Ally had seemed reluctant to come over. Hadn’t even picked up her phone until the third call. Was she sick? Or worse- Courtney felt nauseous- upset? She heard footsteps by the door, Ally, Finally. They needed to talk. If someone had hurt Ally- or worse- if she had hurt Ally, she needed to know. She’d make it right.
"so what was that work thing?
“Oh I'm good too, thanks."
It was nothing really, just a silly survey”
“Al, you’re lying, what’s going on?”
Ally looked tearful now. A sight Courtney had only seen twice, paired with a smile- and now thinking about it a brownie. Simple brownies, Ally said, that were perfectly (a subjective word Stephanie had pointed out) gooey, but also a little crispy on top made her cry. But that was with happiness, not the unease now pulling at her brows and stiffening her shoulders.
When had Ally ever been out of words?
“Ok. But now that you’re here, let’s get pizza”
“Oooooh, the one with broccoli and parmesan and no tomato sauce, or do you want some good ol’ cheese?”
Courtney smiled slightly, “your choice.”
“So I’m not gonna push you? But do you want to tell me what’s up? Your chattiness is usually at its peak when you’re full.”
“Well the sky if you want to limit this discussion to purely the Earth- “
“Al, as much as I would like to simultaneously laugh, throw a pillow at you, and moan, I’m dying. We’ve never had secrets.”
“No please, I’m curious.”
“You want a compliment shower? Because I have no problem giving you one. Alright ready; you’re quirky and-“
Ally was amused now. “I thought you hadn’t listened to a word I said?”
She took a breath- “no it’s just that”
Courtney gawked. She really is out of words- IS SHE PREGNANT? But how can she be? Al wasn’t a virgin, but she didn’t have sex. Courtney smiled to herself, had that made any sense? Oh, the contradictions of people.
Ally’s frustrated grunt pulled her out of her head. Here it comes, Courtney braced herself, my best friend’s about to tell me she’s pregnant.
“It’s just that, Court you’re so damn awesome, and I make you spend butt loads of time with me, and I thought that maybe it was too much. That you'd want time to hang out with people who don’t define “wild” as blueberry pie for dinner and use insults that range beyond: ‘I hope the next orange you eat, squirts you in the eye’. People who, you know, are ‘cool’”
Courtney felt her laughter like an anchor, it pulled her down until her cheek lay on cold floor. Ally stared in shock, her eyes widening suddenly; the urgent calls, the strong desire for pizza, this weird mood, COURT MUST BE PREGNANT! But before Ally could apologize for being so self-centered, before she could ask who the father was, and when she’d found out, Courtney faked a gasp.
“People who are ‘cool’- as in a word that changes with the perspective of society? Has my dear sage Alison has fallen to the pressures of us common, touchy, people?!”
Ally beamed. Although to be honest, she couldn’t tell whether it was from the relief of knowing that she had at least a few more years (hopefully) before being cast as the "aunt", or the love she felt for the person smiling across from her. Little did she know that that person was smiling for the same reasons.
