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Christina sat on the examination table in the doctor's office dressed in a gown.

"Hello again" the doctor said coming into the room.

"Hi Doctor Westbourne" Christina said to her.

"No mom today?" Dr. Westbourne asked her.

"Oh uh, no, my mom had to work, just us...the parents" she said.

"Are you okay?" Dr. Westbourne asked Howie.

"Huh?" Howie asked in a daze.

"You just...you look a little pale" she said to him "Here, sit down" she said handing him a chair.

"Sorry just when she said that word" he said slowly sitting in the chair.

"Parents?" Dr. Westbourne asked confused.

"Please stop" Howie said as the room spun around him.

"Okay, does he want to wait outside while we do this?" she asked.

"No I'm okay" Howie said.

"Alright" she said turning the monitor on "Let’s just take a look here, okay, you see the flickering right there?" she asked.

"Yeah" they both replied, looking at the monitor.

"That's the heartbeat, and right there is your baby" she said.

"It’s so small" Howie said.

"Oh don't worry it'll get bigger" Dr. Westbourne said smiling, he leaned down to kiss Christina's forehead, they turned to look in awe at the peanut sized image on the screen.

Melissa's alarm buzzed furiously as she reached her arm out to turn it off, she threw the covers aside and sat up, making the room spin.

"Wow" she said putting a hand to her forehead, she moved at a snail's pace as she dressed for school before finally going downstairs. "Morning" she said groggily.

"Morning" Michelle said "You okay?"

"So tired" Melissa said getting a glass of juice.

"Couldn't sleep?" Michelle asked.

"No, I slept great, I just..." Melissa said before yawning "Don't know what it is" she said drinking her juice "Ugh, I don't want to go to school" she groaned.

"Well maybe if you didn't stay up so late watching TV before bed..." Michelle said to her.

"That has nothing to do with it mother" Melissa said irritated "I got to go" she said grabbing her bag and leaving.

Her eyelids felt heavy as she sat in class, trying to stay awake, Kellie poked her with a pen and Melissa jolted out of her sleepy state "You okay?" Kellie asked.

"I was until you just scared me to death" Melissa said to her irritated.

"Kellie? Melissa?" their teacher asked "There a problem?" he asked again.

"No" Kellie said to him.

"Sorry" Melissa said.

Howie taped the sonogram picture up in his locker.

"That it?" Kevin asked coming towards him.

"Oh, yeah" Howie said turning to see Kevin behind him.

"Unbelievable huh?" Kevin asked.

"Truly" Howie said in awe.

"So how are you with this whole thing now?" Kevin asked "Still making you nauseous?"

"It did, until I saw this" Howie said closing the locker door.


"What do we have so far?" Sasha asked, she sat at a table in the library across from Kellie.

"Clothes, shoes, a movie, a CD, a purse, jewelry" Kellie said reading off a list.

"Why can we not figure this out?" Sasha asked.

"Because Vicki is a hard person to shop for" Kellie said.

"She is, what do you get for the person who has everything?" Sasha asked.

"Who has everything?" Vicki asked sitting with them.

"...My mother" Kellie said to her, putting her notebook away.

"What is it her birthday or something?" Vicki asked.

"Mother’s Day" Kellie said quickly.

"that's...not for a while yet isn't it?" Vicki said.

"Yeah...so...what are you doing here?" Sasha asked.

"It's study hall" Vicki said.

"Well don't you usually spend study hall in the gym with Bri making out under the bleachers?" Kellie asked.

"How do you know that?" Vicki asked her.

"Everyone knows! Everybody does it" Kellie said to her.

"Besides they make out in the back row behind the history section" Sasha said to her.

"Hey!" Vicki said to her.

"Brian had to make up a test today, speaking of which, guess what my incredible boyfriend got me for my birthday" Vicki said happily as she searched through her bag.

"He already got you something?" Sasha asked.

"In advance" she said taking out the envelope with the pink ribbon still on it.

“Poison tickets?!” Sasha asked, she clutched the tickets in her hand, gawking at them.

“Okay Sash, give 'em back” Vicki said trying to force them out of her hand.

“Okay its official, I hate you” she said.


"Hey" AJ said meeting Brian and Howie in the cafeteria.

"Hey" they replied to him as he sat down.

"What's up with Miss?" Howie asked.

"What do you mean?" AJ asked confused as he dug into his lunch.

"I saw her in English today, she could barely stay awake" Howie said.

"Can you blame her?" AJ asked.

"No, I have history with her, she was nodding off in there too" Brian said to him.

"Well uh I don't like to brag but I think I'm partly responsible for that" AJ said smiling.

"Don't like to brag huh?" Howie asked.

Melissa sat at her lunch table with her head down.

"What is with her?" Kellie asked noticing her sleeping once again.

"Can't sleep" Sasha said before nudging Melissa awake.

"Stop doing that!" Melissa said annoyed.

“Are you okay?" Kellie asked concerned.

