The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 7: Two Weeks Avoidance

Chapter 7: Two Weeks Avoidance

She made it very clear to Daryl that she was mad about something. The first few days was simply kicking him out at night after a few minutes. Then the more he saw Julie, the more Beth avoided him and her for that matter. To fill her time of avoiding him, she started writing songs and playing guitar again. She used to dabble in music for a bit until she realized that there was no guarantee in a career or music.

So to a voice Daryl he started singing at a bar down town for a few nights. It started out as nothing big, but now she's down their almost every night, getting paid to sing her sorrows out to other people with heartbreak and problems.

On top of everything, she finds Julie at Daryl's apartment pretty much everyday, which makes her sick when she's forced to walk the stairs with that twot. In the morning or at night, but she's friendly and kind to her, though she wishes she wasn't around.

Daryl has also been avoiding Beth. Not by his own means, but Julie's. She references him as her boyfriend when they meet up with her friends or he hears her on the phone with someone. It's not that he doesn't wanna date her, he finds her sexy and she's grey in bed, but he doesn't feel as happy with her as he was single. When he was single, he could see multiple women, eat breakfast at Beth's, eat her wonderful dinner she'd make and always have fun banters with her. Julie doesn't get his snarky comments or his perverse jokes.

She's basically moved her stuff in his apartment...which annoys him, but every time he's about to bring it up, she starts kissing him or gets undress-distracting him with her body against his.

"So are you heading right over to bar tonight?" Rosita asks as they get ready to leave.

"Yeah...have a nice set for tonight."

"Good, cause Abraham and I are coming out to see you. We want to hear the woman who captures everyone's attention."

"Haha, I dot know about that."

"They keep bring you back...whats that about if you aren't good?"

"I don't know..." She buttons up her shirt and grabs her guitar.

"What's with you and Daryl?"

"Nothing. He has girlfriend."

"Well...are you pregnant?"

"I don't think so...it's been two weeks since I slept with him. I'm just gonna have to find a donor...cause I lost my other one." She almost starts crying, but catches herself.

"Oh Beth...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'll see ya there." They part ways and Beth heads to The Dog House, a bar owned by her friend T-Dog who was nice enough to pay her to come play for him.

Getting to The Dog House Bar, Beth heads over to the small stage to set up her guitar and check the mic. T-Dog, the owner of the establishment comes over and Beth hugs him. He has something white in his hand and he shows it to her.

"Made these to sell. Thought we'd like to spread the message for ya."

"You put my sketch on a t-shirt? Haha this is kinda cute." Looking at her Julie sketch, Beth feels kinda terrible for writing the song, but now she feels a little worse that they made her t-shirts to sell. Yet at the same time, she doesn't feel too bad and when are they ever gonna hear her sing it?

"You of course get a cut of it. Figured this is everyone's favorite son...mostly cause everyone can relate in a way."

"I guess. Imma run to the restroom and change and come back."

"Okay girl, you do whatcha need. I expect a full house."

"Haha I hope so." Going to the restroom in the back, Beth looks over the t-shirt and finds it not only adorable, but perfect for how she feels...even if she wouldn't want to admit it.

"Daryl, can we change the curtains in here? I think mauve would look better." This is all he's been hearing for a while. All she's been doing is complaining or suggesting how to change his apartment and he just let's it go. He can't really stand her, but the sex is perfect that he really doesn't want to let that slip away...even if he's miserable.

"You wanna do something?" Daryl changes the subject and Julie looks at him.

"Like what?"

"Well my one friend at work keeps raving about this new singer at a bar. Says her songs are original and she has a really funny and nice one about a girl wanting a guy to break up with his girlfriend." Daryl snickers and Julie wrinkles up her nose to the idea as if it's smelly socks or a dog fart.

"Sounds immature....we could go to the theater and see Je suis Brilliánt!" Daryl scorns the idea, but Julie is already out of her seat and grabbing her purse. "Come on!"

Changing into her Julie shirt, Beth looks at herself in the mirror and laughs, but soon her laugh turns into crying as she realizes that she's truly alone. How is she get here? Looking at herself, she finds herself pretty, even though she'd change a few things. She thinks she's pretty nice, but maybe that's just another one of her own interpretations.

She goes out and the place is packed. She starts the show and everyone cheers after every song, an in between the place is dead silent except for her singing. When the show ends, she finds people rushing up to her to get their shirt signed and to meet her. She feels like a star, but she isn't shining brightly.

"Thanks for doing the show Beth...here's yer, $247."

"$247! Are you serious? That's the most I've ever made! That's more than we've ever got!"

"Well you earned it! Seem like yer luck is changing."

On her way home that's all she thinks about. Her luck changing...maybe. How she wishes it will. Then maybe she'll get a baby. Getting up to her apartment, she pauses and goes to Daryl's door. She presses against it and listens...nothing. Shaking it off she goes to her apartment and lays in bed.

"Wasn't that amazing?" Julie asks as they walk down the street from the theater."I mean, the feeling Hervé had for Joelle was moving. But poor Émeline, losing Hervé. She thought he was dead, but he wasn't...oh the tragedy...what did you think?"

As they are walking they pass a lotta people with the same shirt on. As Julie bumps into one guy, she reads what it says.

"That was weird...didn't you think that was weird?" She asks as she wraps her arms around his.

"I don't know..." They pass The Dog House Bar and she stops when she notices the same t-shirt in the window. Going to it she scoffs.

"How rude! You plus me minus Julie equals true love! Absurd. That poor girl named Julie....who ever made those is an awful person." She tugs him along and he just ignores her incessant babble.

It is a long walk home with someone he doesn't even like any more.