The Choice

Chapter 13

“What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?” I lay down on my bed, hands on my stomach, tears trickling down my face.

“Just calm down, breathe,” Maisy lay down beside me, “Pregnancy tests aren’t always 100%, are they, Grace?”

Grace was pacing around my room muttering, “I’m going to be an aunt. I’m going to be an aunt.”

Maisy hauled herself off the bed at snapped her fingers in front of Grace’s face, “They’re not, are they, Grace?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Grace blinked repeatedly, indicating that she obviously hadn’t heard a word Maisy said.

Maisy groaned and threw her head back with frustration before rejoining me on the bed.

She pulled me up into a sitting position, looked straight into my eyes and said, “The thing that really matters is whether you’re happy about…all of this.”

I let out a nervous breath of a laugh, “You’re kidding, right? What normal sixteen year old would be happy with having a baby?”

But she wasn’t joking. She was completely serious. That’s when I realised. Deep down, I was sort of…almost, not glad, but I didn't mind. Not really. There was a little person inside of me. Someone who was all mine. If I forgot about the judgement and struggle that would come with being a teenage mum, the ups and downs there would be, I didn’t really mind.

“I’m not going to get an abortion, if that’s what you mean. No way,” I walked back over to the windowsill where I’d left the test, wrapped it in a tissue and threw it in the bin.

“If it helps,” Maisy started, “Your mum’s pretty cool, I don’t think she’ll be mad for too long.”

“Not half as mad as my mum’s going to be…” Grace muttered.

Maisy gave her a long, hard, death stare.

Grace shrugged, “What?! It’s true!”

I forced a smile, “Thanks, Maise, but she’s got a lot going on right now…my dad…he…” I trailed off, realising I hadn’t told them yet what I’d discovered not long ago.

Grace and Maisy exchanged a look before saying, “Immy, spill.”

So despite our current ‘dilemma’, I told them all about how my dad wasn’t my real father. They listened intently right until my last word.

Grace let out a low whistle, “Hunny, your life is so messed up right now its unreal!”

Maisy punched her arm as if to say ‘shut up’ and then placed my hand in hers, “We’re here for you Immy, for all of this - your dad, the baby, everything. Don’t forget that, ok?”

I gulp back the lump that’s appeared in my throat and manage to get out my reply, “Ok.”

We spend a while just sitting in silence, all of our thoughts preoccupied. We each have our own trademark ‘thinking’ action. I bite my lips until they are chapped and raw, Maisy twirls her hair around her finger and Grace picks at her nails, scraping off any polish or picking at her nails and skin.

My head feels like it’s going to explode. What will my mum say? What will Joe say? What will…Tom. Oh my God, Tom. How am I ever going to get him back after this?!

Fresh tears start filling my eyes but I force my eyelids to contain them. I must be strong, crying won’t fix anything.

Once my lips are so bitten they hurt, I decide it’s time to come back to reality, “I need to tell Joe.”

Grace looks up from her nails, “Now? Why so soon?”

“I might as well get it over and done with.”

Maisy unravels her hair from around her finger, “Do you want to call him? You can use my mobile?”

“No,” I reply, “I’ll tell him in person. But I’ll let him know I’m coming first, thanks.”

I take Maisy’s phone from her as it appears from her bag and punch his number into it.

After a few rings he picks up.

“Hello?”

“Joe? It’s Imogen.”

“Bye.”

“Don’t hang up!”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“I need to see you…there’s something important I have to tell you.”