Manage Me
Never Again, Just Tonight
Alex’s Perspective
We were going to have a party at my house, but Zack was nowhere to be found.
“Where the fuck is he?” I asked.
“Out with Brooke.” Jack replied.
“Of course. He’s probably boning her.” I scoffed.
“No, he’s taking her to get an abortion.” Rian said pointedly.
“What?!” I cried, standing up fast.
My stomach felt like it had shards of glass in it. I couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. I’d only meant it as a joke because I thought she was making it up.
“What?” Jack asked.
“I-I told her to get it.” I said, my mouth dry.
“Man, you can’t do that.” Rian told me.
“So what do I do?” I asked desperately.
“What do you mean?” Rian asked.
“I mean, she’s about to abort my fucking kid. What do I do?!” I almost yelled.
“Do you love her?” Jack asked.
“Yeah.” I replied.
“Do you want her back?” Rian asked.
“Uh huh.” I nodded.
“Do you want a kid with her?” Jack asked finally.
“I do. I mean, I’m not ready to be a dad...”at this, Jack snorted. I glared and Rian shoved him and he shut up. “...but for Brooke, I could make an exception. She’s so perfect. The way her hair gets wavy when she doesn’t straighten it. The way her eyes used to lighten when she’d see me. The way she’d smell in the morning...” I trailed off.
“Why are we just standing here talking? We have to go stop her!” Jack shouted.
He grabbed my arm and we got into his car. I called Zack while Jack drove
“Zack, find a way to keep Brooke from going in to get her abortion.” I said.
“Why?” he asked.
“I...I love her. And I want this baby with her. I need to apologize for everything.” I choked.
“Okay. She doesn’t go in for an hour and a half, maybe longer.” he told me.
“Oh thank God.” I sighed in relief.
“Cool. See you.” Zack said and we hung up.
“What did he say?” Jack asked.
“He said that Brooke won’t go in for another hour or so, so we’ll make it in time.” I told him, a small smile coming to my face.
“That’s good.”He nodded.
--
Brooke’s Perspective
I was really freaked out. To say I was having second thoughts would be an understatement. I was wondering why I let a throw-away comment from Alex get to me. I was about to kill something that we made together.
Zack could tell I was nervous. He was holding my hand and rubbing my back and telling me soothing words, something Alex should be doing since he was part of the reason I was here in the first place.
I saw the nurse coming over to me with a clipboard.
“This is just one final consent form we need you to sign.” she told me, handing me the pen.
She’d told me her name was Clara and I liked her because she wasn’t unkind, but not too smiley in that way that nurses have of acting like they’re so happy to be there.
I took the pen from her hand, but I heard several men and a woman arguing from down the hall. Voices I recognized.
“I don’t give a shit--I’m going in there!” Alex yelled. He strutted in.
“Brooke, you’re making a huge mistake!” he said quickly, as a female orderly crossed her arms angrily.
What the fuck?
We were going to have a party at my house, but Zack was nowhere to be found.
“Where the fuck is he?” I asked.
“Out with Brooke.” Jack replied.
“Of course. He’s probably boning her.” I scoffed.
“No, he’s taking her to get an abortion.” Rian said pointedly.
“What?!” I cried, standing up fast.
My stomach felt like it had shards of glass in it. I couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. I’d only meant it as a joke because I thought she was making it up.
“What?” Jack asked.
“I-I told her to get it.” I said, my mouth dry.
“Man, you can’t do that.” Rian told me.
“So what do I do?” I asked desperately.
“What do you mean?” Rian asked.
“I mean, she’s about to abort my fucking kid. What do I do?!” I almost yelled.
“Do you love her?” Jack asked.
“Yeah.” I replied.
“Do you want her back?” Rian asked.
“Uh huh.” I nodded.
“Do you want a kid with her?” Jack asked finally.
“I do. I mean, I’m not ready to be a dad...”at this, Jack snorted. I glared and Rian shoved him and he shut up. “...but for Brooke, I could make an exception. She’s so perfect. The way her hair gets wavy when she doesn’t straighten it. The way her eyes used to lighten when she’d see me. The way she’d smell in the morning...” I trailed off.
“Why are we just standing here talking? We have to go stop her!” Jack shouted.
He grabbed my arm and we got into his car. I called Zack while Jack drove
“Zack, find a way to keep Brooke from going in to get her abortion.” I said.
“Why?” he asked.
“I...I love her. And I want this baby with her. I need to apologize for everything.” I choked.
“Okay. She doesn’t go in for an hour and a half, maybe longer.” he told me.
“Oh thank God.” I sighed in relief.
“Cool. See you.” Zack said and we hung up.
“What did he say?” Jack asked.
“He said that Brooke won’t go in for another hour or so, so we’ll make it in time.” I told him, a small smile coming to my face.
“That’s good.”He nodded.
--
Brooke’s Perspective
I was really freaked out. To say I was having second thoughts would be an understatement. I was wondering why I let a throw-away comment from Alex get to me. I was about to kill something that we made together.
Zack could tell I was nervous. He was holding my hand and rubbing my back and telling me soothing words, something Alex should be doing since he was part of the reason I was here in the first place.
I saw the nurse coming over to me with a clipboard.
“This is just one final consent form we need you to sign.” she told me, handing me the pen.
She’d told me her name was Clara and I liked her because she wasn’t unkind, but not too smiley in that way that nurses have of acting like they’re so happy to be there.
I took the pen from her hand, but I heard several men and a woman arguing from down the hall. Voices I recognized.
“I don’t give a shit--I’m going in there!” Alex yelled. He strutted in.
“Brooke, you’re making a huge mistake!” he said quickly, as a female orderly crossed her arms angrily.
What the fuck?
Notes
Title: Just Tonight, Jimmy Eat World. I feel like that song matches this story.Ohohoh what's Alex gonna do???
Thanks to:
wallflower343
tragic_ending
SaraBethGaskarth
str4ightuphustl3r
aaaaand SociallyAwkwardRocker!
I've been stumbling across stories I've read, and checking them out again since I seem to forget them after it's been a while. This was one of those cases.
Reading this again, and after reading other stories on here and Mibba, I've realized that with my last comment, I was a bit off. Yes, Brooke and Alex's relationship was cute when they were together/sweet to each other, but reading it again, their relationship was a bit abusive. Neither is completely innocent, but the version of Alex you wrote in this took it to the next level. I realize a lot of it was because of his insecurities, what he dealt with in the past, etc., but Brooke didn't deserve any of that. When she did mess up, she definitely didn't take her anger to the levels he did.
Idk, I'm conflicted because again, when they were together, it was cute, but then it just got sad when they weren't. I'm not sure why she put up with as much as she did.
Your writing is still good, though. Just wish they didn't have so many downs in their relationship. It got really sad at a lot of points, and I just felt Alex didn't need to take it to the degree he did, I mean really.
I doubt you saw my other comment, but just thought I would comment again as an update and to possibly get you to see it.
11/19/17