"I've Done Twins", chapter 37
Mike and Leah lay facing each other in bed with stupid smiles on their faces.
"We're going to get married," Leah whispered, poking his nose.
"After Ryan's born," Mike poked her nose.
"How can you be so sure it's a Ryan?"
"How can you be so sure it's not a Ryan?"
"Do you often answer questions with a question?"
He chuckled. "Are you often this inquisitive?"
"I believe I just got my answer."
He pulled her a little closer, but noticed the wince Leah gave when he did. "What?" He asked.
"You made the baby kick."
Mike put his hand under the sheets and up to Leah's stomach. He didn't feel a thing at first. Just a big, round stomach. Then he felt it. The little kick. Well, it wasn't little. It hurt like a bitch. But he felt it.
"Oh, my God," He whispered. "God, Lee. What'd you do? I think it's pissed at you."
She chuckled. "Probably that coffee I had a sip of. It's all hyper-active."
"Man, I haven't felt a baby kick in... like... nine years."
"Well... here it is before you. Kickin' like an Olympic swimmer doin' freestyle."
He laughed. "Nice metaphor."
"Ooh, nice use of English!"
He brought his hand back up and touched her cheek. Gently stroked it.
"I don't want you to get hurt anymore," He said.
"I will," She said, "Everyone gets burnt in life. I mean, I'm gonna give birth for the first time in three months!"
He half smirked. "It's not the first time you've been pregnant though."
She looked down. "Do you think I wanted to get rid of the baby? I don't believe in abortions. I think its murder. But I knew I couldn't keep it. I mean... there are exceptions."
"What if you fell pregnant at thirteen and I was the father?"
Leah pondered the thought. "I don't know. But that was then..."
"And this is now."
"Precisely."
"We'll just live the life we got now, huh?"
"The life I have now is almost perfect," Leah said, "And I'd rather think about now then... when I was thirteen. I can hardly remember most of it."
"I think... wait... what? What do you mean 'almost perfect'? What's wrong?"
"I need to stab my sister," Leah grinned demoniacally. "She needs twin punishment."
"I thought sending your mother over would be enough."
"That was only round one."
"Mum," Courtney said, trying to keep anger out of her voice.
"Courts, love! Lee sent me 'round. Said ya-self and Billie wanted me over. Here I am!"
"Oh..." Courtney moaned almost sickly.
"Great!" Billie smiled, "Welcome to my humble home, Ms Prescott!"
"Please, Bill. I've told ya so many times - Mel."
"Oh, right..." He grinned. "Mel."
"Billie," Courtney moaned as she walked past, "Be a dear and get the Paracetamol."
"You sick, Courtney?" Mel said, coming over and placing the back of her hand on Courtney's forehead.
"No, I'm..."
"Headaches," Billie interrupted. "She gets like this, hehe... the weather... y'know."
Mel nodded. "OK... was worried my little Pookie Bum was sick."
Billie snorted, containing laughter. Courtney went pink.
"So... how were Leah and Mike when you got home?" Billie asked.
"Usual, love," She replied, shrugging. "You know what their like. Kissing, hugging, touching, smiling. That stuff."
Blank.
"Excuse me... I got to make a phone call."
Courtney looked blank too.
"Me too!" She said, rushing off with Billie.
Jess was playing with a white, flour-covered ringlet of hair. She pulled it between two fingers, as if she were straightening it.
"Natural curls," Tre scoffed. "They can't be natural."
"They are," Jess protested. "My curls are real."
"Are your b-"
"Yes, Tre. Can't you tell?"
"Like you said - you can never tell these days."
"If they weren't real, they'd be a lot bigger. Trust me."
"Are Hayley's curls real?"
Jess grinned and shook her head. "Nope."
Tre gasped like a teenager that just heard juicy gossip. "No!" He said. "Shut - up!"
She giggled. "Hand to God."
"Wow, what else about her isn't real?"
She rolled her eyes.
"I always thought she might wear contacts. Her eyes are really nice... almost..." He went shifty eyed, "... Too nice."
"No. They're real."
"What about her boo-?"
"Oh, get off it!" Jess scoffed, throwing her cushion at him. "She hardly has the money for that sorta surgery. Besides, she's confidant with who she is. We're level headed girls."
"How so?" Tre asked. "Explain to me what a 'level headed girl' is. Because all the girls I know bitch about their boobs, thighs, lips, hair, weight..."
