Accidents Happen

I was already getting nauseous at the sound of the door opening. My mom was home from work.

“I could tell her.” Asher offered.

“No, it’s okay.” I replied. Just like I couldn’t tell Gavin everything, I had to tell my mom. She needed to hear it from me, and honestly, I needed her comfort. I rarely depended on her, mainly because I didn’t feel that she could support me emotionally. She had too many things of her own to deal with. But now I felt it was okay to need a mother’s warmth and strength.

“I’m home!” She announced into the house aimlessly. Her keys jingled as she threw them onto the counter. She came into the living room, flopping into the armchair kitty-cornered to the couch.

“Hi mom.” I greeted. Anxiety was already bubbling in my stomach.

"Mom." I began. "I need to tell you something." She turned to face me, eyebrows raising as if to say 'go on.'

"I'm pregnant." I put my hands on my protruded stomach, something I hadn't really done. I realized the warmth felt kind of nice on the aching of my stretching skin. I was only about four months along, but it was getting bigger.

"Fiona Gwendolyn!" She exclaimed, putting a hand over her heart. She did that a lot. "You almost gave me a heart attack; I thought you were being serious for a second."

"I was raped." I went on.

"You're telling the truth." It wasn't a question. Her eyes were going distant, like she was thinking.

"And I'm gay." Asher chimed in, probably trying to bring her back.

"You guys." She said, but the room filled with silence after that. None of us knew what to say, so we didn't attempt to say anything.

"We've got to get you to a doctor!" She exclaimed, shattering the silence. "How far along?"

"Four months." I replied.

"And about the father...," she trailed off. The malicious emeralds popped into my head.

"Gideon Reid." I added in.

"The boy we met at dinner?!"

"Yeah. I didn't know Gavin was his brother until I went over to their house." I tried to justify.

"Does he know?"

"We told him earlier today." Asher explained.

"Does Gavin know?"

"I'm leaving it up to Gideon." I shrugged.

"I'll make the appointment in the morning." She said, hopping off the awkward-talk train. "But for now, I should get to bed.
It's been a long day."

"Goodnight." Asher and I wished at the same time.

"And Asher, I knew already." She winked.

***

The weekend was over too fast and all too suddenly, it was Monday. I was looking a confrontation and a break-up straight in the eye, neither too confidently.

But first, I had to take the bus.
Which held one good thing, Luna Mae.

"Hey, how are things with Gavin?" She asked.

"Worse by the day." I replied honestly. "What about things with Landon?"

"Well, I thought he was going to ask me to the Spring Formal next month, but someone else got in the way." She replied, a glint in her eye indicating she had something juicy to share.

"Who?" I asked. For a moment I felt a bit normal, talking like this with my best friend. Like my only worries laid in my terrible wardrobe.

"Your brother."

“What are you talking about? He doesn’t even know Asher.” My eyebrows scrunched in doubt.

“He claims he does. They’ve snuck off together a couple times; he’s told me.” She explained.

“Asher hasn’t said anything about that.” I told her. “But I’m sorry. I guess that thing you said about all the good guys being gay is true.”

“Oh very funny.” She replied sarcastically. There was a glint of humor in her eyes, so I knew she hadn’t taken it completely to heart.

“I could always set you up with one of the Broad Squad.” I shrugged.

“The what now?” She asked quizzically. I hadn’t realized what I’d just said until she asked.

“One of Nicholas’s friends. Sorry, that’s what I call them in my head.” We both laughed.