One Good Reason

For my second magic trick of the day, I perform the trick of waking up in a hospital with three heads peering down at me. Sophia, Olive, and Jacob. Olive’s make-up was completely and utterly ruined. Her pale eyes seemed to just bloom when I opened my eyes and her long black hair, which was usually straightened to perfection, was wavy and that was so unlike her. Sophia was in complete perfectness. Her golden eyes seemed to pop off her face because of the green and brown eyeshadow she used. Her short brown hair was curled into little ringlets and the necklace she had on was not “uniform” in a hospital. However, no matter how much Olive’s appearance worried me, Jacob’s was the worst. His green/rainbow eyes had no life and the orange sparkles were gone. His brow was relaxed in relief and his hair looked just as the rust of him did: crumpled, scattered, and messy.
“Jak…” I tried to orient myself with my surroundings, but I wasn’t very successful.
“Sshhh. Bells, it’s okay. I’m here.” Jacob said soothingly.
“Is the patient awake?” A light, all feminine voice spoke. Someone walked into the room, their footsteps noticeable. Someone, I’m not sure if it was her or not, but someone pressed a button on the side of the bed and the bed started to rise, making itself into a sitting position, and making a hum when it clicked into place.
Her comfy nurse uniform complimented her rounded form and her face was clean, shining without help from the cosmetic world.
“Hey. How are we feeling doll?” She asked me, as she came up to the side of the bed.
“Okay, I guess.” I managed to say.
“Good. My name is Genevieve Martin and I’ll be your doctor today. May I have your names?"
“I’m Jake Smithson.” Jacob said, lying and flashing us looks to lie too.
“This is Via Thomas,” Sophia said, gesturing to Olive, “And my name is Serenity Willer. The patient is Alyson Frank. We’re all so sad this happened.”
“Totally. Today of all days.” Olive said.
“Why? What’s so special about today?” Genevieve asked as she checked my vitals.
“Jake and Alyson were getting married.” Olive said, fishing. I don’t think Genevieve noticed the shock on Jake, Sophia, or my faces, which is good. I smartly covered my shock up as she looked towards me.
“How old are you?” Genevieve asked.
“Eighteen.” I decided to play along. “My mother detests Jake, but we are in love and ready to get married and settle down. The only way though was to elope. Sop- Serenity and Via were coming as witnesses, but the plan was foiled when my mom decided to stay home today. So we had to get on the bus as usual.”
“But we were going to have the bus driver stop and let us off at a different bus stop so we could catch a plane to my aunts.” Jake said. “Only, An-Alyson got hurt and we had to rush here.”
“Oh my. Young love.” Genevieve said, sitting down, next to Olive in a chair. “I remember when I was your age. I was in love with a man named Billy, but he decided to go off to the war. Vietnam, that is. He was killed in the line of duty. I couldn’t be happier with Ethan now, but not a day goes by that I don’t think of Billy. I’ll have you fixed up in no time Alyson. We’ll make sure you two are married by the end of the day.”
“Just one favor Genevieve? If I may call you that?” I asked.
“Of course doll. What is it?”
“I can’t have my mother finding out about this. And since I’m eighteen, can’t I emit myself out? Or have Jake do it for me? Please?” I asked, tearing up. “This is our only chance to be together.”
“Of course doll. I’ll just pull a few strings and no one will have ever known you were here.”
“Thank you so much Genevieve. I’ll never forget this.” I said, promising.
"You'll be fine dear. Just a small sprain." She said, once she finished checking me. "You'll have to come back in two weeks, just for a check-up if that's alright."
"Sure." Jacob said. "Anything for Alyson."
"Aww, how sweet." Genevieve said, "Young love."