"When was the last time you heard me talk about that?"
"Last night."
"WHAT?! What did I say?"
"You said 'I think my hair needs to be dyed darker'."
"That wasn't bitching."
"Yeah it was."
"Was n- Forget it. I'm higher then that."
"Carry on with what you were going to say. Jessica Ann Greenwood..."
"Please don't ever say that again."
"For one million dollars, answer this question - WHAT is a 'level headed woman'?"
She grinned. "A woman who is level headed is confidant with who she is."
"Example?"
"Um... Me! I mean, I don't have an eating disorder, I don't cut, I don't take drugs, I don't drink... much... I don't smoke, I like children, I don't gamble, I'm not addicted to anything... well, except chocolate. Which makes me normal. Y'know, I'm not... Well... I'm just normal."
"But you do have an addiction to chocolate?"
She nodded. Tre sat up, crossed one leg over the over and frowned. He pretended to have a note pad and a pen.
"Would you like to talk about that?"
Jess lied down on the couch and placed her arm across her forehead. "Oh doctor! I'm crazy!"
"We have a cure for that," Tre said solemnly. "But... it doesn't come easy."
"I'll do anything, doctor! Anything!"
"Is this role play turning you on?" Tre murmured. "Doin' wonders for me."
Jess laughed and sat up. "Give me my cure."
Tre seemed to pounce on her and growl. "I said... it doesn't come easy."
"And I said, I'll do anything, doctor... Anything."
"ENGAGED?!" Courtney screeched. "YOU'RE ENGAGED?! YOU HAVE A MASSIVE FIGHT BUT THEN GET ENGAGED?!"
Billie covered her mouth. "Shh! Your mom will hear!"
Courtney was screaming into Billie's hand, the muffles insults were still loud. Billie pinched her nose. Courtney struggled to break free and breathe.
"Leah," She hissed into the phone. "We'll be discussing this later."
Billie hung the phone up for her. "So..."
"Who the hell does she think she is? Getting married!"
"Who's getting married?" Mel asked, walking in.
"L-" Courtney started.
"LILLY!" Billie interrupted, "Our friend - Lilly. She's... um... yeah... married..."
"Oh, well that's good. I'm hopin' the same will happen with Mike and Lee. I just think it's strange they're not even thinking of it."
"Really?" Courtney muttered bitterly.
Mel nodded. "Doesn't that strike ya's as odd?"
"Strike me as more then that," Courtney hissed. Billie nodded over-enthusiastically.
"Yeah. But I think they might be considering it. Y'know... for the baby's sake."
"Maybe sometime in the near future," Mel smiled at Billie.
"Maybe they could have already done it," Courtney said, "You can just never tell with that two. They're so... spontaneous."
"Well," Billie said in a 'shut up' way, "Love can be a very spontaneous thing, Courtney."
"And so can mistakes..."
"And..."
"Hey, hey, hey," Mel interrupted, "What's this, then? You seem a bit tense, you two."
Courtney sighed, "Mum... Leah's... Leah's engaged."
Mel's face went from normal to shocked so quickly it... well... it just happened really quickly.
"Uh oh," Billie mumbled under his breath.
"Engaged?" Mel asked. "THAT'S GREAT!" She jumped onto Courtney and hugged her. "Hun! You're gonna have a niece or nephew and a brother-in-law!"
"Yeah, lighten up," Billie nudged her gently. Courtney couldn't help but smile.
"It is good isn't it?" Courtney said. "Leah must be extremely happy."
"And extremely over their fight," Billie laughed.
"Fight?" Mel asked. "They were fighting?"
"Oh..." Courtney thought quickly, "Yeah. It was stupid. About..."
"About some baby stuff," Billie shrugged. "No big deal."
"Right."
3 Months Later...
Everyone took the engagement news rather well. Everything was going great for everyone. Everyday Leah woke up and told her self: 'My baby might be born today'. A room was set up, consisting mainly white things (because they didn't know whether it was a girl or boy) and there were a stack of gifts and cards and whatnot.
That night, Leah went to bed, complaining she felt sick. Mike stayed up until midnight day-dreaming. He hadn't had a baby to look after for ages. He looked after Frankito a couple of times but this was different - he couldn't give this baby back. He had to keep it. What if he lost his fatherly touch? What if he had a nervous breakdown or something? He shook his head. Don't be stupid - he told himself. This is so simple. Trained monkeys can do it. Tre can do it. Jase can do it.
