I told some people that I would post up stuff that I was writing. So here's my story, the first three chapters. Feel free to critique it and such.


Chapter 1

"She's beautiful.” I said. You know that, right?" I asked Josh.

He nodded, taking one hand off the steering wheel, wiping away the tear forming in his eye. "I wish we could raise her, you know that. But c'mon Mae, you're seventeen. We can't raise my kid.” He took a breath,  “I thought we could, but I guess I had temporarily gone insane."

I looked back at the sleeping Delilah Mae. Just after 2 months she had a little red hair growing on her head. Josh grabbed my hand and squeezed it. She wasn't mine, but I was attached. "We're giving her a better life by doing this," he said, "remember that." Delilah started waking up. She squirmed in the backseat. I wondered if he was saying this because it’s what everyone else told him, or because he needed to reassure himself that what we were doing was the right thing.

"She's a miracle," I said. "Considering all the drugs that were in Candace’s body."

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"Hi sweetie," I leaned over my seat and kissed her nose. Always content, Delilah cooed.
       "Stop making her look so damn cute," Josh gasped, holding back tears. He pulled over to the side of the road and softly started crying. That's one reason why I respected Josh. He wasn't afraid to cry in front of people that he knew very well.
       "Mae, I can't keep doing this. Either we keep her, or let someone else take her. I keep myself distanced because I can't get attached. But then I look at her." Josh paused, taking in a deep breath. "Mae, she has Candace’s eyes." He put his head back against the seat.
       I gave his hand a reassuring grip. "I know. We have to do this if we're going to. And we have to do it soon. But I have no influence in the matter. She's your child."
       He put the car into gear and pulled a u-turn. Shaking his head he said, "we were so close this time too."
 
We entered the diner. Whenever we went there, customers who didn’t know us, stared, as if they had never seen a young woman carrying the daughter of her two best friends. We passed a table where two elderly couples sat. When they thought we were out of hearing range they began whispering about how we were so young.  I rolled my eyes. We were seated towards the back. I took a bottle out of the cooler I traded in for my purse long ago and fed Delilah. Josh played with packets of sugar. "So close," he mumbled.
       Josh and I had spent many nights at the diner all throughout high school, and knew all of the staff on a personal level. Tony, one of Josh's closest friends, and my band mate, was working. "Hey guys," he said as he came over. He spotted Delilah in my arms, "Oh. Didn't make it?"

"No," I said.

Josh looked up. "Tony, we were two exits away."

That sucks," Tony said, putting down two glasses of water. "You want the usual?"

"Yeah," Josh said. Tony left us to put our order in, 2 Dr. peppers, a chicken basket and an apple pie a la mode for desert. Josh and I always shared. "Can you take Delilah to your house tonight?" Josh asked. "I need a baby-free night to think all of this over.

"Yeah, no problem." I told him.

Come September, Josh would be attending Empire State University, only thirty minutes away, so he was going to commute. After Delilah was born, Josh wanted to prove that he really could do it all by himself, so he moved into the apartment above his parents garage. Josh’s parents were weary at first, but they liked that Josh had gained some independence without really moving out of the house. Eventually, I started sleeping there on an aero bed once or twice a week, which turned into me staying there for weeks at a time, returning home only on Sunday night to get fresh clothes for the week. My father, who usually didn’t involve himself with the most important parts of my life, never said that he had a problem with it.

Tony came and sat with us on his break. "You two are so bad for my addiction." Tony smoked a pack and a half a day, and ever since we started toting Delilah around, we sat in the non-smoking section of restaurants.

       “Yes,” I said, “But we’re great for your wallet.”
       Sergio, owner of the diner came over. "You crazy kids!" He had the check in his hands. "So loyal to my diner." He took the bill and ripped it in half. "You no pay tonight, okay?" We nodded. No sense in arguing that. “Baby, so cute.” Sergio walked away, acknowledging other loyal customers.
      Tony stood up and held out his hands. I handed him Delilah, while I got the cooler together. I wiggled out of the booth taking Delilah back and gave him a quick hug. "Pick me up for practice from Josh's at three tomorrow. Okay?"
       "Gotcha," he and Josh shook hands.

We were silent on the way to my house. It was early, only eight o’clock, but Delilah was asleep, and she would be for another couple hours. Josh pulled into my driveway and turned to me. "By eleven o'clock I'll have an answer."
       "Are you sure?"
       "Yes. I have to make a decision."
       I leaned over and hugged him.
       "You have off tomorrow, right?"
       "Yes," I said.
       "Okay, I'll pick you up and take you out to breakfast."
       I hopped climbed out of the car and went around to the back to get Delilah and her car seat. "Good night, Josh."