More Than I Bargained For

Ch 1. Zan & Neal

I never wanted kids, far from it but right now that's all my friends were talking about.  As we sat at our usual table Emma and Jo couldn't stop talking about them.  Emma and Jo, my two best friends.  They'd been dating since they were twelve, Jo now seventeen, and Emma now sixteen, same as me.  We sat with a couple others but it was always myself, Emma, and Jo.  The three of us were inseparable.

While they were planning out their future with college, marriage, and kids, the whole nine yards, all I could focus on was the upcoming meteor shower that was happening this weekend.  I was so glad to get away.  No more baby talk, talks which all I could do was nod and smile, annoying as fuck but what else could I do?  

They told me I wouldn't understand.  I didn't care to.  Just like I couldn't understand them they couldn't understand me.  It was the same stuff I'd always heard: 'oh it's just a phase', 'oh you'll change your mind,' or my favorite, 'it's not normal'.  Who gave anyone the right to judge someone just because they didn't want kids?  I always held my ground.

I loved my best friends, I really did.  We'd grown up together from the time we were four but there were just somethings that they couldn't see.

I was no longer hungry so I got up and tossed my food in the trash, gathering my things as well.

"Hey," said Emma, "you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, "no I'm fine.  I just have to go study for that history exam."

"Dude why?" asked Jo.  "You've got a photographic memory."

"Yeah," said Emma, "you get A's every time.  So jealous by the way."

"I know," I said to them, "I just want to make sure I don't screw up."

Emma looked at me with a side smirk, "Is it that or do you just want to get away from all of this baby talk because if it's the latter then we can change the subject.  We didn't mean to be insensitive or anything."

I smiled at them, "It's fine.  Look I just...I gotta go okay?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah sure."

"Hey," said Jo, "We're still on for pizza night right?"

I completely spaced. 

"You forgot didn't you?" he asked.  "We do pizza night every weekend."

"I know, I know.  It's just there's this big meteor shower this weekend and I was going to head out right after school.  I'm sorry.  Look I'll make it up to you guys, I promise."

"Whatever," said Emma.

"Yeah, no, go, have fun," said Jo.

"I really am sorry," I said to them.

I left them without another word.  I took the pathway that led to the stairs which led to the library on the second floor.  

Taking a deep breath once inside I went to the deepest table in the corner and pulled out my books.  I didn't really need to study.  It was just my excuse to get away from them.  They saw right through it but I didn't care.  There was too much baby talk and I could no longer stand it.

Leaving my books at the table, and with twenty minutes of my lunch period to spare, I made my way to the astronomy section of the library.  It wasn't much and a lot of the books were out dated so instead I made my way over to the magazines where they had the recent issues of Astronomy magazine.

"You going to see the meteor shower this weekend?"

I turned to see a boy behind me.  He looked slightly older with lovely copper skin.  He smiled.  

"Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to startle you.  I just saw you and I wanted to come say 'hi'."

"Um, okay, 'hi'?"

He stuck out his hand, "I'm Neal."

I shook it, "Zan."

He looked at me with curiosity.  "That's a unique name."

"Yeah.  My mom wasn't very traditional."

"I think it's cool."  He motioned to the magazine, "So the meteor shower, you going to see it?  I heard it's supposed to be a really good one."

"That's the plan," I said as I took the magazine over to my table, Neal following.  "So you're in to astronomy?"

"I am actually.  Stars, other planets, galaxies, all of it."

"And then some am I right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well do you ever look beyond that, I mean given the vastness of space do you ever think there could be others out there?"  I shook my head, what the hell was I doing?  "I'm sorry, I know you must think I'm weird."

"No you're not.  I think about it all the time, I mean "if it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space" don't you think?"

I couldn't help but smile.

"What?"

"Nothing it's just that 'Contact' is one of my favorite movies plus the book."

He smiled back, "Mine too.  Anything with aliens, the good stuff, the ones that are more accurate."

"Same.  Hey look, and maybe this is crazy but I was going to go see the meteor shower this weekend."

"Okay that's cool."

"Well I'm thinking, would you like to join me?  My friends aren't really into this kind of stuff and my dad isn't around so..." I suddenly realized my mistake, "Oh god, I didn't mean anything like that, I just meant... damn it I am totally butchering this."

He laughed, "I find it cute and my answer is yes.  I would love to join you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay cool.  I'm leaving after school.  There's a place in Samson's woods that's good for camping.  There's this one spot that's pretty cleared so we'll have a good view of the stars."

"Sounds perfect."

"Great."

I didn't realize that the second bell had rung, "Damn it, I'm late for class.  I'll meet you here and then we can head to my truck."

"Sounds like a plan."

I stood up and gathered my belongings.  "Great," I said to him as I leaned in and kissed him.

My eyes widened in horror at what I had just done and I couldn't help but blush.  "Damn it, I am so sorry."

He looked at me and smiled, "It's okay.  To be honest I'd wanted to do that too.  I was just afraid of overstepping."

I bit my lip, "Well okay then."

I turned around and walked away.

*****

Taking a deep breath I opened the door to the classroom.  Mr. Sorenson, my English teacher, and the rest of the class looked at me.  

"Ms. Dark," he said, "this is a first."

"Sorry," I said taking my seat in the middle row.

Emma leaned toward me and whispered, "what the hell, Zan?"

I remained silent.  I wasn't about to get into it with her or anyone else.  All I could think about was Neal and our upcoming weekend together.