Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
That weekend, the girls drove out to Nancy’s parents’ condo by the beach. Since Liz already lied to Jason, she decided to play out the whole show. Lucky for her Nancy was sympathetic with her decision and she was kind enough to lend a helping hand.
Liz walked through the condo door as she dropped her bag on the ground. She slumped into the couch and sighed. Nancy looked at her friend sadly “Why do you do that to yourself?” she tapped Liz’s leg indicating for her to move over.
Liz looked up at her friend with a pained expression “I don’t know, maybe I like worrying? I need to see a shrink.”
Nancy laughed “I doubt it’s that bad, Lizzie.” She waved her hand for her friend to come closer as she wrapped her arms around her friend’s shoulder and Liz's head fell on her friend's comforting shoulder “When are you telling him?”
Liz sighed “I don’t know. Do I have to tell him?” she pulled back as she looked at her friend earnestly.
She shook her head at the naïve Liz “Silly girl, what are you gonna tell him when your stomach is this big?” she put her hand out about half a feet from her own stomach “That you just got fatter here?”
“Or should I tell him that I have to see my parents, who live in America?”
Nancy shook her head “Lizzie, he knows your parents passed away five years ago. I told him, remember? You were upset because you wanted to tell him yourself?”
Liz turned to the window with a distant look in her eyes “That's right...I forgot.” She leaned forward on her hands as she rubbed her temples “Gosh, this is going to drive me crazy!”
“Do you want me to tell him?” her friend offered.
Liz’s head shot up with a scared expression “Oh my gosh, no..please no…he’ll never forgive me!” She quickly added when she saw Nancy’s face saddened “Anyways, I don’t want to pull you into this mess.”
Nancy nodded understandingly “Well, sweetie, it’s no use to worry about it. Go on and change I’ll take you for a walk on the beach. It’s good for the baby.”
Liz giggled for the first time that day “It’s only two months old, I doubt it knows how to breathe yet.”
“Well, I want to take a walk okay? Come on.” She popped up from her seat as she lend out a hand to her friend.
The girls changed into more comfortable clothes as they took a walk on the beach. There weren’t that many people at the beach as they walked for about a block. Suddenly, Liz stopped in her footsteps. Her heart almost paused for a few seconds as she looked at the couple not far ahead. “It’s Jason.” She whispered.
Nancy’s head snapped upwards as she looked at the oncoming couple who didn’t seem to notice that the two girls were staring at them. They were chatting and walking awfully close. “Are you sure?” she squinted her eyes to get a better look.
“I know what my boyfriend looks like.” Liz snapped as she spun around and pulled her friend’s hand along. “He can’t see us.” She sped up and soon the girls were jogging back to the condo. Liz was out of breath when they got back to the front door. She leaned on her thighs to catch her breath. “What…is he…doing her?” her breathing eventually slowed down.
“I don’t know, but you bet I’m gonna find out right now.” Nancy seemed more angry and upset than Liz. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Jason’s number. He didn’t pick up his phone. “No answer.” She cursed as she threw the cell phone on the couch.
“Maybe he’s with a client. Or maybe he didn’t bring his cell phone along?”
Nancy rolled her eyes “Don’t make any excuses for him. I knew he would falter one day. He had too many admirers in the office.” She began to pace the room like it was her boyfriend that she caught with another girl.
Liz sat down calmly “Nancy, what if she is a client?”
She stopped pacing as she faced her friend with her hands on her hips “That’s some friendly client, don’t you think?!” when she noticed her tone of voice was too strong, she lowered it and took a seat next to her friend. “I’m sorry Liz, I didn’t mean to snap at you. But how could you be so calm?”
“I trust him.” She answered shortly. It was neither convincing or nonconvincing.
“Well then you call him. Ask him where he is. If he doesn’t answer, I’m going outside and confronting him.” Nancy warned.
For the sake of her friend and for Jason’s innocence, Liz picked up her cell phone and called him. He answered after two rings. She wasn’t expecting for him to answer as she stuttered “H…hello?”
“Lizzie?” he asked a bit surprised “Are you in Maccau?”
“Umm…yeah. How are you holding up without me?” she didn’t know what to ask as she shrugged her shoulders at Nancy for help.
“Not too good, I miss you. I’m with a client right now. So I’ll have to call you later sweetie. Bye.” He said it all in one breath and then hung up.
Liz sighed with relief “He’s with a client and he said he missed me very much. He had to leave though.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow with suspicion “Yeah, you probably caught them in the middle of a make out session.” Liz flinched at the remark and she immediately regretted saying it “I’m sorry Lizzie, I didn’t mean…gosh, I need to keep my mouth shut.”
“Yeah…” Liz was half teasing.
“So what do you want to do? Should we approach him?” Nancy pushed.
“I don’t know….” It seems that was going to be her answer the whole night. Nancy knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Her mind began to wander as she thought about how to sneak up on Jason without him seeing her. “What are you thinking, Nancy? Oh my gosh, I know that look…you’re gonna do something aren’t you?” Liz was more worried about her friend making a fool out of herself than anything.
