Smoke on the Water

“Hey Natasha, could you make us some more popcorn?” Amy asked from the seat of her comfortable couch.

“Sure thing,” she replied. “Where are the popcorn baggies?”

Amy groaned but steadily stood up and showed Natasha where they were in the cabinets.

Four weeks passed after Natasha’s fight with her parents and unfortunately, not much has changed. Tensions were still running extremely high between Natasha and her parents. There was no more talk about her future college life, Brody, or any talk for that matter. The silence in the house was deafening to Natasha and she didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t want to make her parents disappointed, but then again, she knew that if she went to Columbia like they wanted; she would drive herself crazy doing something she didn’t love. After all, if her parents were willing to pay so much money on Columbia University wouldn’t it be better to spend it doing something Natasha loved?

The days after the fight, Natasha tried desperately not to speak to her parents or even see them for that matter; a process that was difficult considering they lived in the same house. But Natasha still found a way. In the morning, she would wake up and take a shower. Then for breakfast, she would either get out of the house before her parents could see her, or ask the maids to bring it into her room. During the day, Natasha usually spent her time in the back corners of the house, either in the library or her room, until dinner time. Some days, when tensions got too high, she wouldn’t stay home at all and just sleepover Amy’s house.

Tonight was one of those days.

This morning, before Natasha got the chance to leave the estate, her mother and father stopped her and gave her a couple brochures on Columbia University. They again told her that Columbia is a good choice, the right choice for Natasha. No, there wasn’t any row between the three and Natasha just quietly took the brochures and sped off to Amy’s house.

When Natasha came over, Amy thought it would be a great idea to invite some of their best friends from high school and have a girls’ night. Shortly after Amy made a few calls and texts, high school friends, Jessica, Maria and Emma, all arrived at Amy’s apartment to enjoy a relaxing movie date and to help Natasha get her mind off university for a little while. The five girls just finished watching The Devil Wears Prada but as funny as that movie was, Natasha’s mind just couldn’t get off her parents.

As Natasha waited next to the popping microwave, she caught a glimpse of the multitude of the pamphlets her parents had given her with the words Columbia University on the front in big bold letters. Unintentionally, an audible sigh escaped Natasha’s lips causing Amy and Jess to look back over to her with the look of sympathy on their faces.

“Cheer up, babe. Everything will come together soon,” Emma said as she walked over to her and gave her a hug. Maria and Jess nodded in agreement.

“You and Brody love each other so much,” Jess started. “If it’s truly meant to be, then everything will fall together real soon.”

Natasha wondered whether any of that was true. She prayed to God that what Jess said was factual, but something inside her heart had a bad feeling about all of this.

“God, I just wish that my parents weren’t so close-minded about this entire thing,” Natasha said as she took a seat on the bar stool behind the kitchen counter. The girls all took a seat and focused their attention on Natasha. “More than anything, I love Brody and nothing would make me happier to go to Temple University. My parents can’t see that.”

The microwave signaled its completion but nobody paid attention to that.

“The only thing my parents care for is going to Columbia, and majoring in Business Law, and getting a good job, and making good money,” Natasha added. “God, it just makes me so goddamn angry that the only thing they think about is what looks better on them.” She was increasingly becoming angrier by the minute.

“Well, they’re only looking out for you and trying to see what will be best for you,” Amy added timidly. This was Amy. She was the one that always tried to be the rational one when confrontations occurred; always trying to make the one side understand the other. In high school, she was even given the nickname ‘Peace Keeper’ just because you rarely saw her get angry or yell at anyone in a fight. At times, this quality was something that Natasha enjoyed in her, but sometimes, like now, this quality of Amy’s really annoyed Natasha to a great extent.

But instead of fighting with Amy, Natasha decided to keep her cool. “I know you’re right, it’s just that....” Natasha started and her anger towards her parents built up again. “They just make me so fucking irritated!” Natasha said as she quickly and forcefully stood up from the bar stool.

When Natasha stood up, she felt an extremely sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Like someone stabbed her stomach with a knife. She yelped out in pain and the four girls helped her to the nearby sofa.

“Natasha, are you okay?” Jess asked nervously. “Should I call 9-1-1?”

Natasha tried to compose herself the best she could. “No, no I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve been having these weird stomach aches for the last week or so.” She didn’t want to lie down; that, she found out, made the pain worse. She instead tried to walk around and when that didn’t do any good, she sat down at the kitchen counter.

Amy walked over to her friend and felt her forehead. “Well you don’t have a fever.”

Natasha nodded. “It’s probably just a stomach bug or something.”

“Or…” Emma smiled mischievously. “You’re pregnant!” Upon that, everyone in the kitchen laughed.

“Right!” Natasha laughed. “As if that could happen.” That’s not possible. There’s no way! It’s not like she and Brody ever….

Then it hit her.

Graduation night. The Four Seasons. In the penthouse. The beautiful view. The kissing, the touching, the warm, comfortable bed….

Natasha’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Oh my God,” was the only thing she could muster up.

“What?” Amy’s eyes widened as well.

Natasha looked back at her friends and told reluctantly told them about the night at the Four Seasons. She told them how he surprised her by booking a Penthouse. She told them how beautiful the suite was and how amazing New York City looked like from up there. She told them all the beautiful things he said to her and how wonderful he made her feel. She told them about how they started kissing, so sensually, so longingly. And she told them how they made love.

“Natasha,” Jess asked with her jaw agape. “Do you think… you might be pregnant?” her voice was just above a whisper.

Natasha couldn’t think clearly for a moment. No, there’s no possible way, she thought. We used a condom, definitely. But then again… condoms could break. There had to be some explanation to her stomach cramps. And when she came to think about it, she noticed that she’d been feeling slightly more fatigue after working out at the gym. Maybe….

“I, I don’t know,” Natasha stammered.

“Alright,” Amy said assertively. “Everyone get in the car. We’re going to the drug store and getting a pregnancy test.”

Twenty minutes later, the five girls were back at Amy’s house with the unopened pregnancy package in Natasha’s hands.

“Do you really think you might be pregnant?” Jess asked, breaking the silence in the house.

Natasha hesitated. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out in about five minutes.” Natasha then headed up to the bathroom with the dreaded pregnancy test and read the directions. Plus sign for positive, Minus sign for negative. Seems easy enough, Natasha thought.

“Well what did the test say?” Amy asked as Natasha walked down the stairs with the stick in her hand. “Are you pregnant?”

Natasha put the stick in the sink but stayed silent.

“What did it say?” Amy pleaded.

“It said,” Natasha took a shaky breath. “I’m pregnant.”

And after those two little words, I’m pregnant, were said, everyone stood still. Nobody said anything. Nobody knew what to say. Natasha’s friends were the most confused as to what to say. Do you congratulate her for getting knocked up right out of high school? Do you scold her for not waiting until marriage? Or do you just stay silent and wait for her to speak? They chose the latter option but by the looks of how Natasha was crying, they would have to keep silent for a while.