Never Again

Sunlight streamed through my window the next morning, waking me up 2 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. The moment I sat up, I knew something wasn’t right. I quickly rushed myself to the bathroom and knelt over the toilet as the contents of my stomach came rushing up. I sat on the bathroom floor for a while, crying. I hated throwing up, but I also hated the reason I was throwing up. No, I don’t hate the baby, I hate what the baby represents. I hate that I was stupid enough to get involved with someone for one night and have it dictate the rest of my life. After a moment of feeling sorry for myself, I quickly showered and got dressed before leaving for school.

I walked the halls all day long before realizing that people were staring. I quickly looked at my stomach, there was no way they knew. I wasn’t showing and only 5 people knew. I started analyzing my appearance in the mirror attached to my locker door when I saw someone standing behind me. I turned around and realized it was a girl I’d gone to school with for years, but we’d never spoken and she looked angry. I was about to ask her if she needed something when I felt a stinging sensation going through my cheek. She’d slapped me. “You whore! I can’t believe you’re pregnant with MY boyfriend’s baby! You think you can just go around sleeping with anyone you want! I swear if you weren’t pregnant I’d KILL— “Someone stepped in between us, it was Travis. “Look Kyra, YOUR boyfriend slept with her. It wasn’t all her and believe it or not it is his fault too. I do suggest that you back off though, because I’m not about to sit by and let you talk to her like that. She’s not a whore, she’s far FAR less of a whore than you are. Just get out of here.” He spoke confidently, and as she stomped away he turned to face me. “Travi, I am so sorry you had to find out from these people. I wanted to tell you myself and I just messed everything up.” He nodded as I spoke, I was biting back tears. “It’s okay Bay, I mean I kind of pushed you to it on some level. I really wanted to apologize about that and I hope we can at least be friends.” He pulled me in for a hug then, and it was nice. I’d really loved him before he started pressuring me. I think a part of me always would. “Of course we can be friends Trav, you know I love you.” He smiled into my hair before kissing me on the head. “I love you too Bay.”

Travis and I made plans for the weekend. We were going to see a movie and have some dinner. It wasn’t a date but I was excited about it. I thought I’d never see him again, especially after he found out that I was having someone else’s baby, but he was being surprisingly nice about everything. I was thinking about all of this as I slid into my car after school, I was just about to crank up when I heard a peck at my window. I looked up, and there was Alex with a strange look at his face. I rolled down my window, smiling at him. “Hi Ale—““Why were you with Travis this afternoon? And why was he walking you to your car?!” He was practically shouting at me. I was stunned, and offended all at once. The sudden rush of emotions caused me to lash out at him. “Excuse you! Who I spend my free time with is none of your business and I suggest you back off.” I was yelling at him, and I could see the anger bubbling in his eyes. He was gripping my door through the window so hard I could see the whites of his knuckles, I knew this was about to get worse. “Do you realize what you’re saying?! Of course it is MY business! You’re having MY baby!” He shrieked, I looked around and noticed people were now staring with open mouths as he confirmed the rumors that were circulating. I was mortified. “Alex I might be carrying a child with your DNA, but that does NOT give you the right to tell me who I can and cannot hang out with. To be honest, it IS none of your business.” I opened my mouth to say more but he cut me off. “It's none of my business?! Yes it is, it is my business if you’re going around fucking other guys with my baby in there.” I gasped as he spoke, and I soon felt the tears rush to my eyes and spill over. “You know, I’m not a whore but thanks for letting me know where you stand on the matter. And by the way, I’m not fucking anyone and have NOT fucked anyone other than your dumbass and we all see where that got me now don’t we?!” I yelled in his face before rolling up my window and driving off, not giving him another chance to say anything.

I calmed myself down by the time I got home, mainly for the sake of not having to explain the previous conversation with Alex to my Dad. I walked in the door of my house, shedding my backpack and purse on the floor near the stairs before walking into the dining room. The immediate aroma of pizza, alfredo sauce, and cheese hit my nose and I immediately knew that dad was cooking, which meant he’d ordered Pizza. I laughed to myself and grabbed a plate, piling on the food before joining my dad in the living room. “Hey there Bay,” He was smiling at me as I plopped down on the couch. “Hey daddy. How was your day?” He huffed and went into a rant about some new recruits that weren’t working out too well. “Oh, your mom had to go to your Memaws, she’s not doing so well. They’ve called in hospice and she wanted your mom there.” I nodded. Memaw is my mom’s mom, she developed Breast Cancer a few years back and after battling it and winning, it’d come back a few months ago. “Did she tell Memaw? About… me…” I bit my lip, staring at him. He nodded, “Yeah. She told her… and she’s actually excited. She just wishes she’d be here when the baby’s born. It’d be her first great grandchild, you know?” I nodded, relieved that my all too religious grandmother hadn’t abandoned me. I finished my food, and was washing up our dishes when the doorbell rang. “I got it.” My dad yelled from the couch. I didn’t think too much about it til I heard his voice from behind me. “We need to talk Abby.”