Chapter 23

:Reality Strikes:

Yibo rubbed down his jeans as he stood by the kitchen counter. Carmen took a sip of her coffee as she studied her son. Something was definitely wrong.

"Are you okay, Yibo?" Carmen asked, showing her concern.

"What..huh?" Yibo snapped his head up to look at her. "Oh. Yeah. I'm good."

"Yibo?" Carmen sat her mug on the counter. "Usually, I can't tell when you're lying. You're good at it. But you definitely are not on your game today."

Yibo breathed in deeply. "Don't get mad."

Carmen sat down on a stool by the counter. She patted the stool next to her. "Talk to me. Please."

Sitting down, Yibo ran his hand through his hair. "Mom..." Carmen knew this was serious. He rarely called her mom. "I messed up. Well, Zhan and I messed up." Yibo swallowed then allowed his big dark eyes to stare at his mother. "I guess you don't know about his special condition. Well...Zhan.. he's pregnant. Zhan is carrying my child."

Carmen could feel the breath being knocked out of her. Her eyes widened as she stood up to pace. Then she laughed. Her laugh became louder. Yibo stared at her strangely because from his point of view, his mother had lost it. But then as suddenly as she began to laugh, Carmen broke down in hysterical sobs. Yibo jumped up from his stool and wrapped his mother in his arms. Carmen hadn't broken down crying since the day that Yibo was sent to the psychic ward. She had muddled through her years in a state of numbness. Even at her husband's funeral, Carmen had found herself numb to the world.

However, her fears of Yibo's life being difficult quadrupled at the announcement of Zhan's pregnancy. It was the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. She couldn't hold in any more pain. It spewed out in sobs of despair as fear hit her for Yibo, Zhan, and the baby.

"I'm sorry." Yibo rubbed his mother's back. "Zhan was on birth control pills..." It was as if having that excuse made everything okay. But he knew it didn't. "He said antibiotics or something...he...i had no idea he was special...I...i didn't..."

Carmen gulped trying to halt her tears. She reached up to touch Yibo's cheek. "My baby. You're my baby."

Yibo practically collapsed onto the stool behind him. His mother stepped in front of him. Carmen pulled his head to rest against her body. His breathing was somewhat erratic. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh. We'll figure this out just like we do everything else." Carmen ran her fingers through her son's hair. "I'll take care of everything. "

He was so young to live the life he had lived. He watched his father abuse her, he killed someone, he lived part of his childhood locked up, now he was facing father hood. Carmen wanted so much more for her son. She didn't know how to fix things for him. "What are Zhan's plans?"

"He wants to keep it." Yibo said in a muffled voice. "We've been talking about it nonstop for the last six days. He admitted he wanted to keep the baby. I have to support him in that decision. I kind of want that too. I know we're being naïve.."

"No." Carmen pulled Yibo's face up to look at her. "Listen to me, Yibo. WE WILL get through this like we have everything else. It will be okay. Believe me."

"I'll try." Yibo's smirk was long gone. Instead his face showed the fear of a teen boy taking on adulthood. "Mom, I love Zhan."

"I know that." Carmen rustled Yibo's hair. "You need to make sure Zhan knows that. He is going to be very vulnerable right now. You need to make him feel like he's the most important thing in the world to you. I don't know well...about male pregnancy, but I guess I can tell that he needs extra care now."

Yibo stood up from the stool. "That's easy enough because he is." He smiled weakly.

"Has the news been told to Samuel and Cangse?" Carmen frowned. That would not be good when it came out to them.

"Not yet. You know Zhan. He wants to wait to let it sink in with us first." Yibo grabbed his book bag. "I am going to be home late this evening. I'm going to try to find part time work for evenings and Summer."

"Good idea." Carmen proudly looked at her son. He was at least trying to be responsible. "I'll go over our financial records to see if there are some funds I missed."

"My college fund..."

"No, Yibo. You need that for your future. Your future will affect your child's. So that has to remain in place." Carmen picked up her coffee mug.

Yibo agreed before leaving. He was anxious to see Zhan. At school, he doted on Zhan. If Zhan wasn't feeling so needy at the moment, Yibo would feel like he was smothering him.

"Are you going to eat lunch?" Yanli asked as she watched Yibo rubbing Zhan's back or nibbling Zhan's neck or telling him he loved Zhan for the billionth time.

"Uggh. I guess I have too. Even though, I feel so nauseous all the time." Zhan groaned as he leaned against Yibo, who was leaning against the wall beside his locker. "Crackers and dry toast are not helping."

"It's what I read on the internet to stop morning sickness. Sorry." Yanli shrugged as she moved her book back around. "Did you get set up with a doctor?"

"Not yet." Zhan admitted weakly. "I guess I need to tell mom. I dread that."

Yibo leaned to whisper in Zhan's ear. "I'm sorry, Baby. I love you."

Cheng, Fanxing, and Scott were standing a few feet down. "Looks like Zhan is still into Lucy's murderer."

"They really need to quit rubbing their relationship on my face." Fanxing's jaw twitched. "I mean like NOW."

"Chill, Fanxing." Cheng rolled his eyes. "Zhan made his choice. He chose him. Ignoring Zhan's ignorance is best at this point."

Scott threw his arm around Cheng's shoulder. "Let's head out before Fanxing busts a vein in his neck."

Cheng laughed as he and Scott walked away. Fanxing stared at Zhan and Yibo kiss goodbye.

Zhan walked away. Yibo called after him. "I love you, Zhanzhan."

Turning around and throwing Yibo a kiss, Zhan said it back to him. "I love you too. See you at lunch."

The bell rang as Fanxing watched Zhan head towards his free class period. He made sure no one saw him when he chased after Zhan. Zhan was too busy thinking about the pregnancy, Yibo, and his own future to notice Fanxing coming up behind him. He grabbed Zhan and pulled him behind a building.

"Leave me alone." Zhan said, frightened.

"I warned you he was dangerous that night at the diner." Fanxing gripped Zhan by the chin. "Why don't you listen to me?"

"He's not dangerous, Fanxing. You are. You are disgusting! Please let me go. You're hurting me." He said as tears streamed down his cheeks. Zhan had suspected that Fanxing was his attacker that night. Now it was confirmed.

"Crying for him!" Fanxing got right in Zhan's face. "Is he that good, slut?"

"Please..." Zhan begged as Fanxing continued to hold him against the building.

"I will..." Fanxing moved in closer. "..please you. I will show you how a real man can make you feel. I know Lucy liked it. You will too."

He pushed Zhan tighter to the wall holding him with his arm. He started to unbuckle his belt on his jeans.

"NO! Fanxing. NO!" Zhan squirmed and kicked. He screamed at him. "I'm pregnant. Please don't hurt me."

Fanxing let loose of Zhan. He stared at him as he stepped back. "You're having the psycho's baby?"

Zhan nodded. He was relieved that it stopped Fanxing from raping him. "Yes."

"In that case, I wouldn't want to touch you. You're nothing but a piece of trash." Fanxing buckled his belt back. "Psycho babies don't deserve to live."

He walked off leaving Zhan visibly shaken. He held his breath as he dialled the number he needed to. "Chief Commissioner, this is Zhan, I'd like to report assault and attempted rape."

Zhan realised that if it got out that Fanxing had attacked him, Yibo may kill him. But it was getting too dangerous not to tell. Reality was that Zhan needed to tell about Fanxing's abuse on him.

To be Continued....

Word Count: 1,434
Dated: 09.04.23

******************************

If you enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to comment 🙏

I love to read your views so keep them coming...

Lots of love ❤️
Take care.

- Yours Isa