This chapter does include coarse language, which some people might find offensive. If you think you are one of those people, I urge you not to read on. Otherwise, enjoy!
I was going back to school. Now they holidays were over, I was coping fine with the whole pregnancy thing and I was going back to school. Adam has been trying to convince carol all week that he needed to drop out, so he could work more, earn more money. She had said flat out NO, which I more than agreed with. Plus, there was no way I wanted to face school without him anyway. People would find out soon enough, and they would start talking. I was going back to school, but at least not until tomorrow.
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I woke with my head throbbing, my throat burning dry and my nose running like a tap. I was shivering cold and yet covered in sweat. Carol took one look at me and sat me down on the couch with blankets and a herbal tea, insisting that I stay home. I can't say I'm upset.
"I think I'll have to call in and cancel," Carol said.
"No, NO!," I protested. "Please don't miss work because of me, I'm fine really. I can look after myself anyway. Really Carol, just go."
After a good ten minutes, I finally convinced her to go. Although now, with no one to talk to, and only day time TV to keep me entertained, I was bored as hell. Suddenly, I remembered the website Carol had shown me last week, and logged onto the computer.
Now, at 8 weeks, my baby's eyelids, nose, fingers and toes are forming. It is about half an inch long, and has a heartbeat of 150 beats per minute. I imagine that beat in sync with my own, and smile.
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I'm better now, I suppose. I mean, I don't have a fever, but I'm so nervous I'm about to faint. I stepp out of the car and look up at my school. It's been almost a month since I'd seen the classrooms and oval. So much had changed in my life in that time, it felt so strange to come back to something that was once so normal. Adam put his arm around me and we walked towards the locker bays. I saw Chelsea and her gang of bitch clones over by the fountain, out of the corner of my eye. They started giggling in a shrill high pitch. It's okay, I told myself, there is no way it's about you. They don't even know, they're probably laughing at the way some poor girl has styled her hair this morning. I tried to convince myself that this was what they were laughing at, but that was the moment Chelsea motioned to them and they all strutted over in our direction. My heart sank below the pits under the earth.
"Hey girls, look who's back!" Chelsea gushed. They giggled and winked at each other.
"Hi Chelsea," I said, smiling weakly.
"Now Jess, there have been a lot of rumours to explain why you were gone so long of course. And you know that us girls all look out for each other right? We were really worried about you, weren't we girls?"
"We really were," Clara nodded.
"Definitely," added Rachel.
"What do you want, Chelsea?" Adam asked bluntly, clearly not in the mood for games.
"Is it true then? She's pregnant! Oh. My. God." They peeled off into more fits of giggles.
I shrunk back, like a turtle retreating into it's shell. How did they know?
"Who told you that?" Adam growled.
"A good reporter never reveals their source, Adam." Chelsea winked nastily." So, looking forward to becoming a daddy, or is little Jessie lined up for an abortion?" She sneered.
"C'mon Jess, let's get out of here." Adam said, pulling me in the other direction.
"Hey everyone!" Chelsea called, "Guess the rumours were true! The little slut really IS pregnant after all!"
