𝙼𝚞𝚖 𝙰𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

04

𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝

It had been a few days since my first appointment and I was starting to feel like myself again. But when I walked into school that morning, I was hit with a bombshell - posters of me with a fake baby bump plastered all over the walls.

How did they find out? I mean, I'm only a few weeks along, barely showing. It was definitely Photoshopped, but the only people who knew about my pregnancy were my family, Ariana, and Jake. How could this have happened?

I knew Ariana would never betray me, but if she did, I swear I'd have a heart attack. Then, my mind drifted to Jake. He had been acting like a total jerk ever since he made it clear he didn't want the baby.

I spotted him by the lockers, laughing with his friends, including my arch-nemesis, Freya. We had been enemies since kindergarten, always competing for the top spot in class, for class president, and basically anything that held a high position.

I stormed over to them, interrupting their annoying little bonding session. "What the hell is this?" I shouted, ripping down one of the posters and shoving it in Jake's face. He just smirked, "Sorry, must've slipped out when I was chatting with Freya." Did he think I was some kind of child? Jake and Freya snickered, and that was it - I slapped Jake so hard. I hadn't even told the school authorities yet, and he had already spread the news!

"What the heck, Bridgette?" Freya whined, wrapping her arms around Jake. "I didn't know pregnancy came with a side of craziness, or is that just your natural state?" she continued, and I felt my blood start to boil. I was about to let loose on her, but Ariana swooped in and pulled me into a corner. "Calm down, girl. You're only making things worse," she said, trying to reason with me. But I wasn't backing down. I grabbed my water bottle and dumped it all over Jake and Freya. That'll teach them to mess with me!

Ariana dragged me into a corner again, her eyes shooting daggers and her lips pursed in frustration. "Will there ever be a time when you actually listen to me?" she yelled, and I let out a heavy sigh. "I'm so embarrassed..." Ariana nodded knowingly.

"I understand how you feel, but getting physical with Jake isn't going to fix anything. Everyone will still know, and you'll still be pregnant." She was always right. Ariana was the smart, caring friend who constantly had my back when I got myself into trouble. I owed it to her to listen and take her advice.

◉◉◉

School dragged on forever and I swear I was about to pass out from boredom. I couldn't focus on anything and learning felt impossible. But then, to lift my spirits, Ariana suggested we check out this cool new cafe in town.

As we made our way there, I felt like I was melting under the scorching sun. "We've only been walking for five minutes," Ariana said, rolling her eyes at my dramatics. I was dressed in a flowy top and leggings, which was actually my most stylish outfit these days. It's funny how I never used to care about fashion before all this.

We strolled into the cafe and snagged a table. It was pretty empty, probably because it was a new spot in town. And you know what? I was totally vibing with the peaceful atmosphere.

As we settled into our seats, a waiter approached us with a friendly smile. His voice sounded oddly familiar, and as I looked closer, I realized it was the same guy from the hospital.

"Welcome, how can I help you?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that we had crossed paths before. Ariana placed our order, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. I was lost in my thoughts for what felt like an eternity until Ariana's wave brought me back to reality.

"Hello? Earth to Bridgette," she said, snapping me out of my daze. I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Do you know him?" Ariana asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Yeah," I replied, a sense of wonder creeping into my tone. Was this just a coincidence, or was it something more?

As he brought over our snacks, milkshakes, and cupcakes, I couldn't help but be curious. "What's your name?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

He hesitated for a moment, but before he could answer, Ariana nudged me. "If you already know him, you don't have to interrogate him," she whispered. The guy chuckled at her words. "Don't worry, I'm Asher. Asher Garcia," he said with a warm smile.

He then turned to me and asked, "And what's your name?" My heart skipped a beat. This was the moment I had been waiting for. With newfound confidence, I replied, "I'm Bridgette, and this is my friend, Ariana." Ari waved, and Asher smiled before heading back to work.

"What was that?" Ariana whispered, her voice barely audible. I was sure Asher couldn't hear us, but the way he looked at me made my heart race.

"What was what?" I asked, trying to play it cool. Ariana took a sip of her milkshake, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"You were literally blushing," she teased. I scoffed, trying to brush off her observation.

"What? Don't lie, he is hot. I rolled my eyes, feeling a mix of embarrassment and attraction.

"Maybe he is, but you're attracted to him even when you have a boyfriend," Ariana pointed out, her brow raised in curiosity. I couldn't deny the truth in her words.

"Jake? He can go to hell for all I care," I muttered. "And I can't just be attracted to a random guy I met at the hospital."

Ariana's eyes widened in realization. "What am I missing here?" she asked, her voice filled with intrigue.

"We saw Asher a few days ago at the hospital when I went for an appointment. It turns out his mother is sick and he's been struggling with financial difficulties along with his sister. Maybe that's why he's working here," I explained to Ariana. Poor Asher.

Ariana looked sad for him and said, "Aww.. Do you think this is fate?" I rolled my eyes at the idea of fate, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that the universe had brought us together for a reason.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be so invested in his life. For now, all I knew about him was his name and his situation.

˚₊·͟͟͟͟͟͟͞͞͞͞͞͞➳❥ ꒰ ⌨ ✰ 𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟 ⁱˢ ᵗʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ··· ꒱ | ೃ࿔₊•
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