Jessica pokes her head up from behind her locker door.
"What's wrong, Mia? Didn't study?" she asks with a slight giggle. "You know studying helps when it is time for the finals."
She removes a thick textbook and kicks the door shut.
"I cram, Jess."
"Then what're you complaining for? We've just got a couple more tests until we're home free!"
"I know but my parents will kill me if I don't ace this."
Jessica sighs heavily.
"Yeah, mine too. I've been trying to study, but Jake keeps calling me. Sometimes I'm tempted to talk to him, but I need to just let it go. If i give in, he'll just bug me more," She yawns. "And I've gotten a whole three hours of sleep! I just can't wait to be done with the drama and done with the exams! What do you have next? I've got Calculus."
"History," Mia sighs."And Jake really needs to get over you, you know. He's starting to bug me about you."
"Really?" Jess groans. "He just won't give up!"
"Loser," Mia chuckles. "Come on, I'll walk with you."
The pair makes their way through the crowded white hallways and approach the Calculus room.
Jess takes a deep breath.
"Well wish me luck. Oh! And do you want to get together tonight? I don't have cheer practice."
"Jake in this class too?" Mia wondered
"Sure," Mia smiles
Jess freezes.
"Yeah," She mutters sadly. "And he still sits next to me!"
"Oh Jess," Mia felt bad. "Well good luck...with him and the test."
"Thanks. I'll give you a call after school." She enters the room reluctantly.
"Bye," Mia waves, glaring at Jake.
Later that night, Mia arrives at Jess's house. As she makes her way to the door, a gentle breeze causes goose bumps to rise. The door swings open just as she reaches for the doorbell, revealing a frightened Jessica.
"Jess!" Mia cries, concerned."What's wrong?"
"Jake. He gave me this at the end of the calc exam. He wants me to come to his house so he can prove he's sorry for hurting me." Jess explains, wide eyed as she produces a folded piece of paper.
"I think I should go...but would you come with me?"
"Um, sure, but do you really want to go?" Mia checked.
"I think I should. I mean, if I'm right there, I can stand up to him and tell him to knock it off once and for all," Jess sighs.
"That's a good point. And I'll be with you," Mia hugged her friend
"Thanks hon. I knew I could count on you," Jess responds with a smile.
"You want to take your car or mine?"
"And if he doesn't back off this time, I'll slug him," Mia teased. "Let's take mine."
"Hey! I won't stop you," Jess giggles.
"Good!" Mia chuckles, the two heading out to the car. "Honestly, Jess, what did you ever see in him?
"I don't know anymore. He seemed so sweet at the time. All of the other guys I've talked to have acted like pigs. I guess I was just desperate for a relationship. I mean, yeah, he's sweet and everything, but he cheated on me!"
"He is a pig," Mia agreed. "He's totally not going to appreciate me coming..."
Jessica giggles.
"We'll see. Just be calm, alright? I don't need my tires slashed or anything."
"Sure," Mia agreed.
The duo travels across town in relative silence and eventually find their way to a quaint brick home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.
"He lives nice for a pig," Mia grinned as the friends exited the vehicle.
"I know right?" Jess gives a nervous chuckle as she makes her way to the door.
She rings the bell and waits for what feels like several minutes before the door unlocks.
The oak door swings open to reveal a handsome young man with a chiseled chest and buffed arms to match.
"Hey babe! Finally decided to come back huh? Good. I was hoping to talk to you," Jake explains in a seemingly mocking tone.
Jess rolls her eyes and sighs in slight disgust.
"We're not going to be here long," Mia insists
"Oh come on. Chill out. I've got some udon made up. Do you guys want some?" he inquires.
"State your case, Jake," Mia was firm.
"I could stand some," Jess mutters, blushing.
"Jess," Mia sighed, reluctantly following her friend inside. "This is crazy..."
:
"How? I'm starving. It is only polite to accept what is offered to you anyway," she explains.
Jake smiles and leads the pair inside and into the kitchen.
"You have a nice place," Mia was polite.
"Thanks Mia. Well Jessie, I've been thinking. I know I've been bugging you both for a while now, and I know what I did was wrong. I really am sorry. I can't show that I am enough when I tell you in a text or in a call, and school is too hectic," he explains as he prepares a bowl of noodles and passes it to Jessica.
"Are you sure you don't want any, Mia?"
Mia was hungry, and the noodles smelled great. "A little bit, thanks."
He prepares another bowl and hands it off to Mia.
"I merely wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am. Of course I still want to be with you, but I can understand if you don't."
"Thanks," Mia watches Jess's reaction to Jake's apology
Jess listens absently as she slurps down her meal.
"Jake, Jess and I have talked about this," Mia began, taking her own taste of the food. "Yum...And um...she doesn't want a relationship."
She sets her bowl down after finishing.
"Jake, what you did broke my heart, I can never forgive you for what you've done to me. I'm willing to attempt at a friendship but that will take quite some time," She explains, beginning to sound weak and tired.
"I didn't call her here for a relationship. I called her here to say I was sorry," Jake explains to Mia.
"Jess?" Mia looks over at her friend, thankful that she was driving. "I get that, Jake..."
Suddenly, Jessica slumps over, unconscious.
"Jess!" Mia gasped. "Oh my god! Jess," she shook her friend.
Jake turns his attention to Jess. "And now you'll have all the time in the world."
"What?" Mia cried.”Jake, call 911!"
