It's Your Baby by Belén Domínguez (book recommendations for teens .TXT) 📕

 I woke up with a terrible pain in my neck. I groaned as I massaged it to relieve some damage, but it just hurt more. I rubbed my eyes and realized I fell asleep in the couch, in not a very comfortable position if may I add. . .

“Hey, Dani, wake up” I said, shaking her slightly. She groaned but I kept shaking her trying to make her open her eyes.

“Go away” she said.

“No, we have to get ready, is a school day” I said. “C'mon Dani”. She sat up straight still with her eyes closed and then out of nowhere pushed me out of the couch. I stared at her with widened eyes while I was in the floor.

“Ow, what was that for!?” I asked standing up.

“You were annoying me” she said with a glint of a smile across her delicate face. I rolled my eyes and then went to the nearest cabinet in the kitchen. Mom saved this horn from when we were kids and I fought with Alec. She would scare us just with pressing the button.

I put on some random earphones I found on the counter and then put them on. I pressed the button to release the noisy sound. Dani opened her eyes abruptly and then fell off the couch just like I did. She lied on the ground looking up at me, her messy hair almost covering her face.

“What was that for!?” she asked angrily, sending me a deathly glare.

“You were annoying me” I said using her exact same words. I smiled innocently as I watched her stand up.

“You're unbelievable” she let go a sigh and walked towards my fridge. I followed right behind her and then leaned my back against the counter, crossing my arms across my chest, with a huge grin on my face.

“I know” I giggled. I have to admit that even when Dani wakes up, she looks beautiful. . .But, when someone is pretty, that person is pretty in any way, doing anything. Me, by the other hand, know that look like a total scarecrow. I don't need to look at myself in a mirror to know that I look like a total disaster.

“Being pregnant sure makes you annoying” she said. I quickly covered her mouth.

"Shh. . .Are you crazy!? We can't talk about that in here. I mean, what if my mom was coming here when you said that, or my dad?"

“You'll have to tell them eventually; you know. . .”

“I know; I just need some time to think in the best words. I can't just go and throw them such a bomb like that one. I will tell them, but not now, not today”

Dani poured in 2 cups chocolate milk, which made me smile because it used to be our favorite thing to drink.

“Where had the years gone by?” I asked.

She looked at me and then to her cup, she took a sip and sighed. “I don't know, honestly. It felt like yesterday when we first met that day when we were eight. The first thing I noticed was that big teddy bear you were hugging tightly because of your nervousness; I remember that beautiful dress you were wearing. Of course, you were literally afraid of everything” she laughed as I nudged her playfully.

“That's not true!” I said laughing along with her.

“Anyway, I wanted you to sit next to me so badly, and that's where I asked you your name. I thought that dress you had on was gorgeous” she said and smiled, remembering it.

“I miss those times. . .Where we had no choices, no responsibilities, no growing up, no drama. . .It was just playing and eating candy”

“Yeah” she said nodding in agreement.

“Good morning girls” my mother said.

“Hey mom” I said. She kissed my forehead and then started making coffee. My dad walked down the stairs, rubbing his blue-grey eyes. His blonde hair was messy and he was wearing a simple white shirt.

“Hi dad” I said.

He smiled. “Hello pumpkin” he said and then picked me up, hugging me tightly. I gasped and started laughing, I tried to get away from his grip but it was impossible.

“Dad, put me down!” I demanded but he just chuckled.

“Alec was right, what happened to you, huh? When you were little you used to love being carried like that, you would cry and scream if we let you anywhere near the floor, since you thought it was ‘lava’”

I kept laughing cause its true. But it’s like I just tell you. . .I grew up, that's why I don't believe is fun anymore. When I was younger, I loved pretending I was in a mission to escape from a volcano. So Alec and I used to put all the pillows we would find and placed them on the ground. We would jump in them trying not to touch the ground. God, how we loved that game. . .

He finally put me down and I nudged him playfully. He chuckled and then grabbed my head with both of his hands and placed a kiss on my forehead.

When we finished eating breakfast, I helped my mom place the plates in the sink. “Please go wake up your brother” my mom said. I sighed but nodded. Usually he doesn't like to wake up, you literally need to offer him ice cream for him to even budge, like when we were kids.

