The bell rang to signal the end of class and the start of lunch and Avery packed her books into her bag, looking grateful.
"So glad it's lunch," she commented.
"I know, let's skip our afternoon class," Lo suggested. "It's only Science."
Avery nodded. "Yes, good plan."
The two girls headed off in the direction of the food court.
~*~*~*~
"We should talk to her today," Josh said, spotting Avery and Lo.
"Yeah," Trent agreed, looking at the rest of the group. The two boys had relayed their theories to the rest of their friends earlier that day.
Libby
"Sound good to me," Libby said.
Josh and Trent's theory about Avery being pregnant seemed a little kooky to her.
Avery and Lo
"So I'm going to see Talan this weekend, we're going to talk some stuff over," Avery told Lo, as they settled at a table with their food.
"Yeah? Cool, well, I'm going to head downside to hang with LC, you're very welcome to hang too," Lo replied. "I think it's a good idea that you and Talan are talking it over."
"Avery," Josh said, appearing beside their table, the group in tow. "Can we talk to you?"
Avery looked up in surprise. "Yeah... sure."
Libby
Matt sat down on the lone empty chair and grinned at everyone.
"So Avers, what's new?" he asked. "Eh, eh?"
"You are such a dork," Libby said, whacking him upside the head.
Trent coughed.
Avery and Lo
Avery knew what this was about, they really all needed to learn how to shield their thoughts a bit. Or at least, not think so loud.
"Yes, I'm the pregnant student."
Lo held her hand gently.
Libby
"Wow, really? How'd that happen?" Libby asked, very much surprised.
"Well," Matt piped up, "when two people love each othr very much..."
"Shut up dorkwad. I know how it happens."
Avery and Lo
"Sometimes they don't even love each other," Avery thought wryly to Lo.
Lo looked over at her and smiled sadly.
"Is JD the father?" Josh asked, almost sounding mean.
Avery paused, and it was the pause that set Josh off.
"Do you even know who the father is?" he snapped.
"Josh!" Trent exclaimed, looking shocked.
"Well, do you?" he asked again, a little calmer this time.
"Yeah, I do, actually, not that it's any of your business," Avery shot back, eyes flashing dangerously.
"We're not attacking you, Aves," Trent said gently.
"No, I know you're not, but Josh is," she replied.
Libby
Matt started laughing.
"Don't mind Josh, he's just jealous he... err, hasn't gotten any."
He was going to say "hadn't slept with you too" but decided at the last minute that a rephrase was highly recommended.
"Matt? You're an idiot," Libby duly informed him.
Wow, Avery was going to be a mother. This was completely... insane.
Avery and Lo
"I haven't actually slept with as many people as you're imagining," Avery informed them, but more or less addressing Josh.
"Really?" Josh asked.
"Give it a rest, Josh," Lo spoke up. "Stop behaving like a baby. How about you act like her friend?"
"I don't think you can speak about being a friend," Josh informed her coolly. "You're the one who helped her get this way."
"You're an idiot," Lo replied evenly, not flinching. "You have no idea."
Matt chuckled nervously. "Right, let's all calm down."
"Yeah, this wasn't about fighting," Dan said, speaking up for the first time. "And it's not about judging or deciding who was a better friend."
"No, it's not," Trent agreed, shooting Josh a look. "We just wanted you to know that you have our support."
Libby
"That's right," Libby nodded. "After all, even though you don't much hang out with us any more, we still consider you our friend."
She flicked a bubble at Josh's head.
"Okay," she went on, sitting down on the table. "So do you know what it is yet? Or is it too soon for that?"
Avery and Lo
"No," Avery said, avoiding Josh's eyes. "It's too early to know. It's only been about 2 months."
"The teeny bump is cute," Lo said, nodding. "I dig it. I'll eat in solidarity and we'll both have bumps! I mean, yours will disappear after 9 months, but what I'll do, is I'll start working out at the 6 month mark, and then I'll have no bump by 9 months too."
"You're a weirdo," Avery grinned.
