The results of the baby-bet;

Josh, Matt and Dan (who Taylor forced to take part on the account that it will, in fact, be his niece or nephew, and that he needs to "man-up and stop being such a grumpy baby about it". Wonder how that went...) think it'll be a baby girl, and they're confident on that.

Myself, Taylor, Max and Chris are all quite sure it'll be a baby boy. We've upped the bet too; losers buy the first and last round of drinks the next time we go out. I said that probably wouldn't be for quite a while since I'll have a baby to look after, but Taylor thinking she knows everything, said it'll still stand around the time of my birthday, so it's fine.

She also pulled me aside and said that Dan's warming up to the idea of me expecting a baby, and that he's just so wound up that I'm expecting at such a young age and that I never told him. But, she said, he'll get over it soon, and that she's sure he'll be happier about it soon. I wasn't so convinced.

---

At ten o'clock on July 17, myself and Josh sat up at the pregnancy clinic (or something like that, because I switched clinics after I'd hit a certain point in my second trimester), and I felt mad awkward. All of the other women there were in their late twenties to late thirties and their partners were the same, then you've got me and Josh all fresh-faced and nineteen (even though he's just pushing twenty, but still), and it was the most daunting thing ever. We got shot dirty looks, no less, bit I just smiled innocently and rang Taylor. Nothing more I could do.

When we were called in, I couldn't've got up faster. There, I met Dr. Holden who was more than delighted to see me, and happy (I'm guessing) to finally meet Josh since I'd kept going on about him.

"Alright then, Rachel, you know the drill, pet. Up on the chair and we'll how things are going." Dr. Holden said, and I did as I was told. And despite this being around the third time I've gotten that cold gel on my stomach, it didn't feel any less unappealing. I squealed a little, and took a fit of the giggles, and Josh looked worried. "Pay no attention to her, Josh, love, she does this all the time."

"It's not my fault, I can't help it." I frowned at the doctor, but she shook her head. She's used to me by now.

"Pipe down for a second, Rachel. Okay, things are looking good, heartbeat seems strong, and you'll see for yourself what features are forming. Would you like to know the gender yet, or wait till the birth?"

"Actually," Josh said, moving his chair closer to where I was propped up. I knew by him that he couldn't see a thing on that screen. It was evident in his expression. "yeah, could you tell us now? Rachel said she was waiting till I was back home to know, and I've been wanting to know of I've a daughter or son on the way since she broke the news to me."

"Yeah, no problem. Well, judging by the picture, it loos like you're having a-" Dr. Holden stopped speaking. Josh and I looked at each other in mild panic. I grabbed his hand and laced my fingers through his, not sure what to expect. He didn't either. First scan he comes to and the doctor nearly gives him a heart attack. "No, sorry, bit of a mental mistake there. It's a girl! Congratulations, you're getting a daughter! And also my heart goes out to you, its quite the rollercoaster. There's a high chance she'll be a 'daddy's girl' and she'll have you wrapped around her finger, Josh. Then there's the teenage years when she either stays in her room all the time or else brings a new lad home each month. I should know, I've three daughters."

"No lad's coming within a metre of her if I've anything to say about it." Josh said, chuckling slightly while I just stared at him in shock.

"You bloody hypocrite! You kept at me and at me to go to that Green Day concert with you in '05, even after Dan told you to give up. Then, by the end of that concert, you asked me to be your girlfriend and we snogged the faces of each other for a good fifteen minutes. So really, you can't say anything at all, Joshua. Besides, that'll be my area of expertise. You can teach her to play the guitar." I folded my arms, and watched Josh go increasingly red in the face.

"Yeah, well, look where it got me. Five years later and I've still got an incredible girlfriend and a little baby girl on the way. I'm glad I ignored Dan and kept asking you. I regret nothing." Smooth.

"You'd better not. I am too. Who knows what way I'd be if it weren't for you." Not pregnant. That was mean, shouldn't've thought of that.

"Right, you two, I've got pictures of the scan." Dr. Holden came back in (after both me and Josh failed to realise she'd left) and handed Josh the pictures in a envelope, while I wiped all that cold gel stuff from my stomach and hopped down from the chair. "I'll see you back in September, okay? Mind yourselves, alright?"

We left then, hand in hand while i oh-so-slightly brushed off that woman who kept giving us the evils when we were waiting to be called in. She gave me another filthy look, but I just smiled and flipped my hair.

---

Post finding out that I was popping out a baby girl, I could feel the adrenaline kicking in. It's been well too long since I've spoken to Dan, since he hasn't bothered to call since he found out about the baby. My adrenaline rush was causing me to feel gutsy, so I was going over to his place for a fistfight. And I wanted to give Taylor an ultrasound picture, but that's besides the point. I was mainly going for the fistfight.