"She'll be fine, as will you. There is no need for the paramedics. Besides, you'll be joining her soon."
"Joining her? Are you crazy?" Mia shrieked. "Jake, she needs help!"
Mia begins to feel woozy.
"Don't worry, Mia. You both will get all the help and care you need."
"What are you talking about?" Mia asked, worriedly. "Jakey?" another female classmate of the group entered the room, not a friend of Mia and Jessica. "How are they doing?"
"They're comming, slowly," Jake explains to the girl at his back. "Jess is ready. Mia will come along shortly."
"Excellent," the girl reached for a kiss.
"I'm getting out of here," Mia insisted, yawning. "I just need..." she stumbled, sleepily.
Jake grabs her arm and pulls her back as he turns to meet his companion's lips.
"Let go of me," Mia protests, slipping to the floor. "Jess..." she breathed before passing out
Mia wakes the next morning to an unfamiliar sight. She hazily sits up and rubs the sleep from her eyes with pudgy fists. Bright morning sunlight pours in from a window, illuminating the soft pink walls and the white bars surrounding her.
Slowly, the door opens, Jake and the other woman, Rachel, entering together. "Well, well, " Jake smiles."Look who's awake!"
"Awww! You were right Jake! They're adorable!" Rachel gushes.
Jess wakes and begins to wail, a slight dark patch surrounding the area where she slept.
"Yes they are," Jake agrees. "Aww...don't cry, honey," he approaches Jessica's crib. Mia blinks a bit, shocked by her surroundings
"Oh dear, looks like someone took to the syrum quickly," Rachel points out as Jessica is removed from her crib."
"What's the matter?" Jake cooed, cuddling Jessica. "Is Daddy's Jessie messy?"
He lays her on the changing table next to her crib and begins to remove her sleeper, while Rachel moves to Mia's crib and gently lays her on her back and begins to take off her onsie.
Mia protests, her words coming out as only gurgles though. "How about Big Bird?" Jake reaches for a fresh diaper, waving it in Jessica's face.
She lets out a piercing wail and begins to squirm and kick. Rachel feels the plastic bulk between Mia's legs, but detects no sign of wetness.
"Aww, it's okay," Jake soothes, removing the tabs on Jessica's diaper. "Daddy needs to change you. Be a good girl."
Jess does her best to kick Jake's hand away while Mia struggles to escape Rachel's grasp as she is turned over and the back of her diaper is pulled back for examination.
Jake only chuckles, lifting Jessica's legs high in the air and beginning to clean her messy bottom. "Stinky," he laughs. Mia lets out a wail, struggling to roll back onto her back.
Rachel's hand presses on Mia's back, keeping her still.
"Uh oh! Did someone leave Mommy a gift in her daidee?" she giggles as she turns the baby on her back and plucks her out of the crib and sets her on her own changing table.
Mia whines, waving her arms in protest, bringing her hands down to cover her exposed diaper. "Much like the present Jessie left Daddy," Jake smiled, gently tickling Jessica's tummy
Jessie lets out a high pitched squeal and chortles in contempt as Jake generously sprinkles powder over her bottom and crotch. Rachel brushes Mia's hands away with a soft smile and collects a fresh diaper covered in Elmo motifs and slides it under the little girl before her.
"You'll feel so much better once you're dry," Jake grins, easily diapering the baby. "Now, what to dress you in..." Mia starts to cry, wriggling as best she could, horrified as she looked up at Rachel.
Jake pauses for a moment and collects Jess from the table and carries her to the closet.
"Hmm...I think you'd look cute in this," he says, grabbing a small, pastel yellow sundress.
"Oh Jakey, that's so cuute!" Rachel grins. "What about you, sweetie?" she coos to Mia, easily diapering her tiny girl. "There, nice and snug," she secured the diaper tabs.
"I know just the thing!" Jake calls.
He gathers a royal blue romper with a purple T-shirt and hands it over to Rachel. He sets Jess back down on the changing table and slips the sun dress over her head and threads her arms through the holes.
"So sweet," Rachel grins, gently pulling the onesie over Mia's head and beginning to dress her. "This was such a good idea, Jakey. Look how adorabble they are!"
"I sure know how to pick 'em, huh babe?" Jake agrees and gives her a soft kiss on the cheek. Jess begins to cry once more.
"Honey, will you go get breakfast ready?" Jake asks Rachel. She nods and leaves the room.
Sure, babe," Rachel nods, settling Mia back into her crib
"Well Jess, I was going to ask you about having a family with me and Rachel back when we dated, but this will work just as fine, right? Just get used to it. We'll be together for quite a while," he explains to the child in his arms as she stares blank and confused up at him.
"Na ga," Mia protests, staring over at Jake and Jessica.
"Oh hush," Jake commands, popping a pacifier in Mia's mouth. "You both won't know the difference by lunchtime anyway."
Jessica gurgles, drooling a bit as she smiles at Jake
Rachel returns with a pair of bottles. Jake takes one and inserts the nipple in Jessica's mouth. She suckles greedily, guzzling down the sweet fluid. Rachel replaces Mia's pacifier with the second bottle. Mia resists the sweet milk's tempting taste tickling her tongue.
Rachel squeezes the bottle in frustration, forcing the fluid down Mia's throat.
Minutes later, Jess and Mia's eyes gloss over in a foggy haze and the two slowly fall asleep once more.
Jake sets Jessica into Mia's crib and tucks the pair in.
"Welcome to the family."
