Pregnant by a Stranger (bwwm)

Chapter 4 - Am I Dying?

Mckayla and Jenelle were sitting in Sweetgreen, enjoying their lunch before their next class, when Antoine, Chantel, and Derrick unexpectedly joined them. Mckayla felt a surge of nervousness as she realized it had been three months since the party, and she had been actively avoiding Derrick. Though he sensed the change in their dynamic, he remained unsure about the reason behind her avoidance. Deep down, Mckayla blames him for the bad decision she made that night.

Seizing the opportunity, Derrick decided to address the issue and have a conversation with Mckayla. Taking a seat next to her, he whispered, "I haven't seen you around since the day before the party three months ago."

"Yeah, I know. That's because I've been avoiding you," Mckayla responded bluntly, determined to be honest about her feelings towards him. She felt there was no reason to hide around in the bush about how she felt about him. She wasn't scared or too shy to let him know what she thought anymore.

Derrick was taken aback by her direct response. He hadn't expected such candor and was genuinely perplexed about why she had been avoiding him.

"What did I do?" he asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"You invited someone who had a crush on you to a party, and then proceeded to make out with another person, let alone a white woman. I thought you were all about black love?" Mckayla whispered, careful not to draw attention from their friends. The other three were so busy in their conversation that they didn't notice that Mckayla and Derrick were having their own conversation. A smile began to form on Derrick's face as he processed her words.

"You have a crush on me?" Derrick questioned, flashing his charming, devilish smile. Gosh this man is attractive, thought Mckayla. Tall, devilish smile, muscular,  milk chocolate skin as if the sun came down to earth just to kiss it.

"had," she corrected him.

"I have a crush on you too, Mckayla. I honestly thought I didn't stand a chance with you, considering your social status and all. I've wanted to ask you out, but I was too scared of being rejected," Derrick admitted, revealing his vulnerability.

Mckayla jaw dropped. She let out a laugh for she couldn't believe what she just heard from Derrick's mouth. 

Leaning closer to her ear, Derrick whispered, "Is it too late to make amends?"

Mckayla, trying to compose herself, replied, "I don't know, are you and that white woman together?"

Derrick chuckled and winked, saying, "Rumors have it, I wasn't the only one going to the other side that night."

Before Derrick could continue, Mckayla's phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

"Hello?" she answered. 

"May I speak with Mckayla Bolling-Allen? This is the student health clinic at the University of North Carolina," a voice on the other end of the line said.

"This is she. Give me a moment," Mckayla requested, mouthing to Derrick that she needed to take the call outside.

Outside, Mckayla asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"This is regarding the screening test you took three days ago. The doctor would like you to come in sometime this week to review the results," the voice explained. A million thoughts raced through Mckayla's mind, and she couldn't help but worry about the seriousness of the situation. Why would the doctor ask me to come in instead of posting the results via the portal? It must be serious, she thought.

She gasped, fearing the worst. "oh my gosh he gave me an STD. Is it HIV? Am I going to die?"

"Ma'am, I can't disclose anything over the phone. When are you available this week?" the voice responded calmly.

Mckayla made an appointment to see the doctor the following afternoon, her world now turned upside down. Her legs trembled, and her stomach felt knotted with anxiety. "Okay, I need to calm down," she reminded herself, taking a deep breath before heading back to her friends.

Jenelle noticed Mckayla's distress and expressed concern. "Are you alright? You don't seem well."

"I'm feeling a little queasy. I think I should go home. Can you send me your notes after class?" Mckayla requested, hoping to retreat and gather her thoughts in solitude.

Yeah, sure. Do you need anything else?" Jenelle asked, genuinely worried.

"No, I'm just going to lay down at home. I'll catch up with you all later," Mckayla replied, trying to maintain composure as she prepared to face the uncertainty that awaited her.

***********************************************************************************************

If you enjoyed this chapter, please remember to vote! As always, comments/questions/suggestions are welcome in the comments. Also, please share!! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

***********************************************************************************************