"Solidarity Aves!"
Libby
Libby laughed.
"Hey, I've heard it said that pregnancy is contageous," Matt said nudging Libby. "Eh? Eh?"
"Matt, I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last guy on earth."
"Even if it were neccesary to continue the dathrian race?"
"If you were the last specimen of male dathrian in the universe, then the dathrian race is better off dying out."
Trent cracked up.
Avery and Lo
"Daths are very fertile... Zac proved that theory, and I guess, I'm also proving it," Avery said, shrugging. "He gave me this whole 'don't turn into me' speech, which like... whatever, I'm not planning on going through this ever again."
Lo laughed. "Iron clad privates!"
"Exactly."
Libby
"Like the chastity belt in Men in Tights?" Libby giggled. "I love that movie."
"An interesting idea," said Matt stoking an imaginiary beard. "Just don't let Josh anywhere near the key."
Avery and Lo
"Shut up," Josh snapped.
"No, like... I think I'd still want to be having sex, but you know... protected, rather than relying on the pill," Avery said, shrugging.
"Mmm, yeah, that's the way I'd go too," Lo agreed. "It's too difficult to give up now that you've done it."
Libby
"Plus probably way more comfortable than the chastity belt," Libby nodded. "Is it really that good? I always wondered if it was over-rated."
"I'd be more than happy to -" Matt began.
"Do not even consider finishing that sentance."
Lo and Avery
Lo grinned and looked at Avery, and they both giggled.
"Oh yeah," they chorused.
"Like, before you have it," Lo explained. "You don't think much of it. And then it happens, and it sucks the first time, but it's still kinda good."
"Yeah, that's how I felt about it," Avery agreed. "Like it hurt a bit, and it was a bit awkward, but I still enjoyed it. And now... well I wouldn't want to never do it again."
Matt looked intrigued.
Libby
"Huh," Libby mused.
"Okay so to a guy one day aspiring to have sex, what do you suggest?" Matt asked in all seriousness.
Lo and Avery
"Unless you touch it on a regular basis, your first time will be over before you know it," Lo said, smirking.
"And a guy's first time is always better than a girl's," Avery put in. "Just be gentle. Even if she is experienced. Unless she asks for it to be a little harder."
Libby
"So Libby..." Matt began.
"I thought we established this," Libby said, glaring at him.
"Doesn't hurt to ask."
"It will."
Lo and Avery
"I'm just thinking that maybe, Matt, you need to meet more than one girl," Lo suggested. "So you'll leave Libby alone."
"I know you and Avery too," Matt countered.
"Yeah, but I'm soon going to be too pregnant for you to consider sleeping with - " Avery started.
"Not to mention Josh would kill me - OW!" Matt rubbed his arm.
"And Lo has taste."
Lo grinned.
Libby
Libby chuckled.
"I think you getting to sleep with anyone may be a lost cause," Trent decided. "Unless she's desperate."
"And drunk," Josh added.
Avery and Lo
"Well, Libs, you wanna get drunk?" Matt offered, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I don't think Libby is desperate enough," Avery put in.
"Nor will she ever be drunk enough," Lo added.
Libby
Libby gave Matt a long look. Matt grinned charmingly back. Libby released a nice, big bubble.
"So Matt, how would you like one of these around your head?" she asked.
"An interesting idea," Matt replied mischeviously. "But I think a condom would work better."
Libby blinked, not comprehending at first, then:
"Matt!"
Avery and Lo
"Come on, Lib, you know you'll probably end up losing it to one of us," Matt said, pushing a little bit further. "It may as well be me."
Avery laughed. "That's romantic."
"Was your first time romantic?" Matt challenged.
"Well, actually," Lo began. "Mine kinda was."
"Same," Avery agreed.
Libby
"Ah ha!" Libby said triumphantly. "So maybe I want mine to be romantic too."
"Okay, Libby, seriously," Matt said. "Do you even know what that word means?"
"Yeah, it means I'm not going to be your whore."
"Matt thinks that is romantic," Josh joked.
