My mom was pregnant.

Pregnant.

My eyes instantly shot to her stomach—which still seemed as flat as usual.  I tilted my head to the side, trying to visualize a baby growing inside.  I just—I couldn’t do it.  “You’re kidding, right?” I asked disbelievingly, my eyes still glued to her stomach.

“No,” my mom said, grinning.

“OMG, Mom that’s great!” Garrett hollered, hopping up and rushing to my mom, throwing his arms around her.  He hugged her so hard that I thought she was going to crumble into pieces.  “OMG, OMG, OMG!”

I laughed as my mom tried to push him away, but failed.  In the end she patted his back awkwardly, sending a hopeless expression between my dad and me.  “Honey, you’re choking me,” she finally sputtered out.

Garrett instantly let go, stepping back and flopping back into his spot beside me.  I inched away, not wanting to be touched.  “When did you find out?”

“About two weeks ago.”

Huh.  So for two weeks she’d known there was something growing inside of her, and she decided not to let me in on the secret.  Was it just me or was that incredibly sneaky?  Her excuse was probably going to be something along the lines of, “Oh, I was waiting for the right moment to tell you!” or “I’m sorry, I just—I didn’t know how.”

Yeah, because people didn’t use those sorry old lines all the time.

“Why didn’t you tell us when you first found out?” I demanded, crossing my legs and folding my hands in mock-seriousness.  “I mean, that’s two weeks of secrecy you can never take back.”  I sighed dramatically, showing her that I was kidding.  “How will I ever be able to trust you again?”

“I wanted to tell you when the whole family was together!” My mom smiled brightly.

My dad finally decided to join the conversation, sitting up in his spot on the recliner.  “I wanted to tell you guys right when we found out, but whatever.”

My mom shot him a pointed look.

“So, how are you going to fit the baby in here?” Garrett asked.  “Is it going to have the guest room?”

“Oh, that room is a little too small for my liking.”

My eyes narrowed.  There was something in my mom’s tone and the way that her gaze flicked to me as she spoke that I did not like.

My mom smiled, clapping her hands together.  “We’re going to have to move Brianne into the guest room.”

Oh hell to the freaking no!  “Um, excuse me?” I stood up, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.  My jaw worked angrily as I glared as hard as I could at my mom.  Sadly, she didn’t seem really at all fazed by my hostility.  “That’s been my room for seventeen years!  You can’t move me now.”

My mom sighed, her excitement deflating as her gaze leveled with mine.  “I’m sorry, but the guest room—”

“Should be fine for an infant,” I snapped venomously, cutting my mom off before she could finish her sentence.  “I’m seventeen!  I need more space than a baby.”

Garrett glanced between me and my mom.  “Brianne—”

I held up a hand, silencing him.  “Mom, seriously, think this through.”  I gestured to the stairwell.  “You can’t just spring something like this on me.  I don’t want to switch rooms.”

“Well, with all the toys, there’s going to be no room.”  My mom smiled comfortingly.  “You’ll be fine.”

Yeah, because she was a freaking genius and all.  I stared her down, crossing my arms over my chest.  A baby comes into the picture and I lose my bedroom?  That was hardly fair!  And the fact that she didn’t understand my feelings on the matter at all pissed me off.  Didn’t she care about what I thought?  Since when did I not get a say in where I slept at night?

“I won’t be fine.”  My glower deepened.  “You can’t just decide to make me switch rooms like that!”

“Brianne, you’re being ridiculous,” my mom muttered, shaking her head.  “It’s not the end of the world.”

I stared at her for a long time before shaking my head and storming out of the room without another word.  How dare she?  How dare she?  She had no right to make these decisions without my opinion?  I knew it was her house, that she paid the bills, but still.  That room had been mine since before I can remember.  And how it was just being ripped away from me?  I don’t think so!

“Brianne, where are you going?”

“To where someone will actually listen and appreciate me!” I screeched, shoving my feet into my shoes and grabbing my sweatshirt.  I stomped to the front door, my hand reaching to twist the handle.

