From Teen To Mom

Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Thank you for choosing Unexpected Turns: A Teenage Pregnancy Story. I wrote this book when I was seventeen and going through my journey of becoming a teen mom. It's a raw and honest portrayal of the challenges and unexpected joys of teenage pregnancy. Your feedback is valuable to me, so please feel free to leave an honest review or share your opinions in the comments. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

I find myself anxiously pacing back and forth in the family restroom at Walmart, the longest two minutes of my life ticking away on the timer of my phone. This can't be happening, it was just one time... My mom is going to be furious with me. As the two minutes finally pass, I take a deep breath, steeling myself before I pick up that little white stick. I silently plead with a higher power, hoping for a miracle.

It was a little over two months ago when it all happened. The Varsity Quarterback, Jared, threw a back-to-school party that was open to everyone. Of course, my best friend Alex and I decided to attend, and it was no surprise to see Greyson May there. He seldom missed an opportunity for free alcohol.

Greyson and I go way back, all the way to our days in first grade. We had occasional conversations, and it was clear that he liked me, though his intentions were far from innocent. However, we were never friends, and I had zero interest in him. My focus was on school, basketball, and being involved in student council, while he was more interested in liquor, drugs, and one-night stands.

That night at the party he approached me as soon as I arrived. We had a few drinks, talked, laughed, and found ourselves dancing together. I remember feeling intoxicated and out of control, and before I knew it, we were making out on the dance floor. One thing led to another, and soon enough, we found ourselves upstairs in Jared's sister's room. It's not like I was a virgin, having lost that status with a guy before Greyson, but that previous encounter now seemed like a distant memory. Little did I know that this one night would change everything forever.

Pregnant. That was the only word staring back at me on the pregnancy test, and it was enough to shatter my world. I slumped against the bathroom wall, my body giving way as I crumbled to the floor. Warm tears streamed down my cheeks, and I quickly wiped them away, questioning why I was crying. It had been over two months since my last period, and for nearly three weeks, I had been plagued by daily bouts of morning sickness, struggling to keep even water down. Deep down, I already knew I was pregnant, but seeing it confirmed on the test made it all too real.

I am the captain of the girls' basketball team, the head of the student council, and a member of the yearbook committee, and I have a role in the school play, "The Breakfast Club." How was I supposed to give up everything for a baby? Greyson's baby. Oh God! I couldn't possibly tell him. It would ruin his life. But then again, what life did he have to ruin? He didn't participate in sports or join any clubs. As far as I knew, he had no job other than dealing drugs, and I did not know of any college plans for him. I doubted he would even lift a finger to help me out. A baby would only get in the way of his partying, smoking, and casual encounters with other girls. B

Aware of the line of people waiting outside the restroom, I gathered myself together, splashing cold water on my face. My long, dark brown hair clung to my forehead, and my once vibrant green eyes now appeared puffy from crying. I tossed the pregnancy test into my purse and walked out, avoiding the glares and judgmental looks from the impatient queue of individuals.

Sitting in my car in the parking lot, I allowed myself to cry some more. My mom had my older brother when she was just seventeen, and then she had me when she was eighteen. I still remember witnessing her struggles as a young single mother with two kids, no high school diploma, and no support from our biological father. It was tough, but eventually, she worked tirelessly, earning her diploma and a master's degree to become a lawyer.

It took her an additional ten years because she had to balance raising two kids. My mom was going to be livid. She always warned me about the perils of being a teenage mom and urged me to learn from her mistakes. As for my older brother Brandon, well, he was going to be furious too. Little did my mom know that Brandon and Greyson were somewhat friends. Brandon would buy weed from him, and they occasionally smoked together. He would lose it when he found out that his baby sister had gotten pregnant by his drug dealer. What had I gotten myself into?

Unsure of what to do next, I texted Alex, informing him that I would be sleeping over at his place tonight. I also informed my mom, knowing that she wouldn't mind since it was a Friday, and she trusted both Alex and me. We had been friends since the first day of kindergarten, and right now I just needed to talk to my best friend