The smell of garlic entices me to the kitchen. I find my father rummaging through the fridge content in search for something. My mother is in front of the stove cooking a garlic butter stir fry in a large pan.

"Look who I found," says Kyle, a small smile playing on his face.

"Hi," I call out.

My father mutters a brief 'hello' from over his shoulder and Mum completely stops cooking to give me her attention. She turns off the cooker and gives me a hug. I wrap my arms around her torso and grip her tightly.

"How are you?" She smiles.

Did I really want to go there? Explain how I really felt about something? No, I don't want to go there, well, not yet. Instead of explaining how I want to throw up and run away at the same time, I smile and nod my head.

"I'm alright," I reply.

"I was talking to Kyle's mother this morning when she told me how long it's been since we've had a meal together. She was supposed to come, but she called in sick at the last minute." She frowns with disappointment. "Thankfully, Kyle could still make it!"

The mention of Kyle makes me look in his direction. He's pressed against the kitchen doorway behind Blake and London. With his arms folded across his chest and droopy features, Kyle looks unsettled and out of place.

Well, that certainly explains why Kyle is here. It's comforting to know that he didn't just appear or invite himself. However, this doesn't do anything to settle my emotions. Instead of being upset, I just feel torn between the two. I'm always torn between something, that stupid moral conscious whispering into my ear.

I'm worried he'll say something and my parents will change their mind. Kyle doesn't seem pleased about the circumstances which makes him a dangerous person. This dangerous person is also my best friend, so it's hard to think he'd ever go against me. Sure, we fight, but this goes over some tedious argument about nothing substantial.

I've never been in this situation before, so who really knows? Megan and Tori were best friends before someone got in their way and tore them apart. That could happen too use. Kyle and I are best friends, but that certainly doesn't make things special . . . just, well, damn moral conscious and all, perhaps there's a heavy sense of duty when it comes to standing with your friends, even when they do stupid things.

My mind couldn't just rule out any questionable activities from Kyle. Just because it wasn't right to rule out possibilities because you don't want them to happen. No, that wasn't going to stop things from happening. Kyle could either be a dangerous force or a moving factor to make things alright. I haven't completely decided which force he's going to be.

When push comes to shove, that's when you see who your real friends.

"That's no good! I hope she feels better soon." Deep down, I'm glad. Kyle's parents arriving for dinner wouldn't work well for obvious reasons. I don't need two sets of disappointing parentals looking down at me.

"Can you please set the table, Ava?" asks Mum.

"Yeah, sure." I nod my head.

"I'll help." Kyle quickly jumps into to offer his services. Blake's lips part like he wants to jump in and say something, but he smiles instead. I grin back as if to say I'm okay. It's not like I'm being left alone with a serial killer.

Grabbing the plates and cutlery out of the cupboard, I pass them to Kyle and walk into the dining room. He places the stuff on the table and then follows me around the table to talk.

"I didn't want to be here tonight," says Kyle.

Because of the previous explanation, I give him a chance to talk. I want to smooth things out rather than cause more drama.

"Am I that bad?" I tease to soften the atmosphere.

"My mother called and I lied to get out of dinner. But then your mother called . . . He's persistent." He scratches the top of his head while biting his lip.

"She can be." I laugh.

When she wants something, she'll go after it. It's not all bad, but not always good either. I wish I had her persistence when it comes to certain things. However, I did get some of her other wonderful traits.

"I didn't want to look suspicious, so I agreed to come. I can make an excuse to leave if you like?" While he says he wants to leave, I see that burning look in his eyes. He wants to stay.

Now I'd just feel bad if I asked him to leave.

"You can stay." I weakly smile.

At the end of the day, Kyle is my best friend and I would hope he'd be on my side regardless of how he's currently feeling. Blood is thicker than water after all.

Kyle and I finish setting up the table just as Dad and Blake walk through the door. He passes London to me. She clings onto my shirt and looks around – her eyes wide open with fascination.

"Would you like a drink, Blake?" ask Dad.

Blake glances at me, a pleading pout consuming is facial features. Excitement swirls within his vibrant green eyes. I subtly shake my head and pout with him. If I can't have a drink to take the edge off my mood, then it's not fair he gets the chance to do so.

"No, maybe another time," responds a defeated Blake.

"If you're sure." Dad shrugs his shoulders. "Kyle?"

"Yeah, I'd love one." Dad walks into the kitchen with Kyle trailing behind. Blake quickly snaps to my side, the vibrant energy suddenly returning to his body.

"Let's make a deal?"

My interests are captured at the sound of a deal – sometimes you can't resist those.

"I'll tell your parents if I can have a couple of drinks," says Blake.

"Hm." I'm not sure if that's a fair trade, but I go with it. I'd probably settle for a lot less if it means I don't have to tell them. I'd still receive the heat, I just didn't know how I was going to spit the words out.

"Deal."

"Woohoo!" He grins happily.

Passing London to Blake, I walk into the kitchen just in time. Dad cracks open a beer and goes to hand it to Kyle, but before he has the chance to accept it, I zap in front and steal the drink.

"I thought you didn't like beer?" Dad frowns.

"It's for Blake. I decided I would be designated driver for him." I smile.

"Fair enough." Smiling, I walk towards the kitchen exit as my mother calls my name. I stop in my track and look over my shoulder at her.