Two weeks, two wonderful exotic weeks, later I was sitting in the hospital waiting room, Jacob by my side. Olive was there with us, but Sophia opted out. She said she had a "date" with quotation marks. Idk.
"Alyson Frank?" A woman called. It was one of the nurses that had seen me to the room where I met Genevieve.
"Right here." We were pulled back into the nurses room and they took my average temperature, blood pressure, weight, height deal. Then I was put in one of those really small rooms- white walls, white bed, white equipment with little beeps going off now and then, white curtain seperating you from the next "room," and green chair. And guess who walked in?
"Genevieve." I said. "I didn't know it was going to be you again. How great."
"Hello Alyson." She greeted.
"Please call me Aly." I said, laying it on thick.
"Sure. Hello Jake and Via. How are you feeling Aly?" Genevieve asked. Today she was wearing an Eeyore t-shirt with the matching purple pants. Very weird, but comforting at the same time, like when you were little and mad and your parents would turn on Barney and everything else would cease to exist.
"Much, much better." I responded. "My ankle is pretty much healed. Jake's been helping me exercise it." I cast a knowing glance at Jacob and lightly chuckled.
"Oh. Good. We'll just have to take an x-ray and you'll be good to go." Genevieve said.
"Okay. Great."
"Is there any way you could be pregnant?" She asked.
"Umm... I don't know." I said. I couldn't remember if Jacob had been using condoms. I looked at him, but he was no help. "I think there is a chance, but I don't think so."
"Alright, well we're going to have to take a urine sample just so if you are, the x-ray doesn't hurt the baby." Genevieve said gently, knowing I was shaken.
"Okay." I did the urine sample and we waited for about a half an hour in silence while they ran a test. Then all of a sudden, Genevieve walked back in. Right after Olive had gone to get a soda.
"Aly, I'm afraid to say it, but you're pregnant."
I bolted.

About two weeks after "finding out," I layed back on my bed, the one Jacob and I had shared for weeks, and stared at my striped ponytail holder on my wrist, wondering how I was every going to tell my mom. I knew she was worried about me. But I didn't have time to worry about her worrying because Jacob barged in with a depressed/angry look.
"It's not you." Jacob said as he packed his stuff up. "It's me."
"God, that's such a cliche. You were so happy about the baby and now you're leaving me. What a shitty thing to say." I completely flipped. "Is there another girl? Who is it?"
"No, Bella. God, no." He stood up and walked to me. His arms encircled me and he rested his cheek on my head. "It's just better this way. Trust me."
"How can I?" I whisper-demanded. "You're leaving me. What happened to 'this will make us closer' and 'forever. I'll love you forever'? Huh? What happened to that?"
"I will love you forever and I hope we'll be close friends when we get older but right now I have to go." He pulled back and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Annabella, I love you. Write me okay? And do me a favor. Promise me you'll let him know who his father is. Please."
"I don't know Jake. A father is someone that raises you and loves you and teaches you how to ride a bike. You won't be there for that. I don't know." I pulled away and straightened my pink t-shirt. "Just leave."
"Bells-"
"Leave Jacob and don't come back." I turned away and didn't see him climb out the window and disappear. Then I broke down.
I was two months pregnant, single, pissed, and hormonal. Great. And then as a cherry on the sundae, I heard footsteps. I knew she was about to knock on my door.
I was right.
"Bella, honey, can I come in?" my mom asked.
Even greater.
"Yeah," I answered, then once she came in, "what do you need?"
"Umm... I just wanted to talk."
"Uh-huh."
"Well... I, and your father-" she took a deep breath, "Your father and I had a little chat and we're concerned honey. You've been piling food in for weeks and gaining weight like crazy. You're always in your room or out and you always play those video games and not that we mind, but we do have to pay the bill. Bells, you haven't showered in like three days and ..."
"Mom, I'm pregnant." I said quietly. She went right on.
"... Your father said you got snippy with him the other day after you got home and you're very moody. You..."
"Mom, I'm pregnant." I said a little louder. Still, she went right on like a farmer plowing through the field.
"... just don't seem like yourself and you're constantly distracted. You all of a sudden have a conscience and a bladder the size of a pea. Your father and I have discussed this and we can't think of a logical explanation for this-"
"MOM!" I screamed it this time. "I'M PREGNANT!"
She stared at me then walked out of my room shell-shocked. I burst out crying again.

