That Stupid Little L-Word:

Chapter Fifty One:

It's surreal to watch your stomach grow over the course of several months. The creature that is growing inside of you seems to evolve from a mental idea into a more physical reality. The strangest moment of them all has to be when it decides to move. I've slowly come to accept that there is a living being inside of me.

No one, except my supportive mother and amazing friends, however seem to understand this.

And because of that, my locker is now considered a whore, apparently.

"The janitor can clean it up," Kylie says soothingly. Her hand rests on my shoulder; her gaze remains glued to the spray paint that decorates the front of my locker. Her lips are wrinkled with worry.

I wrench the door open and shove my notebook inside, grabbing my math text book, which I only needed to finish my homework tonight. I wish I'd been able to catch the idiot who'd vandalized it. I could have easily prevented this with a quick punch to the jaw. I close my locker door; the slamming sound echoes against the fairly silent hallway. I hear a few snickers. Kylie loops her arm through mine and we start to walk to class.

A group of girls stand clustered together at the end of the hallway, their gazes skirting back and forth between the floor and I. Their hushed whispers just barely reach my ears.

"Pregnant at seventeen."

"She's ruined her whole life."

"She's such a whore."

I jaw clenches tight.

"Just ignore them," Kylie murmurs beside me. "No one ever knows the full story when they gossip, and there's no use in trying to correct the ignorant."

We walk out of the building toward our usual meeting spot with Amanda. She stands near the entrance to the Art Building, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping with impatience. When she spies us, she rushes over to greet us.

"Is it true?" she demands.

I stare at her dryly. "That depends on what rumor you're asking about. The one concerning my locker is, but I'm pretty sure that the one detailing selling my body on the internet is not."

She scowls. "That's so not cool. When they figure out who did it, I swear I'm going to knock their lights out."

I shrug, and we continue on into the building toward our class. There really wasn't much that could be done. As much as the administration tried to intervene, the gossip spread like a wildfire, and warped into some of the most ridiculous rumors I've ever heard in my life. Apparently, in some point in my life, I used to be a prostitute in Las Vegas, and that was how I roped Blue-Eyes into having sex with me.

And no one could stop the gossip, the dirty looks, and the teasing. But it was to be expected. I had become an anomaly.

When we enter the art room, I notice that Mr. King seems to be waiting for me. He stands near the door and perks up as I enter. "You're needed in the principal's office, Missy," he says, and wiggles a finger at me. "You better be going."

Amanda's scowl deepens and Kylie shoots me a worried look. "I'll text you after school," I say to them before I leave, and shoot them both a reassuring smile. As I exit the classroom, I wonder whether this chat has anything to do with my locker. It had to be that.

I walk into the main office, and immediately catch the attention of the secretary. She stands and ushers me back toward the principal's office. She sports a strange expression on her face; it's a mixture of worry and pity.

It makes my stomach twist with nerves.

The door is opened, and I come to a halt in the doorway, gaze locked onto a very familiar set of blue eyes. A sense of regret and something else, something unnameable, swirl around within the azure orbs. I tear my gaze away from Blue-Eyes just in time to see another very familiar person step forward. She has long dark hair and startling eyes.

"This is her?" she asks. She sounds irritated.

"I would assume so," I remark coolly. I hate people talking about me like that, right in front of me. It's so rude. And since she's already decided to pin dirty looks on me, I figure it wouldn't hurt to subtly defend myself.

I step forward and the principal gestures toward the open chair beside Blue-Eyes. I make my way over leisurely and gently sit down in the chair. The principal half-smiles at me. "How are you doing today, Alice?"

"I've been better," I say. "What's this about?"

The principal lets out a soft sigh. He presses his fingertips together in front of him on his desk. His gaze seems apologetic. "This is about Seth, and his involvement with...your predicament."

"I came to put a stop to the silly rumors that you have been spreading," Seth's mother, the dark haired woman, snaps from behind me. "Seth is not the father of your child. You need to stop telling people otherwise, or you'll ruin my son's reputation."

My mouth almost drops open in surprise. I turn slightly, casting a look toward Seth. The father of my child ducks his head and guiltily avoids my incredulous gaze. I look back toward the principal, eyes wide. My heart drops into my stomach. "You're joking, right?" I ask.

I almost burst out into tears when I see the seriousness in his eyes, once again mixed with a healthy dose of regret. Anger boils inside my veins. I wonder briefly where my mother is. A small part of me is thankful that she isn't here; we can't afford a new baby and a lawsuit for assault. I grind my teeth together. "Seth is the only person who I've ever had sex with," I force out. My hands clench into tight fists. "Unless I'm the next Virgin Mary, then I can assure you that he is the father."

Seth's mother rolls her eyes. "I'm sure. There isn't any way to prove that though, is there?"

"And how do you know that he's not lying to you?" I retort. I stand and turn around to face the bitch. "You won't know until this kid's outside my uterus. And I can assure you, that you will be sorely disappointed when the test results come back positive."

Her glare deepens tenfold. She opens her mouth to respond, but I turn to the principal. He looks exhausted. Seth still avoids my gaze. "Well, I demand a DNA test," Seth's mother says. "And until he has been proven the father, you are to stop ruining his reputation. I also don't want you near my son. Contact is absolutely forbidden. You've poisoned him enough."

I turn around and look her directly in the eyes.

"M'am, you are not my mother," I say calmly as I step around my chair. I walk closer until I stand in front of her. She towers over me in her six inch heels, but cringes back when I approach. I continue coldly. "You can take your orders and shove them up your ass. Okay?"

And then I storm from the room.

I know that it's not the best. I've had work shifts dumped onto me for the last three weeks, so it's the best I could do with the time that I've had to work with .-. I apologize for the quality.

Thank you guys so much for your patience <3 Your support means the world!