Her Baby's Daddy

Chapter 2

The next morning, Kimberly was roused from her slumber by the insistent ringing of her phone alarm.

She let out a small groan as she reached out, fumbling until she found the phone and silenced the alarm. Stretching her arms above her head, she let out a deep yawn, feeling the exhaustion from the previous night still lingering.

After a few more moments, she finally pushed herself to sit up and reached for her phone, checking the time. It was already 6:30 am, giving her a enough time to catch up on her schoolwork.

With a determined mindset, she got out of bed and slipped her feet into her trusty flip-flops before making her way to the bathroom. The cold splash of water on her face woke her up, and she quickly brushed her teeth before heading back to her room.

In need of some snacks, she made a beeline for the mini-fridge in the room, she grabbed a handful of snacks to last her through her study session. Settling in at her makeshift reading table, she set another alarm on her phone to make sure she wouldn't be late for school. With her provisions in place, she began to tackle her assignments with focus and dedication.

Two contrasting worlds defined Kimberly's life. By night, she was a skilled pole dancer, captivating audiences with her graceful moves. By day, she was a diligent business management student in her fourth year of college.

Her journey hadn't been easy. As an orphan, she had been raised by her loving grandmother, who had always made sure that Kimberly never went without.

Four years ago, tragedy struck when her grandmother lost her battle with cancer, leaving behind only a modest savings that Kimberly had used to fund her initial years in college. While the income from her performances at the club was just enough to cover her living expenses and make a dent in her student loans.

The sound of her second alarm jolted her out of her thought. Looking up from her book, she realized that she had finished two packs of Cheerios while lost in her reading.

Carefully arranging her books back into her bag, she stood up, grabbed her phone, and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up, knowing that Anabella would soon arrive to go to school together.

Anabella had been her best friend for the past four years. They had met as freshmen in college and had been inseparable ever since.

After freshening up, she decided to dress in a pair of high-waisted jeans and a crop top, complemented by a jacket and heeled boots. With her school bag in hand, she made her way to the small kitchen in her home for breakfast.

Her morning meal consisted of cereal and fruit. After finishing her breakfast, she was just about to finish washing the plate when she heard the sound of Anabella's car approaching. She quickly grabbed her bag from the table and headed out of the house.

Anabella's fiery red car was parked outside her front lane, blaring pop music. She was certain that Mrs. Fischer, her elderly neighbor, was still fast asleep, else she would have received an earful by now. Walking briskly towards the car, she opened the passenger side and slid inside.

"How are you, girl?" Anabella asked with a grin as she lowered the music volume.

"I'm fine. Was the loud music really necessary?" Kimberly asked with a sigh as she fastened her seat belt just as Anabella started the car. She and Anabella were like two different peas in a pod— while she was considered an introvert, Anabella was an extrovert with a capital letter 'E'. where she gets the energy from Kimberly could never fathom.

"You wound me, Kim," Anabella began with a loud sigh, turning to look at Kimberly.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Miss, before you get us both killed," Kimberly interjected with a subtle smile, successfully silencing Anabella, who turned her attention back to the road with a grumble. Kimberly could just hear her friend mutter "annoying b****" under her breath, causing her to burst into laughter. Yep, that's what they were to each other—always annoying each other, but also tighter than most siblings.

As Anabella drove, she glanced over at Kimberly with a mischievous smirk and raised brow. "So, anything fun happen last night?" she asked.

Kimberly sighed. "Not really. Just that Ms. Chalad came over again with her home service."

"But I thought you told her you don't do that kind of thing before you started" Anabella inquired, concern creeping into her voice.

"I did, but then she said the person is willing to pay any amount. You know the situation with my student loan, I'm actually considering it," Kimberly replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She had spent the whole night mulling over the offer and had tentatively concluded that perhaps just one home service wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

"I can help you cover the loan, you know," Anabella offered, her tone gentle as she stole a glance at Kimberly before refocusing on the road.

"I know Ana, but I don't want you to do that. It's already enough that you help with my rent," Kimberly said, turning to look at her best friend. She had always been uncomfortable with the idea of relying on others, despite knowing that Anabella had more than enough to spare and It also didn't feel like begging when the other party was willing, but she still couldn't shake off the discomfort.

"Just know that I'm here for you," Anabella reassured, patting Kimberly's hand resting on the armrest.

"Thank you Ana," Kimberly softly muttered with a smile.

Shifting the conversation to lighter topics, they delved into more cheerful subjects as they continued on their way to school.

With friends like Anabella, one don't necessarily need a sibling, Kimberly thought with a smile as she listened to Ana narrate what happened over the weekend at her house.