Chapter 7: Final Preparations

Callie's POV

"What if we kidnapped them both?" Melanie sat crisscrossed on my couch looking over the detailed work in my composition books. I hadn't thought about bringing Katherine into my demise, she was innocent. She couldn't have known her husband was indeed a womanizer, and if she had wouldn't she have divorced him long before now?

I looked at Melanie confusingly, "Why would I do that? She didn't do anything, she didn't know about me. She did what any wife would've done almost, she made him eliminate the problem. Me."

"You're pregnant," she pointed her index finger toward my almost noticeable growing belly, "He ignored you, he didn't want you to contact him anymore. Do you think he told his wife the severity of the situation here? Someone has got to tell her."

Since finding out I was pregnant, Melanie had made herself seemingly more dedicated to getting justice for what Stefan had done. She had practically moved out of her own apartment and into mine, near catering to me hand and foot. As much as I had wanted it to be an act of kindness from my best friend, my mind always swam around her intentions being far more sinister.

I closed the composition books and began putting them into a brown moving box to stow away at the top of my closet where they remained hidden, "I'll think about it."

"If you think about this any longer," she began to show annoyance in her tone, "You'll be having a baby before anything is even done. Then what good is it? He'll be too far gone, and you're left a single mother. Is that what you want?"

"Do I really have a choice? He's married, that's what you've told me again and again. I made a mistake, and look where it's left me. I'm three months pregnant, I'm alone, and my best friend is more worried about torturing a man versus being there for me," tears began welling in my eyes, the overload of hormones always seemed to get the best of me.

Melanie brought herself over to me wrapping me in an embrace, "You're never going to be alone, not when it's finished" Melanie hoisted the box onto the top shelf of the closet before switching the light off and plopping herself onto my bed, "We set the plan in motion tomorrow. We need to find out where he's going to be tonight, and place him at Georgie's tomorrow."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I could always get ahold of Jeremy, he's always had a thing for me. He would know."

"Do that," she responded encouragingly, "The more we know about his whereabouts, the smoother this is going to go."

Melanie retreated from my bedroom and into the living room, I could hear the distinct static of the television as she switched it on flipping it to a channel with a talk show being played.

Silence filled the room minus the chattering of the show's host and guests, and Melanie chiming in her own opinions as if they were being heard. I laid myself in the fetal position, cradling my stomach trying to maintain the nausea that was slowly creeping back. I tried my hardest to concentrate on the ceiling, beginning to count the small bounds of the popcorn ridges. Miscounting and losing count after about twenty several times before finally feeling the weight of my eyes growing almost unbearable to hold open. I allowed for myself to drift off into a deep sleep, or into deep thought.

∞∞∞

The waiting room wreaked of the overuse of alcohol disinfectant. The phones were constantly ringing, and the loud click of the door opening into the lobby brought on an increasing migraine. Melanie jittered her foot uncontrollably and shook from either her nerves or the unreasonable chilliness of the waiting room, "Thanks for inviting me to your doomsday, but you could've at least gave me warning how freakishly cold it is in here."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess the coldness kills germs."

Leaning her head back against the wall and giving an unnecessarily loud exhale from her lungs, "It's an OBGYN clinic, what germs are lurking around a pool of pregnant women."

"You'd be surprised," I managed to let out a slight chuckle before a nurse with an uptight look spread across her face stood in the doorway saying my name.

Melanie wanted to burst out into laughter but managed to keep her composure as she followed after me behind the leading nurse.

She asked too many questions, some with answers that were uncomfortably obvious. Handed me a small plastic cup, and led me to the nearest restroom. I looked at her questionably, "What is this for?"

"To confirm your pregnancy," she opened the door and closed it swiftly behind me. Not only was my body being inconveniently invaded, but they expected bodily fluids too.

Could this get any worse?

Waiting for the OBGYN to walk through the room was the most stressful experience of all.

What if I was crazy, or really sick?

What if the pregnancy was all in my head?

Melanie was staring off into the posters that scattered the room about pregnancy options, "Adoption, that doesn't seem like a crazy idea."

My mind had crossed over the ideas of both abortion and adoption. I couldn't bring myself to get an abortion, and emotionally I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. I couldn't go through with an adoption either, emotionally I was stuck and attached.

The OBGYN stepped into the room, pressing his glasses further up on the roof of his nose "Callie, is it? What brings you here today?"

I cleared my throat before responding, "I've been feeling sick the past few weeks, constant nausea. Sometimes it's hard to even get out of bed or eat things. My friend had this crazy idea and I took a home pregnancy test, it was positive."

