“Tell your father to come here.”
Robby did as he was told.
Meanwhile, the boys were getting ready for the ceremony. Sam and Morgan were with their friends, who consisted mostly of guys from their shop class. They were talking happily until someone made a comment to Morgan.
“Hey, ice prick.” Marc was standing with Jake, his voice loud and teasing. “I heard your girl’s knocked up.”
Morgan just sent him a sneer and turned back to his friends as he tried to ignore him.
“She’s a little whore,” Jake added as he walked over to the hockey star. He flipped off the skater’s cap then let out a chuckle when he saw he had Morgan’s attention. “I took her out once, and she was on me before we even got into the rest—”
With a quick action, Morgan swung. A huge parting occurred in the small space, as the other graduates stepped out of the way. Morgan had Jake on the ground, both boys ripping and tearing at their gowns. Morgan was getting in a few punches and seemed to have the upper hand. But that wasn’t the only fight. Sam had stepped in and was pounding on Marc.
As soon as the teachers came to break it up, Morgan and Sam backed off. They were still fuming, but seemed to have come out ahead in the fight.
“Gwen’s a fucking whore.” Jake licked at the blood pouring from his nose. It was dripping down his chin, the front of his robe covered in it. Morgan went to lunge again, but his friends held him back.
Anne, who was also graduating, looked around nervously. She then slipped out to the bathroom. She quickly spotted Gwen, who was standing near the entrance.
“Gwen.” Anne quickly grabbed her friend and pulled her inside. “Come here.”
“What?” Gwen moved away from the Tanners, who were waiting for Gwen’s parents. “I came early to see Morgan and Sam. Where are you guys?”
She then followed Anne, who was dragging her toward the room the graduates were in. Gwen didn’t have a robe, but she squeezed in anyway. She spun when she heard the commotion. The four boys were being escorted out. She quickly saw Morgan and her brother. She abandoned Anne and went to them.
Now in a side hallway, the boys were getting a lecture. It was possible they wouldn’t be allowed to attend the ceremony. Morgan seemed to be staying out of the fight, but Sam was arguing with the teachers. His voice was loud.
“Gwenivere Roberts!”
Hearing her mother’s angry words, Gwen let out an annoyed sigh and moved toward the boys, ignoring her. She stood by Morgan, her hand slipping into his. Joan walked up to them, her eyes jumping from Sam and Morgan then to Jake and Marc.
Jake was holding a wad of tissues over his nose. The teachers were trying to sort out who had started the fight, but couldn’t get a straight answer out of anyone. Sam was arguing that it was Jake who had thrown the first punch, and Jake arguing that Morgan had.
“What happened here?” Joan spoke up, interrupting the dispute. She turned to the teacher and pointed to Sam. “That one is mine.”
“This one’s mine,” Gwen joked, as she shook Morgan’s arm. The pair laughed lightly, but Joan glared at Gwen and her daughter stopped smiling.
“Well, take them home. They’re not participating in the ceremonies.” The man pointed at the four boys then walked off.
“Thanks a lot, ice prick.” Jake banged into Morgan’s shoulder as he passed by with Marc, but Morgan didn’t fight back this time.
As soon as they were gone, Gwen asked, “What happened?”
“Better yet, do you and Morgan want to tell me something?” Joan spoke over her. She glared at the pair and seemed angrier with her daughter than she did the fighting boys.
“About?” Gwen glared at her mother, her grip on Morgan growing tighter.
“This.” Joan pulled some papers out of her purse.
Gwen glanced at them then looked away. “What about them?”
“Are they yours?”
“No.” Gwen went on the defensive. “I’m not pregnant.” She then pulled on Morgan’s arm. “Come on, Morgan.” Morgan didn’t seem to want to stay either and quickly ducked out with her.
“I wasn’t done talking to you!” Joan was going to follow them, but then turned to Sam instead. “And why did you get kicked out of graduation?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“I kicked the piss outta an asshole,” Sam answered in a cocky, defiant tone.
“Why?”
