CHAPTER2
1343 Words
I could barely focus on class. My mind was in a fog, and the image of that damn pregnancy test kept flashing in my head. I couldn’t even hear Miss Kelly properly. I was pretty sure she was talking about the French Revolution, but it didn’t register.
And to make things worse, Cameron just had to pull that stunt from earlier. What was he going to say? I can't get it out of my head.
The class burst out in laughter, and I had no idea why. I glanced over at Liz, who’d stopped laughing and was already moving on to whatever was next.
“Alright, class,” Miss Kelly said, “Seems we’re done for today, but before you go, I want you to submit a written report on the French Revolution. Share your thoughts, ideas, whatever you think.”
“Uhh, Miss Kelly,” Betty piped up, “Are we supposed to summarize it?”
Miss Kelly shrugged. “It’s up to you. Do more research if you want, but I mostly want your own opinions. What do you think about the whole thing?”
The entire class groaned, and Miss Kelly giggled. “You’ll survive, guys. No need to worry. Well, that’s it for today. Bye now!”
Just as Miss Kelly reached the door, I called out to her. She turned, an eyebrow arched. I stood up, but lost my balance and almost stumbled—actually, I did stumble. My hand grabbed Charlie’s chair to steady myself.
I felt a wave of nausea. My stomach churned.
“Reyes!!” Miss Kelly yelled, rushing over to me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I managed, my voice shaky. “Just dizzy.”
“Do you want me to walk you to the clinic?” she asked.
No. I couldn’t let her see me like this.
“No, I’m fine, Miss Kelly. Just dizzy,” I tried to smile, but it was weak.
“Okay... well, what did you want to talk about?”
I paused, then shrugged. “I... forgot,” I admitted. It was the truth. My brain felt scrambled.
Liz was behind me, helping me back to my seat. Miss Kelly looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a small, knowing smile, like she saw right through me. I was sure it was all in my head, but her eyes seemed to linger on my stomach. My heart dropped. Did she notice?
She nodded and headed for the door, leaving the room.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Sam?” Henz asked from behind me, leaning forward.
I nodded, giving him a thumbs-up, trying to mask the panic I felt.
Liz was shaking her head. I puffed my cheeks and bowed my head, trying to hide my face.
The rest of the afternoon was a blur. I stayed glued to my seat, terrified that if I moved too much, I’d get dizzy again. If they took me to the clinic, they’d find out. And if they found out, it was over.
When school finally ended, Liz and I biked home. Our house wasn’t far from Brentwood High, so we usually rode our bikes.
Liz didn’t stop talking about my pregnancy. She nagged again. She was right, though. This whole thing was a mess.
“I’m just saying,” she continued, “If anyone finds out about this, it’s gonna be a riot. Especially if…” She stopped pedaling, looked around dramatically, then leaned in. “If Jennifer finds out about this,” she whispered.
I shivered at the mention of Jennifer’s name. Jennifer Morrison. The school’s top-tier b***h.
Brunette, doe-eyed, and always getting her way. Miss Popular, who liked to tear other people down to boost her own ego. If she found out, there was no doubt she’d tell everyone. And the worst part? She already hated me. She’d been after Cameron for years. She stole him right out from under me.
Correction: She stole my ex-boyfriend.
And now, she was dating him, my ex, Cameron, the father of my child. If Jennifer found out about this... I was done. She might literally kill me.
It was only recently that I found out they were together.
I was delivering a file to the Music Room when I stumbled across them.
I entered the room, calling for Hillary, but no one answered. Just as I turned to leave, I heard something from the corner. Curiosity took over, and I approached quietly, my heart pounding in my chest. What I saw nearly shattered me.
Cameron—half naked—was kissing Jennifer. My stomach twisted, and I wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t move. I stood there, frozen, and watched as my whole world crumbled.
I ran out of the room, tears streaming down my face. I didn’t even know where I was going. I just couldn’t breathe. The world blurred around me as I fought to keep it together. I ran to the student council office, and everything was muffled, like I was underwater. My heart was pounding in my ears.
“Sam, are you okay?” a council member asked, but I couldn’t answer. I just shook my head and made my way to my desk, tears falling freely.
The memory was interrupted by Liz’s quick punch to my shoulder.
“Hey!” I yelped, rubbing the spot. “What was that for?”
Liz shrugged, her tone playful. “You were staring off into space again.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, starting to pedal behind her. “I was just thinking about how I’m going to kill Jennifer.”
Liz chuckled. “And Cameron too.”
We both laughed at the ridiculousness of it, but the thought lingered in my mind. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep pretending.
When I got home, Liz was already gone. My second older brother, Gustin, was reading a book on the porch, as usual. I dragged my bike inside and parked it, trying to act normal.
“Hey, Gustin,” I called out, my voice trembling a little. I hoped he didn’t notice.
“Hey,” he replied, his eyes glued to the book. At least he was distracted.
I entered the house, and there was Gray, my oldest brother, yelling at the TV as another football game was replayed.
“Yo, Sam! How was school?”
I froze. “G-great,” I stammered, hoping my voice didn’t give me away.
He didn’t reply, just kept yelling at the screen. Good. He was distracted.
Now, I just have to deal with Mom and Dad.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. If I was going to tell them, it had to be right. Subtle. I walked toward the staircase, only to run into Mom carrying a basket of laundry.
“Hey, honey,” she said, smiling at me.
I forced a crooked smile. “Hey, Mom.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the knot in my stomach. It was now or never.
“What’s up?” she asked, noticing the tension in my face. She placed a hand on my forehead. “Are you sick or something? You look tense.”
“Yeah, Mom. I’m fine. Just tired,” I said, praying she’d buy it.
“Oh, okay. Well, go get dressed,” she said as she walked past me.
Around dinner time, the tension in my chest was unbearable. I could barely stomach the meatloaf in front of me.
Gustin noticed. “Why aren’t you eating?”
I froze. This was it.
“I have something to say,” I announced, and suddenly, the whole room fell silent. My family looked at me, waiting.
I swallowed hard, trying to push the words out.
“Mom... Dad...” I paused, taking a shaky breath.
The tension in the room thickened.
“Yey!” I said sarcastically, just to break the silence.
Then, I finally said it.
“You’re going to be grandparents.”
And then there was silence...
- Writer