Avery and Lo
"Well, if you're not paying her, she's not going to be your whore, she'll be your slut," Avery pointed out. "But she probably doesn't want to be that either."
"I could be romantic... flowers, chocolate, candles," Matt protested.
"That's not romance," Lo shot down. "You don't need a lot of stuff to make a situation romantic. It's how you treat the girl."
"I would treat Libby right," Matt answered. "And I would make sure she wanted more. And more."
He waggled his eyebrows.
Libby
"Brainwashing isn't romantic either," Trent advised him.
Libby smirked.
"And then," Matt went on, oblivious, "if Libby decided she wanted it rougher - which of course she will, because she is Libby - then we could get as violent as, as, as klingons and it wouldn't matter 'cause I could just heal us after. It's perfect."
Lo and Avery
"Sometimes rough is alright," Lo said thoughtfully.
Avery nodded her agreement.
"See," Matt said. "Lib, I would make you beg for more."
Trent looked quite annoyed.
Libby
"If anyone's going to be begging, Matty-boy, it'll be you," Libby replied.
"Hey, hey, Libby," Josh said, a sudden smile appearing on his face. "I think I know exactly what you would say if you and Matt ever got in the sack."
"Which we will," Matt nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh really?" Libby replied darkly.
"Is it in?" Josh grinned.
"Hey!" Matt objected while Libby and Trent cracked up laughing.
Avery and Lo
"So, due date?" Dan asked Avery quietly.
"Um, seven months from now... May next year," Avery answered. "If it all goes well, that is."
"Hopefully you'll be speaking to your Mom again, by then," Lo said, twirling her straw in her drink.
"Yeah, hopefully," Avery said, frowning slightly.
"Doesn't pregnancy make you hornier?" Matt questioned. "So, Lib, how about I get you pregnant?"
Libby
Libby gave Matt a dark look.
"I think now is the time for you to shut up," Trent advised with an edge in his voice.
"You're not talking to your Mom?" Libby asked Avery. "What happened?"
Avery and Lo
"She didn't really... react well to my news," Avery said slowly.
Lo squeezed her hand, while Avery blocked off the emotional part of her thoughts.
"In time, I guess we'll both stop being stubborn... or rather, I'll stop being stubborn, but right now, I want to be away from her," she continued.
Libby
"Aww, that sucks," Libby said. "But hey, y'know, you'll always have us. No matter what."
She nodded.
Avery
"It wasn't actually anything she said," Avery tried to explain. "It was her thoughts. And a normal person wouldn't've heard it. It's just... yeah. So it kinda stung a little."
Libby
"Ahh," Libby nodded. "And she probably wouldn't have even verbalised it either, right?"
Wow. Up until now Libby hadn't even really considered that Avery might be able to hear thoughts that they wouldn't even dream of actually saying. Every fleeting idea that might cross their mind... probably even hear her musings right now. She clampt down on that train of thought then, more out of consideration to Avery than any particular fear that she could hear what she was thinking.
Avery and Lo
"It's ok," Avery said to Libby. "You get used to it after awhile. It's just background noise to me, unless I'm in one on one siutation."
"Oh," Josh said, it dawning on him.
"Yeah," she replied, almost coldly. "I can hear you."
"What if we block?" Lo asked. "Although, as none of us are telepaths, it's not so much a block as a deliberate not thinking about a particular thing, right?"
"Yeah," Avery answered. "I could dig in to see it, unless you were shielded. Well, actually, I'm getting to a point where I could probably get past a shield but leave it intact. Depending on the skill of the shield giver."
Libby
"Wow, that's awesome," Libby began, then faltered. "Right?"
Dan didn't think so, and unconsciously moved back a little.
Avery and Lo
Avery noticed Dan's reaction and frowned slightly.
"It's not, really," she said to Libby. "Or rather, it would be, had I never experienced the bad side of telepathy."
Lo shrugged. "I guess with any power, there's ups and downs."
Libby
"I wonder what the bad side of Bubbles is," Libby mused.