“Because he deserved it.” He pushed past her. “Fuck this formal shit, anyway.” He threw his cap and ripped off his gown. He tossed it at the nearest garbage can, the fabric draping over it.
Anne, who had been watching from the sidelines, picked up Sam’s things and handed them to Joan.
Joan looked surprised, her eyes narrowing on the young girl. “Thanks, Anne.” She took Sam’s things and hung them over her arm. “At least I got him to graduate.” She sighed, her eyes watching the door her son had run out of. “He’s been so angry lately.”
“He was just defending Gwen,” Anne said softly, her eyes scanning Joan nervously.
“Gwen was the reason for the fight?” Joan looked confused.
“Jake was saying bad things about her, and Morgan punched him for it.”
“I swear those two are like little wolves. Always fighting. Hot headed.” Joan blew out a breath and scowled.
“Those aren’t Gwen’s…” Anne swallowed loudly and gestured to Joan’s purse.
“Whose are they?”
“Mine.”
“Yours?” Joan was clearly shocked. “You’re…”
“Yeah.” Anne spoke quickly. “I haven’t told my parents yet.”
“Oh, sweetie. It’ll be okay,” Joan cooed patting Anne’s shoulder.
“Gwen’s been the only one there for me, so don’t be angry with her.”
“My Gwenie’s a good girl.” Joan nodded as she glanced at the doors again briefly. “And I can relate to what you’re going through, so if you need any help telling your parents, I’d be glad to come with you to talk to them.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Roberts.” Anne seemed apprehensive, but wore a slight frown.
“I remember having to tell my parents I was pregnant. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” She then laughed with her next sentence. “Besides raising Sam.”
“Sam’s…” Anne paused. “The father.”
“My Sam?” Joan put a hand to her chest in shock, looking faint.
“Yeah,” Anne whispered, glaring at the ground. “He doesn’t want me to keep it. That’s why he’s been so angry. So, don’t be so hard on him. It’s my fault, not his.” When she heard the graduates being called back for lineup, she turned. “I…have to go.”
Chapter Eight
Gwen was with Morgan, the pair sitting in his truck. He was still in his gown. Neither of them was speaking. They watched the huge crowd of people entering the center.
Gwen spoke with a great lack of energy. “Can I move in with you, yet? I hate my mom.”
“Not for six months.” Morgan was picking at the steering wheel, the surface of the foam cover crumbling slightly. He spoke with aggravation in his voice, his eyes glued on his fingers.
“Why’d you get in a fight with Jake?”
“He called you a whore.”
She let out a light laugh. “You should’ve ignored him.”
“He just gets to me, you know. He’s been raggin’ on me since we were kids. I’m tired of it. I hate that guy.”
“Me, too.”
“I can’t believe you even went on a date with him.”
“Yeah, for, like, five minutes. Then, I left with you. You gave me hockey hickeys, remember?” She giggled, but he didn’t join in.
Instead, he glared at the entrance doors. “I can’t believe I missed graduation. My parents are gonna be pissed. This sucks.” He laid his head back against the headrest, scowling.
“That’s my fault, too.” Gwen sat back in her seat.
“No, it’s mine. I let that guy get to me. B
ut he’s such a fucking douche.”
“I think so, too. So, what happens now?” Gwen picked up a stray hammer near her and started picking at it. It’s surface was rusted and dirty from lack of care.
“With what?”
“Sam. Mom knows now.”
“He’ll have to come clean, suck it up, and take care of that kid.” His gaze fell upon a few people coming toward the car. “Fuck. Here come my parents.”
“It’s fine,” Gwen soothed softly, patting his shoulder. “You’re eighteen. What are they going to do? Ground you?”
Morgan chuckled then shook his head as he tried to stop his smile. When his dad came up to the side, Morgan rolled the window down.
“Get your ass back in there.” Kent punched the truck door, snarling. “I talked to your principle, and he said you can walk if you’re quiet the rest of the ceremony.”
Morgan didn’t speak as he got out of the cab. Kent wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders roughly, escorting him back. Gwen sighed as she looked to her mother.
