Chapter Twenty - Five - Missing You

I’m pregnant.

I’m pregnant with Nick’s baby.

Um, that’s just all I can say. I haven’t left my bedroom in the past two days. I don’t want to. My father thinks I’m sick. I just want it to stay that way. Maria keeps telling me to call the father. I actually picked up the phone once to call Nick, and I just put it back down. There’s no way I can call him up and go ‘Hey, I’m pregnant.’ He’d probably laugh at me.

I’m going to the doctor’s office today. Maria called and set me up an appointment with my doctor and is forcing me to go. I guess I’ll find out how far along I am. It could be anytime in the last two months. Damn. I guess I’d better think up something. I don’t think I could go through with an abortion. I can’t do adoption because people would see me pregnant. Damn and right when my career is going good too.

I can’t be pregnant. My father’s gonna kill me.

“Nick!” AJ said as Nick walked into the room, with his earphones on his ears to see AJ running at him, grabbing him and hugging him, “What is up my brotha?”

“You are acting weird.” Nick said as he took the earphones off and looked over to see Brian, “Sup daddy?”

“Oh shut up Carter.” Brian said as he walked over and hugged him, “Sup man, you look down?”

“He misses Melinda!” AJ said as Nick cut his eyes over at him.

“Oh is that so?” Brian asked as he put his hands on his hips.

“No, it’s not. I’m just tired man. The flight seemed like it lasted forever. The people at the hotel are morons and gave me like a little single room -”

“Why don’t you just stay with your Ex-Step Dad. Hell stay with me.” AJ said as Nick shook his head and looked around, “Where’s Kevin and D?”

“On they’re way.” Brian said as he put his hands on top of his head, “So no more touring with Melinda huh?”

“Thank the sweet lord man.” Nick said as he cut his eyes over at Brian who smirked at him, “What?”

“You miss sleeping with her don’t you? Brian asked as AJ’s ears perked up.

“What?” AJ asked as Nick looked at him and looked back at Brian.

“Rok! Dammit!” Nick yelled as he crossed his arms and looked away.

“I’m sorry, damn.” Brian said as he looked over at AJ.

“I knew it!” AJ yelled as he pointed at Nick, “I knew you two had to be getting along for a reason! I knew it!”

“Oh blow it out of your ass AJ, damn.” Nick said as he moved his hands, “It was just sex, that’s all.”

“You’re sad because you don’t have your permanent piece of ass anymore and it’s,” as he started talking to his right hand,” ‘Oh hello Mr. Hand, how have you been, oh it’s been a while well yes, you’re back to work now.”

“Oh fuck you.” Nick said as he walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.

“Nice job Alex.” Brian said as AJ cracked up laughing.

Melinda stepped out of her car and started walking through a little park, somewhere in the middle of Los Angeles. It’s where she always went for piece and quiet so that she could think. She looked over to see a few kids playing on the playground as she walked over to a park bench beside a huge, old oak tree and sat down, where she normally sat.

She sat there watching the kids play for a few minutes before taking her cell phone out of her purse and dialing her home phone number.

“Good afternoon, you’ve reached the Manning residence.” Maria said as she started to giggle. Melinda just shook her head at the woman.

“I went.” Melinda said as she picked her legs up and crossed them, playing with the bottom of her pants to her matching jump suit with a little hood on the jacket.

“Oh, Miss Melinda, hold on.” Maria said as she walked out of the room where Ed was and walked into another room, “Sorry you’re father was in there. I’m alone now, what did the doctor say?”

“I’m six weeks pregnant.” Melinda said, “I’m due at the beginning of January.”

“Oh, near your father’s birthday?”

“No exact date, but somewhere around the 7th, yeah.” Melinda said as she leaned her head back, looking at the sky.

“You need to tell the father.” Maria said, “Even though you won’t tell me who it is, tell him he’s having a baby. He has a right to know.”

“Yeah I know.” Melinda said as she sighed, “And you’re right. He does have a right to know.”

“Yes he does. Now you go be a good girl and go tell him.” Maria said, “And I will cook your favorite so you can have it when you come home.”

“Homemade pizza cut in the stars?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Okay, I’ll be home later. Thanks Maria.” Melinda said as she turned her cell phone off and looked away, watching the kids play.

“Maria, what did Mindy want? Is she sick?” Ed asked as Maria walked back into the room.

“Oh no sir, she’s just fine.” Maria said as she put the phone back on the wall, “She went to the doctor and she’s perfectly healthy, and wanted me to make her favorite meal.”

“Oh, okay.” Ed said as he took his messages off of the message board and walked out of the room. Maria looked back to make sure he was gone and clapped her hands giggling while bouncing up and down.

