"It's a boy," he said. Hearing these words actually coming from his mouth being truly surreal. Your best friend... Randall, was going to be having a baby boy. A "little" Randall if you will.
"Wow."
"Yeah..."
For a moment there was silence over the line as you let this information sink it. It being rather difficult to actually think of anything to say in response. The normal reaction, such as "that's nice" and "cool, you can teach him how to play football", not really applying here at all.
"I'm going to have a baby boy..." he finally spoke up again. Sounding pretty stunned himself by the news. "How weird is that?"
"Dude, everything about this whole thing is weird!" you told him. It not really mattering if he'd said boy, girl, rabbit or hamster. Your formerly male best friend was going to be giving birth. It was as freaky as hell!
"I know. I just... well, I guess finding out the sex somehow makes it seem... I dunno. Like it's more real now or something. You know?"
You could kind of see where he was coming from, you guessed. The baby having been, up until now, two lines on a pregnancy test, then some blurry black and white image at the doctors office. Now it actually had a gender. It was actually a real thing.
"Though you'd think feeling it moving about inside me would have done that already," he added with a chuckle.
As strange as it still was hearing him say stuff like this (being unable to imagine even what that must feel like), you couldn't help but chuckle a little yourself. Conjuring up then, inside your head, a rather crude little image that made you laugh even harder.
"What?" Randall questioned. Wondering what was so funny
"Oh, it's nothing," you told him. It being really stupid and not something you particularly wanted to share.
"Come on. Tell me, dude. What are you laughing at?"
"Alright then. I was just thinking that... well, now that we know it's a boy, that means you've totally got a dick inside you!"
Admittedly, you weren't exactly sure why this made you laugh, but thankfully Randall seemed to join in to. Telling you (while he was clearly shaking his head on the other end of the line), "You really are an idiot, you know that?"
It was good to see that his sense of humor hadn't changed. This being exactly the kind of joke he himself would have made in the past. Even though it had to do with the baby he himself was having, he could apparently still see the funny side. Which you seriously doubted he would have done a month ago, when he'd first found out...
After chatting about this, and a few other things for a little while longer, eventually Randall told you that he had to go. Having Miss. Wells and Miss. Esposita coming round to celebrate/cheer him up, now that they knew about his pregnancy (as well as to welcome him back after disappearing like that). Randall joking that at least now they would finally get off his back about his previous weight gain. The two of them having been apparently giving him a hard time too. Girls being way more vicious when it came to stuff like that than boys though.
And so things continued like this for the next several weeks. Now that the cat was officially out the bag, Randall was suddenly inundated with visitors and well-wishers, coming to see him about the baby. Leaving little time for the two of you to hang out. Being pushed a little to the sidelines while he tried his best to cope with this influx. Your own mother even managing to spend more time with him that you had. Giving Randall a complete blow-by-blow description of what pregnancy was like, as well as what the next few months were going to entail. These descriptions, leaving him a little pale at times, as he would tell you on the rare occasion when you did actually get a chance to speak to him. Which was mostly on the phone, or after class at school.
This left you looking again to Sean for company. As well as Bryce, who, while you didn't see quite as often since detention had ended, you did meet up with occasionally from time to time. Still very much being friends. Though the whole situation with Gretchen did sometimes make things slightly awkward. Seeing as they both still hung out together in the same group of friends.
It was at one such meeting, after being invited to the cinema with them all after school, that you found yourself coming face to face with Gretchen again. The two of you having headed out to to the concession stand at the same time, mid way through the movie. Leading the both of you to talking.
"This movie sucks, huh?" she said, making small talk as you waited in the queue.
"Yeah. Bryce told me it was gonna be an action movie." Not the slushy teen romance you were currently watching. "Who's horrible choice was this?"
Rolling her eyes then, she replied, "Who'd you think? ...Brandy's!" This making complete sense.
"Ah, yeah. Should have guessed."
Usually, it was at this point, you'd both run out of things to say to one another, and be content just to stand there awkwardly smiling, (having lost that easy rapport you'd once had, a month or two prior). This time however, while you were trying to distract yourself, by gazing around the lobby, Gretchen again spoke up. Clearly not wanting the conversation to end there.
"So uh... I haven't really seen much of you lately. You been busy with stuff?"
If by busy, you mean, dealing with my best friend being pregnant, vanishing for a month, and then coming back and letting everyone else know he's gonna have a baby... then, yeah, you thought to yourself. This being the real reason she hadn't seen much of you.
You didn't say this of course. Replying instead, "Uh, yeah. Things have been pretty hectic lately." Keeping what exactly those "things" were, reasonably vague.
"I was just wondering because, well..." she started. Visibly pushing herself to finish. "...you never did ask me out. I always thought you were going to. Hell, I almost did myself a few times!"
"Uh..." You certainly hadn't expected her to say this. Being left entirely unsure how to reply.
You didn't have to though. Gretchen sensing this immediately and quickly continuing. "Don't worry. It's cool. I guess I just assumed you liked me in... you know, that way."
Shit... You couldn't believe after all these months she had just come straight out and said it. Putting you completely on the back foot. Where was the unnecessary dancing around and mystery you were used to?
Never the less, you found yourself nervously stuttering, "I... I do like you." The truth slipping its way out.
This admission naturally leading her to ask, "Then why didn't we ever do anything together?"
"Well, because I'm an idiot. I didn't think you were into me," you replied. This being the God's honest truth. Well, that and what had been going on with Randall...
Gretchen simply shook her head. Saying with a giggle, "Yeah, you really are an idiot, cause I was giving you all the signs. When you didn't respond to any of them, I guess I just gave up."
"Sorry."
"No need to be," she smiled. This reply being rather unexpected. "As long as you make it up to me now. It's not too late for us to go out on a date. ...An actual proper date."
"It's not?" you asked her.
"No. How about we say, tomorrow night. ...Unless of course you have a better offer."
"No. No. I don't," you told her. Jumping at the chance. Pretty sure that Randall would be busy yet again anyway. Having been persuaded by your mom to go check out some antenatal classes with her. In preparation for the baby.
"Alright. Friday night it is then," Gretchen happily chirped. Giving you a playful little nudge then with her shoulder. Indicating that it was your turn next in the queue.
Wow... I'm actually going out on date with Gretchen, you smiled to yourself, as you stepped up to buy your popcorn. Not quite believing this turn of events. Feeling both excited, nervous, as well as admittedly a little guilty. Wondering what exactly Randall would think of this, and whether or not you had indeed made the right decision...
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