SEVENTEEN years to Live

6 ●○► DECISION

“Oh, gosh,” mutters Beth. “That’s not a good reason, Janine. Although I know what you feel. Did Oren put it in your butt or there?”

“Don’t know,” murmurs Janine. “I never looked at it. Busy.” She rolls her eyes.

“What are you guys talking about?” I intervene. “Are you talking about your experiences?”

“Yes,” says Beth with a smile.

“I’m so glad for you two,” I say. “I still have no partner.”

Beth sighs heavily. “You will find your prince soon.”

“Don’t think so.”

“You will”—Beth pauses a second and stares at me in the eye—“if you come with me. Let’s go.”

Then she drags me and Janine out of the house.

“Where are we going?” I ask Beth, curious. Her hands are tightly wrapped around my wrist and Janine’s. We cannot let go.

Beth never answers my question. But by the direction we are heading, I know now. We are going to the lake. And I can sight Kevin and Jamela sitting on the green grass. What am I going to do?

“Beth,” I protest, “let me go. Jamela is still there. She might kill me.”

“We’ll kill her first,” Beth answers, not looking at me. She drags us to the lake faster now. I don’t know how to get out of her tight grip.

Finally I struggle to take her hand away from my wrist. I wiggle my arm, thrashing everywhere, hoping Beth might hold off. But not. We are still going to the lake.

“Do not try to escape,” says Beth. “You can’t go anywhere.”

I use my other hand to remove her hand now. God, it is locked. How am I going to get this thing off me? Maybe this is her talent. To grip something. Or maybe she also did this with Ryan’s . . . you know.

“Beth,” I demand. “Let me go or else . . .”

“Else, what?” she asks.

“I’ll kick your vagina,” I warn.

Beth’s expression turns pale. She looks at me in the eye angrily—but not too much. She smiled then. And she lets go of my wrist.

“Thank you,” I say, relieved.

“I don’t want to lose a baby because of you,” says Beth.

“You have a baby now?” asks Janine.

“Don’t know,” mutters Beth. “Just in case.”

Beth goes silent. She looks down at her feet and stares at it. I count the seconds that passes. Ten seconds. . . . Twenty seconds. . . . I recognize the seriousness in Beth’s expression. Maybe she’s right. She doesn’t want to lose a baby. And she won’t like it if I would make her lose it.

Janine then pats her back, as if comforting her. “It’s alright, Beth,” she says. “You won’t lose a baby.”

Janine tries to sound enthusiastic, but Beth still seems melancholy. I think what I said has really offended her. That’s why I begin to apologize.

“I am so sorry, Beth,” I say. “I didn’t mean what I said.”

Beth manages to smile. “There’s nothing. Why are you apologizing? It’s nothing, really.”

At first I don’t believe Beth. But I think she’s beginning to be serious. I go beside her, crossing my arm on her waist.

“Let’s go?” asks Beth. “Let’s see Kate how she hunts.”