“I need to talk to you,” Joan got in the truck, but Gwen turned from her. Her mother had Sam’s robes now resting in her lap. “How long have you known about Anne?”
Gwen didn’t answer, but was fidgeting with her fingers, her eyes downcast. They hadn’t spoken more than a sentence to each other since Gwen had blown off her competition. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Joan tried again.
“I hate fighting with you like this. Talk to me, Gwen.”
Instead, Gwen continued to pick at the dried mud on the hammer with unnecessary force, her eyes burning a hole in the tool.
“You hate me. You don’t want to skate. I get that.” Joan let out a tired sigh. “But this isn’t about our quarrel. It’s about Sam. He’s in a lot of trouble. He got that girl pregnant.”
“It was an accident.” Gwen’s voice was soft.
“Accident or no, we have to own up to our mistakes. Sam needs to, too.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“No. I need to find him first.”
“What’s gonna happen to him?”
“He’s gonna grow up.”
Sadly, Gwen looked to the entrance of the building. Only a few people were filtering in now. She didn’t respond to her mother’s last statement, the extreme worry for her brother wearing thick on her face.
“Don’t think so much about it, Gwenie. Me and your father raised a baby at Sam’s age, and we’re fine.”
“But he’s supposed to play on the Kats next year. Go to college.”
“We’ll take care of all that. This isn’t your problem, so stop letting it become that.”
“I feel like it is.”
“It’s not.” Joan patted Gwen’s leg. “And I’ll take care of it. Some things Sam needs his sister for, but for this, he needs his mom. Now, stop worrying. Go watch Morgan graduate.”
“Thanks.” Gwen slowly slipped out of the truck. Most of the seats were taken when she got inside, so she stood up in back. She was close to the aisle, so she waved to Morgan when he walked out. He sent her a grin. Gwen looked for her brother, but he wasn’t there.
Deciding to ditch the ceremony, she sought out Sam. She knew he didn’t have a car and had come with Morgan, so she searched the grounds. She didn’t find him. She kept looking.
Eventually, she found him at a nearby park. He was sitting on a bench, his body hunched as he rested his elbows on his knees. Gwen sighed then walked toward him. She sat down. Her voice was soft as she spoke, “Hey.”
“Hey.” Sam made a sour face, and it appeared as if he had been crying.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Mom knows now.”
“Did you squeal?” He glared at his sister, holding his head as he turned it toward her.
“No. Anne did.”
“Fuck, Gwen.” Sam’s voice was strained as he forked through his long hair. “I’ve totally screwed up everything. I’m a failure.”
“You’re not,” Gwen argued gently. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you to fix everything. Having a baby is not the end of the world.”
“It’s not just that.” He sniffled, glaring distantly at the grass ahead of him. “It’s everything. It’s this thing with Anne, but also, my grades suck, and I’m going nowhere.”
“All that’s fixable.” She forced a smile, attempting to keep her tone upbeat. “And you graduated, which I was surprised at…” She tried to laugh to make light, but couldn’t. “But you did it. And you got into the Kats next year. That’ll be cool. And I like kids, so I’ll be here to help you with the baby stuff.”
“You’re gonna leave as soon as Morgan does. Both of you will leave me.”
“Sam.” Gwen let out a small sigh then sat back on the bench. She held her purse close, a slight irritation in her words. “You know we’d never do that to you.”
“Morgan took you, and you took Morgan.”
“Sam—”
“I’m serious. You two planned your lives together. It used to be me and Morgan. We had plans.” He spoke through gritted teeth as he gripped the sides of his head tightly. “Now, I have nothing. I’m gonna be stuck in Vinton for the rest of my life. I’ll watch Morgan show me up as I spend the season sitting on my ass and not really getting any game time.”
“Morgan won’t do that to you. And you’ll get to play.”
“I will not. I only got in next year ’cause of Morgan and his dad…’cause the Kats don’t want to lose Morgan.”
“That’s not true at all.” Gwen narrowed her eyes on him. “They want you because you’re good. I’ve seen you play. You’re an enforcer. That’s way cooler to watch than what Morgan does.”
“You think so?” Sam attempted a smile.
