Great One

by Nayla Matthew

  “It’s nice to meet you two, I’ve heard a lot of about you,” Calum says.

  “Hello Hollywood,” Laila says.

  “Let’s go out to lunch! And then I have studio time, but you guys can get settled in your hotel in the meantime,” I say.

  “Thanks again, by the way,” Laila says. “For everything, the plane ride and everything,”

  “Don’t! come on guys, you were going to go to Paris for the summer! I took that away,”

  “It wouldn’t have been the same without you,” Geo says, pinching my cheek. “Now let’s go to lunch, I’m starving!” We go to a nice taco place near the studio so I wouldn’t be late, Calum not wanting to be the reason I miss studio time. We take a table outside, so that Calum can keep an eye out on his car.

  “So, what’s the plan for the month?” Laila says. “Sightseeing? Movie premieres!”

  “All that and more, and we have to do a little house hunting,” I say.

  “Sounds fabulous!” Laila says. After lunch Calum drops me off at the studio and takes Laila and Geo to their hotel. Ryan, my lead guitarist, and Kailey my drummer is already waiting in the studio.

  “Had fun at lunch?” Ryan asks.

  “It was delicious,” I say, handing over my leftover tacos. “Fish tacos,” I say.

  “You know me so well,” he says. I move to the microphone room to warm up, sitting on the stool and setting up the microphone and earphones. “Oh, Zahara gave us the updated rehearsal schedule,” Ryan says through the microphone, I nod him off before starting warm up. After a long warm up, and running two songs, I sit with Henry our sound engineer and watch Ryan and Kailey record the song.

  “Adeya?” Zahara says, pushing open the door and stepping into the studio. “Where’s your phone? I’ve been calling you?”

  “Oh sorry, I mute it during studio time,” I say.

  “Well we have an interview to get you too!” she says, I quickly get up grabbing my things and leaving the studio. “Are your friends already at their hotel?”

  “They should be,”

  “Good, is your baby father with them?” she asks.

  “No, he wasn’t invited,” she looks back at me. “I’m going to tell him, soon,” I say.

  “We don’t need any legal trouble, it won’t be good for your image,” she says.

  “I understand, I’ll tell him,” I say, we get downstairs to the car waiting for us, and I’m whisked off to my 4th radio show of the week. When I’m finished, I’m driven back home where Laila and Geo are waiting in the kitchen with Calum, bonding over sweets.

  “How was your hotel?” I ask.

  “Beautiful, you didn’t have to get us a suite!” Laila says, nudging me. “We’re all unpacked and ready for our vacation!”

  “I’m ready too!” I say, pulling up a stool.

  “There is something you should know though,” Geo says, Laila immediately pinches him hard on the arm.

  “We agreed,” she hisses.

  “What’s happening?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” Laila says, looking at me with a smile. “Nothing, at all,”

  “She deserves to know Laila,” Geo says.

  “Tell me, now,” I say.

  “What’s happening?” Zahara interrupts, walking into the kitchen already in her pajamas. “You must be the best friends! I’ve heard so much about you,” Zahara says, pulling both Laila and Geo into a hug. “It’s good to have friends here, it’s hard adjusting to a new life!”

  “Guys,” I say, cutting Zahara off. “What are you talking about,”

  “Listen, don’t let this change your decision on telling Abraham okay? He still needs to know about the baby,” Laila says. “But Geo found out through Bo that Abraham and Demetra are dating,” it felt like Laila was suddenly speaking another language, all I could hear is ringing in my head. As my entire body begins to shut down, Laila is immediately at my side, holding me.

  “Abraham is your ex, right?” I hear Zahara ask, but I can’t find the words to reply to her. “And whose Demetra?”

  “The new girl,” Geo scoffs. “I nearly pounded that assholes face in,”

  “G!” Laila snaps, looking back at her boyfriend. “You’re not making this any better,” I pull away from Laila, stumbling a bit before leaning against the counter. “Deya,”

  “I just need a second,” I say, before quickly leaving the kitchen. I make it to my room slamming the door and locking it behind me. I begin to lose the feeling in my legs, dropping to the floor. I want to cry but nothing come up, everything just feels numb. Soon I’m just lying on my bedroom floor in the darkness staring at my ceiling, the only light coming from the hallway and the moon.

  “I’m sorry Deya,” I hear Geo through the door. “But you deserve to know,” I don’t leave my room for the rest of the night, and I go to bed when I hear Calum offer to take Laila and Geo back to their hotel. In the morning despite every part of my body telling me not to, I still get up and dressed for my Doctors appointment. Laila and Geo are already waiting for me in the kitchen with a fresh homemade meal by Calum.

  “Good morning!” Calum says, sliding me a plate. “How’d you sleep?”

  “How do you think?” I ask.

