Mr. Player's Kids

Mr. Player's Kids: Chapter 1

cover by dallure

One

Walking down the crowded hallway of Elkin High, nostalgia filled the air as old friends reunited after the long summer break. I met up with Summer, my other half, laughing about our past summer experience and dumb adventures that we had shared together. We hugged and screamed about how much we missed each other as if we hadn't seen each other for years, disregarding the fact that we hung out the day before. I guess the pure excitement of a fresh, new school year was what got to us every time. As the day went on, more reunions with familiar friends ensued. We shared laughs about our summer adventures, and all of the stupid things we had done.

They each had their regrets. Staying out too late, drinking too much, falling too hard. Mine was so beautifully simple and disastrous: Maya's party.

She had one every year. Each time, it was a little bigger, a little better. More people, even more stunning decor, amazing food. She couldn't get enough of it. Maya decided to have her party in the beginning of August, when the weather seemed almost perfect. But this time, things were different.

It was a mad house. Drinking, smoking, dirty dancing in the ballroom of her gallant mansion. It was crazy. Summer and I did our best to stay close and avoid any mishap. We eyed the cups being passed around and pretended the music was too loud when boys with friendly faces offered us a drink. We had heard the horror stories too many times to take chances.

An innocuous game of truth or dare. As the trays of finger food were being thrown around, Summer dared me to try one that was shaped like an actual finger. I took the dare, grabbing a bright red literal finger food from the plate, smirking as I popped the whole thing in my mouth. Not bad, until the spice kicked in.

It was hot. And by hot, I meant burning. And by burning, I meant so uncontrollable that I had to drink something to quench the fire that raged on my tongue. I grabbed a purple glass with amber liquid in it, and chugged it down, noticing that the burning of my tongue was replaced in my throat. 

It was definitely some sort of alcohol, and I knew I would regret it. My tolerance was laughably low, and the effects were immediate. 

I tumbled into another room, where I saw Chase and his best friend Kenny talking to two girls. Both of them, beautiful. Unattainable. Out of my league. "In your dreams" material. I had always known it, but had never been as enthralled by it as I was at that moment. I went up to them, pushed the girl in front of Chase away, and started kissing him. 

The rest is blank. The most important parts, erased. The only memory I have is the blaring sun in my eyes at 5 AM, and a sharp pain in my head as I sat up from the bed, tangled in silky sheets.

We stared at each other in disbelief, both getting up and quickly shuffling to put our clothes back on. 

It just didn't add up. 

Chase was a player, for lack of a better term, and a good one, at that. I was average, my greatest sexual experience was feeling "fuzzy" after watching Dirty Dancing. Chase was the quarterback, and the captain of the lacrosse team. I was the valedictorian with the best grades in the class. Chase had a girlfriend. I was single. 

To sum it up: inconceivable.

As we both exited the bedroom, Chase looked at me once more and winked, smiling and showing off his perfectly straight, shiny white teeth. 

"Like nothing ever happened," he simply said. 

I nodded in agreement. 

Since then, I had forgotten everything. Like nothing ever happened, just like Chase told me. And the memory of the party? I just remember it as stupidity that was fun, but wasn't the time of my life. I told myself it wasn't my first time, that I was waiting for someone special. "The one". I still had a chance, as long as I could forget.

Summer and I skipped to our next classes, arms linked, like little girls. It was a wonder why we were best friends. I mean, I knew why, but it was still strange to me. 

Summer was the kind of girl you looked at and smiled without knowing why. The guys all wanna date her, and surprisingly, the girls all loved her. You could tell her your problems and she would never get tired of listening. She could make you laugh with one crazy facial expression. She was as loyal as a golden retriever to the people she loved, and as vicious as a shark if someone were to cross them. I've always felt undeserving of having such an amazing best friend.

The day zoomed by, and soon enough I was back in my room, Summer by my side, lounging on my bed and listening to music. Summer seemed to live at my house, even though she was only a block away.

All of a sudden, Summer groaned and grabbed her side as she flopped down on my bed. 

"Damn period cramps." she sighed. 

Just then I remembered something that I knew I had forgotten earlier. But more like a month earlier. 

"Summer, what day is it?" I asked her. 

"The fourteenth. First day of school. Why?" she asked suspiciously. 

"That's 42 days. That means I'm late." I whispered. 

"Don't worry about it, happens to me all the time," she smiled reassuringly. 

I looked at her, "Yeah, but not me. Ever. I'm always...on time, " I whispered again. She stared at me like I was a ghost of myself.

"The party," we both whispered at the same time. 

"I'm going to go get a test." Summer bolted out of the door, wallet and keys in hand, and drove away. I sunk down onto my bed, and clutched my stomach. 

No. 

No, no, no, no, no!

I wasn't pregnant. I couldn't be.  We used protection...right? I wasn't pregnant. It'd ruin my entire life, all of the things I've worked for: school, swimming, lacrosse. All gone. 

Just as quickly as she ran out, Summer bursted in and handed me a plastic bag full of pregnancy tests. 

"18 of them. They're all different.  So we're 100% sure," she said, panting and holding her side. I looked up at her, and she nodded. 

I took all 18 of them. I wasn't taking any chances.  

Summer and I sat on the edge of my bed, looking up at the ceiling and counting down. She grabbed my hand in the last minute and looked at me reassuringly. 

At the 15 minute mark, I got up and picked up the tests, spreading them out on my bed face down. 

"Whatever it is, I'll stick with you through it all," she told me, using the look she reserved for the most serious of situations that said that she really, really meant it.

"Promise?"

"I swear," she said, smiling.  I flipped the first test, then the rest:

Positive

++

+

Pregnant

++

Yes

--

Positive

Pos.

Pregnant

++

Yes

Pregnant

Yes

--

Pos.

+

Positive

They were all positive. 

I was pregnant.