Summer Challenge Story Three
Dec. 10th, 2012 01:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mkrobinson Title: Carelessly [A Triad]
"You know, I never thought that you would be so stupid as to get 'accidentally' pregnant again, Billie," my mother said, giving me a lecture that I was sort of tuning out. I was twenty three years old and having a baby with my husband -- there was nothing 'accidental' about my pregnancy at all. Sure, it wasn't like the pregnancy had come at any sort of an ideal time, but we were happy, and that was all that mattered.
"Shut up, Mom," I said automatically, rolling my eyes as I spoke to her on the phone. "Steven and I are happy about it," I added. "I don't understand why you're not."
"What about law school?"
I sighed. "I told you, I'm not going yet," I said. "Steven and I have it worked out."
My mother never listened to me. It was infuriating.
"I really don't get it, Billie," she said, probably thinking that her repitition of my name would get me to think that she was right. "You had a miscarriage. Shouldn't that have been a sign that --"
"Stop it, Mom," I hissed, feeling the tears start to come. "I didn't call you to be berated, okay?"
"I'll bet this is why you got married! You got pregnant again!"
"Mom! Stop it! Steven and I were married before I got pregnant. Why can't you just be happy for me?"
I didn't want to cry. Not while my mother was on the phone. I just wanted to curl up in bed under the blankets and wait for Steven to get home so we could snuggle. He was happy. He loved me and our baby. He didn't make me want to burst into hysterical tears. No, that was an exclusive trait for both our mothers, mine [Maureen] and his [Alice]. I hated it.
"Are you crying?" I heard her ask, and I shook my head.
"No, Mom," I managed, though I was about to start bawling. "I gotta go, okay?"
"No, Billie, it is no --"
It was a bit immature of me to hang up the phone, but I relished the immature action, smirking as the handset hit the cradle.
The baby kicked as I dabbed at my eyes, and I placed a hand to my belly, smiling widely.
***
"What happened?" I asked, waking from the nap I'd accidentally taken on the couch after the telephone call. Steven had arrived home, and he looked pissed. "Did Mom call you at work again?" I asked hesitantly, getting up of off the couch and crossing the room to him. I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, and I pressed myself against him. "I'm sorry if she did," I added, wrapping my arms around him.
He shook his head. "Apparently Elizabeth has run off to England," he said with a sneer.
"England?" I asked, not wanting to let go of him. "What do you mean?"
"She's run away," he repeated, sounding rather weary. "And Mom and Dad want to stick us with Jessica."
"Tell me you said no," I murmered, entirely serious. My mother staying with us would have been preferable. "Please tell me that Jessica isn't moving in."
He sighed, loudly. "Don't worry," he said. "She isn't."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you want something to eat?"
He shook his head. "I'm not really hungry," he answered. "Besides, technically, I'm supposed to be working at home."
"I was gonna make it for you," I answered. "I made chocolate chip muffins earlier. You want one?"
"Because of the baby?" He asked, and I nodded, before realizing he couldn't see me.
"Yeah," I said, releasing him. I kissed him on the lips, taking his hand and placing it on my belly. "He's made me crave them wicked bad."
"Today it's a boy?" Steven asked, grinning at me. "I thought yesterday you were 'absolutely positive' that we were having a 'sweet little girl'."
"Maybe we're having twins," I suggested with a smirk. The look on his face made me giggle. "I'm only teasing," I said softly.
"I know," he replied. "I'm just afraid that that might come true. Christ, imagine if they were just like my sisters," he said with a shudder.
"They wouldn't be," I said. "Besides, they would have caught that on our scan."
He snorted. "I wouldn't mind a muffin," he admitted. "I think that having a muffin with you would be awesome, babe." He playfully poked my side, making the baby kick even more than before.
"You do?"
"Of course," he said, taking off his tie. "I think we even have time for a cuddle."
***
"Honestly, Jessica, it is just for a few days," I heard Alice say, in a patronizing tone that was nearly designed to masquarade as soothing, and I rolled my eyes. "Besides, Billie will be home with you," she continued. "Surely the two of you can find something to do while your brother works."
