The Fast Times

Pete and Nancy headed to school the next morning, leaving without notice. Nancy's nausea was settled and Pete was deep in his thoughts. In the parking lot he kissed Nancy's cheek and watched her go in while he stood beside the car and smoked.

Nancy walked to her locker with what felt like every eye was on her. Her ears grew warm and her stomach churned as people whispered and looked at her viciously, as if they had x-ray eyes and could see through her clothes, her skin. She hurried to her locker and opened it up, feeling bile shoot up her esophagus. Holding it down, she tried to find the right notes she needed to make up her assignment from yesterday. Her shuffling was interrupted by a large hand yanking her locker open further.

"We need to talk now," Chip said shortly, urgently.

"Leave me alone," Nancy muttered, vomit rising, "I don't feel good."

"Is it true?" He questioned, his voice still short and full of anger.

"No," Nancy spat out, "whatever you heard, it isn't true, now back off."

Chip grabbed Nancy's arm and spun her around, surprising her. She dropped her notebook, her loose leaf sheets flying across the hall. She yanked back, "What the fuck are you doing, Chip?!"

Chip didn't answer, he just pulled up her sweatshirt and layers of t-shirts beneath. There was his evidence of the rumor flying around school; Nancy Durden was pregnant with Pete Wentz's baby.

Nancy shoved him away, without much effort Chip stepped back, letting her clothing go. He stared at her, his stomach dropping, his face growing hot. He was just a millisecond from bashing Pete's face in.

"Are you kidding me?!" Chip shouted, gathering even more attention from everyone.

"Shut the hell up!" Nancy snapped back.

Chip's head was filled of the image of Nancy's belly poking out. The mound she was forming made all of his hope of just boring rumors too true. He was on the verge of puking as well.

"Oh my God," he muttered. "What the fuck?"

"This isn't any of your or anybody else's business!" Nancy screamed; her head grew dizzy. "It's true, so what?! I'm the one who has to deal, not everyone else!"

Nancy's vision blurred and whitened. She shook her head, her breathing growing shallow as the anger and dizziness took over. She panted, Chip furrowed his brows as she did so, her legs and knees swaying, losing balance. He caught her just as she fell forward; everyone around just watched, not doing a thing.

Chip growled under his breath, "Someone get a teacher!"


Nancy woke up in the nurse's office in the bed kids used whenever they were sick. She rolled on to her side, groaning, then sat up, eyes still closed. Pete was right beside her, having come in just as Chip was told to carry her to the nurse's office by a teacher.

Chip and Pete hadn't spoken a word; Chip stayed until the nurse told him to go. Pete was allowed to stay since he claimed that she was pregnant and he was the father; only angering Chip even more. Pete didn't mean anything rude by it towards him, he just wanted to be there with Nancy.

The nurse had called her aunt and uncle, told them what was happening, and they said they'd be there soon. This all surprised Pete, but they hadn't come -and it had been over an hour. Nancy had vomited in her daze and had passed out again, Pete was right there to hold her hair and hold her hand as she laid there.

"Pete," Nurse Gillian came in, "you should go to class now."

Pete didn't pay her any mind, he focused on Nancy who was groaning and holding her stomach. "Are you okay?" Pete asked her.

Nancy shoved his hand away, "Get away from me. Anyone around me, get the hell away."

Nancy was angry and sick, she felt betrayed and didn't want anyone to talk. Her body was turning against her and she couldn't handle it. She still kept her eyes closed, afraid to open them and see people she didn't want to see around her.

Pete stepped away, understanding her ill feelings. She finally opened her eyes and they went straight to him; "Everyone knows now. Who the hell blabbed?"

Pete shrugged, "I don't know."

Nancy swallowed and stood up, her knees shaking; Pete was quick to help her with the nurse ready to help. Nancy sighed, "I'm fine, I just need to throw up."

She tied her hair back with a ponytail she kept on her wrist. Pete left her arm go and let her walk slowly to the bathroom across the room. The nurse had let out her own sigh, "Where the heck are her aunt and uncle?"

"Nancy's living with me and my family, I can take her home," Pete offered, nearly pleading.