They came into my room later that night. Dad wearing a bad cop expression and Mom with a good cop expression. It was reversed. Brillant.
"First, let's clear things up." Dad said. "What you screamed at your mother today, is it true or did you just say it for attention?"
"You think I would say that for attent-" He cut me off.
"Answer the question Annabella." Wow the whole first name.
"Yes." I cast my eyes down when I heard my mom choke on tears.
"Annabella Marie Ford. How could you do something like this? You're sixteen for God's sake!" My dad yelled. I had never seen him so angry. At least not at me.
"I loved him and I though he loved me." I answered, remembering Jake and his disappearance.
"Who was it that treated you like this?" He asked.
"Nobody important."
"Answer the question."
"No."
"Annabella-"
"Jacob." I said, fast and quick.
"Don't make me ask again-"
"JACOB!?" my mom screamed. "You've known all along where he was and, oh my God, you're like brother and sister. How?" She broke down.
"When Annabella?" Dad asked.
"When what?" I responded sincerely.
"Don't be a smartass."
"When what Dad? I don't know what you mean!? When did Jacob and I realize we loved each other? Two months and three days ago. When did we first have sex? Two months and two days ago. When did I get pregnant? Somewhere between two months and two days ago to three weeks and six days ago. When did Jacob leave me? Less than one day ago. When did my heart split in two? When Jacob left. Which one pops? Huh?" I yelled at him.
"Get rid of it." my mother said quietly. "I'll give you the money." I sat there, confused and shocked, as she went downstairs and returned five minutes later with a check for fifteen thousand dollars. That's when I understood what she meant.
"No. Never ever ever ever ever ever!" I screamed in her face. "Get out of my room! Now!"
"I think she needs time honey," my dad said as he led her out of my room. "We'll be back."
"Whatever." I said. As soon as they were gone, I locked my door and grabbed my four duffel bags out from under my bed. I threw them in the center of my room and then I went on a rampage. My closet was first and I started throwing my clothes in the middle of my rug. Anything I could get my hands on. Once three were filled, I filled the last one and my backpack with stuff like books, my laptop, my favorite blanket and pillow, and the picture. The one of my family and I, Kylie's family and Kylie, and Jake and his parents.
It all went out the window. Then I went into Tiff's room and left a note. Then Matt's room to steal the four hundred fifty dollars under his pillow. Then I went out the window too. I didn't know where I was going or how I'd do this alone, but I was getting out of that house. No way was I getting rid of my son or daughter.

First thing I did was go to the phone store and cancel my plan. Then I got a new one with a new number and while I put it in my parents name, I made a password so you couldn't cancel the plan without knowing it. Then the bank. I transferred all of my money in my savings account to a new one with a new pin, put the check from my mom in it, and got a credit card. Well, a card just for my account, debit card, or whatever you call it. On my way to the bus station, I saw a bookstore with a book titled What to Expect for Expecting Mothers in the display case. I stopped in there to buy it, making a thirty dollar dent in Matt's money.
Stepping onto the bus to Baltimore, Maryland, where one of my older best friends had moved to a few years ago, I felt like everyone knew I had shamed my family and run away. In retrospect probably no one knew. Since I was a little late getting on the big blue-and-white Greyhound, there were only two seats available and my bags had barely fit in the cargo section under the bus. My two choices were a talkative Italian man and a preoccupied one. Since I didn't want anyone prying into my life, I chose the preoccupied one.
"Mind if I sit here?" I asked. The boy looked up and nodded.
"Yeah sure." He went back to writing or drawing it looked like. The bus started to go and about five minutes passed before he spoke again.
"I'm Jason Long, by the way."
Jason was pretty cute, if I was looking, which I wasn't. He has shaggyish dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes. I could tell he worked out because I went, well used to go, to a gym and he had tone.
"Oh, um, Bella. I'm Annabella. Nice to meet you."
"Same."
"So..." I said, trailing off.
"Where are you headed?" he asked, shutting his sketchbook and turning to me.
Two hours later when we reached Baltimore, I was laughing more than I think I had ever before.
"So I said 'yes, my name is Jill.' And he believed me." Jason said. I just laughed harder.
"Did anything happen?" I asked as we stood up to get off.
"No. I walked away." He answered, then in a girly voice he said, "He was sooo not cute anyway."
We laughed until we got off the rolling automobile. then we exchanged cell numbers.
"Hey, I'm staying here until tomorrow morning. I have a friend to see." Jason said. "And tomorrow I'm catching a bus to New York City where I live with my friends. Maybe you should come too. Your mom is going to check all your friends but she doesn't know about me. And you would have your own room at Darcy's."
"Well..." I thought about it and decided that even though I had picked the wrong seat on the bus, I was glad I did.
"Bella, come on! I don't have many friends and we could get you a job and you could even go to school with Darcy. She could pull a few strings. Come on!" He pleaded.
"Okay. I guess." I said, smiling.
"Awesome! Alright, so I'll meet you right here at nine tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Alright," I agreed.
"Sweet!" He said excitedly. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Bye!" I yelled as he walked away.