“Brianne, you’re being ridiculous!”

“Yeah, Mom, of course I am.  And you’re not.”

With that, I threw open the door and rushed outside, slamming the door behind me. 

I struggled to get my sweatshirt on, growling under my breath.  I knew I shouldn’t have been taking my frustration out on an inanimate object, but whatever.  I felt like it.

I hurried down the lawn and started down the street.  I didn’t know where I was going, and frankly, I didn’t care.  The fact that my family wasn’t coming after me was pissing me off more.  I knew they wouldn’t, but still.  Showing that they cared would have been nice.

I knew it was a little irrational, my reaction.

But it hurt.

The fact that my mom put an unborn child’s needs in front of my own made me sick to my stomach?  Why my room?  There was absolutely nothing wrong with the guest room or Garrett’s room.  Garrett was home a lot less than I was, so why not his room?  And if they really wanted the kid to have space, why not give up their own room?  They had no right to just hand over my room.

My mom seriously made a living out of pissing me off, didn’t she?

A car turned onto my street.  I couldn’t explain the feeling I felt when I saw Dannon pull up beside me, a worried expression on his face.  Happiness?  Relief?  Gratitude?  A mixture of the three?  It was impossible to tell.  All I knew was that for once, I was glad he was there.

Dannon rolled down the window, asking, “Brianne, what’s wrong?”

I made my way to his car, shoving my hands into my sweatshirt pocket.  “Can we get out of here?” I said softly instead of answering his question.

Dannon’s eyebrows creased.  “But, I thought—”

I cut him off.  “Dannon.”  My voice came out a little harsher than I intended, but I didn’t apologize.  “Please.”

Dannon looked me over once more before nodding, gesturing for me to get in.  I complied instantly, heading around to the passenger seat.  As I shut the door and grabbed my buckle he murmured, “You wanna talk about it?”

I didn’t answer at first.  I buckled my seat, glaring out the window.  “Not here,” I said finally, letting out a long breath. 

“Okay,” Dannon said understandingly.  “I know just the place.”

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

“Friendly’s?”

I couldn’t help but smile as we pulled up into the Friendly’s parking lot and found a parking space.  Friendly’s had always been my favorite ice cream place.  I didn’t know why; it just was.  Unlike everyone else, I wasn’t a big fan of Dairy Queen or Dairy Joy.  I was a Friendly’s girl for life. 

Dannon smiled as he pulled his keys from the ignition.  “Friendly’s.”  He glanced at me, his smile growing.  “Is that okay, or do you want to go somewhere else?”

I turned my attention to the building.  Families were trotting in and out of the building, all with huge smiles on their faces.  I wanted to go inside, I really did.  The thought of sitting at a booth, munching away my unhappiness on ice cream was so enticing that it was all I could do not to jump out of the car and run inside.  There was just one little problem.  “But, I don’t have any—”

“It’s on me.”  I was about to argue, but he cut me off again.  “Seriously.”

Dannon Barone just said seriously.  Hell must have been freezing over.

With a sigh of defeat I moved to unbuckle my seat belt.  “Okay,” I mumbled before smiling at him.

Dannon grinned.  “I thought so.”

As we hopped out of the car and started toward the building, Dannon grabbed my lightly by the arm as though he were guiding a lost child through a store.  I didn’t argue with him or rip my arm away.  At the moment I couldn’t have cared less that I was being pulled.  It was actually kind of comforting.

“What’s your favorite kind of ice cream?” Dannon inquired as we reached the door.  He let go of my arm, prying open the Entrance door.

As he gestured for me to go in first, I answered him.  “I’ve always been the chocolate frappe kind of girl.”

Dannon’s expression brightened instantly.  I wondered why, and was about to ask him, but he cut me off before I could.  “That’s my favorite, too!”

My eyebrows rose.  “You’re kidding, right?” I shook my head.  “I thought you didn’t like chocolate.”