Nancy shook her head bringing her thoughts back to reality. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a spy at heart, he’ll never see me.” She rushed inside her room and put on some darker clothes as she wrapped her shoulder length hair into a cap and placed her big sunglasses over her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going? A funeral?” Liz said with much sarcasm “Yeah, he won’t notice the person in black…” she shook her head with amusement.
“You find this funny? You better hope my instinct is wrong.” She gave her friend a quick wink before leaving the condo.
After an hour, Liz began to worry about her friend, what if something happened to her? Or worse, Jason caught her and he’s questioning her. After five minutes of pacing the living room, she rushed her room and got a jacket to go outside to find her friend. Instead the door snapped open and appeared Nancy, looking a bit down. “Nancy! Oh my gosh, you scared me half to death!” she pulled her friend inside only to find Jason behind her.
“I got caught.” She said shortly.
Jason didn’t look amused nor did he look angry “Well, the black ensemble wasn’t exactly a good disguise.”
Nancy rolled her eyes “Yeah, whatever.”
Liz looked at one person to the other, not knowing what to say. “So do you have something to tell me?” he looked at his girlfriend questioningly.
“I….do?” she looked at Nancy wondering what her friend had told him.
Instead Nancy glanced at her watch “Well, oh my gosh look at the time. I should be getting back to my apartment. I have to feed the goldfish.” She rushed into her room and carrying out her luggage before Liz could even utter a word. “Bye guys. The key is on the table, just lock it after you’re done okay?”
Liz glared at her friend, who gave her an apologetic look. Jason waved quickly to Nancy then turned to his red faced girlfriend. “So what brings you here?”
She wasn’t sure if he was setting her up or not “I…Sorry.” She blurted out.
Jason’s face softened “Nancy told me that you had something to tell me but she wouldn’t tell me what it was. Whatever it is, it must have bothered you enough to lie to me about the baby shower.”
“That little squealer.” Liz said under her breath.
“What?” Jason asked when he heard her mutter something.
She shook her head “Nothing. There is something, but I don’t know if I’m ready to tell you.”
“Does it have anything to do with me?” he asked slowly.
She looked up at him from the couch “More than you want.”
He arched his eyebrows questioningly “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know how else to tell you, so I’m just going to say it.” He nodded for her to continue “I’m pregnant.”
She held her breath waiting for his reaction, to her big disappointment he uttered “Oh.”
She continued to stare at him waiting for another reaction, instead he stood there in silence “OH? Is that all you have to say? I just told you that we are having a child together and you say ‘Oh?’ Jason, surely you can do better than that. Are you happy? Are you angry? Are you shocked? What? I’m not a mind reader you know.” She blew up as she stood up to face him eye to eye.
“I…I…but how?” he was still coming over the shock and trying to take in her words.
“You don’t need me to explain the birds and the bees do you?” Liz said sarcastically.
“I have to sit down.” He reached for the chair closest to him as he sat down. “Are you sure?” he asked.
Liz sat down on the couch away from him “You mean am I sure I’m pregnant or am I sure it’s yours?”
His eyes hardened as they turned to hers. “You know what I meant.”
Liz turned away “Actually I don’t Jason. I don’t know anything anymore. You’re never willing to tell me what you’re feeling. Remember that one time I bought you that camera, you never told me that you didn’t like it until I found it stuffed behind a bunch of shoe boxes in your closet? How hard is it just to tell me?”
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” He said ever so softly.
“Well, it’s a little late for that. I will never forget that expression on your face. You don’t want this baby, I know.” She was crying by now as she wiped her face harshly “You never wanted to get married.” He looked at her still lost for words “I don’t think I have ever felt so distant from you out of the three years we’ve been together.”
They sat there in silence for a longer moment with the only exception of Liz sniffing back the tears. “I…I’m not ready to be a father…” finally he was talking. “My career is at it’s peak…I’m going to be named the top three lawyers of the firm…I can’t have a family right now…there’s too much work…I won’t have time for a family…”
She closed her eyes but it didn’t stop the tears from coming out. “Well, I’m sorry to have ruined your life.” Liz went back to her room and got her luggage. “Don’t worry Mr. Cheung, you’re life won’t change a bit.” Her words were obviously bitter but he could totally sense her sad tone despite the harsh words.
“I didn’t mean…” he got up when she stepped back to the door.
“I know what you meant!” she cried angrily, her eyes red from the tears. With that she slammed the door in his face.
He slumped down into the couch, half of him wanted to chase after her for he knew the right thing to do was to be a supportive father. Yet the other half held him back, if he ran after her, his life would change forever. The promise he made to himself so many years ago would be useless. He promised himself when he first got the job as a waiter to pay himself through law school was that he would be an accomplished lawyer and everyone will respect him in every way. Yet he forgot that love was bound to cross his life. Yet she came in the right place but at the wrong time. He worked hard for his position and he wasn’t about to lose it that quickly.
He stayed back for rest of the night as he debated with himself. The pro’s and con’s of the relationship and of the yet to come child that he was responsible for bringing into the world. Surely, he wanted to be a good father, but how could he be if he would be stuck at the office all day.
His goal was to work hard for the next few years before he proposed to Liz, he would eventually do it, he knew it but the timing couldn’t have been more worse. He dropped his face in his hands with frustration “Ah!” he yelled to himself as he sat back in the chair “God, what have I done?”