"Threatening to kill people with it," Matt decided.
"You're just scared one day I'll go through with it."
Avery and Lo
Avery shrugged. "I'm sure you could probably cut off someone's oxygen supply... fill the bubble with a poison gas?"
"Matt's farts," Josh said knowingly.
Avery grinned.
Libby
Libby giggled.
"I already make fart bubbles in the pool," Matt annouced with a childish expression on his face.
"Of this we are well aware," Trent commented cynically.
Lo and Avery
"See," Lo said. "I could hurt people with telekinesis."
"What about healing?" Avery asked Matt.
"I could... opt not to heal!" Matt replied.
Libby
"I could hurt people too," Trent nodded seriously, referring to his Stength power.
"Josh could spy on the girls in the locker room!" Matt said jubilently.
"How is that a bad thing?" Josh asked mildly.
"You can't make me invisible too and take me with you."
Libby looked at Matt and cocked an eyebrow.
"Thank God you never got invisibility."
Avery
"I wish I did," Matt said mock seriously, looking at Libby. "I would watch you all the time."
"You're kinda creepy," Avery told him.
Libby
"This is the real reason why you stopped hanging out with us, isn't it?" Libby joked. "So you wouldn't have to put up with Matt's leering."
"Nah, Josh would kill me if I leered at Aves," Matt grinned.
"What do you think I'm going to do?" Trent smiled seriously.
Avery and Lo
Avery grinned to herself, it didn't take a telepath to realise that Trent had a thing for Libby. Although, it did take a telepath to realise that Libby didn't realise.
"Yeah, it was pretty much because Matt is creepy," Lo agreed.
"Creepy, or handsome?" Matt questioned.
"Creepy," Avery and Lo said together.
Libby
"All those agreed that Matt is creepy say aye," Libby said.
"Aye!"
"It's unanimous," Libby nodded. "Matt's a creep."
"Hey you didn't say 'all opposed'," Matt objected.
"You don't get a vote."
Avery and Lo
"You can't help being creepy, you were just born that way," Avery said. "If that makes you feel better."
"I'm going to get the hottest girlfriend and you will all apologise!" Matt protested.
"Doubtful," Lo said.
Libby
"Matt, you can't even get with me," Libby commented.
"Well, that's because I'm not really trying," Matt decided. "I'm really every suave and devonaire."
"What that?" Trent said abruptly, looking up at the ceiling.
"What?" Libby asked.
"Oh... nope, sorry, my bad. I thought I saw a flying pig for a second there."
Lo and Avery
"Lo, do you have any hot friends that you can hook me up with?" Matt asked.
"I have hot friends, but, unfortunately for you, they all have taste," Lo said, making a sympathetic face.
"Burn," Dan said, grinning.
Avery laughed. "Cavalleri might."
"She'd go for anything though."
Libby
"Yay!" Matt exclaimed. "Hey, hey, Aves? Will you name your baby after me?"
Libby whacked him over the head.
"Dorkwad."
Lo and Avery
"I don't know, 'Creepy Matt Hanson Torriero' doesn't have a nice ring to it," Lo mused.
"Yeah, I'd rather not, otherwise it's likely to be, you know... creepy," Avery told him.
Josh's face went dark again at the thought of Avery being pregnant.
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Torriero?" Trent inquired.
Avery and Lo
Avery and Lo looked at each other briefly.
"Yeah," Avery said. "The father's last name."
Libby
"Oh so you do know who the father is," Josh responded. "Amazing."
"Hey!" Libby glared at him. "Stop being a jerk. Seriously. I will kick your scrawny little butt."
Avery and Lo
"Yeah," Avery replied coldly. "I never said I didn't know. So you can just back the hell off."
"Stop being lame, Josh, honestly, just get over it," Lo jumped in. "Maybe you should work on being more supportive, if you like Avery so much."
Libby
Josh scowled but said nothing.
"He's just jealous that he's not the father," Matt put in helpfully in a lame attempt to inject humour into the tense situation.
"Matt?"