"Why can't I stay in the duplex?" Jessica whined, soundly like she was approximately two. "I wanna stay there!"
"That place is a filthy pit! Beer cans stacked in pyramids, rotted food in the fridge, a general lack of order..." Alice said, trailing off. "Besides, you have your broken ankle, dear! You have to be properly supervised!"
"Sam's there," Jessica made the mistake of saying.
"Isn't Sam what got us into this mess in the first place?" Alice asked, her tone cooly casual. "You couldn't control yourself around him and so you slept with him and then your sister left?"
"I didn't sleep with him!"
"I am inclined to believe Elizabeth in this matter, though you are both being equally immature."
I wanted to stay asleep -- well "asleep" -- in bed, but I also didn't relish the thought of getting in trouble with the landlord over Steven's moron mother and sister. Again. So I slipped on my dressing gown over my oversized t-shirt and padded to the door, opening it with a wide yawn.
"Good morning, dear!" Alice trilled. I yawned again, wider than before. "You're looking well," she continued, stepping into the apartment. "I'll bet you're excited for your sleepover with Jessica!"
I couldn't help but notice that Jessica and I shared equally unexcited looks. I rolled my eyes.
"I wanna stay at the duplex," Jessica whined again. I glared at her.
"It's only for a week, Jessica," I snarled. "Then Liz will be back and everything will be back to normal."
***
To: billiewakefield@gmail.com
From: elizabeth_wakefield@gmail.com
Subject: None
Dear Billie,
I am totally enjoying my program at Cambridge University! The reason why mom and dad couldn't find me there totally isn't the fact that instead of admitting that my going to England was a little bit on the hasty side and that I may be working as a scullery maid for the Pennington family! Not at all! There certainly isn't an Elizabeth Wakefield doing that. By the way I might bring international scandal on the family because I totally love the Earl's son, Max who happens to be engaged. No big deal though!
Love,
Liz
Fandom: Sweet Valley
Universe: Post Canon [well, technically. It actually takes place during the Elizabeth series, but since it's in SV...]
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: T
Word Count: 1179
Summary: [Part one of three] Elizabeth's decision to move to England has consequences for those in Sweet Valley.
"You know, I never thought that you would be so stupid as to get 'accidentally' pregnant again, Billie," my mother said, giving me a lecture that I was sort of tuning out. I was twenty three years old and having a baby with my husband -- there was nothing 'accidental' about my pregnancy at all. Sure, it wasn't like the pregnancy had come at any sort of an ideal time, but we were happy, and that was all that mattered.
"Shut up, Mom," I said automatically, rolling my eyes as I spoke to her on the phone. "Steven and I are happy about it," I added. "I don't understand why you're not."
"What about law school?"
I sighed. "I told you, I'm not going yet," I said. "Steven and I have it worked out."
My mother never listened to me. It was infuriating.
"I really don't get it, Billie," she said, probably thinking that her repitition of my name would get me to think that she was right. "You had a miscarriage. Shouldn't that have been a sign that --"
"Stop it, Mom," I hissed, feeling the tears start to come. "I didn't call you to be berated, okay?"
"I'll bet this is why you got married! You got pregnant again!"
"Mom! Stop it! Steven and I were married before I got pregnant. Why can't you just be happy for me?"
I didn't want to cry. Not while my mother was on the phone. I just wanted to curl up in bed under the blankets and wait for Steven to get home so we could snuggle. He was happy. He loved me and our baby. He didn't make me want to burst into hysterical tears. No, that was an exclusive trait for both our mothers, mine [Maureen] and his [Alice]. I hated it.
"Are you crying?" I heard her ask, and I shook my head.
"No, Mom," I managed, though I was about to start bawling. "I gotta go, okay?"
"No, Billie, it is no --"
It was a bit immature of me to hang up the phone, but I relished the immature action, smirking as the handset hit the cradle.
The baby kicked as I dabbed at my eyes, and I placed a hand to my belly, smiling widely.
