Free Love To Luv by AnDerecco

said to come in. I walked in to tell everyone that I was home. Monique raced over to hug me.
     
    MONIQUE
    How was your trip Pop?
    JACOB
    It was great. Exhausting but great. How about yours?
    MONIQUE
    It was exciting.
    MATTIE (under her breathe)
    I bet.
    MONIQUE
    I really loved the campus. I got some brochures and other material that I am going to read over.
    JACOB
    Ok cool. So Auntie, I thought that you were going to babysit but instead you had to housesit. Are you ok?
    ARETHA
    I am fine Papadopoulos. Mattie came over and kept me company.
     
    Jacob suggested that they go in the living room where everyone else was. When they reached the living room Aretha saw her attorney.
     
    ARETHA (surprised)
    Mr. Hartley, what are you doing here?
    JACOB
    You know Dennis?
    Dennis was surprise to see Aretha there.
     
    ARETHA
    Yes. He is my attorney that is handling Edgar’s estate.
    DENNIS
    I just bought Jacob home from the airport. We had a conference in New York.
    JACOB
    So this is who you where on the phone with. This is a small world.
    DENNIS
    Yes it is.
    MATTIE
    So how do you two know each other?
    DENNIS
    We went to college together.
    MATTIE
    Really? Ok. So you knew Ellis.
    DENNIS (laughing)
    Yes I did.
    JACOB
    Ms. Mattie why are you so nosey?
    MATTIE
    That is my job.
     
    Ian, Jeremy, and Teddy were killing themselves laughing at the conversation. Teddy received a text from his dad asking if they had made it back. Teddy replied with a quick yes and that he would be home soon.
                  I asked everyone were they hungry. Even though I was tired I decided to take everyone out for dinner.

SIXTEEN
                  It was a cool Friday afternoon in November when Monique came home from school. She did not speak, give me a hug or kiss as she normally does. She came in and went straight to her room.
                  I was watching the ThunderCats on DVD. That was one of my favorite cartoons but I was concerned about her actions. I got up to go check on her. I knocked on the door to her bedroom. A faint call said to come in. I opened the door to find her laying face down on her bed.
     
    JACOB
    Are you ok?
    MONIQUE
    Yes Pop.
    JACOB
    You didn’t speak when you came in.
    MONIQUE
I didn’t see you.
    JACOB
    I was sitting in my chair.
    MONIQUE
    Pop I didn’t see you.
    JACOB
    Is Teddy coming to pick you up for the football game?
    MONIQUE
    Yeah.
     
    Monique got up and sat on the edge of her bed. Her face was without expression.
     
    JACOB
    Monique, are you sure you are ok?
    MONIQUE
    Pop I didn’t go to school today.
    JACOB
    Why not?
    MONIQUE
    I wasn’t feeling well. I went to the doctor.
    JACOB
    What did he say?
    MONIQUE (looking over to me)
    I am three months pregnant.
    JACOB
    Say what?
    MONIQUE
    Pop I don’t know how this happened.
    JACOB
    What the hell does that mean? Either you don’t know how babies are made or you been having sex and that one time you didn’t use protection. Which one is it?
    MONIQUE (walking out of her room)
    You know what I mean.
    JACOB (following behind her)
    Whose is it?
    MONIQUE (looking very upset at Jacob)
    What do you mean?
    JACOB
    WHO IS THE FATHER?
    MONIQUE
    Why are you yelling? It’s Teddy. You talking like I have been fucking everyone in town.
     
    Before I knew it I slapped Monique across the face. Monique grabbed her keys to her car. I snatched them from her.
    MONIQUE (screaming)
    You make me sick. I didn’t mean for this to happen.
    JACOB
    Monique I think we both need to settle down before we say something that we will regret.
    MONIQUE
    You are asking me who the father is like I am a fucking everybody in town. You know that Teddy is the only boy that I have been seeing. I go to school, work, and come home. I am not out there. If you get out the house sometime you would not worry about me so much.
    JACOB
    You got one more time to curse in front of me.
    MONIQUE
    Or else what?
    JACOB
    Lil girl you are getting beside yourself.
    MONIQUE
    Tell me Pop – Why did