'Look I'm sorry for having a go at you earlier,' Louis said as Sharon opened the front door to her house letting them in.

She sighed deeply as she led him through to the living room and they sat down. 'I don't see why you even would over something so stupid.'

He nodded, it wasn't like him to get riled up over a dumb joke. 'I guess Rhonda hit a nerve.' Sharon frowned at him. 'I mean I'm working, you're out meeting all these new people, you're bound to find someone else.' He cringed as he admitted it.

'But I don't want to meet anyone else,' Sharon protested and he gave her a sceptical look. 'Louis I don't!'

'Well, that's not how it feels to me sometimes. I mean in twelfth grade would you have put up with me for so long if it wasn't for the code?' He laughed slightly at how stupid that sounded but he suspected that had played a big part in why she'd forgiven him in the first place. She took the whole thing almost as seriously as Johnny did, and he was borderline ridiculous. Maybe not even borderline.

'Louis you're being dumb, if I hadn't wanted to be with you I wouldn't have cared less what the code said,' Sharon insisted folding her arms around herself.

'Well all you ever do is turn me down,' he said hating that he sounded like he was whining.

Sharon grimaced. 'You're not being fair, it's different for guys, and frankly when we first got together and all you did is was pressurise me....' She broke off her cheeks flushing.

'Look I'm sorry about that,' he said sheepishly. 'You're right, I was too pushy but we've been together nearly two years now-'

'Actually, it's just over a year Louis.'

'More like eighteen months,' he said correcting her a change. 'After all this time, you've got to know I'm not using you. If I was only with you for one thing, don't you think I'd have moved on by now?'

Sharon looked at him uncertainly, chewing her bottom lip. 'I guess, maybe.'

'There are other girls out there.' Her face hardened and he realised he'd said the wrong thing again. 'I just mean there are other girls, easier girls, but I'm not interested in anyone but you. It's you that I want to be with.'

'I don't know...'

'I wish you would trust me,' he added sensing she was softening up. 'You can trust me.'

'I guess,' she said hesitantly. 'But your face the other day when Frances started going on about getting married. I didn't expect you to jump up and propose but your reaction didn't make me feel too great either.'

Silently he cursed his sister, he knew Sharon had been more hurt than she'd let on. 'Sharon, I only reacted like that cos it's nothing to do with Frances.'

'Well you looked like the idea horrified you,' she said exaggerating as usual.

'Don't be stupid, of course, it didn't,' he said slowly. 'But I'm not gonna propose until I can get you a proper ring.'

Sharon gasped, a smile appearing on her face. 'Really?' He could see she was biting her lip, trying not to smile too much.

'Yeah really. I want us to be together.' She leaned over and kissed him suddenly taking him by surprise.

'Sharon I do love you, and I want to be with you,' he said hoping it didn't sound like a line. She wrapped her arms around him snuggling into his chest. 'And you know your first time would be terrible with anyone but me.'

Sharon gasped. 'Oh my god, I can't believe you've just said that.' She tried to elbow him and he grabbed hold of her, pinning her down.

'It's true and you know it.' His face was inches from hers and she closed her eyes for a moment. He could feel her trembling. 'Why don't we go up to your bedroom?' She opened her eyes looking at him nervously as she contemplated his words. He waited for the inevitable knockback.

'Okay,' she finally said, and he wondered if he'd heard her right. 'I guess we could.'

~~~~

Paulette's heart sank as Rhonda pulled up outside of her house and she felt sick with nerves. Stephanie gave her hand a squeeze as she reached for the handle on the car door.

'Don't forget what I said,' Steph said, and Paulette nodded giving her a weak smile.

'Bye girls!' She waved Rhonda off and tried to swallow down her anxiety, she knew she couldn't put off talking to her parents any longer. She was regretting not telling Johnny first, this would be easier if he was by her side, but he'd been in such a good mood she'd not wanted to spoil his night.

'What was that all about?' Dolores demanded having tagged along for a ride home.

'None of your business,' Paulette growled, her nerves making her bad-tempered.

'I guess Johnny's losing interest in you now he's working with Steph?'

Paulette spun around glaring, and Dolores quickly scurried inside heading up the stairs.

'Hey mom,' Paulette called going into the kitchen. 'Where's dad?'

'Oh hello, he's out with the boys,' her mom said and Paulette smiled. Who on earth called a bunch of forty odd-year-old men boys? Still, she was glad he wasn't there and seized the opportunity to talk to her mom alone.

'Mom, can we talk?'

Her mother paused, turning her back on the dishes, something in Paulette's voice catching her attention. 'Sure, is something wrong?'

Paulette knew her mom always expected there to be something wrong these days. She'd said on more than one occasion that since she'd started seeing Johnny she hadn't been half as happy. In away Paulette didn't blame her, Johnny had made her extremely upset on more than one occasion.

'You know I've been going out with Johnny,' she began cautiously and her mom sighed as if she was anticipating bad news.

'Yes, what's he done now?'

Paulette bit her lip, steeling herself to get the words out. 'He hasn't done anything but the thing is I'm late.' Her mom looked at her, her eyebrows furrowing. 'My period mom, it's late. I was due around graduation but I still haven't come on.'

'Oh, it's probably due to the stress of graduation,' her mom said turning back to the dishes. 'It happens sometimes, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.'

'But mom?' Paulette said desperately trying to hold her attention and hating that she had to spell it out for her. 'I don't think it's that, I think I might be pregnant.'

Her mom froze, and Paulette swallowed hard, the silence in the room weighing down on her. 'Mom?'

Finally, her mother turned around and Paulette couldn't meet her eyes. 'Don't be silly, how could you be pregnant....' Her voice faded, along with the colour in her face. 'Tell me you haven't done anything stupid.'

Paulette squirmed. 'I could be pregnant,' she admitted. 'I think I am.'

The plate her mom was holding fell from her hands. 'You stupid slut,' she hissed, her voice quietly furious. 'How could you be so dumb?'

Paulette flinched taking a step away from her mom. 'It was an accident, I didn't mean for it to happen.'

'Accident?' her mom scoffed. 'Did he force himself on you? I take it Johnny's responsible.'

'No, of course, he didn't force himself on me,' Paulette said her face heating up. 'It was both our faults.'

Her mom began to pace the kitchen floor unable to look at Paulette. 'So what's he going to do about it?'

'I dunno, I haven't told him.'

Her mom spun around. 'And why's that? Cos you know he'll abandon you?'

Paulette winced. 'I don't know, I'm scared.' She knew Johnny would be furious, maybe even more than her mother was.

'You should have thought about that! You come home and tell me, expecting me to sort it out,' she said her voice verging on the hysterical. 'Well if you're old enough to get yourself pregnant then you're old enough to deal with the consequences!'

'Mom...'

'Get out,' she yelled losing what little control she had left. 'Get out and don't come back until this is sorted out!'

Paulette retreated from the kitchen absolutely bewildered, she'd known her mom would be upset but she hadn't expected that.

'What's going on?' Dolores called leaning over the bannister.

'Nothing Dolores,' Paulette said without her usual animosity. 'Go back to bed.' She opened the front door and let herself out, clueless about what to do next.

~~~~

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