  “Sorry bud,” he says.

  “Adeya, I’m-”

  “Stop apologizing,” I say, grabbing my plate and a fork. “Can we just not talk about this? Not now,” I say.

  “Are you still going to tell him about-” Laila starts, but I slam my hand down on the counter cutting her sentence short.

  “I said not right now,” I snap. Before taking a deep breath. The rest of breakfast is eaten in silence, when it’s time to leave I quickly get dressed, and Calum drives us to the Doctors office.

  “Good morning Ms. Waterson! I see you brought some guest is this the Father?” Doctor Richardson says, when walk into the office.

  “No, this is just my best friends,” I say. “The Father is still unaware,” the doctor nods, before guiding me to the table.

  “Where this is just a routine little checkup, we won’t be able to find out the gender until around August,”

  “That’s alright with me, as long as my baby is healthy,”

  “Everything seems to be looking alright, do you guys want to hear the heartbeat?” she asks, looking over at Laila and Geo.

  “I would love too!” Laila says. Doctor Richardson switches on the machine, applying the blue jelly onto my stomach before sliding the nozzle over my stomach. Immediately the small heartbeat of my child fills the room. “It’s beautiful!” Laila gushes. We wrap things up and Calum picks us up from the office and we go back to Geo and Laila’s hotel room to hang out, while Calum runs errands.

  “I’m sorry about earlier,” I say, sitting on their couch. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, I just, I don’t know how to comprehend this all,” I admit.

  “I’m sorry, I know I pry but I want to make sure you’re okay! You’re all alone out here and the only connection you have to your old life is Abraham’s child,” Laila says.

  “I just can’t believe…. All the girls, it’s her,” I say, resting my head on the back of the couch. “I feel like a complete idiot,” I admit.

  “He’s the idiot alright, what you and Abraham was special something people get once in a lifetime,” Laila says.

  “Thank you for pointing that one out for me,”

  “What I mean is, he is going to realize that nobody compares to you Adeya you guys are two puzzle pieces that just fit,”

  “Well he doesn’t think so anymore,” I say.

  “Then screw him! You don’t need him,” Geo says. “Do what makes you happy, just like he’s doing,”

  Chapter Five

  “What do you mean you don’t want to know the gender of my niece!” Geo says, Laila pushes him out of the way of the camera. She looked annoyed and I didn’t know whether it was her returning back to school, after spending an amazing summer with me, or the fact that I told them that I wanted the gender of my child t
o be a surprise. “This is so unfair!”

  “Oh, will you shut up,” Laila mutters. “Why don’t you want to know?”

  “I want it to be a surprise, but I already have the names picked out,” I say.

  “Spit them at me,” Laila says.

  “Alright if it’s a girl, it’ll be Lorelei Rue Waterson,” I say, they both nod. “And if it’s a boy it’ll be Alexander Collin Waterson,”

  “Both exceptional choices,” Geo says.

  “Well I can’t wait to meet little Lorelei or Alexander! Have you talked to Zahara about the public eye?” Laila asks.

  “She completely understands, she has everything sorted out for me,” I say.

  “And what about Abraham?” Laila says.

  “He will know when I’m good and ready,” I say. “He hasn’t even called me once since I’ve moved here, my dreams are coming true and he’s not a part of that,” I say.

  “Screw him,” Geo mutters.

  “They aren’t being friendly at school,” Laila says, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive this school year without you,”

  “I miss you so much,” I say. “And play nice Geo we don’t need any problems,” I say.

  “And there won’t be as long as he minds his business,” Geo says.

  “So, did you find out the due date yet? Your mom said she’ll help me get tickets to come!”

  “The doctor says, December probably around Christmas,” I say.

  “A holiday baby! I can’t wait,” Laila claps her hands together, before her frown disappears.

  “Hey Laila, Hey G,” I hear Bo say. “Who are you talking to?”

  “None of your business,” Geo snaps.

  “We were actually just leaving,” Laila says.

  “Come on don’t be like the guys,” I hear him say, but Laila was already waving goodbye to me and cutting the call short. I’m forced to return to my song writing, I needed three more songs for my album. My first single, Your Song, debuted number #5 on the charts, which is better than anyone predicted. Now everyone was anticipating the album, I had to keep appearances minimal since I didn’t want anyone to find out I was pregnant, but that didn’t stop that live-streams, and radio interviews, that I have lined up. After Your Song, the second Single off of the album is, Great One, a song I actually wrote for Braum for our 5-year anniversary, I hoped he still didn’t view the song the same, now the lyrics belongs to no one. The house was completely empty, Calum away at one of his press junkets things he does for his social media job, and Zahara probably away at the office. Before getting any work done, I’m interrupted again by my mother calling.

