Noel

My first year at college was fun and brutal at the same time. The class load I did was bonkers, but I'm glad I did it that way. Luci got mad at me for not coming to visit as much as I could, but I need to focus, and with ADHD, even the slightest distraction would fuck me up. I did the huge class load so I would have all the class requirements for the law program. I'm on my way there, and that is the goal at hand. She knows that, and I told her it's for our future. I know I'm only nineteen, but when you know, you know. After we all graduated, Luci moved to another school because her parents bought a house thirty minutes from where she used to live. She used to babysit my brothers once in a while but hasn't in a long time.

"Noel, you're so dumb. There is a lot of girls here that think you're amazing." The Gooch said one night after she heard a screaming match between Luci and me over Facetime.

"I love her, Gooch. I do." I said.

"She's crazy, Noel, like super crazy."

"She's upset that I'm not be spending summer at home."

"Tough shit! She needs to grow the fuck up. It's not like you're cheating. You're busting your ass for your dream. It's called adulting and adulting fucking sucks, but we'll be better for it."

"I know. I miss Luci, though. I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving."

"I know you miss her, but you'll see her for your birthday weekend next month."

"I'm excited about that! I'm glad that y'all are coming with me."


The last few weeks flew by, and the closer it got to us going home for the weekend, the more excited I got. I haven't had sex since September, and my balls are bluer than a damn smurf. We had a fight at thanksgiving and we never ended up making love at all the week. So I'm really looking forward to being with her again. I can't wait to see my girl and my family, of course. We packed all our shit in the car, and we were driving home first thing in the morning. We are taking two cars because Guerro will be staying home for a few weeks because he is having his tonsils removed. Poor guy got sick so much over the school year he went class sick as a dog too!
Our house that my dad got for us to live in is fantastic. It's a five-bedroom house with three bathrooms. I got the master bedroom because my dad bought the house. I didn't choose it myself. The Gooch decided for me. My room is connected to another bedroom, and that bedroom is currently empty. The person that we had move in with us didn't work out. She always fought with everyone, and she didn't mesh well with our group. We are in no hurry to find another roommate. If we find one, we find one. If we don't, we don't. There's a pool and hot tub, so our house was the place to be for parties and kickbacks. I decided to soak in the hot tub after I packed my bags for our weekend trip. I smoke a little weed and drink a beer and soak in the warmth of the water when the Gooch comes out of the patio door.

"Noel, your mom's calling you on my phone. She said you didn't answer yours, and she needs to talk to you." She says, handing me the phone.

"Thanks, gooch," I say, pushing myself out, so I'm sitting on the edge of the tub. "Ma?"

"NOEL ARMANDO FERNANDEZ!" she screams into the phone so loud that the Gooch can hear her from across the patio.

"Mom, my ear! Why are you screaming at me?"

"Noel, I always tell you that you can come to me about anything, right?"

"Yeah, you do."

"That's why I'm so fucking upset with you. You didn't come to me."

"Mom, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"No seas, Pendejo Noel!"

"I'm not. I swear I don't know what you're talking about. Can you tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"I took Tenoch to the mall so he could get you a birthday present, and we ran into Luci."

"Okay, you always see Luci. Why was today so different?"

"Noel quit fucking lying to me. When were you going to fucking tell me that Luci was almost seven months pregnant?" she cries. All the air leaves my body.

"What!? I have no idea what you are talking about, mom. I swear she has never said anything to me."

"I saw her. I know she saw me, and the next thing I know, she was gone. Tenoch even called her name." she says. I'm walking through the house dripping with water, and I grab my phone cellphone in my room and dial Luci's number. It gets forwarded to voicemail.

"Luci, you need to call back ASAP." I hang up, "Mom, I'm leaving the house now. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Noel, I believe that you didn't know about this, but why would she not tell you? When did you see Luci last? Has she gone to see you there?"

"The last time I saw her was in November."

"Did you have sex during that time?" she asks. Just like that, I feel like my world is falling apart. It dawns on me what is going on.

"No, we didn't have sex. The last time we had sex was in September when you brought her to the family weekend. She's fucking someone else!" I yell. The Gooch comes into my room. "I'm leaving tonight."

"Noel, you can't drive while you're upset," Mom says.

"I'll drive him." The Gooch says.

"Thank you, Cecy, and please be careful."

"I promise I will."

"Mom, we'll see you in a bit," I say, and I hang up. "Gooch, what fuck? Is she pregnant?"

"Noel, I don't know. Maybe it was a weird angle or something. Call her again." I call Luci again, and again it got sent to voicemail. "Text her."

Me: Luci, call me back. I need to talk to you.

I look at my phone, and I notice that the text was read. "She fucking left me on read. Let's get the fuck out of here."


We tell the guys what's going on, and they tell us that they'll see us tomorrow. We drive for a few hours, and my mind is all over the place. My heart is beating so hard, and I don't want to believe it, but something deep down tells me it is true. Could she be pregnant and it be mine? I need to see with my own eyes, and it has to be tonight. I don't care how late it is when we get into town. The Gooch looks at me with sympathetic eyes. She knows what this will do to me. It's hard for me to trust and let people, and I let Luci in and consume me. This will fuck me up if it's true.

"Noel, you want to go to your mom's because we are forty-five minutes away?" she asks

"Nope, I want to see Luci. Take me to Luci's house."

"Are you sure you want to do that tonight?'

"Yup,"

"You have her new address?" she asks. I take out my phone and give her the address. I sent her flowers two weeks ago.

It's close to midnight when we finally get on Luci's street. The Gooch pulls up in front of the house I point to. My heart is jackhammering in my chest. I feel like I'm going to puke, so I take a few deep breaths. The Gooch rubs my back as I'm having my mini-panic attack. I unfasten my seat belt, and I feel like I am doing these things in slow motion. I knock on the front door and take a moment for someone to answer the door. Her father and his eyes go wide when he sees me.

"Can I talk to Luci? It's an emergency. Please."

"Come in," he says.

"I'll wait here," I say.

"You sure?" he asks, and I nod. He goes into the house, and I stand on the porch, looking at my feet. The porch light turns on, and the door opens, and standing in front of me is Luci.

A very pregnant Luci.