The First Part Last, Nia's POV
Red Balloons
“I don’t believe it” I said to myself looking down at the piece of plastic in my hands “I don’t believe it at all.” I stared more at the little plus sign on my 3rd pregnancy test “This isn’t happening” I started to cry.
I cried for hours, my body shook violently as I rocked back and forth. I was home alone thank goodness; not that my parents would do anything if they heard me crying. They don’t know how to deal with “bad” things; they seem to believe that we’re too good for that kind of thing. I hate it.
Later, after all the crying was done, I examined myself in my bathroom mirror. My face was all puffy and my eyes were bright red. I turned sideways to see if I looked any different, feeling my belly, though nothing looked different, I knew they would soon. Oh God, what was I going to tell Bobby? We’re only barley 16, what’s going to happen to our lives? What are my parents going to say? What are my friends going to think? What am I going to do with a baby; I’m just a kid myself. I decided to keep to myself for a while. I wouldn’t even tell Bobby. And that’s the way it’d stay until his birthday.
The next day was Monday, school. I tried covered up my puffy eyes the best I could and whenever anybody asked if something was wrong I faked a cough and said I was sick. I felt like everyone knew, every time someone looked at me I felt like they could see right through me. And of course in my health class we had to have a safe sex talk. Oh the irony!
It went on like this for almost a month. Though few people asked what was up, I felt guilty all the time. Luckily Bobby’s birthday was only around the corner. I had to think of a clever way to tell him. This was going to change his life, for the better or for the worst, I didn’t know. I had to think of something that would be special but birthday related at the same time. This was going to be difficult, but I would think of something eventually.
Finally the morning of Bobby’s birthday came; I still had no plan at all. All I could thing of were balloons and Bobby’s favorite color, red. What in the world would that symbolize? Oh wait, duh! Red is our passion, Bobby has always been passionate. And the balloon is fragile, plus for some reason when I think babies I think balloons….weird. Anyway, I spent most of my day thinking of what to say when I saw him. “I’m having a baby” or “I’m pregnant” are both too blunt for me but “we need to talk” is no better in my opinion. I decided that I’d use whatever came to my mind first. It’d be better if it weren’t staged, though staging things made them more comfortable for me. I did it often for confrontations, it made them easier.
It soon came time to go to Bobby’s house. He spent most of his day with his Dad and friends, so I bought the (red) balloon and waited on his door step for him to come home.
I sat alone, thinking, for about 15 minutes before I saw him walk down the street. He was alone, that was good. I don’t think I’d be able to say anything in front of K-Boy and J.L. It’d feel awkward to me. Anyway, I made eye contact and as soon as he was standing in front of me I handed him the balloon and said the words that would change his whole life, and probably ruin his 16th birthday, “I have something to tell you”.
I cried for hours, my body shook violently as I rocked back and forth. I was home alone thank goodness; not that my parents would do anything if they heard me crying. They don’t know how to deal with “bad” things; they seem to believe that we’re too good for that kind of thing. I hate it.
Later, after all the crying was done, I examined myself in my bathroom mirror. My face was all puffy and my eyes were bright red. I turned sideways to see if I looked any different, feeling my belly, though nothing looked different, I knew they would soon. Oh God, what was I going to tell Bobby? We’re only barley 16, what’s going to happen to our lives? What are my parents going to say? What are my friends going to think? What am I going to do with a baby; I’m just a kid myself. I decided to keep to myself for a while. I wouldn’t even tell Bobby. And that’s the way it’d stay until his birthday.
The next day was Monday, school. I tried covered up my puffy eyes the best I could and whenever anybody asked if something was wrong I faked a cough and said I was sick. I felt like everyone knew, every time someone looked at me I felt like they could see right through me. And of course in my health class we had to have a safe sex talk. Oh the irony!
It went on like this for almost a month. Though few people asked what was up, I felt guilty all the time. Luckily Bobby’s birthday was only around the corner. I had to think of a clever way to tell him. This was going to change his life, for the better or for the worst, I didn’t know. I had to think of something that would be special but birthday related at the same time. This was going to be difficult, but I would think of something eventually.
Finally the morning of Bobby’s birthday came; I still had no plan at all. All I could thing of were balloons and Bobby’s favorite color, red. What in the world would that symbolize? Oh wait, duh! Red is our passion, Bobby has always been passionate. And the balloon is fragile, plus for some reason when I think babies I think balloons….weird. Anyway, I spent most of my day thinking of what to say when I saw him. “I’m having a baby” or “I’m pregnant” are both too blunt for me but “we need to talk” is no better in my opinion. I decided that I’d use whatever came to my mind first. It’d be better if it weren’t staged, though staging things made them more comfortable for me. I did it often for confrontations, it made them easier.
It soon came time to go to Bobby’s house. He spent most of his day with his Dad and friends, so I bought the (red) balloon and waited on his door step for him to come home.
I sat alone, thinking, for about 15 minutes before I saw him walk down the street. He was alone, that was good. I don’t think I’d be able to say anything in front of K-Boy and J.L. It’d feel awkward to me. Anyway, I made eye contact and as soon as he was standing in front of me I handed him the balloon and said the words that would change his whole life, and probably ruin his 16th birthday, “I have something to tell you”.