"We're going to get married," Leah whispered, poking his nose.
"After Ryan's born," Mike poked her nose.
"How can you be so sure it's a Ryan?"
"How can you be so sure it's not a Ryan?"
"Do you often answer questions with a question?"
He chuckled. "Are you often this inquisitive?"
"I believe I just got my answer."
He pulled her a little closer, but noticed the wince Leah gave when he did. "What?" He asked.
"You made the baby kick."
Mike put his hand under the sheets and up to Leah's stomach. He didn't feel a thing at first. Just a big, round stomach. Then he felt it. The little kick. Well, it wasn't little. It hurt like a bitch. But he felt it.
"Oh, my God," He whispered. "God, Lee. What'd you do? I think it's pissed at you."
She chuckled. "Probably that coffee I had a sip of. It's all hyper-active."
"Man, I haven't felt a baby kick in... like... nine years."
"Well... here it is before you. Kickin' like an Olympic swimmer doin' freestyle."
He laughed. "Nice metaphor."
"Ooh, nice use of English!"
He brought his hand back up and touched her cheek. Gently stroked it.
"I don't want you to get hurt anymore," He said.
"I will," She said, "Everyone gets burnt in life. I mean, I'm gonna give birth for the first time in three months!"
He half smirked. "It's not the first time you've been pregnant though."
She looked down. "Do you think I wanted to get rid of the baby? I don't believe in abortions. I think its murder. But I knew I couldn't keep it. I mean... there are exceptions."
"What if you fell pregnant at thirteen and I was the father?"
Leah pondered the thought. "I don't know. But that was then..."
"And this is now."
"Precisely."
"We'll just live the life we got now, huh?"
"The life I have now is almost perfect," Leah said, "And I'd rather think about now then... when I was thirteen. I can hardly remember most of it."
"I think... wait... what? What do you mean 'almost perfect'? What's wrong?"
"I need to stab my sister," Leah grinned demoniacally. "She needs twin punishment."
"I thought sending your mother over would be enough."
"That was only round one."
"Mum," Courtney said, trying to keep anger out of her voice.
"Courts, love! Lee sent me 'round. Said ya-self and Billie wanted me over. Here I am!"
"Oh..." Courtney moaned almost sickly.
"Great!" Billie smiled, "Welcome to my humble home, Ms Prescott!"
"Please, Bill. I've told ya so many times - Mel."
"Oh, right..." He grinned. "Mel."
"Billie," Courtney moaned as she walked past, "Be a dear and get the Paracetamol."
"You sick, Courtney?" Mel said, coming over and placing the back of her hand on Courtney's forehead.
"No, I'm..."
"Headaches," Billie interrupted. "She gets like this, hehe... the weather... y'know."
Mel nodded. "OK... was worried my little Pookie Bum was sick."
Billie snorted, containing laughter. Courtney went pink.
"So... how were Leah and Mike when you got home?" Billie asked.
"Usual, love," She replied, shrugging. "You know what their like. Kissing, hugging, touching, smiling. That stuff."
Blank.
"Excuse me... I got to make a phone call."
Courtney looked blank too.
"Me too!" She said, rushing off with Billie.
Jess was playing with a white, flour-covered ringlet of hair. She pulled it between two fingers, as if she were straightening it.
"Natural curls," Tre scoffed. "They can't be natural."
"They are," Jess protested. "My curls are real."
"Are your b-"
"Yes, Tre. Can't you tell?"
"Like you said - you can never tell these days."
"If they weren't real, they'd be a lot bigger. Trust me."
"Are Hayley's curls real?"
Jess grinned and shook her head. "Nope."
Tre gasped like a teenager that just heard juicy gossip. "No!" He said. "Shut - up!"
She giggled. "Hand to God."
"Wow, what else about her isn't real?"
She rolled her eyes.
"I always thought she might wear contacts. Her eyes are really nice... almost..." He went shifty eyed, "... Too nice."
"No. They're real."
"What about her boo-?"
"Oh, get off it!" Jess scoffed, throwing her cushion at him. "She hardly has the money for that sorta surgery. Besides, she's confidant with who she is. We're level headed girls."
"How so?" Tre asked. "Explain to me what a 'level headed girl' is. Because all the girls I know bitch about their boobs, thighs, lips, hair, weight..."
"When was the last time you heard me talk about that?"
