Two*

One day you can wake up and your whole life can be turned upside down. Everything you thought you once knew can be changed and what you had planed can turn into something that you now know will never happen.

Liz got out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. She pulled her hair out of her face and knelled in front of the toilet. 3 days in a row. This was ridiculous.

Lulu walked down the hallway and stood in the doorway looking at Liz. “Again?”

“Yeah.” She replied taking a deep breath.

“Do you think it might be something other then the stomach bug?”

“Yeah.” She said sitting on the floor.

“What?” He asked as she turned to look at him, tears in her eyes.

“I'm late.”

“Late like what...you don't mean..?”

“Yup.”

“How late?” He asked rushing over and sitting on the tub.

“Like 3 months late.” She replied turning back to the toilet.

“Liz! How could you not tell me?”

“I haven't told anyone. I was...scared.”

“Who?”

“Who what?” Liz asked looking at Lulu.

“Who's the dad?”

Liz bit her lip and stared at Lulu, not wanting to say another word.

Shelby rolled out of bed and dragged her feet up the hallway. She walked into the kitchen and seen Izzy standing at the stove. “Since when do you cook?”

“I don't. I'm making toast.” Izzy said laughing.

“Wow. Pass the OJ?”

“We don't have any.”

“Are you serious?”

“Sadly. We have water.” Izzy said laughing.

“Argg!” Shelby said dragging her feet back up the hallway. She took out her phone and called Keith.

“Shibbii Baby.”

“Will you bring me some orange juice?”

“You got the vodka?”

“No. I just want some orange juice.” Shelby replied laughing.

“Wow.”

“So is that a yes? I really want some orange juice.”

“Yeah sure. I'll get Litho to give me a ride.” Keith said hanging up.

“Did you really call someone to bring you orange juice?” Izzy asked standing in the doorway.

“Yes. I called Keith.” Shelby said laughing, laying back down in bed.

“Is he really gonna bring you some?”

“Yup.” Shelby replied looking at Izzy with a smile.

“Wow.” Izzy said walking out of Shelby's room.

“You need me to do what?” Lulu asked as Keith walked into the house.

“Come with me to Shibbz.”

“Why?”

“She wants orange juice.”

“Why can't she go to the store?”

“It's not like you have work. Lets just go.” Keith said as Liz walked out of the bathroom, with tears streaming down her face.

“Now's not a good time.” Lulu said walking over to Liz.

“What's wrong Lizzii Baby?” Keith asked looking at her as she looked down at the pregnancy test in her hand.

“I'm pregnant and I can't even share it with my best friend.” She said looking away from the boys.

“You're what?” Keith asked looking at her.

“Pregnant.” Liz said again.

There was a knock on the door and Shelby got off the couch to answer it. She opened the door and seen Keith, Lulu and Liz, standing on the stoop. “What's she doing here?” Shelby asked walking away from the door.

“She was with Litho, and she has something to tell you.”

“What? That she's sorry she wasn't there? That she wishes she could change it all? I've heard it before. I don't want to hear it again.” Shelby said as Lulu shut the door.

“I'm pregnant.” Liz said as Shelby turned around to look at her.

“What?”

“And I'm scared Shibb.”

“When? How long?”

“I'd say 2 and a half months ago.”

“Who?” Shelby asked walking toward Liz.

“James.”

“Last I heard you were dating...Oh Liz!” Shelby said giving Liz a hug as she cried on her shoulder.

“James?” Keith asked as they walked to the couch.

“Yeah, like Tiffany's ex James.” Lulu said sitting on the couch.

“What are you gonna do?” Shelby asked sitting down next to Lulu. Without thinking she leaned her back on his arm, and he put it around her.

“I don't know Shibbz. I haven't told anyone but you three.” Liz answered as Izzy walked out of his room and into the living room.

“Well I think you should tell James.” Shelby said as Izzy shot her a weird look.

“But what do I tell Denny?”

“You have to tell him the truth. Tell him that you cheated on him and got pregnant by James.” Shelby said, her real feelings starting to show.

“I know he's your cousin, and I'm sorry Shibb.”

“I'm not the one you cheated on. Save your sorry for Den.” Shelby said looking at Lulu.

“C'mon.” Lulu said taking her hand and walking down the hallway into her room with the orange juice.

“James. It's Liz.” She said on the phone.

“Oh. Waddup?”

“I'm pregnant, and it's your baby.” Without another word he hung up and left Liz listening to a dial tone.