I walked up Dan and Taylor's driveway as fast as my legs would take me (and while trying not to fall on my arse due to one of my Converse laces coming undone), and nearly kicked the front door in (total lie, since I can't even bend over anymore (I had to get Josh to tie my laces) let alone lift my leg up about four feet). When Dan answered the door, I could tell he wasn't happy.

"What's up?" He asked about as enthusiastically as a dead fish, and I handed him the ultrasound picture.

"Baby picture. It's for Taylor, since you don't seem to want much to do with the baby. It's a baby girl, by the way, so you're getting a niece whether you like it or not." I shook my head and left, but Taylor called me back. I also noticed that Dan's expression softened once I'd said "it's a baby girl", so I knew he was coming round to the idea. I, however, was on my bitch-rampage, I wasn't stopping.

"Aww Rach, I didn't know you were coming over! How'd the scan go?" She smiled and pushed past Dan to give me a hug, which I gladly returned.

"Good, and it's a girl! I didn't know you were home, so I just gave Dan the picture. Look at it later, if you want. We'd best be off, anyways, because myself and Josh need to buy a baby-stroller." I saw Taylor give Dan the side-eye, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Do that tomorrow. Will you stay a bit? We need to think of baby names or something." I looked at Josh and he shrugged, and Taylor grabbed me by the hand and led me to the kitchen. I got the feeling that it was more than baby names that we'd be discussing. This should be fun.

---

The four of us sat around the kitchen table, not saying a word. Myself and Josh sat next to each other and I was leaning into his side with my head on his shoulder while having a staring competition with Dan, and Dan sat opposite me drumming his fingers on the table while frowning at me, and Taylor stood looking at all of us with her arms folded, being the only responsible grown-up out of us all. Nobody said anything for a while, then Taylor broke the silence.

"This has got to stop." She said firmly, and I snorted a little. "You pair, i.e. Dan and Rachel, need to get your acts together. You're supposed to be family, and family doesn't feud over something so ridiculous and pointless."

"I don't know why you're having a go at me, because I haven't even done anything." I spat, and Josh rubbed my arm as a sign to keep my gob closed.

"Uh, clearly you have done something since you're fucking pregnant, Rachel. What the hell were you thinking?" Dan shot back, and I felt Josh get shifty. Couldn't blame him, considering the look Dan was shooting him.

"I probably wasn't thinking. If my calculations are right, the conception was on my birthday which is Valentine's Day, and what's the whole purpose of Valentine's Day? Love, and to show it to your significant other, which is exactly what me and Josh did in the way that we wanted to. But d'you know what Dan? I fully get it if you're being overprotective of me, but you need to calm down. I know I'm probably 'too young' to have a baby, but I know with a bit of help sometimes, I've got this sorted, and I know that Josh's gonna help me big-time. ." And that's what I've wanted to get off my chest.

"You don't understand the consequences of what or who you're doing in your free time, Rachel. D'you honestly have all of the money to spend on this baby? You won't get paid, and I mean I know myself and Josh have a career, but we're hardly world-famous hotshots. You think this's all fine now, but wait until time ticks on. It's not that you're having a baby that's got me wound up, its just how irresponsible you've actually been." Was Dan serious?

"You're right. I should've been more careful. But I wasn't."

" I'm just still in shock, I guess. But if you say you've got it all figured out, then I've no choice but to believe you." This brief argument was concluded with Dan sighing, and me finishing up my tea.

"Now hug it out. Show that you're not being little brats to each other anymore." I think Taylor sometimes forgets that she's not teaching kids 24/7. She's a student teacher, and a beautician on the side But, for fear of an earful, Dan and I hugged it out, so I'm hoping that he's more supportive from now on in.

---

By the time that Josh and I were leaving, things had cooled off between me and Dan, though I can't say the same between Dan and Josh. It's still icy between them. Again, Dan hugged me goodbye and told me to mind myself and he even apologized for getting slightly fired up about it all, so I suppose I was relieved.

It was too late in the afternoon to head to Keely's in the town to get a baby-stroller, so that plan was for tomorrow. Josh and I went to the big Abbey St. shopping centre for shits 'n giggles, and spent a fortune in Pixie baby store, and bought enough babygrows in all the colours of the rainbow to last little Baby Franceschi a lifetime. The bloke behind the counter just looked at us peculiarly, but smiled really fake when Josh took out his wallet (now proudly holding the latest ultrasound picture with 'Baby Franceschi - 20/07/2010' written on it).

The cashier was an absolute nard, I swear.

We went home after that, because there was nothing else to do. This resulted in a 6 hour battle between Mario Kart, Speed Racer and then Legend Of Zelda (I'm such a nerd, to be quite honest. Josh says he loves that about me and that he means it, because the first time he said it, I thought he was being sarcastic and was saying it to get laid).

Notes

Might delete and rewrite some chapters and dial back on the mush. I get v sappy late at night when I update these.

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