Maddy

The doorknob rattles. "You have to unlock the door for me, Maddy!" Nova's voice comes from the other side of the door. I open my eyes, my body turned straight at the door as I sit on my chair. "Oh yeah," I say. I get up and unlock the door before running back towards my chair. I close my eyes again, per Nova's instruction, and sit down. "Okay, I'm ready!" I say. A couple of seconds later, I hear the door open and close. I obviously cannot see anything, but I hear my best friend's footsteps inch towards me.

I tap my foot impatiently against the ground. "Okay, open!" she says. I open my eyes slowly and look up. My mouth falls open and I stand up immediately. I grab her hair and admire the new color. "Wait, it looks so fucking natural on you," I say with a smile. Her hair is long enough that it reaches just above her waist. She smiles, "Do you like it though?" I nod, playing with her hair still. It's straightened even though her natural hair is already somewhat straight. "It looks so good," I say honestly.

She had to dye her hair brown for the show that she starts filming in two months. She didn't have to dye it until later but she decided to do it now just to get used to it in case she didn't like it, but I can tell that she does. It looks good on her. The brown look fits, nothing too crazy from her naturally auburn hair. She places her hands over her chest. "Thank God, I didn't want to be the only one who thought so," she tells me. I follow her onto my bed, we both jump onto it at the same time. "You haven't shown Valdez?" I ask.

She shakes her head, pulling her phone out from her back pocket. "He's busy right now and I'm going over later anyway. I didn't even tell him I was dyeing it," she says, smiling. "You didn't? Oh my God, why?" I question curiously. She tucks a strand of her long, now brown hair behind her ear. "I wanted a genuine reaction. Let's see if he even notices," she raises her brows. I scoff, "He notices every single, tiny, different thing about you," I say, truthfully.

We all know this by now. Valdez can sense when something is wrong with his girlfriend no matter how hard she tries to hide it. He even catches it before me. It's interesting really. He knows her really well. She blushes at my statement, probably knowing it's true. "Have you been studying for midterms?" I ask, switching the subject. She nods, "Yes, ugh I just want to take them and then enjoy spring break," she says, laying flat on her back now. It's Friday and we all start taking midterms on Monday. Luckily, we test all next week — and I work as well— and then we're off on Friday. One week off. I need this more than anything.

I've been working a lot, my off days only being Mondays and Fridays. Also, I like doing good on my midterms so school has been stressing me out with all the studying I've been doing. I'm also working on my bathing suits for my final project. So far, they're coming along nicely. I wouldn't be surprised if I finished them by the end of this month. I'm not putting any pressure on myself though since I know a lot of people in my class are still in the very early stages of this project. Some of them haven't even started. I think I might go out tonight to shop for some fabric though.

Before I can respond my door opens and closes quickly. My eyes widen and so do Nova's. We forgot to lock the door. I get off the bed quickly, hearing heavy breathing coming from inside my dorm room. I pick up my roommate Natasha's softball bat. Maddy, Nova mouths. I inch towards the edge of the wall that connects the small hall between the actual room and the door. When I reach it, Max stands in front of the door, his back pressed against it. My shoulders drop back down, not so tense anymore. "Why do you have a bat?" he questions, his voice in almost a whisper.

"What the hell are you doing in my dorm room?" I ask. Nova appears next to me, staring confusingly at Max. "Oh, hey, Nova," he says, not moving. She smiles only. He looks back at me, "Janae. I'm hiding from Janae," he pants quickly, speaking like he just ran a fucking marathon. "Why?" Nova questions for me. "She's mad because she thinks I got her pregnant, so I ran out of her dorm when she accused me," he says easily. Both Nova and I's mouths fall open. I step forward towards him and pull his arm, getting him away from the door.

I lock it quickly, not wanting the crazy brunette to come rushing into my room unannounced. "Max, what the fuck? Be a man," I say, slapping his arm. I point a finger at him, "That's what you get for not wrapping your," I point to his crotch "up." I can't even say the word knowing whose penis I'm talking about. He holds up his hands in defense, "It wasn't me. I always wrap it up and check afterward if the shit broke. I'm not an idiot," he says. I look back at Nova who just watches, crinkles on her forehead that say she's confused.