  “Hi Mom!” I say, her video pops up and she’s sitting beside Braum’s mother. “Oh Hi Mrs. Clifford, how is everything?” I ask.

  “Everything is fine honey; we listen to your song all the time!” she says.

  “How is everything baby?” my mom asks. “How is my grandchild?” she asks.

  “Mom!” I say.

  “Oh honey! Did you think I could keep a secret from Ally?” my mom asks.

  “Don’t worry baby, I won’t be telling Abraham, not until you’re ready I completely understand” Mrs. Clifford says. “Just know we support you 100% and can’t wait to meet our grandchild!”

  “By the way am I buying blue or pink?” my mom asks.

  “Neither, I don’t know the gender yet,” I say.

  “Adeya! You have to decorate the room before the baby is born,”

  “Then we can use gender neutral colors! Yellow or green!” I say.

  “You’re killing me girl,” my mom says, leaning back in her seat. “Well when do you want me to fly over? Laila wants to come along, but her mother doesn’t want her missing a lot of school,”

  “Winter break is probably the perfect time frame,”

  “Perfect, Well let me know when you’re moving because your Father might fly over to help you with that,”

  “That’s not necessary,”

  “Oh, Jacob and Tyler can come and help too!” Mrs. Clifford says.

  “That’s really not necessary guys! Zahara already has movers and everything! You guys don’t need to worry,” on cue Zahara pushes her way through the front door, followed by three girls carrying multiple shopping bags.

  “I need help putting my things away!” she shouts, heading towards her room.

  “I’ll talk to you later mom!” I say, before she can say anything else, I’m hanging up and heading towards Zahara’s room. “Calum isn’t going to have any space in the closet anymore,”

  “He’ll survive, once you move out, he can just take the guest room closet,” she says, I start helping her unpack all the shopping bags, piling them in front of the door. “So how is writing?” she asks.

  “Almost done with song number 3,” I admit.

  “I don’t mean to rush your creative process, but we need to start recording by the beginning of September if we’re going to put the album out in the start of next year,” she says.

  “I know,”

  “What’s stopping you! What helped you write before?”

  “Braum,” I admit. “All of my songs were about him,”

  “And what’s stopping you from doing that?” she asks.

  “I don’t want him to think I’m still thinking about him! For his girlfriend to think I care enough write songs about him!”

  “Newsflash honey, that’s what all artist do! Whether they’re in love or dealing with heartbreak all artist expresses themselves through their music, have you seen Taylor Swift?” Zahara says.

  “You’re right,”

  “Zahara, are you kidding me?” we turn our attention to Calum standing in the doorway. “I thought we agreed no more shopping,”

  “It’s been a long day!” Zahara complains, I push out of my seat.

  “I have songs to write,” I say, heading towards the door. I make it to my room shutting the door and climbing into bed, it was hard to admit but Zahara was right. I wouldn’t be able to write anything that isn’t about Braum right now, especially carrying his child in front of me, he’s the #1 thing on my mind and all I want to do is scream at him. Scream at him about Demetra, about breaking up with me for the one girl that I never wanted to see him with, I was worried and he comforted me only to turn around and break up for me for that same girl, it was heartbreaking, I was heartbroken. I had to be strong though, keep on a tough face, if not for myself but for my child.

  In the morning, I wake up to a half a dozen calls from Geo, Laila, and even my mother. “Hello?”

  “I forgot about the time difference!” Laila says.

  “Good morning,” I say.

  “More like good afternoon over here, boy Geo is in some deep shit,” Laila says, I sit up in bed.

  “What do you mean,”

  “I told him to play nice, I told him you didn’t want any drama but Braum might have started an argument and that argument might have ended up with Geo’s fist in his face,” Laila says.

  “Oh no,”

  “Oh yeah! Geo is suspended for 2 weeks and his parents grounded him for a month,” Laila says, dropping her head in defeat. “Now I’m completely alone,”

  “Oh no!” I say.

  “Yeah! And Braum keeps coming at me with questions because he apparently doesn’t understand why Geo doesn’t like him,” Laila rolls her eyes. “That idiot,”

  “I feel so bad,”

  “Don’t what? Geo always needed to learn how to control his temper,” Laila says, leaning against her arm. “That’s a him problem, not your problem,”

  “I’m still sorry,” I say.

  “It was bound to happen sooner or later, Geo just needed to get it out of his system,”

  “Well no more fighting, please! I don’t want people thinking I have my friends fighting my battles,” I say.

  “No one thinks that Deya,”

  “You don’t know that, just tell Geo no more fighting or I’m fighting him,” I say.

  “Lo
ud and clear mama,”

  Chapter Six

  “It looks like you have a few weeks to go, and then your baby is ready to born!” Doctor Richardson says, writing everything down on her clipboard. She begins cleaning my stomach and I prepare to leave.