Ghosted: The Little Prankster (Part I)

Ghosted: The Little Prankster (Part I)
“How could you hide this from me?! I’m your best friend!” Tiffany pointed at Molly’s belly. “I just saw you the other day, and ma’am you did not have  a baby bump. I get popping, but how the hell did you sneak this past me?”

Molly took another bite of her apple and continued to arrange the papers on her desk. “I wasn’t hiding; I was processing.” She huffed. “And don’t you know it’s rude to comment on a pregnant woman’s weight? Nice Tiff, real nice.”

“Oh, don’t you try it. We’ve been besties long enough for me to know when you’re deflecting and that was some grade A Molly deflection if I've ever heard it. Out with it. Who’s the father? I don’t remember you being with anyone before Reberto. I can’t believe you hid a secret lover from me too.”

“His name is Robert, not Reberto.”

“Same difference.” She sucked her teeth. “I still can’t believe he ghosted you. If I ever get my hands on him, I’m going to make Billy Blanks proud. Anyway, enough about that loser. Who’s the father? Wait, oh my goodness, did you get artificially inseminated? Why wouldn’t you tell me? I would have gone with you.Come on, out with it. I don’t think I can wait until the end of the school day to find out.  ”

Molly weighed her options. Tiffany and her shared everything, but this was something different. “Robert is the father,” she said, looking away. “And don’t call him a loser. There's a lot you don’t understand.”

Tiffany cocked her head back. “Why are you defending that jerk? He slept with you, then disappeared. Wait a minute,” she cut her eyes. “You’re lying.”

“What? I'm not lying.”

“Yes you are because the math isn’t mathing. There’s no way it could be Robert and you're showing the way you are. This guy really has to be a doozy if you don’t want to tell me. Even still, pinning this on Robert to get him back isn’t you, Molly.”

Molly placed her head on the desk and let out a groan. “I’m not lying or pinning anything on Robert. He really is the father and I mean it. There’s a lot that you don’t understand. You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it to you. Hell, I still don’t believe it.”

“Jesus, Molly, what have you gotten yourself into? Whatever it is, you know I have your back. Just tell me.”

Molly raised her head. “Okay, here goes nothing. Robert didn’t ghost me after we slept together; well he did, but only because he’s a real ghost. Ghost in Hayward can come back for one week in a month because they’re ovulating–he hates when I call it that, but that’s what it is–and needs to get some. Then, at the end of the week at midnight, they disappear until the process starts all over again. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Robert is super rich. His last name is Haywood, as in Robert Haywood the heir to the Haywood fortune.  

“Anyway,  his peak day was my peak, and he accidentally came inside me, and somehow I ended up pregnant, which is very rare between ghosts and humans. Either way, we decided to try to have the baby although there's a chance that it may not survive. He’s really excited, though we don’t know a lot about what to expect. The thing is though, ghost and human pregnancies move quickly so even though it happened last month, I’m probably like three or four months. I have to go get an ultrasound. Shit, that reminds me, I told Robert I would get that done before he returns at the end of the month. Let me call now. What date works for you? I don’t wanna go alone. Wait, why are you looking at me like that?”

Tiffany stared at her best friend deep in thought. After a moment, she stood. “Fine. If you want to make up elaborate crazy-ass stories because you don’t want to tell me the truth, fine, but at least make them somewhat believable. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were insane.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to get my classroom ready for my little monsters.”

“But I’m no–” 

Tiffany put up her finger, silencing her. “Nope. I’ve had enough crazy for one morning. We will finish this after school” Opening the door, she allowed Molly’s students to race into the room. 

Molly leaned forward behind her desk. “Come in, kids, and have a seat. You know the routine.” Sitting quickly, they waited patiently to hear  what their favorite teacher would say next.

Well, might as well get this over with.

The moment she stood, her students gasped loudly. “You have a baby in there!” one shouted.