The school bus screeched to a stop in front of the house. Dylan Jones, a sixteen-year-old girl, and her best friend Naomi Green, jumped off of the bus and ran to the mailbox. Excitedly, Dylan opened it to see what they were waiting for: a gold envelope. The girls squealed, taking the letter and running upstairs to Dylan’s bedroom.
“Open it! Open it! What does it say, girl?” Naomi said.
Dylan frantically opened up the letter and started to read: “It says, ‘Congratulations. You have been selected to receive an honorary Young Filmmakers Scholarship for the amount of $1,000! Your submitted film in the Teen category, Night of Terror, showed exceptional talent and we are happy to showcase it on our Young Emerging Screenwriters & Filmmakers website.”
Naomi screamed happily. “Ah! I knew you’d win! You gotta tell your parents. And our creative writing teacher, too. Miss Bailey. This is huge.”
Dylan grinned. “I’m so happy, I can hardly—ouch.” She winced and gripped her abdomen with both hands, letting the letter fall out of her hands and fluttering to the ground.
“Dylan, are you okay? What’s wrong?” Naomi asked.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“What was that about?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just been cramping lately, but nothing’s been happening except I’ve been spotting on and off for a few weeks…”
“A few weeks? Girl, you need to go see a doctor, like now. Wait. Did and Stunna…do it?”
Dylan closed her eyes. “Yeah, we did. We did it after the spring dance. Remember when we all went to the ice cream parlor after the dance? You guys went to Maggie’s house and Stunna took me to his house in his car since his family was out of town for his sister’s cheerleading competition, so we were alone. That’s when we did it for the first time.”
Naomi shook her head. “Well, did you make him wear protection at least? Like we learned in health class?”
“No.” she sighed. “I wanted to, but…he pressured me into thinking we didn’t need it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very good boyfriend to me. I’ve been telling you that you need to stand up for yourself. He’s so selfish, Dylan. He only cares about himself. I’m serious, you can’t be a mom. What were you thinking?”
Dylan grew frustrated, her cheeks flushing a dark red. “I don’t know, Naomi. I was just trying to keep him happy in our relationship. You’re right, I should’ve stood up for myself. I’m hoping it’s just a stomach bug or maybe a kidney stone or something. Getting this scholarship is going to take my dreams to the next level; I can’t slip up right now.”
Naomi put a hand on Dylan’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “That’s right, sis. This is your big moment. No matter what happens, I’m here for you. I’m your best friend. We’ll get through this together. Okay?”
They hugged each other for a long time, not saying anything else.
***
Later that afternoon, Dylan and Naomi agreed not to tell Dylan’s parents about her stomach pains that she’d been having. They run downstairs to tell her family about the good news they received in the mail.
Dylan’s older sisters, Natalia “Natty” and Amira, were watching TV in the living room while their parents, Yasmin and Naeshawn, were having a conversation in the kitchen. A big dinner was simmering on the stove beside them. The girls came into the kitchen, squealing excitedly.
“Mom, Dad. Guess what?” Dylan said.
Yasmin Jones looked very similar to her daughter, with long, curly auburn-brown hair that went down to the middle of her back, brown eyes and brown skin. She wore an emerald-green Lululemon tracksuit with her hair in a high bun, just coming back from her daily run she did with her husband. Dylan’s father, Naeshawn Jones, looked more like her two sisters, Natty and Amira, with brown skin, hazel eyes, and a tall, muscular figure. Both him and Yasmin enjoyed going to the gym to work out together as a couple and keep up on their appearances.
At first, Yasmin looked worried. “Is everything alright?”
“Good news, Mrs. Jones, don’t worry.” Naomi explained.
Dylan smiled. “I won the scholarship award! Remember the competition Miss Bailey told me about? I entered my script, and I won a thousand dollars!”
Naeshawn gasped. “A thousand? Oh my goodness, that’s amazing news, baby girl. I am so proud of you. See, I always said you were gifted and to keep working hard and never give up.” He scooped up his middle daughter into a tight hug and cheered with her.
“This is amazing, my love.” Yasmin exclaimed. “Your hard work is finally paying off. We need to go celebrate.”
Dylan’s sisters came running into the kitchen.
“Let’s go to the mall!” they said in unison.
Yasmin chuckled, shaking her head. “I was thinking more like The Cheesecake Factory or Ritual House in downtown. This is a very special moment for your sister. She deserves the best of the best tonight.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Dylan hugged her mother tightly.
Naomi squeezed in between them. “So, I’m coming too, right?”
The family laughed.
Yasmin nodded. “Yes, Naomi. You can come, too.”
Natty, Amira and Naomi clapped and cheered loudly. Dylan, however, tried to hide the growing pain in her belly.
Naeshawn put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay, honey?”
Dylan nodded, not saying anything.
***
The Jones family plus Naomi Green were getting ready to go out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Dylan’s achievement. They all piled into Naeshawn’s new black-on-black Chevy Suburban, and they drove to the north side of the city to the restaurant. Dylan was visibly nauseous, but she attempted to hide it. Naomi held her hand during the drive as they sat in the third row of the SUV, nervous.
They arrived at the packed restaurant and Yasmin walked up to the hostess, telling her she had made a reservation for the Jones family. They were taken back to a large table in the middle of the room and everyone picked their seats. Naomi and Dylan sat beside each other. They enjoyed their entrees and main courses of shrimp, crab, chicken, ribs, salads, pastas, rolls and desserts. Dylan only took a few bites of her food, growing more nauseous. Yasmin sensed something was wrong, noticing her daughter’s still full plate of food, but she didn’t say anything yet; she wanted this night to be a happy memory for her family.
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Dylan's New Life
RomanceThis drama mini-show is about a girl named Dylan Jones, an aspiring filmmaker who has become a teen mom. She is going through struggles with her Boyfriend, Stunna, along with a high-risk pregnancy. They both need to plan on how they're going to rais...
