supposed to be dealing with shit by herself.

She's not that girl and she won't be that girl who dumps one guy and gets with another.

........

Two weeks has gone by and Beth isn't feeling good at all. Sitting in her bathroom she waits what seems like hours, but is really only five minutes. After the time is up, she looks at the pregnancy test and much like the rest of her life, it's shit. The test is positive and there's nothing she can do.

"Pregnant? I can be pregnant... Huh, this is my shirty life." She throws it in the trash and needs to go somewhere. Heading to town, she stops at a coffee place to get a chi latte.

"Beth?" Turning around it's Moreles from the bar that one night.

"Oh, hi..."

"How have you been?"

"Um...good I guess." He points to a table and they both sit.

"So how's yer boyfriends band?"

"We broke up... Didn't he call you about that studio gig?"

"No. But I was actually I wanted to get ahold of you. I was talking to my men and we'd like to see how you do in the studio. Maybe do some vocals and stuff... if yer interested that is."

"Wait, you want me and not Daryl's band?"

"I mean the bands good, but we want the next hot thing and we thinks that's you." She can't believe it, is this really happening? "Sweetheart, you could be bigger than Miley Cyrus or even bigger than Beyoncé."

"Well..."

"Please, just come with me back to the studio and we can work on something today, see how you like us and see how we like you."

"O..kay. Sure." They get up and get in his car. He drives them into Atlanta and soon pull into a small Blue Horizon Studio.

"Okay, Sweetie, let's get you and instrument and a mic. I wanna see what you can do."

They set her up and she tunes the guitar to how she likes it and then she sits on a stool in front of a drop mic. Over the intercom, Moreles speaks up.

"Okay yer on. Do whatever feels natural." She thinks if one of the songs she wrote when she was younger.

"What can I, what can I do for you, honey?
Buy you a coffee? Lend you some money?
Walk you to Times Square, walk to the moon? What can I, what can I, what
Can I do what can I do?

Oh, it's been a long time, but it's been about right. You're looking like
You need a kiss or a fight.
Without my love you don't know how to live.
Is there somebody, somebody else who could make it worth it?

Somebody else? Somebody else? Somebody else?

And I know you're alone, most of the day.
I know you spend night the very same way.
I know you're not with somebody new, I won't break his heart to fix you.
And I think, and I prey, about last September.
As time goes by, I barely remember.
And I know you say you would change that night.
But I was never yours, and you're no longer mine.

Oh, I'd like to kiss you, but my lips are purple.
And I'd like to love you, but our love is spent.
And we wasted our wishes, hurt our best friends, made a home in heart ache,
And now can't pay the rent.

So, what can I, what can I do for you, honey?
I'm not a movie star, pretty play bunny.
I'm just a lucky hack fooling myself.
If you want perfection look to somebody else.

Somebody else, somebody else, somebody else.

And I know you're alone, most of the day.
I know you spend night the very same way.
I know you're not with somebody new.
I won't break his heart to fix you.
And I think, and I prey, about last September.
As time goes by, I barely remember.
And I know you say you would change that night.
But I was never yours and you're no longer mine.

So, what can I, what can I do for you, honey?
Buy you a coffee? Lend you some money?
Walk you to Times Square, walk to the moon?
What can I, what can I, what can I, what can I, what can I, what can I,
What can I, what can I, what can I, what can I do?"

She finishes her song and just looks at them waiting for something. The red light goes off and Moreles comes into the studio.

"That was amazing! Love the sound. Love your voice!"

"It's nothing..."

"That was not nothing. What do you call that song?"

"Times Square."

"Do you have more songs like that?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, if it's not too much to ask, can we record more."

"Sure..."

They start recording more of her songs and when they play her back the tracks, she can't believe that this is happening. When she's done, she starts heading toward the door and Moreles catches her.

"So I'm gonna take this up to my boss and let him here yer tracks and them I'll be in touch with you about moving forward in this business."

"Okay...Thank you Moreles."

"No problem Beth." She gets a cab back to campus and heads up to her apartment. When she gets there, a letter is on her door. Taking it off, she heads inside and reads it.

"Beth,
I messed up, but I need you to know I love you. If you are pregnant, I wanna be there for you.
Daryl."

Shaking her head, she can't deal with this right now. She sits down on her bed and falls asleep.