“Did that fucking bitch really hang up on you?” Keith asked looking at Liz. She nodded and he took the phone and redialed James. It went straight to voice mail and Keith began to speak. “Listen here you fucking bitch. You fucking helped make this baby, you're gonna help take care of it. I know you might not know what to do right now, but you don't know what you're missing if you let Liz walk away with your baby. If you have the balls to make a baby you better have the balls to raise it, or me and my primos will come and kick your ass, making sure you never have another baby again.” Keith smiled and hung up the phone, handing it back to Liz.

“Thanks Bunk.” She said hugging Keith.

“Wifey.” Lulu said sitting down on the bed, staring at Shelby.

She smiled, thinking he forgot about the past. “Hubbz.” She sat down next to him.

“You remember when we'd joke about having kids together?”

“How you'd always say that my mother wanted us to have 3 kids?”

“Yeah, that's what she said.”

“Aha, I don't recall.”

“You never did.” Lulu said putting his arm around Shelby.

“They want me to go and see my nana today.” She said turning to look at him.

“And why don't you wanna go?”

“I don't want to see her like that. I don't want to have her forget what my name is, and forget who I am. I just want her to be okay Lu.” Shelby said as a tear rolled down the right side of her face.

Lulu wiped it away and held Shelby's face in his hands. “Don't cry.” He pushed her messy hair out of her face and moved closer to her. “I know you Shibbz. I know that if you don't go and see your nana, you'll regret it when she's gone. And you'll hate yourself for not going to see her when you had the chance.”

“But Hubbz. I can't see her like that. I'll cry. And if she doesn't remember who I am, I'll be heart broken. It was bad enough I didn't see her all those years she was okay, but to see her when she's not okay...it'll be horrible.”

“I'll go with you.” Lulu said staring into Shelby's eyes.

“Thanks.” Shelby said quickly looking away.

“So where does this leave us?” Lulu asked as Shelby sightly turned to look at him.

“Umm..friends?”

“Is there any chance of us getting back to together?”

“Maybe Lu.” She paused and looked him in the eyes. “I love you. Don't think that I don't. I just need to figure out what's going on in my life. Shit's getting confusing and I'm not sure what to do about it.”

“Well I'm here to help you figure it all out if you want me to be.” Lulu said pushing the hair out of her face again.

“Thanks Lu.” Shelby said as her door opened.

“Ummm...we have a problem.” Izzy said as Shelby and Lulu quickly got off the bed.

“What?” Lulu asked walking into the living room. They looked toward the door and seen Shelby's dad standing there, with his arms folded.

“Dad.” Shelby said walking over to him.

“We need to talk.”

“We can talk in the kitchen.” Shelby said walking into the kitchen, her father following close by.

“You need to come today.”

“I know.”

“So are you gonna?”

“Yeah, but I'm not going alone.”

“You won't be alone. Me, Denny, lil Den, and Lloyd are all going.” Rodney said staring at her.

“I'm bringing Lulu.”

“He's not family, Shelby.”

“He's my friend, and he's coming with me or I don't go.”

“Shelby Mary.”

“I'm not a little kid anymore dad. You can't just say 'Shelby Mary' and expect me to bow down to you, because that won't happen. I'm making my own decisions now, and I have been for 4 years.” Shelby said standing her ground.

“I understand that, but we only want family there.”

“Well think of it like this. What did you and mom do when you knew I was coming home? Nothing. What did Lulu do when he didn't even know I was coming home? He came over with my favorite coffee, just so that we can talk. In the several hours that I've been back, he's been more family-like to me than you and mom have.”

“Shelby, you know this is all hard on your mom. You know how hurt she was when you left...oh wait, no you don't because you never picked up the phone and actually called one of us to tell us where you were and whether or not you were safe.”

“Okay, but the phone works both ways dad. You and mummy never picked up a phone and called to see if I was okay. To see where I was and how I was doing.” Shelby paused. “Why is all the blame going on me? You guys could have called me, it's not always up to me to make everything better, because I can't do that. And I won't.”

“Well if we called Shel, would you have answered?” Rodney asked showing no emotion.

“I don't know, and I never will because you never put in the effort. If you never put in the effort, why expect me to put in the effort. Same with Grace. I told her where I was, I told her to come down and see me. But she never did. I put in the effort and got shit in return.”

“She's only 16.”

“And you don't understand how good she has it for someone who is 16. When I was 16, I was going through some of the hardest times of my life. And it was as if none of you guys cared. So sorry if I don't care all that much now.” Shelby stood up and walked toward the kitchen door.