Nurse Gillian bit at her lip, "I can't. You're 17, she's 16. If either one of you were 18 I'd let you go."

Before Pete could retort, there came a knock on the opened door. They both looked over and saw Darla there, bundled in a scarf and large coat. She cleared her throat, "I'm Darla Carson, Nancy Durden's aunt."

Nancy emerged from the bathroom holding her stomach. Her face was sweaty and wet from a splash of water to her face. She noticed that Pete was the only one in the room, he sat on the bed, holding her coat and bag.

"I need to leave," Nancy murmured with a thick tone of voice.

Pete looked over at her, "Darla's here."

Nancy frowned, "My aunt Darla?"

He gave a small nod, "She's signing you out and taking you..." He trailed, "Home."

"Home? Your home or my grandmother's home?" Nancy questioned, her stomach wavering again.

"I think your grandmother's," Pete stood, walking to her.

Nancy stood in a bit of shock; Pete put her coat on for her, zipping it up and then giving her a hug. Nancy returned it, tears blurring her vision, then rolling down her cheeks. She sniffled and held Pete tight; their hug was interrupted by Darla snapping her fingers - rudely.

Nancy and Pete parted slowly; he kissed her forehead, "I'll come by after school...I'll go home first to see if you're there."

Nancy gave a nod and kissed his cheek, "Okay."

They parted fully, he gave her, her bag and she slung it onto her shoulder. She reluctantly followed Darla, who was forcibly smiling at her. Nancy looked back to see the sadness spread across Pete's face, making the knots in her stomach grow.

Darla didn't speak a word as they climbed into her SUV. She and Nancy were alone, and all Nancy wanted to do was ignore Darla and run away to the safety of Dale's care. Nancy had cursed her aunt out in her head, wanting to hurt her like she had done to Nancy and her grandmother; she wanted to tell her how much Dale was a better parent and caregiver than Darla could ever hope to be. But Nancy kept mum. The only sound was the wetness of snow under the tires as they drove.

Finally, Nancy swallowed, her eyes forward, she asked, "Why are you here?"

Without missing a beat, Darla answered, "They told me to pick you up, and here I am. Picking you up."

"You should've left me. I'd rather stay there until 2:30 and go back to Dale Wentz's house. She's nice to me, she doesn't call me names, she didn't abandon me. She doesn't think I'm ruining my life."

"There's a difference, Nancy," Darla looked at her quickly, then at the road. "There's a difference between being genuine and being fake. Do you think Dale wants you around her family? Just because she's being nice to you doesn't mean she isn't saying the truth behind your back."

"She doesn't do that!" Nancy screamed. "Stop the car! Let me out, now! I'd rather walk and catch pneumonia than be in a car with you, you bitch!"

Darla didn't stop the car, "I'm giving you a chance to turn it all around. You're only, what, 20 weeks?"

"18," Nancy corrected, her jaw set tight.

"You can still legally get an abortion and pretend this never happened. You can come to St. Louis with--"

"No!" She cried, "I am not gonna do that!"

"Nancy--"

"I don't care what you want! You can shove that money up your ass, Darla! We can do it all by ourselves! We don't need you or your crappy money!"

Darla still didn't pull over, though she was angry enough to do so. She kept quiet, driving to Alma's home, where she parked and Nancy immediately bolted. She stopped mid-way up the lawn when she saw moving men taking things out the house.

"What are you doing?!" She snapped at them, "These are my grandmother's things! Put them down!"

Norman came out and grabbed her, placing a hand over her mouth, ordering the movers to continue. Norman pulled her inside, but not before Nancy bit him and shot up the stains, causing her head to spin. She went to her bedroom, shut and then locked the door.

Her mind was dizzy, she held into her desk chair for a moment before she began to look around for the cordless she had left in there before she left with Dale and Pete. She found it on her hamper and dialed Dale's home phone. Just outside the door Norman and Darla both knocked; "Cy, come out of there," he coaxed.

"Screw you!"

After a few moments, Dale picked up, "Hello?"

"Mrs. Wentz can you come to my grandma's? Please? Darla and Norman are taking everything and I need help!"

Dale didn't even think, she agreed, "I'll be there in a minute, honey."

"Thank you."