"If anything that unborn baby has a better chance at being Xander's than mine," he adds. Nova gasps, catching both of our attention. She finally comes up next to me. "Why do you say that?" she asks. We both look back at Max. I'm curious too. "We both slept with her recently, just him and I. She hasn't hooked up with anyone else and Xan told me they didn't have any condoms, so he didn't wrap up." My face contorts in disgust. I hate men. Nova facepalms herself and shakes her head. "He is so stupid," she mumbles. "No idea why she decided to blame me for it, but fuck that. I am a fatherless dude," he shakes his head.

I furrow my eyebrows. He tilts his head, "I mean I'm a childless dude," he corrects himself, nodding his head. "Well, who's gonna break the news that Xander's a father to be?" I say sarcastically. "Not me!" Nova says quickly. "Me either," Max says, shaking his head. I roll my eyes, "Well looks like he's in for a surprise because I am not telling him either."

My mind reverts to earlier this week. Xander, Max, and I hung out and played with an Ouija board. Xander asked about his father. But then there was that word. Was. I think Xander's dad passed away, but I never asked. I don't think him becoming a father would be a good thing. Not right now at least. He's 20 years old, just like me. "Did the test come back positive?" I ask before anyone says anything else. Max furrows his dark brows, "What test?" I tilt my head at him like seriously?

His mouth gapes open a bit in realization, I hope, and he shakes his head. "She hasn't taken one yet, but she's more than a week late on her period. That's what she said," Max shrugs. I roll my eyes, "She's accusing you of being a father and hasn't even taken a test yet?" He looks like he's thinking about what I just asked, "Yeah, I think." Oh my God, that's so pathetic. "Well, she is a week late.." Nova says. I look down at her, a little shorter than my 5'7 self. "You better pray this a scare, because if not, you're a daddy," I say, seriously.

A smirk forms on his lips. Why did I call him that? I internally slap myself. "Let's see if you still have that smile on your face when she sends you a picture of a positive pregnancy test," I retort. He sighs, "What did I tell you? It's more so Xan's than mine." He pushes my forehead with a finger and I grab said finger, twisting it. "Ow!" He pulls his finger away from me. "Okay, I'll tell Xander he's a father-to-be," Nova says, catching both of our attention.

I don't believe her. She's not good in under pressure situations. At least not ones like this. "Really?" Max and I say at the same time. We look at each other before looking back at Nova. She only nods. I shrug, "Okay." Anything that saves me from having to do it. I just hope it's not true. No one deserves to father Janae's child. And yes, I mean that in the worst way possible.

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Xander

I slip on my sweats when I start to hear whisper shouts on the other side of my door. I can't really untangle what they're saying, their voices kind of faint despite standing right outside my door. My eyes stay locked on my door now, tying a bow with the strings of my gray sweats. About a minute later, the door opens. Valdez and Nova both walk into my room, looking very suspicious. I figured it was them. I furrow my eyebrows and cross my arms over my chest. "Yeah?" I say. Nova extends her hand, motioning it towards my bed. "Sit, please." My eyes flit to Valdez who looks at me like just do it.

So I do. I sit on the edge of my bed and the two of them stand in front of me. It looks like I'm their kid and they're about to lecture me for doing something bad. "Xander," Nova starts. "Hmm?" I say. She clears her throat, looking at her boyfriend quickly before turning back to me. "I have some heartbreaking news," she says. Valdez rolls his eyes, but my heart drops to my stomach instinctively. I've heard a line similar to that before. It came from my mom when she told me the news about my pops.

"What is it?" I say. I'm not that worried since my best friend doesn't look anxious next to the news breaker that is Novalee. She fidgets with her fingers before saying in a whisper, "You're gonna be a father." "Oh my god, Novalee," Chris says quickly after. I look at him, wildly fucking confused. "What is she talking about?" Nova doesn't look at me anymore. She's looking at her feet instead, her face a bit flushed.

