Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

I'm Such a Rebel

November 3

    We snuck out of school on Friday. After my mother dropped me off, Jack drove me to Riptide's school and picked her up. I rode in the back and she rode shotgun. I noticed she was playing with her rose gold hair a lot, twisting and untwisting it with her fingers. "Everything will be fine," I told her.

"You certain?" she said.

"I'm not certain," I admitted, but we've done our research.

She took a steadying breath. "Yes we have."

Jack smiled at her. "Would you like me to play some music or put on a podcast? It's going to be a long ride." 

"Sure," Riptide said. "I need something to take my mind off this."

Jack turned on the radio and we listened to some Taylor Swift songs as he drove. It was 8:12 AM now and we probably wouldn't get to our destination until past noon. After the janitor's closet discussion on Wednesday, I'd done some research on abortion laws in Massachusetts. I found out parental consent was needed in our state, but not in New York, so we decided to go there. I'd helped Riptide set up an appointment and Jack came up with the idea for us to go on a a Friday. Riptide had asked her father if she could go to the library after school to study with her boyfriend and he'd okayed it.

     We drove hard until I said I needed to pee. It was almost noon now. Jack stopped at a gas station and after using the restroom, we bought some pre-made sandwiches and chips to eat in the car. In the next twenty minutes, we crossed the state line and cheered as we entered New York. It took nearly an hour more until we got to the place.

      We parked in a parking garage and had to walk. It was cold now and we were bundled in our coats. We saw others, but thankfully, no one stopped to talk. When we got to the building, I notice Riptide looked nervous. Jack nudged her forward. "It's your appointment."

    She looked at him, her face wane. "Am I doing the right thing?" she asked.

     "You know what's right more than anyone else in this situation," he said.

   She nodded. "I just feel like an awful person. My father always said how horrible women who gets abortions are."

   Jack grasped her hand and squeezed it. "You're not a horrible person."

    I nodded. "You're a good person, Riptide."

   She nodded, squared her shoulders, and stepped forward. The receptionist asked her a couple questions and then gave Riptide a clipboard with forms to fill out. We sat down in some seats as she did so. The waiting room was filled with women. None of them looked as young as Riptide and some of them were holding swaddled babies to their chest. I remembered what I had read online about how the clinic provided reproductive health and prenatal care, as well as abortions.

When Riptide was called back, she asked if Jack could go with her, but apparently there was a no boyfriends policy. Jack gave her a thumbs up and said he could text her if she wanted. We waited in the waiting room and talked in low voices. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Jack asked.

"She's in the hands of medical professionals," I told him.

Jack was tapping his foot against the floor and after awhile, he fell into a pensive silence. To pass the time, I pulled out my Chromebook and worked on some homework. I'd probably be busy all weekend trying to catch up on schoolwork and I worried what would happen when my mother found out I had skipped school.

About an hour later, Riptide returned. She had been crying, but she now looked relieved. She checked out at the front and then we walked back to the car. None of us said anything until we got in. "It's done," Riptide said, finally breaking the silence.

Her voice was small and pinched. I couldn't help thinking that she was so young to have to make this decision. Jack leaned over and squeezed her hand. "I love you," he said.

She blinked and I saw a slow smile spread over her face through the rear view mirror. "I love you too, Jack."

We were leaving the city now and returning home. It was nearly three. We drive for a couple hours and then stopped for another bathroom break. We bought some granola bars to snack on and kept on driving. Jack was blasting Taylor Swift songs again. I got a call from my mother around 6. "Magnus," she said. "Where have you been? I just got out from work and you're not at the library. I checked my voicemail and the school says you weren't at classes all day."

Riptide shot me a sympathetic look. "I was doing something important," I told my mother. "I cannot tell you what, but it was to help a friend."

I heard her sigh. "I'll let it slide because this is the first time you've skipped school, but you cannot let it become a habit. It could endanger your chances of getting into college."

"You're right mom," I agreed. "I won't."

"Will you be home soon?" my mother asked.

"Yes," I said. "In less than an hour."

She sighed. "I'll see you then."

I hung up and Jack shot me a look. "I'll drop you off first," he promised.

"Thanks," I said.

When we finally got there, I grabbed my stuff and waved goodbye. I used my keys to open the door and walked into the house. My mother was seated on the couch and when she saw me, she stood up and walked towards me. "Are you safe?" she asked. "Are you hurt?"

She looked over me as if trying to see if anything was different. Then satisfied, she pulled me into a hug. "I'm so glad that you're okay," she said, "but you're grounded all weekend. No phone or hanging out with friends."

I sighed, but the amount of schoolwork I had to catch up on, maybe it wasn't that much of a punishment.