Just Keep Holding On

Chapter 6 - Baby, You're a Firework

4th of July is about to come, and the town is ready for the celebrations. Even Riley, who was now 2 months pregnant, helped the kids to decorate the town – to the dismay of her mother.

"Oh, Riley, please get down of this ladder!" she pleaded.

"Stop it mom!"

"I just don't want you to hurt yourself or the baby!"

"Just leave it mom, I'm perfectly fi-WOAH!" Riley tried to tell her, but then she almost fell off of the ladder.

Luckily, Sportacus' crystal blinked and he caught her on time.

"Your mother is right, you should be more careful." He said and put her down.

"Thanks. I'll go find something else to do." She sighed and went to find the little children.

*****

"Um, Riley? Can I ask you a question?" Ziggy asked her.

"Sure, Ziggy. What is it?" she smiled at the young boy.

"Well, um... Are you sure that you're pregnant? Because you don't look like you're pregnant." he asked.

"Yes, Ziggy. I'm sure. But what do you by 'I don't look like I'm pregnant'?" she tried to understand.

"Well, I dunno, I thought your belly will be bigger, you know..." he said.

"Oh, Ziggy!" both Riley and Stephanie laughed.

"It will happen, but not in this stage. You see, a pregnant woman's stomach is getting bigger because her baby is getting bigger in her womb. But right now my baby is this little," she showed him with two of her fingers, "but in a couple of months it will start to grow bigger, and then you'll see." She smiled at him.

"Oh, now I get it! Well, thanks for explaining me." Ziggy smiled back.

Sportacus saw everything and couldn't help it, but smile.

"She will make a wonderful mother..." he quietly said.

"What is going on over there?" he heard a voice from behind him.

He turned around and saw Robbie standing behind him.

"Well, hello Robbie. It's good to see you." Sportacus greeted him.

Robbie moved closer, and saw his sister making the decorations with Stephanie and Ziggy.

"She's been here for two years, and yet she likes those brats. And I thought she was a Rotten." He said under his breath.

"Well, she is going to have one of those... brats. She needs to practice." Sportacus smiled.

"...Right. She's going to be a mother." Robbie said as he remembered this tiny detail.

They saw how wonderful she was with the kids. She decided to make them paper crowns from the colored paper that were left. She made Ziggy a blue one, Stephanie a red one and for herself a white one. Robbie and Sportacus couldn't stop watching how great she was, and how the kids enjoyed being with her.

"You know Riley, I'm really jealous of Robbie having you as his sister. I wish I had a sister like you." Stephanie told her.

Robbie blushed and turned away his head, so Sportacus won't see him.

"Thanks. But you know, if you ever need a 'sister talk', you're always invited." Riley smiled at the pink-haired girl.

"Thanks. I'd like it." Stephanie smiled back.

"Can I be invited too?" Ziggy asked.

"Always." She laughed and kissed his cheek.

*****

Sportacus, the kids and Riley decorated the down the whole day until the evening. The 4th of July party was all around!

But many citizens went to celebrate and have a BBQ by the beach. So did the mayor and his niece, and they invited all of their friends. They even invited Riley and Rachel. But Riley didn't have fun. She saw Carolina hanging out with Nathan and some other class mates. They didn't invite her. Again!

Sportacus noticed that, so he came closer to Riley and asked "Why don't you go and join them?"

"Because they don't want me with them. You know, maybe Carolina is not a good friend as I thought she is." Riley told him, trying to hold back her tears.

"Do you want me to talk to them?" he suggested.

"What?! No!! We're not little kids, you can't force them to invite me. I'll live." She said and went to sit on the bar.

Sportacus watched the teens group again. He saw that Carolina was watching Riley. Then she just went and walked up to her.

"Hey, Riley..." she said.

"Oh, hello... Carolina."

"Look, I came to apologize. I know I wasn't a good friend. None of us was." Carolina said as she looked at her friends.

"Ok. Thanks." Riley nodded and went back to drink her strawberry-banana milkshake.

"Riley, I'm serious! Please, forgive me. I will prove you that I can be a good friend."

"Fine. For starters, I would like to join you and the others for tonight." Riley said in a cold tone.

"Alright! Come with me!" Carolina smiled and dragged her by her arm.

Riley was afraid at first, but the friends welcomed her immediately.

Even Nathan. Even though they had broken up, they were still in love with each other.

Riley wasn't sure if it was that or the fact that he got a little drunk from the beers he drank, but they kissed, and it felt wonderful. She missed it so much.

Sportacus watched the whole thing. He was happy for her, for having fun again with her friends. Then he saw her kissing Nathan. He smiled, but was jealous of Nathan.

Wait, what?! Jealous of this little boy? Why would he be jealous of Nathan? He should be happy for them, perhaps they are about to get together after this kiss. He should be happy for her too. He knows how much she loves him, but... He wished he could be there instead of- NO! He should really stop thinking about that, that's just wrong.