“No. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re having what definitely looks like pregnancy symptoms. Throwing up in the mornings and the smell of bacon made you look like you were two seconds away from vomiting right on the table,” she tells me.
“No. I just had my period—” I start, but cut myself off because I can’t actually remember when it was. I mean, they were always irregular for Pete’s sake!
“When?”
“Well, I can’t really say. I think it was a while ago…”
“Jesus! I think you have the worst luck in the world if you are. How the hell do you have sex one time and get pregnant? That is if you are.”
“Erm…” I say, and she slaps her palm to her face.
“Please tell me the night of the party was the only time you were with him.”
“Um. I can’t do that.”
“Why not? Please tell me you didn’t have sex with him more than once!” she shrieks quietly.
“Quite a few times, actually,” I mumble.
“Please tell me you had the sense to use condoms the rest of those times you two had sex!” she whispers, yelling at me.
“Nope. But if it makes you feel better, I did take one of the morning-after pills I got from the pharmacy after the first time we did it,” I tell her, and then cringe. “Um, but then remember I was sick for a minute there… Shit! Shit! Shit! This can’t be happening! What am I going to do?”
“Well, let’s not freak out yet. We don’t know anything for sure. It could just be food poisoning, and we’re worried and freaking out for nothing. As soon as your father leaves, I’ll go out and get you a pregnancy test,” she informs me.
“Yeah, okay, and then we’ll know for sure.”
It feels like it takes forever for my father to leave, and when he does, she goes and gets the test for me. I’m on pins and needles as I wait for her to come back. When she finally returns, I quickly grab all five tests from her and rush into the bathroom.
I read the instructions, then pee in a cup, dunk all the tests into it, make sure it’s coated in pee, pull them out, cap it, and leave them all on the counter. Giana comes in a moment later, and we both stand there and wait. Well, she does while I pace, waiting for the tests to change. It doesn’t take long for the pregnant sign to show up on one of them, and I instantly start to freak out.
“Ma-maybe it’s not accurate. Maybe it’s wrong. I can’t be pregnant! Not now.”
“Maybe, but um, I’m not so sure,” she says, pointing to the other four. Two readpregnantand the other two have two pink lines.
“Oh my God! What am I going to do?”
“We have to get you to see a doctor to know for sure before we freak out further.”
“Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You have to sneak me out and take me to the one in Springfield,” I tell her, which is the next town away.
“I’m pretty sure you are, though.”
“Shhh! Don’t put that kind of negativity into the universe!”
“Your father left already, so we’ll leave in about an hour and a half just to make sure he’s not coming back for anything. I’ll let everyone know you’re not to be disturbed because you’re not feeling well. Since no one else is allowed in your room, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Deal,” I tell her, still worried about what I’ll have to deal with if the doctor confirms I am pregnant.
When Giana finally comes back up to get me, we put some pillows under my sheets to make it look like I’m under there, just in case. Then we sneak downstairs and head for her car. Making sure the coast is clear, I slip into her trunk once again, unseen.
Once she’s far enough away from the house, she stops, and I get out of the trunk, move to the passenger seat, and we head to the next town to see the doctor there. I don’t want to risk going to the one here in case my father hears about it.
“Oh, by the way, I made an appointment earlier, so by the time we get there, it should be time to see the doctor, give or take a few minutes,” she tells me.
“That was good thinking. Do you think those tests are wrong?”