Free Hourglass Squared by K. S., Megan C. Smith Page A

pictures on the wall shook with the house. The speakers of my phone joined in as Savannah's ringtone began to play in sync with the pounding.
    I leapt from the bed in just my bra and panty set, barreling to the door, terrified of what the emergency was.
    "Brooke! Brooke!" Josh yelled, chasing behind me with my silk robe. He quickly shoved my arms in each hole before I tied the belt and ripped the door open to a sheer-panic expression on my best friend, with Jake beside her gasping for air as if he'd just run a marathon.
    "You," Savannah pointed to Josh, a scowl on her face and murder in her eyes, "Get. Out."
    The silence was deafening as Josh's jaw hit the floor, his eyes darting between Jake, Savannah, and me.
    "Don't fight it, bro. Just walk out slowly," Jake's defeated voice muttered.
    "Savannah, now is not the time," Josh pleaded, trying to readjust himself in his trousers.
    "Joshua Thomas Worthington, if you don't get out and go away this instant, I will not be held liable for your murder. That," Savannah looked to his crotch with disgust, "is what got us into this mess." Walking in further, Savannah shoved Josh out to his waiting brother's side.
    "How much time do you need, like an hour?" Josh asked, hopeful to return back home.
    "Days." Savannah growled. Reaching in her purse, she felt around until she heard a jingle. "Here are my keys. Congratulations. You officially live with your brother again. I wish you two all the happiness in the world."
    Josh's eyes flashed to mine. "Brooke, say something here, honey."
    I shook my head, trying to shake the daze. I had been watching this all transpire, silently. I had never seen my best friend this upset, this angry. She'd been pissed at Luke when everything had blown up in the hotel room, but this… this had literally driven her insane. "Um, Josh, just… just go. I'll call you."
    Savannah slammed the front door shut with a loud thud and locked the deadbolt.
    "Stupid, arrogant, baby-making men!" She tossed her arms up as she stomped off toward the living room and threw herself onto the couch in despair. The tears she had hidden away poured down her face as she curled herself up in to a ball.
    We sat like that for an hour, literally. I watched the bright red lines on the digital clock vanish and appear, shift and transform as each minute passed, the entire time brushing Savannah's hair as she softly murmured and groaned, endless tears pouring down her cheeks.
    "Savannah," I whispered. She didn't move, didn't speak, and, for a moment, I wondered if she heard me. Wondered if I should call to her again. Consider phoning a doctor to have her checked for depression.
    "There are two of them," she spoke, so softly that if the room hadn't been doused in darkness and quiet, I wouldn't have heard it. But it was, and I had been staring at my best friend, scrutinizing her every move, focusing on her pouty pink lips, waiting desperately for a noise to come from them.
    "Two?" I asked, confused at what we were talking about.
    "I am pregnant with twins," she said, sitting up straight and leaving my hands to fall back into my lap.
    I reached out and took her hands in mine, enveloping them with warmth and hoping to transfer some of my strength to her. To give Savannah whatever she needed. Excitement bubbled in me. Twins. I mean, I knew it was a strong possibility for both of us, considering the father's are twins, but I also knew excitement and enthusiasm wasn't what she needed from me, so I squashed it back down.
    "I'm so sorry, Savannah. That's," I swallowed down the bile boiling in my throat, "that's awful. I wish I could spare you all of this. That I could fix it somehow."
    Savannah jumped from the couch to her feet, pacing the room as I watched every thought come crashing down on her. Each step she took, her shoulders slumped more, her head hung more, and she looked even more defeated.
    "I didn't want this. I wasn't ready for any of this. I just wanted to enjoy life, but you made