"Yeah, can't seem to stay awake today" she said yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Oh another hot tub date?" Sasha asked.

"No" Melissa said irritated.

"Hot tub date?" Vicki asked "Why don't I know about this?" she asked.

"I'm surprised big mouth here didn't tell you" Melissa said to Sasha.

"Hey! I am not the one with the big mouth okay? That's you" Sasha said to her.

"That's true but trust me, It comes in handy at times" she said.

"Gross" Vicki said to her.


Later that afternoon, the door slammed shut as Melissa got home from school.

"Hi honey, how was school?" Michelle asked.

"Long" Melissa said plopping herself down at the kitchen table.

"Hey listen Jessie and Jeremy are coming over for dinner tonight" Michelle said.

"Whatever, I'm going to take a nap" she said trotting up the stairs.

The night grew on, Michelle knocked on the door and peeked inside "Honey...Melissa" she said going in and gently shaking her "Melissa."

"What?!" Melissa whined.

"Honey come on it's dinner time, your sister's going to be here any minute" Michelle said.

"So?!" Melissa whined once again.

"Melissa!" Michelle said angrily.

"Alright alright I'm coming, god" she groaned as she got up from her bed.

"Nathan! turn off that video game and come eat!" Michelle yelled to Melissa's brother.

"Well hello there sleepy head" Jack said to Melissa as she made her way to the table, Nathan came running into the room and sat down next to Melissa.

Her mom sat a casserole dish on the table "Okay" she said when the doorbell rang "That must be Jessie" she said going to the door.

"Hi mom" Melissa's sister, Jessie said standing on the doorstep.

"Hi sweetheart, hi Jeremy" she said to Jessie's husband. "Come on in, dinner's on the table" she said taking their coats.

"Hi daddy" Jessie said to Jack.

"Princess" he said hugging her "Son" he said to Jeremy.

"We brought a special treat" Jeremy said handing Jack a bottle of wine.

"Ah wonderful, I'll go break this open right now" Jack said leaving the dining room.

"What's the occasion?" Michelle asked sitting at the table.

"Well...we have some news" Jessie said looking at Jeremy, they smiled at each other.

"You want to tell them now?" Jeremy asked.

"We're pregnant" Jessie said happily.

"No" her mom said "Oh my goodness!" she said jumping out of her seat and hugging her "Congratulations!" she said hugging them both.

"Missy?" Jessie asked as she noticed Melissa had nodded off.

"Melissa!" Michelle bellowed loudly.

"Huh? What?" Melissa asked being startled awake.

"Did you hear? You're going to be an aunt!" Michelle said excitedly.

"Yeah, that's awesome" Melissa said yawning.

"I'd like to make a toast" Jack said holding up his glass "To my beautiful daughter, her husband and my soon to be grandchild, congratulations you two" he said to them.

"Thank you daddy" Jessie said clinking her glass of water with Jeremy's.


Melissa lied on her bed with a magazine when Jessie came in "Hey" she said.

"Don't you knock?" Melissa asked.

"You used to barge into my room all the time!" Jessie said sitting on her bed "Listen, I was hoping you could do me a huge favor" she said.

"Depends on what it is" Melissa said, still focused on her magazine.

"Well...what would say to being the baby's godmother?" Jessie asked hopefully.

"Seriously?" Melissa asked.

"Of course!" Jessie said smiling at her.

"Oh my god...yes! I would love to" Melissa said as they hugged.

"I was hoping you would" Jessie said to her.


The next night, the doorbell at Jessie and Jeremy's house rang.

"Hey, come on in" Jeremy said letting them in.

"What are you doing ringing the bell?" Jessie asked them. "Dinner's almost ready" she said wiping her hands on a dish towel. The smell wafting from the kitchen turned Melissa's stomach.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Michelle asked "You look a little green."

"I'm fine" Melissa said shrugging.

They herded into the dining room, Jessie brought in a covered dish and set it on the table. "Dinner is served" she said taking the lid off the smell wafting over to Melissa. Once the smell hit her, her stomach did a cartwheel that sent her running upstairs.

"Missy? You okay?" her sister asked as she heard the toilet flush, the door opened and she came out "Are you alright?" Jessie asked as she sat on her bed.

"Yeah I'm fine, it’s probably just the flu or something."

"Well how do you feel now?" Jessie asked concerned.

"I feel alright I guess" Melissa said shrugging.

"Okay I'll go get you some crackers" Jessie said patting her arm.

"No, no that's okay" Melissa said to her "Please, no food" she said holding her stomach before dodging into the bathroom once again.

"Jeremy! Do we have any ginger ale?" Jessie asked going down the steps, she brought back a glass full "Miss? I brought you some ginger ale" she heard Melissa whine before retching again.

Soon the door opened and Melissa came out, Jessie took her into the guest room and shut the door. "My god, are you sure you're okay?" Jessie asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah I'll be fine" Melissa said to her.