Such a Fun Age

Ghost of You

Fourth period was finally here, meaning only 1 and a half more hours until I got to go home. Noah did sit beside me since it was his assigned seat but I made sure to keep my back to him and act like he wasn't there at all.

I was feeling really anxious being back at school for some reason. I felt like I had changed so much over the 3 week long winter break and school seemed so weird for me to be back at. As if I was back at square one, everything shifted but nothing was different at the same time.

Mrs. Morris came into the room and everyone fell quiet.
"Good morning and welcome back students from the winter break. Your assignments for research on the San Andreas fault is due today and I will have you guys one by one present your findings to the class.

My teacher reaches for the jar, the jar that is full of 25 sticks, one of them being mine. I quickly reach for my bag, pretending to look for something, but then my name gets called. I panic, bouncing my leg, face becomes red and I struggle to get a sentence out my mouth.

But that's how they got us to learn, right?

℘ ℘ ℘

I waited at the front doors of the school for my friends to show up after school. Alex walked up to me and gave me a smile and we did our secret handshake.

"Nay and Tess?" I asked.

"Nope." She said, popping the P. "Tessa just left with Esha in her car and I haven't seen Nay in like 2 and a half weeks." She said.

I started riding my skateboard expecting Alexandria to follow right behind with hers but she stopped.

"Can we walk? My stomach doesn't feel good." She said, furrowing her brows. I nodded and picked up my skateboard.

"I tried calling Naya a hundred times but she won't answer. I'm worried about her, Chloe." Alex said.

"I'm worried too." I didn't tell Alex why she was angry at me. I just felt scared to tell her.

"Maybe she went to visit her grandma in Jamaica, like last summer." Alex said and I nodded, knowing that she was no where near Jamaica.

We got to Alex's house and went inside. There was dust everywhere, the floors were dirty, and the kitchen was a mess, dishes piled up the sink and random stuff was laying around, spoiled.

"Alex what the hell happened here?" I asked and quickly ran to the sink.
I turned it on and soaked the dishes.

"I've been really busy. Dad hasn't been home in weeks. He's too busy. We haven't paid the bills in a while either." She told me.

"Shit. I'll get mom to call your dad. Maybe she can help out." I said. I started washing the dishes while Alex made us bowls of instant ramen.

It took some hard scrubbing and time but I was able to work through the dishes by the time the ramen was done.
We ate the ramen while I made a plan on how we were going to tackle this cleaning job. It was about an hours worth of work but we would get it done faster if we stayed on track.
I drank the last bit of my soup and got the vacuum cleaner and started vacuuming the house.

We worked while playing some old Taylor Swift music and singing. We were done cleaning the whole house by 4pm.

I put away the mop and came back to the living room.

"Come on Alex. Help me push the couch back." She nodded and we started pushing.

"Ow." Alex clutched her stomach and knelt down.

"Alex! You okay?" I asked. I helped her onto the couch and she took a deep breath.

"Chloe... I'm pregnant." She said, looking at me.

"You're not serious." I said, chuckling. I waited for her to start laughing too but she stayed quiet and tears started glazing her eyes.

I sat down beside her and hugged her.
"How? When? Who?!" I asked, still speechless.

"I found out on Friday." Her voice cracked.
"Who's kid is it?" I asked.

"David... David Flynn's." She said.

My eyes widened and I tried to muster a sentence. "Um well. You both will be great parents. He's... a good guy." I tried to reassure her knowing damn well David was the biggest fuckboy at west side high. He also was 18 in sophomore classes.

"Cut the bullshit Chloe. He's an asshole." She said and started sobbing.

"How did this happen?" I asked.

"Well we had sex a few times and the last time we did it... he tore the fucking condom. It was a sick joke he created with his fellow football players so that I wouldn't report him." She told me while crying.

"Report what?"

"He leaked my nudes. He had a fucking camera recording once when I was giving him head... god I hate myself for even touching that piece of shit. The whole fucking football team jerks off to me now as if I'm a fucking porn star. More and more guys are getting the video now." She said and slammed her hand on the coffee table.
I grabbed her and hugged her tightly and shushed her.

"You're gonna be okay. We're gonna figure this out together." I said, comforting her.
"I have to get an abortion." She said looking up with her bloodshot red eyes.

"Okay.. okay." I said, trying to figure something out while still processing this new information.

"I have to get the papers signed from an adult and well dads not here and I don't have a mom." She said.

I felt a pang in my heart remembering Alex's mom. Vy Trahan was an amazing woman in our community. She always helped out the people who were struggling, helped the old and sick people by providing them with food and clothes and also hosted a lot of fundraisers. She passed away 2 years ago due to cancer. Everyone felt the loss so deeply, Alex hasn't been the same without her mom. Her dad is distant too now. I don't think I could ever live without my own mother.

"I'll get the papers signed from my mom and bring them to you tomorrow. We'll go together to the clinic." I said.
"Are you sure? You don't have to do this."

"I'm absolutely sure and hey that's what friends are for. I'm gonna be here with you until the end of time." I said and hugged her one more time before standing up.

"Listen. We are not gonna let that fucking jerk David to get his way. We can go to court, report him for child pornography. Plus he's 18 and you're a minor. There's no way he's gonna win the case. He'll have to pay up for the abortion and other accommodations. Assholes like him can't let girls like us fall apart. We're better than that." I said to her with a serious tone.

"Uh. Okay, It's gonna be hard but I believe you." She said nodding along with me.

"I'm gonna go now and if you need anything from me, I'm just one call away." I said.

I left her house with the forms and headed home on my skateboard.
I placed my skateboard in the garage when I suddenly saw Naya step out of her G-Wagon. She had something in a plastic bag in her hand.
She saw me and quickly put the bag in her pocket and wiped her nose. Her eyes were bloodshot red and her hair was all over the place.

"Naya... Naya can we talk." I started walking towards her.
"Go home Chloe." She said and started walking inside.

"Naya I'm sorry, I'm sorry okay?! I've loved you my whole life and you're my best friend. I can't afford to loose you, Nay!" I said behind her.

"You lost the right to be my best friend when you betrayed the only rule I ever had. I hate you." She said and slammed the front door on me.

"What the fuck do I do!? I don't know what I'm supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you!" I yelled.

I sobbed and ran back to my own house. I ran upstairs and fell into my bed, crying. It's hurts so much when you try to do everything for one friend but the other you can't even speak to.
It hurts so much.