I walked inside his room and almost tripped with his stupid skateboard. “Ugh. Alec” I mumbled annoyed. I went to his bed and shook it, I took the covers off of him, but he wasn't there. Instead, there were pillows. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and then turned around, just to be attacked by a dart right in my forehead. It was Alec with his dart thrower.

“Really Alec? Really?” I said and put my hands in my hips.

“Cool, huh? I found it in my closet” he said.

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Well. . .I see you haven't lost your techniques” I said jokingly.

He nodded. “I haven't” he said and put himself in a fighting position, aiming at me. I grabbed the nearest pillow to protect myself and then rushed towards him. I sort of tackled him but he pushed himself against my pillow and started pushing me towards his bed. He put his weapon aside and stole my pillow, throwing it away, the smirk never leaving his face.

“Great memories. When you actually thought that you could beat the master” he said jokingly. I rolled my eyes and tried to move but he didn't budge.

“Alec, let me go!” I demanded, but couldn't help but giggling.

“Why should I? This had just begun” he said and then started tickling me non-stop. I started laughing so hard my stomach started hurting. He was tickling me in my weakest spot: My stomach and my neck.

“Stop! Please!” I said as I struggled to get away from his grip, but he didn't budge. Is this the way I'm going to die? Dying of laughter.

“What is going on here?” I felt relieved when I heard Dani walking into the room. I approached now that he's distracted and I got away from him.

“I've never been so happy to see you in my entire life” I said out of breath.

“Oh well, thank you, being your best friend, is happy to hear that” she said sarcastically. “Aren't you always happy to see me?” she asked.

“Of course, is just that today I feel extremely happy that you're here. . .I mean, that boy was tickling me to death”

“Whatever, your mom is asking what is taking you so long? Now I see what you guys been up to”

“Do you want to play?” my brother asked while sending her a mini wink. “Although, I have to warn you. . .I won't play with you that same way I play with my sister. I like to do things a little more rough”

“You're so gross” Dani said while grimacing in disgust. “Now, get ready, your mom says you can't be late for College again” she said and then pulled me outside, closing the door from behind her.

“Let's go. . .” she said and we walked downstairs. I said goodbye to my parents and then went to Dani's car. The first thing I did, was turning the volume of the radio all the way up, trying my best to distract me. I feel the need of getting distracted all the time. . .If my mind is occupied, then I wouldn't be thinking about you know what. No matter what I do though, the problem is always there, waiting for me, right around the corner.

I sang along the words, closing my eyes as the beautiful melody of the song My Heart Wants what it Wants, played on the radio.

“I never understood why you never stayed on Chorus. You have a beautiful voice. It’s been years since the last time I heard you singing actually” I heard Dani from beside me. I chuckled and shook my head as I opened my eyes.

“Because there was this very mean kid on Chorus who always tried to put me down” I said.

“Really? You let a bully get to you?” she asked in disbelief.

“You know I've never been good with rude comments directed to me. Besides, I don't have to stay there to receive every mean remark that kid had for me”

“Where is he by the way?” she asked while making a U turn.

I shrugged. “Heard he move; I was so happy when they told me that. But still, I didn't want to return to chorus, I had to study and—”

“Blah, blah, blah. . .Excuses” she said.

“Is true!” I said defensively. “I had to focus in school and in projects and all that stuff” I crossed my arms across my chest.

“I miss those times where you would just play guitar and enjoy it. The house was filled with your talent. . .It was absolutely beautiful”

“Thank you. But everything that have been happening, I don't think I have the enough time to play anymore. I mean, I am having a baby” I tried to smiled.

She nodded in agreement. “I understand, girl, I truly do. . .And I'm here for whatever you need, okay?” she said and patted my knee.

I nodded. “Okay”

The first thing I did when I crossed the main doors was going to my locker, Dani following close behind me. "You know what is so cool?" she asked while leaning her back against the locker from beside mine.

“What?” I asked.

“Disney Princesses, you know. . .The ones that work at Disneyland. . .They're supposed to be between 5'4 and 5'8. Plus, they can't wear nail polish. And they're not allowed to say to a guest that ‘they don't know’ whenever they're asked a question. . .They have to go and find the answer” she said.

“And you're telling me that because you're going to become a Disney Princess?” I asked.

“Well, no. . .But wouldn't it be cool to work at the happiest place on earth!?” she said in her usual cheery voice; which sometimes I find very annoying