“I can’t do it.” Melinda said as she took a sip of her chocolate milk while looking at the guys recording studio. She sat the milk down in the little cup holder and took her keys out of the ignition. She closed her eyes and opened the car door, stepping out of it and closing the door back locking it.

Then she paused.

“Ugh, just go Melinda.”, she thought as she walked up to the door of the studio and walked in to see the receptionist sitting there.

“May I help you?”

“Umm, yeah.” Melinda said as she looked around, “I need to know where the guys are recording at, like which room. I need to see Nick.”

“And you are?”, the receptionist asked as Melinda gave her a ‘what the fuck’ look.

“His ex-step sister and duet partner. I just got off tour with him.” Melinda said as the lady looked at her.

“I’m sorry but you can’t go back -”

“Whatever.” Melinda said as she left the desk and walked through the door, going from studio to studio and looking in until she saw Kevin and opened the door to see him standing there with AJ, “Someone tell this witch out front that I’m legit and I can be here.”

“Miss, you can’t be back here -”, the receptionist said as she walked up to the door.

“No man, she’s cool. Just you know shhooo, go away.” AJ said, using his hands as the receptionist stuck her nose up and shut the door, “Damn girl, miss me?”

“Oh yeah sure.” Melinda said as she rolled her eyes and hugged him, “Where’s Nick?”

“Oh Melinda, fancy seeing you here.” Brian said as she walked into the room, stirring his cup of hot tea, “Nick left already.”

“Ugh, is he staying in the same hotel?” Melinda asked, as she put her hand on her hip, “I need to talk to him.”

“Hmm I don’t think so.” Kevin said as she snorted and Melinda looked at him while Brian and AJ laughed, “I don’t know where he is.”

“Hell he got pissed off with us, he might have left to go back home.” Brian said, “He’s been in a bad mood today.”

“Make that past two days.” AJ said, “Boy acted like he was in mourning the other day. Wonder why? Hmmm”, he asked as he put his hand on his chin, rubbing it.

“So you have no idea where he is?” Melinda asked as they all shrugged their shoulders at her.

“One momento!” Maria yelled as she wiped her hands on her apron and ran up to the front door, opening it up to see Nick standing outside, “Mr. Nickolas!”

“Maria! My woman!!” Nick said as he lifted her up and hugged her, “How are ya?”

“Oh Mr. Nickolas what a pleasant surprise! Guess what I’m cooking!” Maria said as Nick stepped inside, placing his bags down beside the door.

“What?”

“Home made pizza!” Maria yelled as she clapped her hands.

“My favorite!”

“Miss Melinda’s favorite too!”

“Oh yeah.” Nick said as he looked around, rubbing the back of his neck, “Where’s she at?”

“Out.” Maria said lifting her nose up in the air and schwinching her eyes at Nick, “Why are you here?”

“Um, well see, I’m in LA recording with the guys and like the hotel sucks you know -”

“Oh yes yes, stay here!” Maria said as Nick smiled at her.

“Well since you asked.” Nick said as he put his arm around Maria’s neck, “So how bout that homemade pizza huh?”

“I can’t tell him. I don’t know where is. He left and went home.” Melinda said to herself as she pulled into the driveway of her house and stopped her car when her cell phone rung. She reached over, praying that it was neck and then answered it, “Hello?”

“Melinda, hello, how are you?” Michel asked in his thick French accent as Melinda smiled a little.

“Okay, how are you Michel?”

“Oh so not very good.” Michel said as Melinda sat there in her car, looking around, “I just got a notice that I will be deported from the country next month.”

“Oh no why!” Melinda said as she grabbed her purse and stepped out of her car, walking up to her front door.

“Because my green card has expired, if I have not gotten another one or married a US citizen, I will be sent back to my home country.” Michel said as Melinda stepped into the front door, and walked to the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter.

“Oh I’m so sorry, that’s horrible.” Melinda said as she sniffed, smelling the pizza in the oven, “Can you get another one in that short amount of time?”

That is a no.” Michel said, “So I’m very sorry but I don’t think I can play in your band you’re putting together like you wanted me to. I do wish very much that I could.”

“Oh Miss Melinda, you are home! Guess -” Maria said as Melinda held her finger up, telling her to give her a minute.

“Oh man, well you’ll just have to choose the second option then. Listen, I’ll call you back later okay, I just go back from the doctor and -”

“Miss Melinda -”

“Hold on Maria.” Melinda said as she put her hand over the phone and took it off, “And I will call you back and try to help you okay.”

“Thank you.” Michel said as Melinda told him goodbye and she closed her phone, looking at Maria.

“What is it Maria?” Melinda asked as Maria was about to say something but gasped in shock, “What?”

“You’re pregnant?” Nick asked as he looked down at the papers that were on the floor, which had fallen out of Melinda’s purse. Melinda froze, dropping her cell phone on the floor and turned around slowly, looking at him.