“I make an exception for chocolate frappes.”  Dannon rubbed his stomach.  “Yummy.”

We came to stand in front of a waitress in front of a podium.  That was another thing I liked about Friendly’s.  Instead of making us wait outside, they let us come in and waited on us right as we came inside.  You didn’t have to stand in front of a counter and order.  You got taken to a seat and handed menus.

I loved this Friendly’s.  Everything around me was so familiar.  The small refrigerated section right in front of the doorway where all the ice cream cakes were held, ready for the taking.  The rows of booths spreading out across the restaurant, filled with happy customers as they ate ice cream and other assorted foods.  Everything was so uplifting here.  I loved Friendly’s.

“How can I help you today?” the waitress asked, a bright smile on her face.  She wasn’t much older than Dannon and I, maybe twenty-three.  She was short, and had her long hair tied back into a ponytail.  Her smile and big, wide brown eyes were welcoming.  She seemed nice.

“Can we have a table for two, please?” Dannon requested, smiling cheerfully.

The waitress nodded, grabbing two adult menus.  I stopped her.  “Can I have a kid one, please?” I asked, smiling.  “I like coloring.”

Dannon and the waitress laughed.  “Would you like one, too?” the waitress asked Dannon as she switched one adult menu for a kid one.

“Sounds good!”

The waitress grinned, plucking another kid’s menu and two packages of crayons from the podium.  “This way,” she said, the amusement clear in her voice.

She led us to a booth near the window.  It had a lovely view, really.  I mean, I desperately wanted to stare out into the parking lot where people were smoking their cigarettes and cussing people out.  How I could tell they were cussing, I didn’t really know.  But the drivers flipping each other off seemed to give a hint.

“What can I start you two off with this evening?” the waitress asked, setting the menus and crayons in front of us and pulling a notepad from her apron.  She grabbed a pen and held it steady on the notepad, waiting expectantly for our answers.

“Water, please.”  Dannon turned to me.  “Brianne?”

I was in no mood to actually think of what beverage I wanted, so I decided to just go with what Dannon was having.  “I’ll have water, too.” 

The woman nodded, writing the order down on the notepad.  I didn’t really think it was necessary to waste paper on two waters, but I didn’t tell her that.  I wasn’t about to question her methods.  Whatever worked for her.

As the waitress trotted away, her brunette ponytail bouncing on her back, Dannon turned his attention to me.  I lounged in my seat, plucking the package of crayons from the table.  The kid’s menu was rather fantastic with its alien man holding up an ice cream cone.  I wondered what I should color the skin.  It wasn’t like I had too many options.  I mean, there were only four colors in the box: blue, red, green, and yellow.  Hmm, maybe—

“Brianne.”

I looked up, catching Dannon’s gaze.  “What?” I asked, turning back to my coloring dilemma.

“You gonna tell me what happened?”

I sighed deeply, setting the box of crayons down and turning my full attention him.  “You’ll laugh.”

“I’m not going to laugh.”  Dannon shook his head.  “You were really upset.  Why would I laugh at that?”

I scowled at the tabletop, wondering how I should tell him.  It was obvious that he was telling the truth—not that he was really one to lie, anyway.  I just didn’t want to come out as a spoiled brat.  Which, sadly, wasn’t really all that possible.

“Bri?” Dannon murmured, his face full of concern.

I sighed, giving up on my futile attempt and deciding to just come out with it.  “My mom’s pregnant.”

Dannon didn’t seem to understand.  “Really?” He paused.  “How long?”

“Three weeks.”  I looked up.  “That’s not what I’m upset about.”

Dannon blinked, confused.  “Then what . . . ?”

I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest.  “My mom is making me take the guest room, which is significantly smaller than my room.  She’s acting like the baby deserves more than me.”

Dannon didn’t answer for a moment.  I deliberately kept my gaze off him, not wanting to see his expression.  He was probably concealing laughter at how stupid my reaction was.  I bit my lip.  “I told you it was—”

“I’m sorry.”

