The Birds And The Bees (The Baby Project #1) (REWRITING)

C.3~ Dignity

I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that Xavier had dropped off the face of the earth the next morning.

When the alarm on my phone went off, I woke up to no one but the baby, Lily, asleep in the basket I had gotten from my room for her to sleep in.

As I stared at her now, I couldn't help but want to close my eyes and wake up from this nightmare. It was hard to comprehend, to take in. That someone would actually leave a child on someone's porch, not knowing if they were even at the house. Leaving the possibility of them contracting hypothermia or pneumonia. 

"What am I supposed to do with you?" I asked her. I looked at where I had left the baby doll last night, only to find it had disappeared with Xavier. I frowned a little again once I realized Brice or one of my parents had thrown a blanket over me as well.

"Bea! Have you seen my Giants jacket?" My twin brother strode into the room with a frantic look in his eyes.

"What the hell is that?" Brice stopped in his tracks in the middle of the living room, his mouth hanging open. Much to my disgust, he was nearly naked. The only article of clothing he wore was a pair of football boxers. 

"Beatrice, please tell me that's a doll." He whispered, edging closer as if the baby in the basket was a snake about to strike him.

"Bea." My brother repeated, lowering himself beside me on the love seat. I reached over to pull the blanket off the baby, careful not to wake her.

"Oh My God, is it breathing? Beatrice, what the hell is that? Since when do dolls breathe?" I stood up, gesturing toward the door, rubbing the sleep depravity from my eyes. 

"I. . . someone left her outside last night. I. . ." Brice's own eyes seemed to grow a fraction at my words.

"So she's real? Like an actual baby?" He asked, poking her soft stomach. I slapped his hand, groaning slightly when I saw her eyes flutter open.

"What are you going to do with her? Take her to the cops or hospital?" He asked, standing back up and turning his attention and dark eyes to me. I stared at the baby for a long second, into her innocent blue eyes.

"Yeah." I finally said, "Yeah, I'll take her down to the police station as soon as I get home from school."

**

Once I was finally able to catch my mom, we sat down and she listened to me explain everything that happened last night. She didn't hesitate on asking me if I needed her to watch the baby until I got out of school.

It seemed like the minute I actually got to first period, my mind couldn't help but drift back to the baby and what had happened last night.

Xavier had looked almost. . . guilty. Why? Had he known who left the baby? Did he feel bad for her? What happened to the doll, had he taken it? Or had my brother stayed true to his word and actually thrown it out a window?

Just focus, Bea. It's going to be okay. The police will help-

"Are you even listening?" Norah's voice snapped me back into reality. Our English teacher had started one of the dozens of remakes of Romeo and Juliet, interrupting Norah's gossip about Homecoming.

"Hmm? Yeah." I replied, my face flushing, "Something about Gabe and homecoming." I muttered, it was almost an after thought. She rolled her eyes and took my chin in her hands so I was facing her.

"You've been zoning out all day. What's going on with you?" She asked. Her midnight blue eyes searching my own, I shook my head.

"I'm fine. Nothing is wrong." I wanted to scold myself for not telling her.