Chapter 7

I made it back to campass before Melody, and managed to secure a new dorm room. I worked to avoid her for the last two months of the semester. I focused my efforts on my studies and before I knew it finals were approaching.

My plan was still underway. Finish collage. Finish the ultrasound tech program. Get a safe job. Live a comfortable safe life. Everything was fine.

Except my dreams

Jareth insisted on staring in all of them.

Jareth holding me close. Jareth fingering me in a movie theater. Jareth groping me from behind. Jareth fucking me until I woke up wet and bothered. Jareth getting down on one knee and ---

I didn't know how to make it stop. It had to stop. I washed my face in the sink. I looked green in the mirror. I felt as bad as I looked. I must be working too hard. I just need some breakfast. Only two finals to go. I can make it.

No sooner did I enter the cafeteria then a wave of nausea hit me. I barely made it to the nearby restroom before last night's dinner came up for a visit.

I had been stressed before but not this stressed. It's not like I'm --- Math backwards. One week, two weeks, three, four, five, six, --- no. No! We used protection. We did. Except...

I remembered the stairway. Jareth balls deep when the door opened. How close had he been? I heard him curse against my neck. Did he cum right when we were found? This can't happen. I wanted nothing to do with those sociopaths!

I sat patiently in the student health room. I twiddled my thumbs and looked at the posters. One advertied free co doms. Too late. Another reminded you to be up on your vaccineces and pictured an older nurse. She looked like my grandmother. What would she say to me?

It's okay to have a plan Olive, but surprises don't fit into plans. And sometimes surprises are the most wonderful thing about life.

She said this to me as we watched a spectacular sunrise waiting for a tow truck to pick us up after our tire blew. I rubbed my stomach and thought about her face if she had been here for me to tell her about this. She would be so happy. She would call this a wonderful surprise.

"You're pregnant," the health worker told me. "We can discuss your options."

I thought a moment. I knew my options. Maybe one of them was choosing to live for not just myself. Not alone.

"No need. I'm going to keep it."

One hard decision down. Now for another one.

Load music came from the dorm behind the door. Girls laughed and talked. My fist stood frozen still above the door. You can do this Olive. You already tried finding his information without her. Everything waspriate andblocked. This is the last resort.

I tried to knock again, but failed again. I walked in a circle. I took a deep breath and faced the door again.

One. Two. Knock knock.

Melody opened the door. Her smile faded when she saw who stood there. "What do you want?"

"I know neither of us is happy with the other, but I need your help."

"I'm not giving you any money."

"What? No. I don't want money I just need your brother's--"

"I can't believe you would have the audacity to ask me for anything to do with my brother after what you did!" She stood with hnds on hips. New groupies nodding in agreement behind her.

Okay pride. Be ready to be swallowed, because I need a new way in. I take a breathe.

"I am sorry, Melody. You asked one thing from me and I failed you. I'm sorry." I wasn't sure if it was the apology or my morning sickness making me queasy.

"Well, you distracting him did work out in my favor. Brain and I are getting married." She wiggled her fingers and a large diamond sparkled in the light. I wondered what Jareth thought of this.

"Congratulations. I hope you make each other happy." I tired to smile. I need to keep going. "It is important I get in touch with Jareth."

"No. Its important you stay away from him. He only wanted you while we were friends. He won't want you now."

Grandmother help me. I clenched my fists and unclenched them. Cards on the table.

"I just need his number. He needs to know I'm preg--"

Wack!

My cheek sang with pain from the open palm slap.

"How dare you! You lying gold digging slut! Stay away from my brother and my family!" Then she slammed the door. Discussion over.

Sorry tiny baby. If not knowing your dad means not being exposed to that bitch, then so be it.

I invested in a bag of ginger chews to make it through finals. I stuffed my pockets full. They kept the nausea mostly at bay.

I managed to keep myself together during the hours the walk ceremony took. Hours in the heat. I imagined my grandmother and parents watching me from the audience as I sucked on my last ginger chew. I made it. And in a  few weeks I start the tech program. I would just finish when tiny baby gets here. If they behave.

Tiny baby protested with more nausea and a quick trip to the barthroom. I was looking down at my gown, and attempting to rub vomit out of it, when  heard a heart sopping sound.

"Olive?" Jareth's voice was full of concern and curiosity.

My whole body froze to ice. Of course the one man I might be in love with would find me with vomit on my clothes. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand then loked up to face him.

"It is you!" he declared and my heart twisted when his face lit up. He walked toward me through the throng of people. "I tried to get a hold of you, but Melody refused to give me your number. I was thinking about hiring a PI, but here you are. Well it is your school, of course you would be here, but lucky we found each other in the big crowd. Not that I was specifically looking for you, but I had my eyes peeled." He was rambling. Was this impossibly beautiful god of a man nervous? The thought quieted my own butterflies just a little. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" He was so close to me now. I could easily reach out and touch him.

"I'm okay," I lied to him. "I asked her for your information too. I wanted to talk to you."

This seemed to give him courage, because he took my face in his hands and smiled at me. "I missed you and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was using you because I was mad at Melody. I'm sorry she used you because she was mad at me. You deserve so much better and I missed you so much. Did I already say that?"

"Jareth."

"It's true though. I missed you everyday day since you left. I want to ask you to go out sometime, but you don't live in the city."

"Jareth."

"I'll drive you though, or meet you. I just want to be near you again Olive. Please forgive me."

"I'm pregnant."