“Yeah.” Gwen did smile, her voice upbeat again. “Though, I really can’t watch either of you from the snack bar.” She laughed nervously, trying her hardest to make him laugh, too.
“But then, next year, both of you are gonna leave.”
“I’m not going to leave you, Sam. I’m going to help you with all this, remember? Morgan promised me he’d play on the Kats until he’s out of school. After that, we might move, but right now, we’re not. And I can’t wait to see your baby.”
“I can,” Sam snapped.
“If you think that way, you’ll never be happy.”
“How the fuck can I be happy?” He sat up, speaking with his hands. “It’s not like if Morgan knocked you up. You guys are together. I don’t want to be with Anne.”
“Can’t you try?” Gwen asked with desperate conviction. “You’ll regret it, if you don’t. Just try, Sam. Kids need both of their parents. And when you become a parent, life is not just about what you want anymore. It’s about what’s best for your children, too. Try to at least make a family with Anne. I know she likes you. She tells me that all the time.”
“I don’t like her.”
“Because you’re mad she got pregnant.”
“Yeah.”
“Well…she’s not exactly happy, either. And she’s the one who’s pregnant, not you. She’s got the bigger burden. Be a man and help her.” Gwen glared at her brother, punching his shoulder lightly. “Try, Sam. She’s a great person. You just never met her beyond the bedroom. I mean…” Gwen looked down the path, pausing as a few people walked past them. “She’d be really good for you. Make you shape up a bit.”
“Shape up?”
“Yeah. Soften all these hard edges of yours.” She laughed when Sam’s brow lowered.
He glared at her. “To be a bitch, you mean? Like you made Morgan?”
“Come on, Sam. Don’t make this about me and Morgan. This is about you. About how you’re going to make your life better.”
“I can’t. Everything is too fucked up.”
“It’s not.” Gwen fidgeted with the charms on her purse, her stare caught momentarily by one’s shiny, reflective surface. “Just let me help you.”
“How?”
“Well, we’ll start by having you make up with Anne. And have you stop being such a selfish jerk.” Sam scowled and turned from her. “If I help fix things with you and Anne, will you accept my help with the rest?”
Sam looked up at her, gazing deep into her determined eyes. “I…guess.”
“Good.” Smiling, she clasped her hands together in a praying motion. “This is a good start.” She playfully bumped his shoulder with hers. “Baby steps for Sammy.”
“Knock it off, Gwen. I don’t like that name.”
“Come on.” She pulled on his arm. “Let’s go take some pictures at graduation.”
“I can’t go, remember?”
“You can still take pictures. The ceremony’s boring anyway.” She stood and motioned for him to follow her. “Come on. I want to get one of you and Morgan.”
“Okay.” He slowly pushed to his feet then walked with a shuffle as they headed back toward the center. “And…” His voice was soft and reluctant. “Thanks, Gwen.”
“It’s what sisters do.” She grinned, punching him lightly again.
“Besides their brother’s best friend?” He sent her an exasperated grimace.
“I guess that, too.” Instead of getting angry, she just smiled and laughed.
When they reached the building, the ceremonies weren’t over yet, so the pair waited around until they were. Gwen saw her parents and siblings first. Joan didn’t start an argument, she just handed Sam his robes. Gwen helped him put them back on.
“I’m proud of you, Sam,” Gwen whispered as she adjusted his hat. “You graduated. And you’re gonna do great things. And be a great dad.” She hugged him. “I love you.”
Sam’s voice was soft, “I love you, too, Gwenie.”
She pulled away, her eyes slightly glassy. “Let’s take some pictures.” She went to her dad, who was glaring at Sam. “Dad?” Gwen motioned to his camera. “Take a picture of me and Sam.” When he didn’t turn to her, she nudged him again. “Come on.”
Moving back over to Sam, she stood next to him. Nick raised the camera and snapped a few shots. Gwen’s other siblings were in a happier mood and all took turns posing with him as well.
“I’m getting in on the next one!” Morgan was standing a few feet away with some of his friends. He jogged over to Sam. The friends posed, and Nick snapped the shot.
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