Fingerprints ( #1 BOOK IN THE SERIES )

January (Part Three)

The month seems to fly by and before I know it, there is only a week left of January. School has already started again after the Christmas Holidays and for the first time, I found myself nervous about starting. I can't ever recall a time when I have felt nervous about starting school but so far, I have managed to get through the first couple of weeks.

I don't think anyone outside of my group of friends know that I am pregnant, never mind keeping the baby. I told my mum as soon as I got home from London that I wanted to keep the baby, which in itself was hard enough. I just blurted it out to her while we were watching television that night.

"Mum, I know what I want to do." I said to her after an advert finished. She turned around and looked at me, her face full of concern.

"Really? You know this is a big decision?" She said to me, knowing what I was on about.

"I know. I've thought so much about what I want to do and I've decided that I want to keep the baby." I watched as her face filled with disappointment but she tried to hide it with a sad smile.

"Oh Kristen, I thought you might choose this. I can't stop you; it is your child after all. I always thought after everything that happened between me and your father, you would have been more sensible though" she says to me.

"I know mum, so did I."

My mum was only nineteen when she had me, though what was different was the fact that she was married to my father at the time. And wasn't still in high school. They hadn't been married that long either when she fell pregnant with me, only a couple of months. For the first year or so they were able to make the relationship work but after that it began to fall to pieces. They started to argue more which eventually led to my father leaving us when I was around five. I never understood why they got married in the first place.

"We'll figure it all out together." My mum turned around and said to me.

Now a few weeks later everything is alright again although Cory is yet to tell his parents about the fact that we want to keep the baby. I keep telling him that he should tell them, it is only fair after all, especially as today, we have the first scan, and surely they would want to know about that?

"Do your parents even know we're going for a scan?" I ask him while we are getting ready to go.

"No they don't." Is his reply while having a drink from his coffee.

"I'm honestly shocked that you managed to tell them you got me knocked up in the first place because you're hiding everything else from them." I say to him, grabbing my bag, ready to go any time now.

"It's not been easy for me-"

"Because this has been so easy for me? It was such a breeze telling my mum that I wanted to keep the baby. Then it was also really easy booking the appointment but having to tell the receptionist that it couldn't be through school hours because I'm still in school. Then there's trying to hide the morning sickness and the pregnancy in general from the rest of the people at school. But yeah, I can see why it has been hard for you." I snap at him, storming out of the house.

"Are you coming?" I shout at him from the car, waiting for him to get in.

Cory finally makes his way into the car, prying himself away from his drink. The two of us don't say anything to each other on the journey down to the hospital. Nerves flutter around in my stomach while anger boils in my blood. It doesn't help that my mum keeps trying to make small talk as she drives us to the hospital but then again, this must be strange for her, driving her pregnant, teenage daughter to get a scan of the baby.

After about fifteen minutes of driving, we reach the hospital and park up, my mood still as bad as when we left the house. As soon as I walk through the hospital doors, the smell of disinfectant hits my nostrils. Everything smells so clean, too clean, it isn't natural. One of the first things that I notice is all the women, waiting for their appointment, with their pregnant bellies all showing. The majority of them look at least ten years older than what I am, the youngest maybe being twenty three or so. I feel so out of place. Even though I know they're not, it feels like everyone is watching me and I swear that even the receptionist gives me look.