Strictly Baby Business

The smell of the popcorn in front of her absolutely nauseated Peyton. Her stomach churned and her head spun.

Or maybe her head was spinning because she hadn’t eaten in two days.

At all.

She was now eating for two, she knew that, but she just hadn’t had the money to buy food and she was feeling the effects.

At the moment, Peyton was working her cinema job and had to serve the snacks today. Of all days.

The smell of the popcorn and the colors of the slushies drove her absolutely crazy. If they didn’t make her feel sick, they made her hungry, and she couldn’t afford anything.

Sebastian still hadn’t made any effort to speak to her, but she now knew what made him so rich and she wished she never agreed to this when she found out.

Still, she wouldn’t trade the small bump on her freckled stomach for anything. She watched herself every day in the mirror and loved the way her gray eyes were brighter than before and the way her black locks looked like they were even shinier since the pregnancy.

She never understood the freckles but knew they made her unique, so she loved them.

“Hello, are you deaf or something?” A boy rudely snapped making Peyton snap out of her thoughts and glare at him.

“No, but I am allergic to idiots.”

The boy’s mouth fell open, and he let go of his girlfriend’s hand, slamming his fist on the counter.

“Do you even know who I am?”

Peyton’s eyes traveled down his arm, which was covered in a leather jacket, and looked at his plain white shirt with aviators hanging from the collar. He was wearing jeans and black Converse sneakers.

She smirked as she met his eyes again.

“I do, actually. You’re the guy with a fucked up past. You try to be cool and fuck anything with a vagina, and you think you own the school.

“People fear you, and you love it because for once you’re not the one fearing someone else, probably your father—who I would say is a drunk. I also know that you think you’re tough and want others to think the same so that they don’t mess with you and crack you.”

Her eyes shifted to the girl as she placed her hand straight up to silence him before she continued speaking.

“She is that girl who thinks she’s going to be the one to change you, but we all know that person will probably be your neighbor, who you love to irritate as much as possible.”

Her gray eyes flitted to him again.

“And I know that you think the fact that you’re feared at school makes it’s okay for you to be a dick, but guess what.”

She leaned in toward him as if she wanted to tell him a secret.

“This is the real world, and when you’ve finally learned that it isn’t all about you, you’ll stop using the brain situated under your zipper and start using the brain situated under your hair.”

Satisfied with her rant, Peyton leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest in victory.

“Now apologize and be a human or get the fuck out of my face.”

Red.

That was the color his face turned as he grabbed the girl’s hand again.

“At least I’m not a slutty, pregnant cinema slave!”

Peyton’s mouth fell open and she slowly lifted the counter and stepped out.

“At least I’m not a little high school delinquent.”

His eyes widened and she smirked.

“Think I didn’t see the tattoo on your wrist, Mr. Juvie?”

She smirked more widely and he moved toward her again.

“I might have been to juvie, but at least I want to make something of myself!”

Peyton’s eyes slid to the girl.

“What is she? A baby? Or do you already have one on the way?”

The boy was quiet for a moment before he glared at her and backed up.

“I’m not wasting any more of my time talking to trash like you!”

He started walking away and Peyton smirked in victory.

“Thank goodness! I thought my eyes would never stop burning from all that ugly.”

She heard the guy grunt.

Peyton made her way back behind the counter and smiled as if nothing had just happened as she looked down at her work shirt, which was so tight her bump was visible.

“See, your momma can hold her own.”

She rubbed her belly and smiled at the next customer when she looked up.

“What can I get you?”

The boy ordered and she worked hard at getting his order finished as soon as possible before taking his money and handing him his change.

However, he didn’t take it and instead said, “No, keep it. You put Jacob in his place; that’s enough for me.” He walked away and Peyton put the money in her pocket.

Food money.

She looked at the time and noticed that her shift had ended five minutes ago. She smiled as she logged off for the day.

Happy, she threw her apron into her locker and grabbed her sling bag. Her feet carried her all the way past the guy she’d chewed up, Jacob, and she smiled at him sarcastically, blowing him a mocking kiss.

She turned back to the front and stopped in her tracks as a wave of dizziness hit her.

Her hand went to her head and she felt someone grab her shoulder as she stumbled in her spot.

“Are you okay, miss?” She looked over at the man and saw three of him. About to say something, she immediately stopped herself when she felt as if she was going to throw up.

She felt her knees give out as she fell into a pair of arms and let the darkness invade her.