***
"What happened?" I asked, waking from the nap I'd accidentally taken on the couch after the telephone call. Steven had arrived home, and he looked pissed. "Did Mom call you at work again?" I asked hesitantly, getting up of off the couch and crossing the room to him. I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, and I pressed myself against him. "I'm sorry if she did," I added, wrapping my arms around him.
He shook his head. "Apparently Elizabeth has run off to England," he said with a sneer.
"England?" I asked, not wanting to let go of him. "What do you mean?"
"She's run away," he repeated, sounding rather weary. "And Mom and Dad want to stick us with Jessica."
"Tell me you said no," I murmered, entirely serious. My mother staying with us would have been preferable. "Please tell me that Jessica isn't moving in."
He sighed, loudly. "Don't worry," he said. "She isn't."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you want something to eat?"
He shook his head. "I'm not really hungry," he answered. "Besides, technically, I'm supposed to be working at home."
"I was gonna make it for you," I answered. "I made chocolate chip muffins earlier. You want one?"
"Because of the baby?" He asked, and I nodded, before realizing he couldn't see me.
"Yeah," I said, releasing him. I kissed him on the lips, taking his hand and placing it on my belly. "He's made me crave them wicked bad."
"Today it's a boy?" Steven asked, grinning at me. "I thought yesterday you were 'absolutely positive' that we were having a 'sweet little girl'."
"Maybe we're having twins," I suggested with a smirk. The look on his face made me giggle. "I'm only teasing," I said softly.
"I know," he replied. "I'm just afraid that that might come true. Christ, imagine if they were just like my sisters," he said with a shudder.
"They wouldn't be," I said. "Besides, they would have caught that on our scan."
He snorted. "I wouldn't mind a muffin," he admitted. "I think that having a muffin with you would be awesome, babe." He playfully poked my side, making the baby kick even more than before.
"You do?"
"Of course," he said, taking off his tie. "I think we even have time for a cuddle."
***
"Honestly, Jessica, it is just for a few days," I heard Alice say, in a patronizing tone that was nearly designed to masquarade as soothing, and I rolled my eyes. "Besides, Billie will be home with you," she continued. "Surely the two of you can find something to do while your brother works."
"Why can't I stay in the duplex?" Jessica whined, soundly like she was approximately two. "I wanna stay there!"
"That place is a filthy pit! Beer cans stacked in pyramids, rotted food in the fridge, a general lack of order..." Alice said, trailing off. "Besides, you have your broken ankle, dear! You have to be properly supervised!"
"Sam's there," Jessica made the mistake of saying.
"Isn't Sam what got us into this mess in the first place?" Alice asked, her tone cooly casual. "You couldn't control yourself around him and so you slept with him and then your sister left?"
"I didn't sleep with him!"
"I am inclined to believe Elizabeth in this matter, though you are both being equally immature."
I wanted to stay asleep -- well "asleep" -- in bed, but I also didn't relish the thought of getting in trouble with the landlord over Steven's moron mother and sister. Again. So I slipped on my dressing gown over my oversized t-shirt and padded to the door, opening it with a wide yawn.
"Good morning, dear!" Alice trilled. I yawned again, wider than before. "You're looking well," she continued, stepping into the apartment. "I'll bet you're excited for your sleepover with Jessica!"
I couldn't help but notice that Jessica and I shared equally unexcited looks. I rolled my eyes.
"I wanna stay at the duplex," Jessica whined again. I glared at her.
"It's only for a week, Jessica," I snarled. "Then Liz will be back and everything will be back to normal."
***
To: billiewakefield@gmail.com
From: elizabeth_wakefield@gmail.com
Subject: None
Dear Billie,
I am totally enjoying my program at Cambridge University! The reason why mom and dad couldn't find me there totally isn't the fact that instead of admitting that my going to England was a little bit on the hasty side and that I may be working as a scullery maid for the Pennington family! Not at all! There certainly isn't an Elizabeth Wakefield doing that. By the way I might bring international scandal on the family because I totally love the Earl's son, Max who happens to be engaged. No big deal though!
Love,
Liz