I blinked, shocked.  “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Dannon repeated, his eyes full of sympathy.  Usually I hated it when people sympathized with me, but this was greatly appreciated.

“What are you sorry for?” I asked, grabbing one of the crayons and twirling it between my fingers.  “It’s my mom’s fault.”  I glanced out the window before turning back to him.  “You have no need to apologize.”

Dannon sighed.  “Maybe I can talk to her.”

I shook my head.  “What’s that going to do?”  I pursed my lips.  “Sorry . . . it’s just when she has her mind on something, she doesn’t usually back down.”

Dannon paused.  He seemed to be trying to understand my situation.  His eyebrows creased as he asked his next question.  “Did she ask before she took your room?”

“No!” I glowered.  “That’s what pisses me off so much.  She’s taking something that’s mine without my permission.  Just because she owns the place doesn’t mean that she owns my stuff.”

Dannon smiled sadly.  “Some people think that’s the way things go, Bri.”

I grumbled under my breath before nodding.  “Yeah.  Now, let’s change the subject.  I don’t want her to ruin my night.”

At that moment the waitress returned with two large cups of water in her hands.  “Here you go,” she murmured, smiling as she placed the waters in front of us.  She straightened, her pen at the ready against the notepad.  “Now, what can I get you?”

“Two chocolate frappes, please,” Dannon replied, ordering for me.

“Okie dok.”  She wrote the order down.  “Anything else?”

“Nope,” Dannon replied, his gaze sliding over to me before returning to the waitress.  “I think we’re good.  I’ll take the check when it’s ready.”

“All right.”  The waitress returned the smile Dannon was giving her and then turned, heading back toward the kitchen.

Dannon adjusted his position in his seat, leaning forward and folding his hands together.  “Now, to a more important task than retrieving ice cream,” he drawled, his lips slowly curling into a grin.  I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.  “What color are you going to make that alien?”

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

By the time we were finished at Friendly’s, it was getting late.  We’d stayed there for a little over an hour and a half, coloring—more like scribbling—our pictures and guffawing into out frappe cups.  We’d even asked for more menus when we finished.  By the end of our visit, we’d gone through seven menus and three packages of crayons—no joke.  It wasn’t like the waitress minded.  She seemed to find it very amusing.

“You have a lovely night!” she called to us, smiling brightly as we exited the building.

“You too!” we called back.

Then we were outside, heading to Dannon’s car.

“Well, that was fun,” Dannon declared as we plopped into our seats.

I smiled, grabbing my buckle and buckling my seat.  “Yeah, thanks for bringing me.”

“Anytime.”

He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.  “What time is it?” he inquired, his eyes on the road.

I adjusted my position in my seat, getting more comfortable.  My eyes flicked to the clock on the dashboard, my eyes widening.  “It’s six-thirty,” I replied, shocked as the words came out of my mouth.  Six-thirty?  Already?  Damn, time really flied when you were having fun.

Dannon bit his lip.  “Well, I should probably just drop you off and—”

“You’re not going to stay for a little bit?”

I did not want to go back into that house alone.  Enough said.

Dannon glanced at me.  “It’s getting late.”

“Can you stay for a little while?”  It was sad how I was practically begging.  Especially to Dannon.  “I don’t want to go in there alone!”

Dannon smiled.  “I suppose a half-hour would be fine.  Dad shouldn’t get too worried.  And, besides, I need to meet this brother of yours.”

I sighed in relief, leaning back in my seat.  A half-hour of peace.  I could live with that.  “Thank you.”

Dannon smiled, not saying anything.

It wasn’t too long before we were on my street, arriving to my house.  The house seemed menacing, as though it was going to attack me and eat me whole.  I wondered if my mom was going to be so pissed that she sent Dannon home.  If that happened, it’d be safe to say that I was completely screwed.  I mean, she’d have to be royally pissed if she sent Dannon home. 

Dannon pulled up in the driveway, parking.  “You ready?” he asked.

I sighed.  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”