“He can't come Shelby.”

“Then I’ll go and see my nana on my own.” She was about to walk away completely when she turned back and looked at him. “I thought we had a better relationship than this dad. I really did.” She stood in the kitchen doorway, and watched as her father walked toward the front door. “And don't expect to see me anytime soon.” Without another word, or another glance, she walked down the hallways and into her room.

“That was all over you.” Keith said looking across the living room at Lulu.

“Primo, I fucking know!”

“Like how does that make you feel? She actually stood up for you, and said you've been there more then her parents have.”

“I don't know. I think we're headed down the right track to getting back together and fixing what I fucked up before.”

“Just remember, she's never going to live that down.” Keith said as Izzy looked at Lulu.

“She blames herself for the cheating, you know that right?” Izzy asked.

“Why would she do that?” Lulu asked.

“Because she thinks she wasn't a good enough girlfriend. That she wasn't doing something right. That maybe if she had done one little thing differently then you two would still be together. She never figured out what it was that she needed to change, but she's been trying to completely change herself. And it's all cause of you.”

“Primo, I don't get what you're saying.”

“I'm saying that if you didn't fuck up, then this Shibbii we see today would not be here. That she would be back to her happy, I can make you laugh, self. But you fucked her over and for the past 4 years she's dedicated herself to becoming a cold hearted bitch.” Izzy looked from Keith to Lulu before he continued. “And the actual chance of you two getting back together, is extremely slim.” He got up and walked toward the hallway.

“Iz, what the fuck?” Keith asked.

“I'm just saying. You changed her, and for you two to get back together, she'd have to change herself. I mean, I wish you the best cause I know that you love Shibbz, but I just don't know if she is mentally ready for that shit yet.” Izzy walked up the hallway and into the bathroom.

“Do you think she changed?” Lulu asked looking at Keith.

“Maybe. She didn't seem all that happy to see us when we came over yesterday. And she has been distant toward you and I. I don't know. Maybe Izzy has a point.”

“I'mma get her back primo.” Lulu said looking outside at the falling rain.

“Shibbz, can I come in?” Liz asked standing outside Shelby's door.

“If you want.” Shelby said from her bed.

Liz walked in and sat down next to her. “We heard what you said to your dad.”

“And?”

“And I don't get why you were so mean to him.”

“Because you don't know me anymore Liz. You don't know the person that I've become, and it would just be better for you to not try and understand where I am coming from.”

“Shibbz, you couldn't have changed that much.”

“But I have, and I'm happy with myself.”

“You can't possibly be happy with yourself Shelby.” Liz said taking a deep breath. “If you were honestly happy with yourself and who you've become, then there would be no need to talk to your dad in the way you did. There would be no need to be distant to all the people around you because right now, we want to help you. We want what's best for you.”

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe you don't know what's best for me. Yeah, maybe if you were in my situation you would do something differently, that doesn't mean you know what's best for me. That just means that you would do something differently than I would. Liz, you don't know what's best for me. Lulu doesn't know what's best for me. Keith doesn't know what's best for me. Izzy doesn't know what's best for me. And my parents sure as hell don't know what's best for me.” She got up and walked to the window.

“We just want to see you happy again.”

“Well that is not going to happen anytime soon. This is the place where my life got fucked up, and I don't know if I’ll ever be happy here again.” She paused and stared at the birds. “But maybe instead of trying to make me happy, you go and make Denny happy. Tell him that the baby is his, and just make him love you Liz. Because you deserve to be happy.” Shelby turned to her as tears slowly fell down her face.

“And you don't Shibbz? If any of us deserve to be happy, it's you and Litho. All the shit that you two had to do to be together in the first place. And then for you to lose him again all because of the fucking horse is pure bullshit!”

“Maybe we are meant to be Liz. Maybe we're not. Right now, I'm not sure I want to find out. I just need to figure out who I am first before I add anyone else into my personal business.”

“Well Shibbz, we all know who you are. You're a loving, caring, funny, violent, creative, honest, trustworthy, intelligent, soul. Who just wants to be loved and be happy.” Liz said getting up and walking to the door.

“You might think that Liz, but if you seen what I've done in the past 4 years, you would use totally different adjectives to describe who I am.”

“Shibbz, I watched you fall to rock bottom, and I watched you get back up again. Sure the things you've been through have not been ideal, they haven't even been fair, but through them all you've made it through. You're strong Shibbz, and I know that you'll make it through this too.” Liz said before walking out the door.

“I'm not so sure about that.” Shelby said turning toward the window again.