"Well go ahead, Nov. You wanted to tell him," Valdez says moving her brown hair from her face. Wait brown? "Oh shit, nice hair, Nova." I knew she was going to dye it brown for her show but I didn't know that was gonna be any time soon. She looks up at me and Valdez smiles. "She looks fucking adorable, doesn't she?" A smile appears on my best friend's lips. I smile at it, nodding my head. "Shhhh," Nova says. Valdez and I look at her like what the fuck?

"Xander I just told you. . . you're going to be a father," she whispers. Chris rests a hand on his forehead and shakes his head. "Yes, I heard. Obviously, Chris thinks different." I look at him and he removes his hand from his face and looks at me.

"You're not going to be a father," he says.

"Holy shit," I stand up, very close to the couple who are both only a few of inches away from me "A godfather? Are you guys pregnant?" I basically shout that last sentence. Chris' eyes widen and he shushes me, afraid people will hear. He places his hands on my shoulders, lowering me back onto the bed. "We're not pregnant!" Nova's voice spikes an octave. She touches her stomach and faces Chris. "Do I look fatter?" Her eyes widen. Chris glares at me before looking back at Nova. He cups her frightened face with two hands, "No, baby, you don't. Xan's an idiot."

She nods quickly and he kisses her lips once. He looks back at me. "Why the fuck is this becoming more complicated than it has to be?" He shakes his head. I'm still very fucking confused. "Speak, then," I say, annoyed. "Alright, Nova said she was at Maddy's earlier and Max was there. Long story short, Janae Davis says you and Max are the only guys she's slept with in a while and Max wrapped up his dick and you didn't, so you're possibly the father of her unborn child." He smiles dryly. Nova nods her head quickly, agreeing with the story. Shit. I didn't wear a fucking condom.

"She's fucking pregnant?" My heart starts racing faster than usual, the panic evident in my voice. "Well actually we don't know, Max said she hasn't taken a pregnancy test, yet," Nova says. That should relieve some of the panic, but it fucking doesn't. "Why does she think she's pregnant? Is her period late or something?" I ask. Nova bites her bottom lip nervously and nods. I shut my eyes tight and sigh. "Fuck," I mutter. I feel a body sink down on the mattress down next to me. I know it's Valdez when an arm wraps around my shoulder.

I finally grasp the whole conversation. "Wait, Maddy was there?" I ask. Nova nods and sits down on the other side of me. Fuck, she's probably grossed out by me now. Another added worry. I don't want her to think I fuck every girl I sleep with without a condom. I was going through a shit time mentally when I slept with Janae and of course, I was thinking with my dick instead of my head. "Why?" Nova asks. I shake my head. "What do I do?" I turn to Chris. He looks just as confused and afraid as me. "Make her take a fucking test, better to know now than later," he says.

I shake my head again. "I can't be a fucking dad, Valdez," I say. "Should've thought about that before you had unprotected sex," Nova says very lowly, but I still hear her. I send a murderous glare her way. Valdez stands up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's right, don't look at her like that." He grabs my chin and turns my head to him. My gaze softens slightly. Yeah, they're both fucking right. I stand up too and walk over to get my phone which sits on top of my dresser. "I'm gonna text her," I say.

I unlock my phone and search her name up in my messages.

Me: janae.

Janae: We need to talk.

Me: figured. are you busy?

Janae: No.

Me: ok, i'm comin over then

Janae: Okay...

I sigh and look up. "What did she say?" Valdez asks first. "She said we need to talk," I tell him. If he's nervous, he doesn't show it. My panic is through the roof. I've been doing a lot better these past couple of weeks but this week has been a little shittier than the past ones. I think the stress from studying for my midterms has been affecting me. I was just about to go to Hendrick's gym before these two came in to tell me this. Now I guess I have to fucking wait.

"I'm gonna go," I tell them. Valdez nods his head, "Let me know if anything." I nod my head and pick up my duffel bag. I still plan on releasing some stress especially if I find out I'm going be a fucking father to a child I know I cannot take care of. Not with where I'm fucking at in life. I guess I have to suck it up.

I made my bed, now I have to lay in it.