"Yes, Libster?"
"Shut up."
Avery and Lo
"I don't care anyway, you can sleep with whoever you want!" Josh got up and stormed off.
"Well," Lo said. "That was unexpected."
Avery watched him and shook her head slightly.
Libby
"Told ya. Jealous. And -" Matt began.
"Matt you have a bad habit of not knowing when to shut up," Trent informed him.
"People have mentioned that to me before."
"Try listening."
Matt shrugged.
"Hey, you going to be okay?" Libby asked Avery.
Avery and Lo
"What? Yeah, I don't care, he can think what he wants," Avery said, shrugging.
"And he can just stay away," Lo added. "He's being ultra lame. Like yeah, ok, be jealous, but still, be nice."
Libby
"True," Trent nodded. "There's no reason to be rude, even if you have turned into the green-eyed monster."
"Right," Libby agreed. "And Josh aside, are you going to be okay? With the baby and all?"
Lo and Avery
"Of course she is," Lo interjected, grinning. "She's got me putting weight on in solidarity."
"Exactly," Avery answered. "I'm going to have a fat friend, I have the support of my boyfriend and the father, even though they are not the same person, that's ok. My parents and I will eventually make contact again. And I have good people around me. Except Josh. But you know. That's ok."
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Cool," she said. "Hey let's beat Josh up. It'll be fun."
Avery and Lo
"I could just, you know, make him think he's a 6 year old girl," Avery pointed out.
"Hey, you could too," Lo said, grinning. "Can we please do that instead?"
Libby
"You could do that?" Matt asked, eyes wide.
"I think it's a marvellous idea," Libby giggled.
Avery and Lo
"Oh yeah, I can do that. I can telepathically neuter you, as well, so to speak," Avery said.
"Oh, would you? Please?" Lo asked.
Libby
"Do it to Matt! Do it to Matt!" Libby encouraged.
"Nooooo! I'll do anything!" Matt cried. "Don't stop me from leering at Libby! It's my favourite hobby!"
Avery and Lo
Avery rubbed her hands together evilly.
"Anything, you say?"
Lo giggled.
Libby
"Noooooooooooo!" Matt said, flinging himself on the floor at Avery's feet, only partially in mock-desperation. "Don't neuter me! Please? Pretty please? Pretty, pretty, pretty please with a cheery and loads of sugar on top?"
"I think you could capitalise on this," Libby nodded.
Avery and Lo
"Stop," Avery said to Matt, both outloud and telepathically.
She smiled evilly.
"Matt, baby, how do you feel?"
Lo grinned.
"I feel... I feel good," Matt said, nodding. "I also want a sandwich, does anyone else want one?"
Libby
Libby's face lit up like a Christmas Tree.
"Oh Ma-att... When I say the word 'sleep' what do you think of?"
Avery and Lo
"Bed, sleeping!" Matt nodded. "Pillows. Blankets."
Avery grinned.
"You do amazing work," Lo praised.
Avery stood and bowed.
Libby
"Yes!" Libby cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
"Okay," said Trent slowly. "Now I'm just scared."
Avery
"I'll leave him like this for a week."
Avery nodded.
"Give us all a break."
Libby
"Yes," Libby said, nodding enthusiatically.
"Sounds good... as long as you don't decide to do that to me," Trent said.
"Trent, you're not some sex-obsessed little turd who doesn't know when to shut up. You're safe. For now."
"It's the 'for now' part that worries me."
Avery and Lo
Dan looked noticeably distressed at all this telepathy.
"Sorry," Avery said quietly.
Lo, meanwhile, had gone to torment Matt in the lunchline.
Libby
"So," Libby said, not noticing Avery and Dan's exchange. "What shall we do to celebrate this week of peace?"
Trent shook his head.
Avery
"Pizza party," Avery suggested.
Trent looked somewhat relieved. This was the Avery they knew.
Libby
"Yes! Brilliant idea," Libby applauded.
And thus the group made their peace, sort of, and celebrated Matt's lack ofraunchiness (if only temporary).