"Last night."
"WHAT?! What did I say?"
"You said 'I think my hair needs to be dyed darker'."
"That wasn't bitching."
"Yeah it was."
"Was n- Forget it. I'm higher then that."
"Carry on with what you were going to say. Jessica Ann Greenwood..."
"Please don't ever say that again."
"For one million dollars, answer this question - WHAT is a 'level headed woman'?"
She grinned. "A woman who is level headed is confidant with who she is."
"Example?"
"Um... Me! I mean, I don't have an eating disorder, I don't cut, I don't take drugs, I don't drink... much... I don't smoke, I like children, I don't gamble, I'm not addicted to anything... well, except chocolate. Which makes me normal. Y'know, I'm not... Well... I'm just normal."
"But you do have an addiction to chocolate?"
She nodded. Tre sat up, crossed one leg over the over and frowned. He pretended to have a note pad and a pen.
"Would you like to talk about that?"
Jess lied down on the couch and placed her arm across her forehead. "Oh doctor! I'm crazy!"
"We have a cure for that," Tre said solemnly. "But... it doesn't come easy."
"I'll do anything, doctor! Anything!"
"Is this role play turning you on?" Tre murmured. "Doin' wonders for me."
Jess laughed and sat up. "Give me my cure."
Tre seemed to pounce on her and growl. "I said... it doesn't come easy."
"And I said, I'll do anything, doctor... Anything."
"ENGAGED?!" Courtney screeched. "YOU'RE ENGAGED?! YOU HAVE A MASSIVE FIGHT BUT THEN GET ENGAGED?!"
Billie covered her mouth. "Shh! Your mom will hear!"
Courtney was screaming into Billie's hand, the muffles insults were still loud. Billie pinched her nose. Courtney struggled to break free and breathe.
"Leah," She hissed into the phone. "We'll be discussing this later."
Billie hung the phone up for her. "So..."
"Who the hell does she think she is? Getting married!"
"Who's getting married?" Mel asked, walking in.
"L-" Courtney started.
"LILLY!" Billie interrupted, "Our friend - Lilly. She's... um... yeah... married..."
"Oh, well that's good. I'm hopin' the same will happen with Mike and Lee. I just think it's strange they're not even thinking of it."
"Really?" Courtney muttered bitterly.
Mel nodded. "Doesn't that strike ya's as odd?"
"Strike me as more then that," Courtney hissed. Billie nodded over-enthusiastically.
"Yeah. But I think they might be considering it. Y'know... for the baby's sake."
"Maybe sometime in the near future," Mel smiled at Billie.
"Maybe they could have already done it," Courtney said, "You can just never tell with that two. They're so... spontaneous."
"Well," Billie said in a 'shut up' way, "Love can be a very spontaneous thing, Courtney."
"And so can mistakes..."
"And..."
"Hey, hey, hey," Mel interrupted, "What's this, then? You seem a bit tense, you two."
Courtney sighed, "Mum... Leah's... Leah's engaged."
Mel's face went from normal to shocked so quickly it... well... it just happened really quickly.
"Uh oh," Billie mumbled under his breath.
"Engaged?" Mel asked. "THAT'S GREAT!" She jumped onto Courtney and hugged her. "Hun! You're gonna have a niece or nephew and a brother-in-law!"
"Yeah, lighten up," Billie nudged her gently. Courtney couldn't help but smile.
"It is good isn't it?" Courtney said. "Leah must be extremely happy."
"And extremely over their fight," Billie laughed.
"Fight?" Mel asked. "They were fighting?"
"Oh..." Courtney thought quickly, "Yeah. It was stupid. About..."
"About some baby stuff," Billie shrugged. "No big deal."
"Right."
3 Months Later...
Everyone took the engagement news rather well. Everything was going great for everyone. Everyday Leah woke up and told her self: 'My baby might be born today'. A room was set up, consisting mainly white things (because they didn't know whether it was a girl or boy) and there were a stack of gifts and cards and whatnot.
That night, Leah went to bed, complaining she felt sick. Mike stayed up until midnight day-dreaming. He hadn't had a baby to look after for ages. He looked after Frankito a couple of times but this was different - he couldn't give this baby back. He had to keep it. What if he lost his fatherly touch? What if he had a nervous breakdown or something? He shook his head. Don't be stupid - he told himself. This is so simple. Trained monkeys can do it. Tre can do it. Jase can do it.
