The Tragic Truth
Vacancy
I was supposed to go meet Zoe at her house instead. I went into the bathroom, and just put on my glasses that I hardly ever wore, instead of piling on more makeup. Drake was going to drive my Jeep to her house, seeing as I really didn’t want to drive. When we got to her house, she was already outside on the porch, waiting. She was pacing back and forth, looking like she was about to wear a hole in the floor. When she spotted my white Jeep, it looked like she was just about ready to pass out.
I got out of the car and walked up to her, giving her a hug. She looked worried.
“I just don’t know what I’m going to do...I mean, oh geez...” She started looking around, as if waiting for something. Then she pulled away and gave Drake a short little hug.
“Nice seeing you again...” You could tell she was really distracted.
“Why don’t we go talk in your room, honey? Okay?” I said calmly.
“Okay,” she agreed.
We all sat on the floor at the foot of her bed; Drake’s knees pulled up to his chest, mine doing the same, and Zoe’s stretched out in front of her and crossed. For maybe five minutes, we did nothing but stare at the wall in front of us. Finally, I took the liberty of breaking the silence.
“Is it Derek?” I asked, still staring at the wall.
“Yea,” she replied.
“What are you gonna do with it?” Drake said. We were all still talking to the wall until he made that remark. We both looked at him in the exact same way, at the exact same time.
“I don’t know Drake. This is why I called you guys over. I mean...I think I want to keep it. I’m against abortion, and when I’ve thought about it, I don’t think I could give up a child to adoption if it was mine.” She looked down towards the molding at the bottom of the wall. “I think I’m going to keep it,” she said, raising her head again, slowly coming to a realization, “I’m going to keep it.”
Drake and I both looked at her. Personally, I thought that what she was thinking was the right thing to do. But reading books, seeing movies, and just plain having common sense taught me that it was going to take a lot of work and money. Definitely money. But I knew I could help her out.
“Did you tell Derek yet?” I asked. I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
“No...You’re the first person I called. I should probably call him though...I wonder how he’s going to react.”
“Well, I haven’t known either of you as long as I wish I have, but this is the happiest I’ve ever seen either of you.” I commented.
Just as Zoe was about to say something, her mother screamed at her from downstairs.
“ZOE SAMANTHA LENNEL, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!” No offense to anyone, but I’d like to point out that British people sound funny when they’re yelling at you, or someone close to you. I found it kind of amusing, until we figured out what her mom was yelling about.
We walked downstairs solemnly until we were in the kitchen, all lined up like we were on death row. I had a bad feeling, like some kind of foreboding. And I was right.
“What,” her mother said, unwrapping something from a tissue, “is this?” It was Zoe’s pregnancy test. Shit.
“I-” I could tell even before she said anything that Zoe was at a loss of words. How do you explain a positive pregnancy test in your trash can? To your parents?
“I’m giving you one chance to answer, and one only. Are you pregnant?” Zoe’s mother said. Zoe looked down at her feet.
“Yes,” she said feebly. Zoe’s dad got up from the kitchen table. He had been off in the shadows while her mom did all the yelling.
“Are you keeping the baby?” He asked, a firm tone in his voice that meant no-nonsense.
“Yes,” Zoe said again, shuffling her feet.
“Out.” Her father said.
“What?” she asked. She looked up. Drake and I just stood off to the side.
“Out,” her mother repeated for him, “you’re out of here. You are not living in this house when you’re planning on keeping that baby. Get your stuff and leave.” It was obvious that she was trying to hold in the tears. All three of us walked out of the kitchen and up to Zoe’s [former] room. We sat on the bed for a minute.
“I have no where else to go,” she whispered, silent tears running down her face. I hugged her tight.
“Well...I recently got an opening,” I hinted. We started packing.
I got out of the car and walked up to her, giving her a hug. She looked worried.
“I just don’t know what I’m going to do...I mean, oh geez...” She started looking around, as if waiting for something. Then she pulled away and gave Drake a short little hug.
“Nice seeing you again...” You could tell she was really distracted.
“Why don’t we go talk in your room, honey? Okay?” I said calmly.
“Okay,” she agreed.
We all sat on the floor at the foot of her bed; Drake’s knees pulled up to his chest, mine doing the same, and Zoe’s stretched out in front of her and crossed. For maybe five minutes, we did nothing but stare at the wall in front of us. Finally, I took the liberty of breaking the silence.
“Is it Derek?” I asked, still staring at the wall.
“Yea,” she replied.
“What are you gonna do with it?” Drake said. We were all still talking to the wall until he made that remark. We both looked at him in the exact same way, at the exact same time.
“I don’t know Drake. This is why I called you guys over. I mean...I think I want to keep it. I’m against abortion, and when I’ve thought about it, I don’t think I could give up a child to adoption if it was mine.” She looked down towards the molding at the bottom of the wall. “I think I’m going to keep it,” she said, raising her head again, slowly coming to a realization, “I’m going to keep it.”
Drake and I both looked at her. Personally, I thought that what she was thinking was the right thing to do. But reading books, seeing movies, and just plain having common sense taught me that it was going to take a lot of work and money. Definitely money. But I knew I could help her out.
“Did you tell Derek yet?” I asked. I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
“No...You’re the first person I called. I should probably call him though...I wonder how he’s going to react.”
“Well, I haven’t known either of you as long as I wish I have, but this is the happiest I’ve ever seen either of you.” I commented.
Just as Zoe was about to say something, her mother screamed at her from downstairs.
“ZOE SAMANTHA LENNEL, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!” No offense to anyone, but I’d like to point out that British people sound funny when they’re yelling at you, or someone close to you. I found it kind of amusing, until we figured out what her mom was yelling about.
We walked downstairs solemnly until we were in the kitchen, all lined up like we were on death row. I had a bad feeling, like some kind of foreboding. And I was right.
“What,” her mother said, unwrapping something from a tissue, “is this?” It was Zoe’s pregnancy test. Shit.
“I-” I could tell even before she said anything that Zoe was at a loss of words. How do you explain a positive pregnancy test in your trash can? To your parents?
“I’m giving you one chance to answer, and one only. Are you pregnant?” Zoe’s mother said. Zoe looked down at her feet.
“Yes,” she said feebly. Zoe’s dad got up from the kitchen table. He had been off in the shadows while her mom did all the yelling.
“Are you keeping the baby?” He asked, a firm tone in his voice that meant no-nonsense.
“Yes,” Zoe said again, shuffling her feet.
“Out.” Her father said.
“What?” she asked. She looked up. Drake and I just stood off to the side.
“Out,” her mother repeated for him, “you’re out of here. You are not living in this house when you’re planning on keeping that baby. Get your stuff and leave.” It was obvious that she was trying to hold in the tears. All three of us walked out of the kitchen and up to Zoe’s [former] room. We sat on the bed for a minute.
“I have no where else to go,” she whispered, silent tears running down her face. I hugged her tight.
“Well...I recently got an opening,” I hinted. We started packing.