He was scanning every piece of paper on his clipboard thoroughly, the tension in the room was skyrocketing. I just needed answers. I needed to know if I had finally reached the peak of insanity. "Well," he started out rolling his chair to the desktop, "You are indeed pregnant, and given your information I'm estimating you to be only about six weeks along." Tears welled up in my eyes as his words stabbed at my ears. He handed me a couple of tissues, "I'm going to call in a nurse, were you interested in an ultrasound today?"

Melanie jumped from the chair and came to my rescue as I sobbed uncontrollably, "She would, please excuse her this whole experience so far has been a shock."

The OBGYN walked out of the room giving us some privacy. Melanie held me tight trying to drown out my sobs by encouraging me softly, "He's going to pay for this, I promise. You're never going to be alone, not as long as there's a breath left in me. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way."

A different woman than the one from earlier came into the room, rolling in a big piece of machinery unlike any I had seen in any doctor's office. She calmly approached me, "I need you to lay back and raise your shirt under your chest for me, the gel's probably going to be a little cold and uncomfortable. This machine is going to allow for us to view the inside of the uterus, and it gives the doctor a better understanding as to how far along you are." She pressed the wand to my abdomen, pressing into my stomach firmly at different occasions. The screen was black and white, I couldn't see anything at first. I was beginning to think I really was going crazy, until there it was.

Melanie stood beside me holding my hand in amazement, "There really is something in there."

A wave of emotions flew through me, I was in utter disbelief. A little white ball circled around inside, and with each movement I became more amazed. "That's it," I cocked my head to view the little ball more closely, "That's a baby?"

The nurse gave out a slight chuckle, "I estimate you to be right at seven weeks, we'll get some pictures printed out for you to take home. Congratulations, Callie."

∞∞∞

"Congratulations, Callie" was constantly on replay whenever that day came to mind.

After that day, it seemed my demise was in full swing. There wasn't a day Melanie and I weren't constructing my revenge against Stefan, and today Melanie had the idea of bringing her into it. Before I had knew it the sun had sank deep behind the buildings that lined the city, "Callie, get dressed. It's time to go."

I had almost forgotten the plan to get Jeremy on board, I was nervous. The thought made my skin crawl, and a part of me wanted to back out. The only thing striving for me to move forward was the child in my belly, and the thought of Stefan demanding no more contact between us after I broke the news to him.

I grabbed a short black dress, one that made my small bump near invisible. Melanie watched me from the doorway of my bathroom coaching my experience, "Don't do your face up too much, you're pregnant. We aren't looking for a quick lay, we just need his help. He already likes you, it's like taking candy from a baby."

I rolled my eyes at the mirror focusing on my appearance, "Thank you captain obvious." I slopped my hair into a messy, but sexy, bun. Checked over my appearance before slipping on my black strapped heels.

Melanie touched up her makeup after slipping into one of my skinny jeans with the rips on the knees and thighs, a halter top which revealed her chest a little too much, and a dainty necklace fit with her initials.

During the short car ride to Georgie's, Melanie coached and rehearsed the entire plan for the millionth time. "Just be yourself," her speech seemed almost rehearsed, "Be spontaneous and sexy. He likes you, it's going to be so easy getting him on board. This is the hardest part, once this is done the entire plan is in the bag."

We pulled up to Georgie's, the aroma of alcohol and cigarettes flooded the parking lot making ne feel all the more nauseated.

Melanie stared at me with concern, "Are you sure you can do this? You're looking a little green."

I nodded my head trying to regain my stomach, "Let's get this over with."

Jeremy was wiping down the countertop which was stained with trails of alcohol, signaling it had already been a rough night. His face lit up when he noticed me walking in and toward his direction. He flipped his dish rag over his shoulders and leaned onto the bar almost seductively, "Welcome ladies, what'll it be?"

I brushed off his offer apologetically, "Nothing for me tonight, Melanie will have a vodka tonic."

He shrugged his shoulders preparing Melanie's drink keeping his attention on me, "Your friend was in here the other night, him and his buddies. Haven't seen the two of you together lately, how are you guys?"

I laid my bag down in the stool right beside me, "Actually Jeremy, now that you've mentioned it, things aren't so good."

His interest suddenly increased from the look of enjoyment in his face, he knew the relationship had failed signaling his golden opportunity.

"Jeremy," Melanie chimed in as he handed her the beverage, "What Callie is trying to say is, we need your help."