UNPLANNED

Part 1

There was one other time when you found yourself like this. Just once.

In a bathroom stall in your college dorm room, your roommate on the other side with bated breath. What's it say? She had asked, her voice echoing off the beige tiles that spilled into the messy living room, littered with solo cups and stale tortilla chips.

This time you were alone. No roommate on the other side of the door, no beige tile. Instead, a clean, white bathroom nestled on the third floor of the Los Angeles Facebook office.

The white plastic stick in your hand, this time, showed a tiny plus sign. A light pink symbol of what was usually happiness. But alone in the bathroom at work didn't feel like a happy place.

You stared down at it, wondering if the tears in your eyes were responsible for the blurring of the result. You shook it, wiped at your eyes, and checked again. Still positive.

So you capped it and tossed it into the top drawer of your desk a few minutes later, more than happy to pretend that it wasn't a looming disaster. A life-changing, career-altering disaster.

When it burned a hole in your drawer, begging you to open it and pray that the plus sign had changed, you decided to text Lexi.

Y/N L/N (3:34pm): Broke down and took a test.

You put your phone face down, hoping that an impending text from your roommate wouldn't create a higher heart rate than what was already pounding in your ears. You tried to take a few breaths.

This wasn't the plan. This wasn't the way you pictured life and it certainly wasn't the way you pictured your summer. When the phone buzzed next to your mouse, you grabbed it so quickly you almost dropped it to the floor.

Lexi MacMillan (3:35pm): And??

Y/N L/N (3:35pm): Positive.

You stared at the screen, watched as the three dots appeared, disappeared, appeared again, and then vanished. You imagined Lexi sitting on set, maybe in her dressing room or maybe right beside her co-star, typing and erasing, typing and erasing.

You ignored the email that came through on your computer, likely a request from a team member to edit one of your last images, this marketing campaign is due at 5pm! This marketing campaign was also the furthest thing from your mind right now.

Your phone started buzzing in your hand, a picture of Lexi with big white sunglasses splashed itself across the screen. You answered it quickly, holding a hand up to your mouth to keep your voice low and your words private.

"Hi," you said, heading back for the bathroom that was around the corner from your office.

"What the actual fuck, dude? Are you serious?"

"Yes–why would I lie about that? Do you think I'm that twisted?!"

She let out a noise of exasperation. "No, I just–I don't know–I thought you were being paranoid or some shit! I didn't think it was actually possible!"

"Me neither," you said, shutting the door behind you and leaning against the cool metal. "I don't know what to do."

"Hey, it's okay, it's alright. People get false positives all the time, right?"

Her voice was suddenly more relaxed than it had been, like she realized how serious this was and how fucked you were.

"I think people get false negatives," you replied, defeated.

"Okay, well, you can take another test tonight."

"Okay."

"And then if it's still positive, you have to go to the doctor. That's the first thing."