Stay Gold

I imediately bursted out laughing.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, "Me, pregnant? That's the best joke I've heard since I moved here."

"No, it's no joke. You're pregnant, Miss Williams. I'll leave you with your family now to let this news kind of sink in," the doctor simply said and walked out of the room.

I think at this point, I'd rather be diagnosed with a terminal illness than to find out there's a little human in my uterus. How can I take care of a baby? I can barely take care of myself! What would the town think of a 17-year-old girl who got knocked up? What was Darry gonna say? Shit, what is Dally gonna do? He sure as hell won't raise a kid. So many questions were running through my head, I didn't know where to begin. I didn't say a word the whole ride home from the doctor's. I just kind of gazed out the window with the million thoughts running through my head.

I had a break tonight, though. Darry was working an over-night job in a different city, so I didn't have to tell him about my little bundle of sorrow. Pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful thing I hear, yet I'm finding myself so bitter.

I had an evening alone, so I used it to my advantage; sit on the sofa and bawl like a baby. Oh, there I go using that awful "B" word again. It seemed like hours went by before Soda and Ponyboy got home.

"Hey, Elaine, how are--are you crying?" Soda asked.

"No!" I said, quickly wiping away any tears, "I have something in my eye is all." I'm a terrible liar, by the way. I bursted out crying once more.

"What's wrong?" I hear Ponyboy call out from the other room.

I really didn't wanna tell him, I didn't wanna tell anyone. I didn't wanna have this baby. I guess you could say I'm royally fucked.

"Did you and Dal have a fight or something?" he said upon entering the living room.

I just stared at my toes. "We will once I actually tell him what's wrong..."

"What do you mean?"

"There's no simple way to say this and I really don't wanna tell you but I will anyway. I'm...pregnant."

Ponyboy's eyes went wide, almost wild. "How? Like, I know how a baby is made...but how? You of all people, I mean..."

"This is why most women own a meat cleaver, so this kind of stuff doesn't happen," I said coldly.

Ponyboy and Soda looked at each other worried-like.

"I'm just kidding, guys. Calm down!" Or was a really serious?

Part of me was serious. I wanted to kill Dally. How could he have let this fucking happen? The man that preaches that little kids are shitty? And HE let this happen? I was done being nice. I was gonna give Dally a chewing out he ain't never heard before.



Of course, that chewing out wouldn't be until 3AM when I finally located him.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said cooly.

I just glared at him.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he hissed.

I could feel myself exploding inside. "What's a matter with me?! You fucked up, that's what's the matter with me!"

Dally raised an eyebrow at me, "Fiesty tonight, are we?" He leaned in to kiss my neck.

Slap!

"What the fuck?!" his loud voice filled his small apartment.

"You knocked me up!" I shouted right back. "You better have a good job lined up because diapers and baby formula are expensive as hell."

"What are you talking about, Elaine?"'

I rolled my eyes, "When two people are in love, or at least when one person tells the other person that, they do certain things in the bedroom...or at a park for that matter, and those certain things can lead to a baby being made. Was that a good explanation or do I have to draw you a picture as well?"

Dally just stood there with a shocked expression on his face. And, he was right. I was fiesty. I was ready to pounce and kill.

"There's no way that thing is mine," he said defensively. "We haven't been together that long."

"It only takes one time to make a baby, Dal. We got lucky (or unlucky) for that matter."

"It isn't mine."

"Who's is it then?"

"You tell me, you're the one living with three guys--"

"Are you insinuating I sleep around?"

"Wouldn't surprise me, you're probably just like the rest of the broads I've nailed."

Punch!

A hole is now in Dally's wall. How could he say the kid wouldn't be his? Does he not realize he's the only person I've ever had sex with? I was getting madder by the second.

"I don't care what you say Elaine Williams, it ain't my kid. Now, get the hell out of here," Dally said, annoyed.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, anger taking a hold of me. "Fine, Dallas. But this will be the last time you see me. Why don't you booze up and go for a drive and stay away from me?"

"Gladly," he simply said.