"Can you put this on the table too?" I look at the big pot of vegetables and groan. Ugh, that thing looks seriously heavy.

"I'll grab it. Can you take my drink?" asks Kyle.

"Yeah, sure." Taking Kyle's drink, I wander into the dining room and hand Blake his drink. He easily knocks at least half back before taking a seat. The rest of the crew shuffle into the room along with Mum and a baby chair for London to sit in.

We give her a small bowl of mash to play with while we sit down and plate up. Mum and Dad are always quick to dive into the interrogation questions with Kyle. They ask him about his studies, what he's up to and any girls in sight. He fails to mention Charlotte and I don't want to bring it up.

Partway through the meal, I kick Blake under the table as he's guzzling down his second beer.

"Ava and I have something to announce," he slurs.

Blake isn't that drunk – but considering how fast he's knocking them back, it doesn't surprise me that he's a little buzzed and all over the place.

"What is it?" asks Mum.

"We're pregnant."

The two go into shock, which is expected. Dad leans back and just watches, his eyes unsure of whom to look at. Me or my mother. It seems like he's unable to say anything – Dad sort of works like that. Waits for the storm to happen then works on the damage control to settle things.

My mother on the other side, it's like a switch is flipped inside her brain. Instead of being the bright and bubbly person, she rears her other side.

"Pregnant?" she spits with disgust. "You can't be, you're only eighteen, Ava," she growls.

"Hun," buts in Dad.

Her attention turns to Blake – her eyes turn a darker shade as the words flow from her mouth.

"How on earth could you let this happen? How do you manage to screw up a second time? Didn't you learn from your other girlfriend?" I look at Blake and he's stunned. A storm look over comes him, but he doesn't act on those emotions. Besides, who has time with my mother's temper?

"It wasn't an accident," says Blake.

"It sure seems like a big accident to me."

"Accident?" is the first word to fly out of my mouth. "It's unexpected but our baby isn't an accident," I growl, the protective side coming out. Nobody is going to call my baby an accident, not even my mother.

While my mother's anger consumes her body, my moral conscious is nowhere to be seen, thankfully.

"You're not ready to have a baby. You're supposed to get married and travel the world . . . You're supposed to live your life before you settle down and have a baby."

"I'm already raising a child – she's might daughter too." I point out.

"She's not your daughter, she's Blake's. I shouldn't have let you see him. I knew Blake was going to be trouble. He made you happy, so I allowed it. Now look, you can't go back now." The funny thing is, I wouldn't choose to go back if I could. Things happen as they do because it's meant to happen. Things aren't always conventional because conventional is something instilled by others, not by the world.

"The only trouble here is you!" I slam my knife and fork on the table angrily.

"Say something." She looks at Dad, but he's still in shock.

"I'm sorry, but you're wrong. Ava is going to make an amazing mother because she's one of the best people on this earth. I'm even more sorry that you can't seem to see that yourself. You forgot about Ava when Logan passed away and then clung to her when you realised she was all you had left. At some point, you have to let her go and live her own life – whatever path she takes," says Kyle.

His speech makes cry. A few tear runs down my cheek. He is right.

Kyle leaves my mother gaping for words. Instead of looking like a fish, she gets up from her chair and storms off. I scramble out of my chair and start cleaning London up. She grizzles a little at the loss of the mash, but I don't care. We need to leave.

"She'll come around, Ava," says Dad.

He gets out of his chair to give me a hug. It's been a while since we've hugged – it's always been a mum thing. With his arms wrapped around me, I feel like a child once more. It kind of scares me.

"Congratulations on the baby," he whispers.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm going to sort your mother out. I'll see you soon?"

"Maybe." I sniffle.

Quickly, I dry the stray tears and smile at him. Just because things aren't great with her, I'd still make the effort to keep in touch with Dad until things blow over.

He grabs his beer and heads upstairs. Blake takes London from her high chair and into the kitchen to be cleaned up – thus leaving Kyle and I alone.

"I was wrong and in shock – but I was also a bad friend. In truth, I was excited when your mother called because I wanted to be there for you because I wasn't before. I was wrong to say the things I did, maybe I was a little scared too. My Ava baby is growing up." He chuckles.

"We really are growing up, Kyle."

"Yeah." He nods his head. "I know Blake will always be there for you and I want you to know I will be there for you until the moment you don't need me."

"I will always need my best friend, Kyle."

"Good, because I'll always need you."

"Now, I'm going to leave before anything else happens." I laugh.

"I should leave as well." He nods his head.

"Are you driving?" I ask.

"No, Ben's picking me up."

"Okay then, bye." I give Kyle a hug and then return to the kitchen. London is cleaned up and we make a swift exit to the car. I let buckle London in her car seat while Blake gets into the backseat with her.

Instead of messing around with the car, I adjust the seat and start driving.

"She'll come around," says Blake. "I'm experienced in this." He laughs, a bitter tone staining it.

"I don't know." I frown. "She barely pulled herself through Logan's death, and now this . . ." I was afraid this was going to happen.

I can't keep feeling responsible for everyone else's feelings, it's exhausting. I can't help but feel bad. I want her to know that I'll be okay, nothing is going to happen to me. But it's going to take time before she realises this. I'm not Logan, I'm Ava, and I'm not going anywhere.

Thoughts on Kyle? Thoughts on her mother?